DigameXtra No. 2950 Monday, February 17th, 2025

On February 17, 2025February 17, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

Welcome to DigameXtra !

The Most Popular English Language Daily Newsletter In Andalucia

Content in this newsletter blog site comes from its Editor, Sponsors & Supporters (Holiday Fundraiser Donors). Submissions are subject to editing and posting at the Editor’s discretion. If I don’t want to post something, I won’t, and I do not owe you an explanation. Content from other sources is credited. The Editor is Naythan, aka DoctorLaptop. Top banner image: formato digital.

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DigameXtra Featured Sponsor

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Upcoming Holidays: Friday, 28 February is Andalucia Day, a public holiday.
DigameXtra will be closed. Posts scheduled for Friday, 28 February will be posted one day early, on Thursday, the 27th.
After Andalucia Day, the next national public holidays are the 17th (Holy Thursday) & 18th (Good Friday) of April.
Ref: https://www.foro-ciudad.com/malaga/torrox/calendario-laboral-2025.html#google_vignette

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What’s On

Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra!

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Phoenix Club: The Phoenix Social Club is open to all nationalities but the lingua franca is English.
We offer an opportunity to make friends, help each other & share information but primarily to have fun in a friendly and inclusive association. You do not have to be a member to join us on our trips.
Our handmade greetings cards are for sale weekly with all proceeds to the Red Cross. We would be happy to accept any greeting cards you may have to re-make into fantastic cards.
We meet every Thursday between 12 and 2 pm at Chine in Caleta, just off the coast road to/from Algarrobo.
***Trips/Events***
~All trips/events include a driver’s gratuity~
March
– 4th – Trip to Gib €22pp
– 21st – Trip to IKEA and Guzmans Garden Centre €20
April
– 2nd – Trip to Gib €22pp
– 11/12th – Train trip from Antequera to Algeciras with an overnight stay in Algeciras at the 4* Reina Cristina hotel on a ½ board basis. Price 120pp based on 2 sharing a double room.
– 25th – Trip to Colamares Castle AM and Benalmadena Marina PM. 25€pp, includes guided visit to the castle.
May
– 6th – Trip to Gib €22pp
– 23rd – Trip to the interesting street market in Almunecar. €20pp
June
– 3rd – Trip to Gib €22pp
– 21st – Trip to Alfarnate and their Cherry Fiesta. €20pp
For information call Gail on 951067723 / 626370695 (Whatsapp) email phoenixsocialclub@yahoo.co.uk.
We are DigameXtra sponsors and our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.

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Rincón de la Victoria “Ruta de la Cuchara IV” (Route of the Spoon): Friday, February 21 to Sunday, March 2
With 26 participating restaurants.
Customers will be able to order dishes with a drink (beer, soft drink or water) at a price of €3.50. Visitors will be provided with a route book. The route can be seen on Google Maps: https://acortar.link/t9Fixx
Info: https://www.turismoenrincon.es/ruta-cuchara-rincon-victoria-2025/

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Multimedia Concert in Nerja- “Lifetime & Mediterráneo”
Pablo Alcázar, guitar. Sat, 22 Feb, 8pm.
Centro Cultural Villa de Nerja, C/ Granada 45, Nerja
Original and pioneering work for solo Spanish guitar with a projection created by artificial intelligence. It aims to break away from stereotypes with its own unique style that mixes classical guitar, touches of Spanish popular music, harmonies and exotic rhythms; Arabic and Indian, flamenco, contemporary guitar techniques and does so while telling a story, the story of a soul and its journey through the most essential emotions of life. A work created to move and stir the viewer who will be able to enjoy a new audiovisual experience with new sounds and the use of new technologies in tune with the Spanish guitar.
Info & tix (€12): https://www.giglon.com/todos?idEvent=lifetime–mediterraneo-pablo-alcazar-guitarra & Video Link

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La Caleta- Carnival 2025: Sun, 2 March
Location, Plaza Colonias del Puerto III
The day will be enlivened by various performances, including two comparsas (troupes), a batucada (drummers), dance groups, charanga (brass) and other groups that will entertain the audience with their music and colour. ‘We want the whole town to enjoy a day full of joy and fun, with entertainment for all ages,’ said Segura.

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Torrox & El Morche Carnival 2025:
– Torrox, Fri & Sat, 7 & 8 March
– El Morche, Sat, 15 March

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Weather Forecast from https://weather.com/

Tap or click image for updated forecast

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NOTICE!
Submissions for posting in sections below
must be signed like this or they will be returned !!!
Sender’s First Name / Nearest Town
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Services Wanted/Offered

Check the DigameXtra Sponsor’s list whenever you need a service. By using these services you are helping support DigameXtra.
Landlords, tell your renters about DigameXtra, where they can get overnight answers to questions about local stuff without having to call you!

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HANNINGTONS KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

Hanningtons Kitchens and Bathrooms: We have been installing kitchens and bathrooms here on the Costa for 13 years. We pride ourselves on our professionalism, highest standards of work and customer service.
Whether you are thinking of updating an existing kitchen or bathroom, or whether you wish to create the kitchen or bathroom you have always dreamed of, we are here for you, every step of the way.
With an unrivaled knowledge of the best local materials and suppliers we are able to work to all tastes and budgets.
Our full range of services includes:
– Installations and Refurbs
– Wall & Floor tiling
– Full range of Plumbing work including radiators and underfloor heating
– Solar Installation
– Design & planning ideas to get the look you are after
– Electrical works
– Alter / Install walls, dropped ceilings and hang doors
– Plastering, woodwork and floor levelling
Visit our FB page on the link below to be inspired
https://www.facebook.com/hanningtons.kitchens.and.bathrooms/
Call us : 669 665 156
Email us: hanningtons.bathrooms@gmail.com ; Our contact details can be found in the Sponsor’s Section at the bottom of every issue.

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MANDY’S PAINTBOX

Mandy’s Paintbox: Painter for 30 years in Nerja area.
Painting work undertaken. Inside and outside, large or small. Furniture painted or sprayed. Kitchens, cabinets, wardrobes doors any colour any surface. Check out the before and after photos, all the furniture was spray painted. Call for advice. WhatsApp 680739577
Email: josiahamanda@gmail.com
My contact details can be found in the Sponsor’s Section at the bottom of every issue. Here are “before” (left) and “after” (right) pics from my latest job.

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Buy / Sell / Trade / Rent / Wanted

Click on pics to enlarge

How to post more photos than the rules allow – use collages. The limit is one pic per item/event. You can combine several of your photos into a 
single collage photo by using this free online collage creation tool. It’s very easy to use, give it a try! https://www.photocollage.com/

Are you still dealing with scammers on Fakebook Marketplace?
Sell your items here, to locals, for cash, without the shenanigans.

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BLUCEE REAL ESTATE

BluCee Real Estate:
*Are you thinking of selling?*
At BluCee Real Estate we use many different tools to demonstrate and promote our properties. Photographs, videos, drone footage, 360⁰ tours, targeted advertising, property exhibitions to name a few. We don’t sit and wait for buyers, we actively search for them.
Please contact us to find out what we will do to actively promote your property for sale.
We have a few places available on our artwork for our next property exhibition in Manchester. Contact us now to secure a place for YOUR property.
Nearly forgot to mention, our service might sound expensive but we are not! Our sales commissions are very competitive compared to other real estate companies.
Please contact us for a free valuation or more for information:
Website: http://www.blucee.com/ : Email: info@blucee.com
Whatsapp 0034 711 04 27 27 / Office 0034 951 553 890
Or you can come into our office and speak to us in person at Calle Timón 11b, Torre del Mar, 29738, Málaga.
We look forward to helping you.
We cover the whole coast line and inland.
BluCee Real Estate are a DigameXtra sponsor so our contact details are shown here every day.

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For Sale, 3 items:
– 2 Wine racks, €5 each
– Newspapers stand. €5
– Bedside cabinet 50 x 40 x 61. €15
Message or call Amanda, Nerja 680739577 ; josiahamanda@gmail.com

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For Sale: Induction hob. 2 normal & 1 large rings. Excellent condition, but impossible to photograph without reflection. Very soon after buying we realised we needed 4 rings. So we replaced hob and now offer the 3 ring hob for sale.
Cost 199€ sell 95€.
Tom, Rincon de la Victoria, 687213521

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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ANDALUCÍA

DGT starts on Monday a campaign for truck and bus surveillance: {Translation, summary}
– Until February 23, agents of the Civil Guard Traffic Group, and those of the rest of the local and regional police officers who join the campaign, will control the conditions in which these types of vehicles circulate, regardless of the country of origin, as well as their drivers, the DGT reports in a press release.
– Aspects such as the time allotted for driving and rest, the tachograph, excess weight, possible technical defects of the vehicle or the safety of the transported load, the documentation of the vehicle and the driver, the use of the seat belt by the driver and the occupants, the possibility of driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs and observation of the use of the mobile phone while driving. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1866176/la-dgt-inicia-este-lunes-una-campana-para-la-vigilancia-de-camiones-y-autobuses/

MALAGA PROVINCE

Twenty arrested for robberies with extreme violence in various locations in Malaga: {Translation, summary}
– Eleven police actions have resulted in a group of about twenty people arrested belonging to four groups that had committed 33 crimes of robbery, seven with violence and intimidation, 23 with force, a vehicle theft and two other thefts in the towns of Malaga, Alozaina, Alhaurin de la Torre and Alhaurin el Grande.
– This criminal group allegedly used firearms and bladed weapons to commit the robberies. One robbery, carried out in Alhaurin de la Torre, while its inhabitants, two elderly people, remained inside, resulted one of the victims losing several teeth due to the blows that the assailants gave him.
– Another of the actions was carried out following a report of a burglary inside a refrigerated truck where the perpetrators stole food and electrical appliances worth 2,500 euros that were to be used in a charity event to raise funds for people affected by oncological diseases. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1866109/detenidos-por-robos-con-extrema-vioencia-en-diversas-localidades-de-malaga/

NERJA

A hiker and his dog are rescued after being trapped when the animal chased wild goats in the Maro area: {Translation, summary}
– Going for a walk with your dog in the mountains can be a very pleasant experience, but it can also end in a very traumatic way, especially if the animal chases mountain goats. This is what happened to a hiker of Spanish nationality, about 50 years old, who on Saturday afternoon had to be rescued, along with his pet, when both were trapped in a very steep area of the natural site of the Cliffs of Maro-Cerro Gordo.
– The alarms have jumped about 17.30 hours, when the emergency service 112 Andalusia has received the notice of this man, who was trapped in an area of ravines with steep slopes near Cañuelo beach after running after his dog, which had begun to chase a herd of mountain goats that were in the area.
– After being rescued both were in good condition and did not require medical assistance. According to what this newspaper has been able to confirm, the man managed to get out by his own means, following the indications of the agents, while the dog had to be rescued by the members of the Provincial Consortium of Firefighters. The rescue operation lasted more than two hours, due to the steepness of the terrain.
– The hiker is now facing an administrative sanction for taking the dog loose in a natural area, a protected area. The fine could reach 600 euros. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sucesos/rescatan-senderista-perro-maro-20250215195310-nt.html

COÍN

Eco-Warrior Alert, Junta de Andalucía gives its approval to another mine in an area of Malaga where dust is already a health risk: {Translation, summary}
– For 40 years, residents of the municipality of Coín (25,809 inhabitants) have been enduring the noise and dust generated by several nearby quarries. They suffer it in their lungs, which breathe toxic substances; they suffer it in their homes, impregnated with the whitish ground substance that is released by the dolomite perforations; and the farmers in the area also suffer it, who can only sell their avocados at a price significantly lower than the market price because of the dust that sticks to them forever when the dew falls.
– An investigating judge has a Seprona report, with photos and videos, which warns that the quarries undoubtedly affect a radius of 1,300 meters, but it is not excluded that the dust in suspension reaches further. According to this report, the particles pose a “risk to people” and a “serious harm to the health of vulnerable people”, as well as a risk to the environment.
– However, now the most urgent objective of the neighbors is to paralyze the opening of a fourth mine, which the Junta de Andalucía has been processing as an “extension” of one of the existing ones since 2018. Josefina II would add six more hectares, from which 1,730,643 tons of dolomitic limestone (about 770,000 cubic meters) would be extracted in nine years with open-pit explosives. It would not imply the opening of a new treatment plant. The Sustainability Delegation issued a favorable environmental opinion last December 4. “The fact that the court is investigating does not affect the processing except for relevant measures that the court deems appropriate to establish”, replied the Delegation.
– The neighbors have presented allegations, in the hope that the Board will transform its initial approval into a rejection of the environmental authorization.
– This is a very long, in depth article, with photos and charts. See the full article, translated to English: https://www-eldiario-es.translate.goog/andalucia/malaga/junta-andalucia-da-visto-bueno-mina-zona-malaga-polvo-riesgo-salud_1_12047271.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

EUROPE

Worm flour sneaks into food marketed in Europe: {Translation, summary}
– As of this week, worm meal can be used in food processing. Until now it had been used mainly in animal feed, but the approval of EU Regulation 2025/89 has authorized it as a food ingredient for general use, mainly in bakery products, pasta and cheese.
– It is not the first insect to sneak onto the table, as since 2018, the European Union approved the use of certain insects such as migratory locust, house cricket or dung beetle larvae. Together with the mealworm, they are part of the so-called ‘novel foods’, which go through strict controls and validations by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority. “And after these studies, it is the EFSA itself who establishes the conditions of use, labeling requirements, and subsequent monitoring after marketing,” clarifies the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU).
– The EU has authorized the commercialization of UV-treated powder of Tenebrio molitor larvae. This insect is a type of beetle of the family Tenebrionidae. The larvae are used in the manufacture of flour because this is the phase of the insect’s metamorphosis in which the nutrient content is highest and they are subjected to ultraviolet treatment to disinfect and, apparently, to increase the amount of vitamin D3.
– In terms of nutritional value, it has a high protein content (between 50% and 60% on average) and approximately 30% unsaturated fat; it is a good source of B vitamins, including B12, and contains minerals such as magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and manganese. In addition, its production has a low ecological impact and lowers costs.
– Among its negative aspects, it can cause allergic reactions in people with allergies to crustaceans.
– The European Commission itself has had to come out to deny a hoax circulating on social networks that claims that the European Union will force the inclusion of worm meal in food without consumers knowing it. The OCU has also come out to certify that this is indeed a lie and clarify that, as with any other ingredient, if worm meal is used in a product will have to appear in a mandatory way in the list of ingredients, also specified as “powder treated with ultraviolet radiation of larvae of Tenebrio molitor (mealworm)” [“polvo tratado con radiación ultravioleta de larvas de Tenebrio molitor (gusano de la harina)”]. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sociedad/harina-gusano-cuela-alimentos-comercializados-europa-saber-20250212001227-nt.html

MIDDLE EAST

Rubio in Israel says Hamas must be eradicated, casting further doubt on Gaza’s shaky ceasefire:
– U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday fully endorsed Israel’s war aims in the Gaza Strip, saying Hamas “must be eradicated” and throwing the shaky ceasefire into further doubt. Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem at the start of a regional tour {pic}. Rubio said Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force. “As long as it stands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible,” he said. “It must be eradicated.”
– Such language could complicate continued talks with Hamas, which remains in control of Gaza despite suffering heavy losses in the war.
– Rubio is also set to visit regional heavyweights the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
– The Israeli military meanwhile said it carried out an airstrike Sunday on people who approached its forces in southern Gaza. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said the strike killed three of its policemen while they were securing the entry of aid trucks near Rafah, on the Egyptian border. Hamas called the attack a “serious violation” of the ceasefire and accused Netanyahu of trying to sabotage the deal. Full article: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-15-2025-1cf8b3cb7622489c368c610f85e51e35

FINANCIAL

Say What? Retroactive Social Security increases? Some 900,000 freelancers will have to pay 450 euros on average to social security because they quoted less than they should: {Translation, summary}
– Almost a quarter of the Spanish self-employed will have to pay Social Security to regularize their social security contributions for the year 2023. These are 900,000 self-employed workers who paid lower contributions that year than they were entitled to for the income they actually earned. On average, these self-employed will have to pay the agency about 450 euros to bridge the gap between what they paid in Social Security contributions and what corresponds to them for their earnings.
– However, around one million self-employed workers are in the opposite situation. They have contributed too much and are entitled to have the difference refunded. An overpayment of around, on average, 600 euros, which they can claim back from the public body. However, a large number of these self-employed workers have chosen not to claim this amount and have opted for a higher contribution base. For the moment, some 430,000 self-employed workers have decided to waive the compensation and maintain their elevated contribution base, to be eligible for greater benefits when they retire.
– Social Security began notifying self-employed workers who are entitled to a refund of their overpayment between December 9 and 15. However, there are still some 200,000 self-employed workers who have not yet been notified. The public entity will begin to return the amounts during March and April, a process that will be ex officio, without the worker having to claim anything.
– The self-employed who have underpaid their contributions will begin to receive notifications informing them of their situation from March onwards. The deadline for settling the debt will be the last day of the month following the date of notification. As is usual with Social Security debts, those affected will be able to request deferrals. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/…

GASTRONOMIA

Spanish Honey Scandal, part 2: {Translation, summary}
– The advances against fraud in the labeling of honey to avoid that the product from abroad is passed off as national are exposed in Zamora within the XII National Congress of Apiculture. In it, a study has been presented that shows an incorrect labeling in six out of seven samples of honeys bought in supermarkets. Regulations require the country of origin of the honeys with which the mixture has been made to be specified on the label, in order of abundance.
– The study collected seven jars of various brands from the main Spanish supermarket chains and sent them to a laboratory accredited in pollen analysis of origin to determine from which areas of world production the honey was from and, in those of mixture, from which there was a greater proportion.
– Of the seven honeys tested, only one was labeled as exclusively Spanish honey and the laboratory certified that it was in fact a product of pollens from the Mediterranean geographical area, which includes Spain. The rest were blended honeys and in all of them ‘Spain’ appeared on the label as the first country of origin of the honeys used, when in none of the cases it was so.
– In two of the samples analyzed, not even two of the geographical areas that appeared on the label were detected, since in one of them India was listed as the second country of origin and there were no traces of honey pollen from that area. In the other case, it was specified that part of the mixture was from Mexico and there were no traces of the specific pollen from Mexico, although there were traces from Central America.
Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/gastronomia/un-estudio-revela-incorrecto-etiquetado-miel-supermercados-seis-cada-siete-botes-5682793/

HEALTH

The 72-hour response to health appointments is extended this Monday to the health centers of Malaga, Rincon and Guadalhorce: {Translation, summary}
– The Malaga-Guadalhorce Healthcare District will start applying the new appointment accessibility system tomorrow, Monday, which guarantees a response to the demand for requests in less than 72 hours. The district thus joins the health management areas of North Malaga, Serrania de Malaga and East Malaga-Axarquia, in which this system was launched last January.
– The objective is to respond to requests for appointments that are not immediately answered by external channels (Salud Responde -app and telephone, ClicSalud+, SaludAndalucía app) within a maximum of three days. Within these 72 hours, users will be contacted to offer them the appointment. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/respuesta-citas-72-horas-extiende_0_2003345775.html

TECH

Extending Windows 10 support after it reaches “end of life” this October: {DigameXtra}
– Windows 10, version 22H2 is the last feature update released for Windows 10 and will be serviced with monthly updates through October 14, 2025, after which it is NO LONGER SUPPORTED. If your device meets the minimum requirements for Windows 11 you can still take advantage of the free upgrade from Windows 10. Microsoft will most likely start charging for this upgrade after October 14, 2025.
– There is no “end of life” date for Windows 11 yet. All we know for sure is that the current version of Windows 11 (24H2) is guarantied to be supported until 13 Oct 2026. Before this date there will be either an updated version of Windows 11 released (25H1), or Windows 12 will be launched.
– After October 14, 2025 you will no longer receive Windows 10 security updates. These updates are necessary to use the Internet safely. If you desire to use Windows 10 on the Internet after this date, you will want to arrange for extended support (ESU). The information you’ll need to do this has been posted to the official Microsoft page. Link below.
– Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 can now be purchased through the Microsoft Volume Licensing Program, at $61 USD per device for Year One. The price doubles every consecutive year, for a maximum of three years [61+122+244=$427USD for the maximum 3 year extension, for which you could just buy a new Win 11 computer].
– Link to Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

AI enhanced robots ready for sale: {Translation, summary}
– A world where androids walk among us. Not on movie screens, as in “Blade Runner” or “I, Robot,” but in the streets, homes and workplaces. A world where machines not only perform repetitive tasks, but interact with humans, learn from their environment and make decisions in real time. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s the reality being built by Figure AI, a company that, in collaboration with the U.S. government, plans to deploy 100,000 humanoid robots in the next few years.
– This announcement, which sounds both exciting and disturbing, marks an unprecedented milestone in the history of robotics and artificial intelligence. What can these robots do? How will they change our society? And, most importantly, are we prepared to live with machines that look, act and think more and more like us? {Elon Musk has said these robots will outnumber humans by 2050. -Ed.}
– AI robots are not simply machines programmed to perform specific tasks. These humanoids are equipped with advanced artificial intelligence, state-of-the-art sensors and a learning capability that allows them to adapt to dynamic environments.
– They can walk, run, manipulate objects with precision and even hold fluid conversations thanks to natural language processing systems. They are, in essence, a fusion of cutting-edge hardware and intelligent software, designed to integrate into people’s everyday lives. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1865276/los-robots-humanoides-ya-estan-aqui-100000-unidades-llegaran-a-casas-de-eeuu/ & Video Link

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Humour & Diversions Section

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Fun & Games

National Geographic Photo of the Day: Click Here
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: Click Here
Word of the Day: Click Here
Quote of the Day: Click Here
Fact of the Day: Click Here
Born Today: Click Here
Today in History: Click Here
Today’s Front Pages (New Link), worldwide: Click Here
Daily Mail UK- Daily Sudoku: Click Here

Cinesur El Ingenio Films schedule: You can find the film schedule at this link. Films tagged as (VOSE) are in the original language with Spanish subtitles.
https://www.cinesur.com/es/cine/mk2-cinesur-el-ingenio

Petrol Prices – Updated daily: These are the fuel stations in Malaga province with the lowest prices. The price data for 95 and 98-octane petrol and diesel fuel is updated every day. See it here:
https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/updated-daily-these-20220314114157-nt.html

Weekly Markets
Monday: Torrox Costa
Tuesday: Nerja, Salobrena
Wednesday: Rincon de la Victoria, Algarrobo Costa
Thursday: Velez Malaga, Torre del Mar, Frigiliana
Friday: Almunecar, Salobrena, La Herradura- Summers only, Mercadillo de La Cala del Moral- Rincon de la Victoria.
Saturday: Competa, Mezquitilla@Algarrobo behind the Sala Ottowa
Sunday: Nerja Car Boot

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Local/National News in English, The Sur: http://www.surinenglish.com/
Local Weather: https://www.accuweather.com/en/es/torre-del-mar/306652/weather-forecast/306652
Bus Info: https://www.alsa.com/en/web/bus/our-destinations/regional
Currency Converter: https://www.x-rates.com/calculator/?from=EUR&to=GBP&amount=1
Internet Speed Test: http://beta.speedtest.net/
Local Bank Holidays: http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/spain/index.php UK Newspaper Front Pages and Worldwide Newspapers All On One Site: https://www.thepaperboy.com/uk/front-pages.cfm

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily.
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

DigameXtra is now on X (formerly Twitter) at @DigameXtra. I also post articles there that are too controversial for the daily newsletter. However, you need a free X account to visit the @DigameXtra page on X.

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DigameXtra No. 2949 WEEKEND EDITION Friday, February 14th, 2025

On February 14, 2025February 15, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

Welcome to DigameXtra !

The Most Popular English Language Daily Newsletter In Andalucia

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*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed.

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*Send your submissions & subscription requests to digamextra@protonmail.com

Note: The submission deadline is 6pm for the next day’s issue.

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DigameXtra Featured Sponsor

Website

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Happy Valentines Day

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What’s On

Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra!

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Valentines Day at Robert’s Top, Almunecar: Fri, 14 Feb, 10pm
“Gringos” band will be playing your fav rock covers.
Robert’s Top, C/ Livry Gargan 1, Almunecar. Info: FB

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Concert- Sergey Belyavsky, pianist extraordinaire:
Sat, 1 March, 8pm, €15. Teatro Ciudad de Marbella
Plaza Ramon Martinez, 3, Marbella 29603.
Info & tix: https://www.mientrada.net/evento/teatro-marbella-sergey-belyavsky/
Video Link

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Weather Forecast from https://weather.com/

Tap or click image for updated forecast

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NOTICE!
Submissions for posting in sections below
must be signed like this or they will be returned !!!
Sender’s First Name / Nearest Town
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Services Wanted/Offered

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CÓMPETA SOLAR

Cómpeta Solar:
-Solar Electric (PV) (Self-Consumption)
-Grid Connected or Off Grid Solar Electric
-Solar Hot Water
-Solar Pool Heating
-Heat Pumps
-Installation and Repairs
Contact: James Bain, Competa
Tel: +34 652970608 (Spain)
Email: info AT competasolar DOT es
Web: www.competasolar.es
We are DigameXtra sponsors, so our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.

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TONY ROAM TRANSPORT & REMOVALS

Tony Roam Transport & Removals Spain To UK To Spain:
Fortnightly Runs Spain to UK and Up to 4 weeks free Storage. Spain or UK.
18 years Removals To & Fro Spain / UK Spain.
Man & Van, Local & Long Distance Removals
No subcontracting, all collection and delivery in house.
Transportation, Removals & light haulage company that have scheduled trips all year from UK to Torrox and back every month.
Also additional unscheduled to suit your needs.
Full or part loads undertaken.
Dedicated Delivery Personal Service Full or Part loads up to 60 cubic meters up to 5.5 tonne.
Up to £25,000.00 insurance with British Insurance Company.
Evidence of insurance can be supplied by email on request.
Hard Copies always carried on the vans.
This and a current Operators licence are a legal requirement.
Our International Operators Licence No UKGB / OG2043664
We live just behind Torrox Pueblo in Spain and in South Wales UK and have vans going back and forth UK to Spain to UK by way of Santander or Bilbao / Portsmouth or Plymouth Ferry.
For more information and prices for all to see please visit our website http://www.tonyroamremovals.com
email ; tonyroam@btconnect.com
Spain 0034636393542 – UK 00447973362003.
Face book Tony Roam – WhatsApp Either Number
Our contact details are shown every day in the Sponsor’s Section.

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GREEK CASITA RESTAURANT & BAR

The Greek House – Greek Casita Restaurant & Bar –Torrox Costa:
Located on the sea promenade, between the Safari bar and Picadero restaurants, BLQ 80 bajo. We offer you a little piece of Greece with our Greek home made specialities. You can choose meat specialties (Gyros, Souvlaki, Bifteki, Sutsukaki, Mussaka), cheese (Feta Psiti, Feta Saganaki, Hallumi), vegetables (Greek salad, Hummus, Eggplant cream, Mezze, Tzatziki) or sea fruits (prawns or octopus), all of this accompanied with our special Greek pita bread. For dessert… HOMEMADE BAKLAVA! We offer a lovely meal time in a quiet and exquisite atmosphere, accompanied with the best Greek music. See you soon! Hours: 7pm to close, Wednesday thru Sunday. Closed Monday & Tuesday. For reservations call 642585049. https://la-casita-griega.business.site/ We are DigameXtra sponsors, so our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.

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ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES & JUBILEE HOUSE

ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES IN THE AXARQUIA REGION:
Do you have health or mobility issues?
Would support enable you to remain independent in your own home?
Liz Brown, probably the only nurse registered to practice in Andalucia to hold the ENB 941 (Specialist qualification in care of the older person), together with her fully insured and police checked home care support team offers one-on-one support and companionship in the comfort of your own home. COE Malaga reg. 17425
HOME CARE/NURSE SUPPORT
Palliative care / Companionship / Health monitoring English Nurse / Hospital sitting / Respite at home / 24 hr live in care / Housekeeping / Correspondence & Communication / Medication collection & dispensing systems / Dressing, bathing & daily hygiene / Shopping & meal preparation / Fast response Falls Team / Provision of medical equipment such as wheelchairs and hoists
englishnurse@rocketmail.com
Tel: 951550581 or 692419548
JUBILEE HOUSE – Close Care Unit in Torrox
VACANCY: Due to a successful rehabilitation we will have vacancy from 21st November in one of our ensuite units for a long stay English speaking guest. Please contact Liz on 692419548.
5 ground floor individual units all en-suite
24-hour care at all stages from the English Nurse Care Team
Main language- English / Extensive sea views / Wheelchair accessible / Garden / Home cooking / Wifi / Air conditioning / Visiting physiotherapist, hairdresser, chiropodist and nutritionist
And we welcome guests for the day. We are DigameXtra sponsors, so our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.

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DOCTORLAPTOP’S COMPUTER REPAIRS

DoctorLaptop’s Computer Repairs & Sales- Torrox Costa (near the bus station): Computers only, Windows / Linux / Mac. No tablets or phones.
I don’t work on d~~inosaurs~~ computers made before 2018 unless I have been servicing then annually.
Contact: doctorlaptop AT protonmail DOT com
Or call 675 993 069 (no calls before 12noon, missed calls returned asap). More info on my website. All work by appointment only, no drop-ins please. Appointments are only available 2pm-8pm, Sunday thru Thursday. Closed Fridays & Saturdays. Always include the make & model number of the device when requesting assistance. My contact details can be found everyday at the bottom of the Sponsor’s Section.

February is computer clean-up month: DoctorLaptop’s full maintenance service for laptops & mini-PCs, only €40. Full size towers €50. Remember, no computers made before 2018 serviced unless I have been servicing then annually.

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Buy / Sell / Trade / Rent / Wanted

Click on pics to enlarge

How to post more photos than the rules allow – use collages. The limit is one pic per item/event. You can combine several of your photos into a 
single collage photo by using this free online collage creation tool. It’s very easy to use, give it a try! https://www.photocollage.com/

Are you still dealing with scammers on Fakebook Marketplace?
Sell your items here, to locals, for cash, without the shenanigans.

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COMPARE FUNERALS SPAIN

Compare Funerals cover the whole of Spain
ruthforder@comparefuneral.org
* Direct Cremation €2,250
* Collection of deceased and conveyance to Funeral Home
* Supply of coffin
* Preparation and care of deceased
* Registration of death and certification of all legal documentation
* Cremation and any doctor’s fees
* Supply of Urn
* Delivery of Urn and associated paperwork to family (death certificate, cremation certificate etc)
This plan is exclusive to a number of provinces, please ask advisor for more information.
Contact Ruth Forder on 0034 693 715 718 ; funeralplansbyruthforder.com
Your questions answered by Ruth from Compare Funerals Spain
– Why should I have a funeral plan? Having been funeral planning for over 10 year I’ve experienced some very sad and upset families when nothing is in place. A Spanish funeral plans will ensure that all costs are covered for your funeral service. Getting a prepaid plan will help you feel assured that your family will not be under any financial strain when it comes to paying for your funeral. A plan also means you can have peace of mind that everything has been organised in advance, so your loved ones do not have to make any difficult decisions.
– Why choose Compare Funerals? There seems to be a gap in Spain between independent funeral directors, offering plans at a good price but lacking the security of an established Trust or ability to cover a client overseas and Providers who seem to charge more than necessary. We want to be right in the middle and offer the best of both worlds. Our best-priced plan is only 2,250€ and does the essentials.
– Can I do a payment plan? All our plans are payable in full or over up to 5 years interest FREE. The interest free periods are based on initial deposit. The higher the deposit the less your monthly repayments will be.
– Can I transfer the plan? The answer is YES. You could name 2 people on one plan however if you had a friend/family member pass away we can transfer the plan into a 3rd party’s name.
– What happens if I move? All our plans offer the equivalent service in Spain (including the islands), Portugal, Republic of Ireland and the UK. If you moved to the UK, we would transfer the plan to one of our many partners at no extra cost to you.
– Is paperwork included? Yes, your family will receive a death certificate in Spanish and an international certification in English. We also provide a cremation certificate that allows the ashes on board a plane.
We are DigameXtra sponsors, so our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.

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For Sale: LG monitor, 38cmX30cm, good condition, 15€.
Jill, Algarrobo 695463385. Can also meet in Caleta de Velez.

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For Sale: IKEA Godmorgon bathroom cabinet
H: 96cm, W: 70cm, D: 14cm. Mirrors on the outside and inside
4 glass shelves. €30. Good condition, buyer collects. Pam, Torrox.
Email: pamhalmstad at gmail dot com
Whatsapp: +46 703770153

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For Sale: Outdoor rocker chairs with cushions.
Height approx 87 cms, width 62 cms, rocker length 97 cms.
Graphite grey and in good condition.
50 euros each or 90 euros for both
Christine, Caleta de Velez. WhatsApp 622166122

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SOLD- For Sale: New Lenovo Ideapad 1, Gen 7
Business Grade Laptop. Only €380
Windows 11 Pro (UK). 8Gb RAM, 512Gb SSD.
Naythan

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For Sale: New Lenovo Ideapad 1-15ALC7, Gen 7. Only €420.
High Performance Business Grade Laptop
Windows 11 Pro (UK). 16Gb Hi-Speed RAM, 512Gb SSD.
15.6inch Full HD display. Spanish keyboard.
Proc: AMD Ryzen 5 5500u (2.1 to 4GHz), 6 core 12 threads.
SD card reader, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2, HDMI, Wifi 6.
Stereo speakers w/ Dolby. HD webcam with blocker.
Slim-line, light weight at 1.6kg. Heavy duty hinges.
Rapid-Charge 9hr battery, 2hr charge in 15mins!
Fully setup, updated and ready to use.
Website: https://psref.lenovo.com/Product/IdeaPad_1_15ALC7
Price €420. 1yr factory warranty upon registration.
Naythan, Torrox Costa.
doctorlaptop@protonmail.com

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For Sale: New Laptop, Acer Aspire 3 A315. Only €480
Very powerful business model. 15.6″ Full HD display.
Windows 11 Pro (UK), 16 Gb RAM, 512 Gb SSD
Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U, up to 4.4GHz
Spanish keyboard. HDMI, Ethernet, 3x USB 3.2, Wifi 6.
Price: €480, fully setup and ready to use.
Naythan, Torrox Costa.
Email: doctorlaptop@protonmail.com

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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SPAIN

Princess Leonor, about to arrive in Brazil, Elcano’s first international stopover after 23 days sailing the Atlantic: {Translation, summary}
– Princess Leonor and her midshipmen and midshipwomen mates left the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on January 23rd and are scheduled to arrive in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, this Friday, February 14th. This will be the first international stopover for the training ship.
– As planned, the ship will land on Valentine’s Day. The future officers will set foot on Brazilian soil tomorrow and will remain in the state of Bahia until February 19, from where they will sail to Montevideo (Uruguay). Colorful and warm, Salvador da Bahia is located on a peninsula with beaches such as Porto da Barra, bathed by the ocean.
– On board the ship she studies subjects such as Navigation, Astronomy, Meteorology, Amphibious Operations, Combat Support and Services and Maneuvering. In addition, the King and Queen’s daughter and her companions learn to sail in the traditional way with sail priority.
– This long voyage of Elcano has a duration of 140 days at sea and a route of 17,000 nautical miles. Of this schedule, the training ship has already completed 33 days of sailing and two stopovers.
– It should be remembered that the ship Elcano is a Spanish embassy at sea and that Leonor, due to her status as next in line to the throne, exercises a symbolic role of ambassador. The following ports will be: Montevideo (in Uruguay), Punta Arenas and Valparaiso (in Chile), El Callao (in Peru), Panama City, Cartagena de Indias and Santa Marta (in Colombia) and Santo Domingo (in the Dominican Republic). From there, it will sail to New York (United States). From the city of skyscrapers, Leonor returns to Spain by plane. In Gijón, she will board the training ship again. Source, Spanish: https://www.eleconomista.es/informalia/casas…

MALAGA PROVINCE

State of the reservoirs in Malaga province on Thursday, February 13, 2025: See the latest stats for all Andalucian provinces here. http://www.redhidrosurmedioambiente.es/saih/parte/diario/embalses

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24 Aesthetic Medicine Clinics in Malaga dismantled for using illegal substances: {Translation, summary}
– The Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEME) has once again brought to the table a serious problem affecting public health: professional intrusion and the lack of regulation in the aesthetic medicine sector. During a press conference in Malaga {pic}, within the framework of the 40th National Congress and the 24th World Congress of Aesthetic Medicine, which will take place from February 13 to 15 at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos (Fycma), the organization has warned that 65% of medical-aesthetic treatments in Spain are performed by people without the appropriate qualifications.
– Added to this is another worrying fact: 20% of the procedures are carried out in unauthorized places, such as hairdressing salons, private homes and even cafes and boats, where events known as ‘Botox Parties’ are held. These practices pose a great risk to patients, who may suffer complications due to the application of products without sanitary control or in inadequate hygienic conditions.
– In Malaga, the situation is no less alarming. The Central Operative Unit (UCO) has recently dismantled 24 clinics that carried out treatments with illegal substances. In total, four people were arrested and 41 investigated for crimes of fraud, professional intrusion and criminal organization, which shows the magnitude of the problem in the province. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/malaga/…

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Ambrosia beetle puts Malaga growers on alert- avocado trees affected: {Translation, summary}
– The ragweed beetle, the Euwallacea fornicatus, is a species of insect that especially affects fruit trees, such as avocado, a plant that proliferates in the region of Axarquia. The Junta de Andalucía has carried out more than 900 actions in the provinces of Malaga and Granada in recent years to try to control this insect which was declared a pest in December last 2024.
– Officials have explained that these insects are engaged in digging holes in the branches of trees, where it houses a fungus that affect the plants, causing their death. After the affectations suffered in both Andalusian provinces, the Board announced that it will compensate the destruction of avocado crops affected by the ambrosia beetle.
– It is the females of this species that initiate attacks on trees. They expel the sawdust out of the tree, along its bark and base. Small entrance or exit holes appear. The entrance holes are perfectly round and about 0.85 millimeters in diameter. Spots appear on the outer bark that may be moist and dark or dry and light-colored. Dry or wet exudate in the form of “sugar volcanoes” are created as well as Gummosis (dried resin) on the outside of the bark. Insect droppings when the level of infestation is high may appear as long “matchsticks”. Regressive wilting results with eventually the death of the trees. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/afecta-escarabajo-ambrosia-aguacates-malaga_0_2003329768.html

TORROX

Torrox hosts on February 15 and 16 the fourth Extreme 4×4 Meeting of off-road vehicles: {Translation, summary}
– Torrox celebrates this weekend the fourth Extreme 4×4 Meeting that will serve as a prelude to host, on 15 and 16 March, one of the tests of the Andalusian Championship calendar of this discipline. This is an off-road sport that combines speed with overcoming obstacles and involving off-road vehicles and SSV of Spain and Portugal.
– About a hundred participants will gather at the Meeting Torrox Extreme 4×4 that starts on Saturday with a route, and on Sunday will feature an exhibition that will bring together many people in the off-road circuit prepared for it in the area of Calaceite. The Councillor for Sports, Jose Manuel Fernandez, explained that the Saturday afternoon rutómetro “will cover 41 kilometers of municipal lanes while on Sunday we will enjoy the off-road circuit”.
– The route will start about 17.00 hours and whose estimated time end will be 22:30. When the vehicles arrive at the end of the route, different activities, gymkhanas and camping areas have been prepared, while on Sunday the exhibition will take place.
– The vehicles participating in this meeting are grouped into five categories according to their level of preparation: Super Proto, Proto, Extreme, Improved and Promotion. This season, the Extreme 4×4 Championship is presented with two days of endurance stages and more hours of competition, and the event Torrox hosts this weekend is prior to one of the tests of the Andalusian Championship calendar that will come to the municipality torroxeño on 15 and 16 of next March.
Info: http://www.torrox.es/home/eventos/173443967387524030/2025/02/15
Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/torrox-acoge…

NERJA

A car fire blocks Frigiliana / Nerja road: {Translation}
– The fire of a car at kilometer 0 of the regional road that connects the A-7 highway with Frigiliana, at about 15:00 on Thursday, has caused a huge traffic jam on Avenida Alcalde Antonio Villasclaras, the main access to Nerja.
– The alarms rang about 15.00 hours, when for reasons that are unknown and are under investigation, a car traveling down the road, downhill, had begun to burn, near the rural hotel Almazara. Its occupants have been able to get out of the vehicle unharmed and alerted the emergency services.
– The agents had to temporarily cut the access to the neighboring town of Frigiliana, due to the virulence of the flames, and to the highway, so there have been significant delays in the area uphill for almost an hour.
– The vehicle was completely burnt on the side of the road. It had to be removed from the area by a crane. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sucesos/incendio-coche-provoca-colapso-acceso-nerja-20250213190053-nt.html

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

Vélez-Málaga presents a shock plan to solve “the great proliferation of rats”: {Translation, summary}
– Velez-Malaga suffers an excess of rodents that are generating a problem in the living conditions of the neighbors. Therefore, it has presented a shock plan to solve “the great proliferation of rats”. This was announced Wednesday by the councilman of the Historic Center and responsible for Health of the Environment Area of the City Council, Juan Fernandez Olmo. The rat extermination plan has already been implemented in the coastal area of the town and now will be developed in the town center.
– As for the plan designed to eliminate rodents, Fernandez Olmo has clarified that the rat extermination will undertake “a second round in those most troubled areas of the municipality”. Specifically, this second action will consist of a maintenance plan. The action period will be extended until March 31, 2025.
– The councilman mentioned another of the measures adopted and integrated into this shock plan of pest control. “There will be one day a week dedicated to responding to the requests for rat removal services made by the citizens of our municipality that come to us through different channels,” said Olmo, mentioning channels such as GECOR, mail and other application options.
– The rat extermination plan will be directed mainly to the gray (or sewer) rat, which has its habitat in the sewage network, although work will be done in garden areas, plots, parks or other places where the presence of field rats or common mouse is more prevalent. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/velez-malaga/velez-malaga-presenta-plan-choque_0_2003327013.html

EUROPE

Trump gives green light to tariffs on the “brutal” EU as a response to VAT: {Translation}
– The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has just signed this Thursday in the Oval Office of the White House the executive orders for the imposition of “reciprocal tariffs” on countries that tax American products. Those that make up the European Union (EU), described by the president as “brutal” in their trade relations, will be affected by this decision in response to the value added tax (VAT) levied on all products.
– The aim of this new episode of the tariff war is to match the tariffs that these nations apply to ‘made in USA’ exports. In that sense, Trump has pointed out that US allies are usually “worse” than “enemies” at the trade level, in a clear reference to the EU. On the repercussions that this new wave of tariffs will have, the US president has acknowledged that “prices could go up”.
– In any case, the US government considers VAT as a tax, “and it will not be accepted to send goods through another country to avoid them,” added Donald Trump. For the moment, however, he has avoided setting a date for this new measure, which will probably be used as a pressure measure in future negotiations with Brussels. For the US president, these “reciprocal tariffs” aim to “restore fairness and level the playing field”. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/economia/trump-luz-verde-aranceles-reciprocos-paises-gravan-20250213195201-ntrc.html

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Trump Announces Start Of Ukraine Peace Talks After Call With Russian President Putin:
– US President Donald Trump says he had a “productive” call with Vladimir Putin, where both agreed to start talks on a Ukraine ceasefire. He later spoke with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, promising to stop Russian aggression, but concerns are growing that the US might pressure Ukraine into concessions like ceding land or dropping its NATO bid. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called pre-2014 borders unrealistic and warned that insisting on them would prolong the war. The US also won’t support Ukraine’s NATO membership in a peace deal, expecting Europe to take on more financial aid. European leaders worry that a rushed US-Russia deal could favour Moscow, while Ukraine insists that any talks must align with its interests.
Source & Video Link: https://youtu.be/1HhDYkwNZ9c?si=fFIx5RchdYsrt2QG

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Europe demands role in Ukraine talks after Trump-Putin call:
– European leaders insisted they shouldn’t be sidelined after US President Donald Trump said he’d agreed to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
– The US president swept aside three years of US policy that nothing should be decided about Ukraine without Kyiv at the table. But it also left out Nato allies in Europe with a stake in the resolution of a conflict raging on their borders, who feared the more conciliatory American stance amounted to a giveaway to the Russian leader.
– US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Nato allies America wouldn’t contribute troops to secure a peace, called eventual Nato membership for Ukraine unrealistic and said the government in Kyiv would probably have to accept the loss of some territory.
– European officials got no advance warning of Trump’s call with Putin, according to one official. In comments at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday, others called it a sell-out, saying they feared the US was giving in to Putin’s key demands without getting anything in return. Full article: https://www.luxtimes.lu/europeanunion/europe-demands-role-in-ukraine-talks-after-trump-putin-call/40548929.html

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Donald Trump wants Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for continued US support:
– Washington will provide Ukraine with a post-war “security shield” if Kyiv hands over rare earth minerals, US President Donald Trump’s transport secretary has said. Scott Bessent {pic}, the first cabinet-level official on Donald Trump’s team to visit Kyiv, was speaking after Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, said he hoped to reach a ceasefire agreement later this week. The US President, who wants a rapid end to the war with Russia, has said he wants US$500 billion (NZ$886 billion) in rare earth minerals for continued US support.
– Bessent told reporters that the minerals are part of a “larger peace deal that Trump has in mind”, adding that his first visit to Ukraine showed that the war was a top priority for the Trump administration. “By increasing our economic commitment through a partnership with the government and people of Ukraine, that will provide – once this conflict is over – it will provide a long-term security shield for all Ukrainians,” Bessent said.
– Zelenskyy told reporters that he hoped a deal could be reached at the Munich Security Conference later this week.
Full article: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/donald…

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Update- The US confirms that Trump will negotiate with Putin and Zelenski and that NATO’s allies WILL have a role: {Translation, summary}
– U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth {pic} confirmed Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump will negotiate directly with his counterparts in Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, with NATO allies playing a role, though he did not clarify whether at the negotiating table.
– “Trump called both Putin and Zelenski, both of them. Any negotiation will be with both,” said the Pentagon chief in statements at the end of the meeting of allied defense ministers in Brussels marked by Washington’s decision to start a process ‘immediately’ with Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine. In any case, he has not detailed whether he will sit down both at the same time.
– In this regard, Hegseth assured that European NATO members “will play a role”, although he did not clarify whether they will be present at the negotiation, which in principle is limited to Trump and the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. Thus, he said that the “central” part of the agreement will be with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, although he recognized that the outcome of the process “affects many people”.
– On the security guarantees that may be offered to Ukraine or military support to Kiev during the negotiations themselves, the US defense official argued that future military aid “will be on the table”, either to increase or reduce it, something that he has advanced that Washington will use as a “carrot or stick” to advance the agreement with Ukraine and Russia. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/internacional/…

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Dozens hurt in car ramming attack in Munich before German election:
– At least 30 people were hurt when a car driven by an Afghan asylum seeker ploughed into a crowd in Munich on Thursday in what the state premier said was probably an attack, putting security back in focus before next week’s federal election.
– At least 30 people were injured, some of them seriously, according to the latest police report. Police said a white car had approached police vehicles that were accompanying a demonstration of striking workers, before speeding up and slamming into people. One shot was fired at the suspect and it was unclear if he was wounded, police added. Officers detained the 24-year-old driver. They said his motive was unclear.
– Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann said the suspect had been known to police for drug and shoplifting offences. His asylum application had been rejected, said Herrmann, but he had not been forced to leave due to security concerns in Afghanistan.
– Immigration and security issues have dominated campaigning ahead of the February 23 election, especially after other violent incidents in recent weeks, with polls showing the centre-right conservatives leading followed by the far right. In December, six people were killed in an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg and last month a toddler and adult were killed in a knife attack in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg. Immigrants have been arrested over both attacks.
– Conservative Friedrich Merz, frontrunner to be Germany’s next chancellor, said safety would be his top priority. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/several-injured-after-car-drives-into-people-munich-bild-reports-2025-02-13/

USA

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as US Health Secretary:
– The Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Trump’s health secretary, putting the prominent vaccine skeptic in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country.
– Nearly all Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy’s views on vaccines as the Senate voted 52-48 to elevate the scion of one of America’s most storied political — and Democratic — families to secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. Democrats unanimously opposed Kennedy. Photo: Rod Lamkey. Full article: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-02-13/robert-f-kennedy-jr-confirmed-health-human-services

ENERGY CRISIS

Spain reduced its gas imports by 28% in 2024 but together with France and Belgium brought 85% of gas imports from Russia to the EU: {Translation, summary}
– The EU reduced its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2024 by 19% and, within it, Spain was one of the countries where they fell the most, by 28%, although it continued to be one of the main entry routes for gas arriving from Russia. Specifically, together with Belgium and France, it was the destination of 85% of Russian natural gas arriving in the EU, according to last year’s balance sheet drawn up by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
– Last year, the main supplier of LNG to the EU was the United States, which accounted for 46% of the imports. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5682026/…

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

AI Action Summit- UK and US refuse to sign inclusive AI statement:
– The UK and US governments refused to sign a joint international declaration on inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence (AI) as the AI Action Summit drew to a close.
– A total of 61 countries – including France, China, India, Japan, Australia and Canada – have signed a Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet at the AI Action Summit in Paris, which affirmed a number of shared priorities.
– This includes promoting AI accessibility to reduce digital divides between rich and developing countries; “ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all”; avoiding market concentrations around the technology; reinforcing international cooperation; making AI sustainable; and encouraging deployments that “positively” shape labour markets.
– While the UK and US governments have not immediately outlined the exact reasons for their refusal to sign the statement, a spokesperson for prime minister Keir Starmer has said the government would “only ever sign up to initiatives that are in UK national interests”. During the summit, US vice-president JD Vance said that “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry”, adding that “we need international regulatory regimes that foster the creation of AI technology rather than strangle it”. Full article: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366619274/AI-Action-Summit-UK-and-US-refuse-to-sign-inclusive-AI-statement

SPAM CALLS

Companies will not be able to make commercial calls to Spain’s residents from mobiles in 3 months: {Translation}
– Companies and public entities will be prohibited within three months from making commercial calls via cell phones under a ministerial order, already signed, which includes a package of measures to prevent identity theft scams that are carried out via telephone or mobile messaging (SMS).
– However, commercial calls can be made from a 900 or 800 number, numbers that until now were only assigned to receive them, by virtue of an order of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and for the Civil Service, which will come into force within 20 days of its publication this week in the Official State Gazette (BOE). Its head, Óscar López, explained, in statements to journalists, these measures, which include the obligation established for telecommunications operators to block calls and SMS with numbers that have not been assigned to an end customer or an operator. It is assumed that if there are no real customers behind the call, it is an indication that they are trying to take advantage of identity theft.
– In addition, telecommunications operators will also have to block calls of international origin that pretend to have originated from a Spanish number, except those of roaming customers.
This measure is set taking into account that fraudulent calls usually come from foreign countries, such as the Netherlands or the United Kingdom, from where calls with Spanish numbers are simulated.
– On the other hand, operators will be obliged to block messages that, instead of a telephone number, are assigned to an alphanumeric code, provided that their owners are not registered with the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC). In this regard, the CNMC will have to create a database in which any public or private entity that wants to use this type of messages with an alphanumeric code must be registered in this database.
– This order will come into force within 20 days of its publication in the BOE, although some of its measures will be mandatory in a longer period of time, taking into account the technical complexity required to apply them. Thus, for example, with regard to the measures on messages with alphanumeric code, these will come into force 15 months after the publication of the order.
– Failure to comply with these measures is classified in the General Telecommunications Law as a serious infringement and is liable to a fine of up to 2 million euros, as explained to journalists by the Secretary General for Telecommunications, Digital Infrastructure and Digital Security, Matías González Martín. According to González Martín, when the order began to be processed at the beginning of last year, 50% of frauds were committed by means of these practices that are affected by the order, which is in line with measures that have already been implemented in France, Germany and Belgium, as well as in Finland. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1865371/las-empresas-no-podran-efectuar-llamadas-comerciales-desde-moviles-en-3-meses/

TRAVEL

Ryanair’s warning to Andalusia if it is fined for charging carry-on baggage fees, Facua Sevilla responds by demanding even larger fines: {Translation}
– Irish flag carrier Ryanair has warned the Junta de Andalucía of a “breach of European Union (EU) law” if the Consejería de Salud y Consumo finally sanctions the airline for charging a hand luggage surcharge. “This is only a preliminary decision by a local authority. If the Seville Consumer Service imposes a fine on Ryanair, as it has threatened to do, it will act in breach of EU law just as the Minister for Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, Pablo Bustinduy, has done,” the company says in a statement.
– The airline assures that if this sanction is put into effect, “it will appeal any fine before the Spanish and EU courts”. The Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs had announced that it will sanction the airline for charging a surcharge when traveling with hand luggage, following complaints filed by Facua Seville on behalf of five partners. As confirmed by sources of the Ministry to Europa Press, Wednesday, the disciplinary proceedings are still in process, so the amount of the economic penalty imposed, amounting to 46,250 euros for “serious” infringement, is only a proposal, as it may vary between now and the end of the processing.
– In this regard, Facua Sevilla has filed allegations requesting that the infringement be increased to “very serious”, which would raise the amount of the fine to the range of between 60,001 and 1,000,000 euros. “The proposed resolution cites up to 22 court rulings in which the illegality of these practices has been determined,” as indicated by the association in a note.
– The consumer organization has argued in its writings that these charges are an “abusive” practice that violates the Air Navigation Act, which states that “the carrier shall be obliged to carry free of charge in the cabin, as hand luggage, objects and packages that the passenger carries” and only provides as an exception “safety reasons, linked to the weight or size of the object in relation to the characteristics of the aircraft”. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/andalucia/aviso-ryanair-andalucia-multan-recargo-equipaje-mano-20250213115850-nt.html

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CHURCHES & WORSHIP

Churches: Please submit your posts on Thursdays only, before 6pm.

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NEW LIFE CHURCH

New Life Church:
– Sunday Service:
Whether you live in Nerja or are visiting our area, you are very welcome to come and join us on Sundays at 11.00am. Join us for a time of Holy Spirit led worship and experience the presence of our God. Our teaching is Bible based as we honour God and obey His Word. During this time of uncertainty, God’s Word reminds us that the Gospel shines brightest in times of darkness. Our service lasts for about 1 hour and 30 mins. With Tea and Coffee afterwards.
– Prayer Meeting:
You are also welcome to join our prayer meetings on Wednesday mornings at 11.00am for 1 hour, where we meet for prayer and worship.
– Jesus said: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. (John 14:6)
Pasaje San Miguel, Nerja, 29780. Directions: Click Here
Email: info@nlcnerja.com
Website: www.nlcnerja.com ; Facebook

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El Puente Christian Fellowship (Vélez-Málaga): We are a friendly, multi-national, Bible believing community of Christ. We meet each Sunday at 11am to worship the Lord. We enjoy a time of worship with contemporary songs and traditional hymns, and a message brought to us by our Pastor, one of our members or a visiting speaker.
The church meeting hall is situated at: Res: El Olivar 5, 8 Bajo 1, Calle Arbequin, Velez Malaga 29700.
Full directions and further information can be found on our Facebook page, or you can contact us by email on elpuentechristianfellowship@gmail.com or by phone on 665626342.
For those who cannot join us in person, we aim to stream Sunday services via the Facebook page (subject to a good internet connection).

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Humour & Diversions Section

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Fun & Games

Useful Links, Info & Numbers

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily.
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

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DigameXtra No. 2948 Thursday, February 13th, 2025

On February 13, 2025February 12, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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What’s On

Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra!

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On Sale Now- The musical ‘Mamma Mia!’ national tour starts in Malaga:
From July 5 to August 10, it can be seen at the Cervantes Theater.
The cast is made up of more than thirty actors and dancers.
There will be performances on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:00 hours. On Fridays and Saturdays there will be two, at 17:30 and 21:30. Sundays at 5:00 pm. For the first weekend of the premiere, there are more sessions. Saturday 5 at 19:00 hours, and Sunday 6 at 12:00 and 16:00 hours.
The prices, depending on the seating situation, have prices ranging from 22 euros to 70.
Info & tix: https://www.teatrocervantes.com/en/genero/teatro/temporada-2024-25/mamma-mia-el-musical-1869

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Piano Concert- Giulia Toniolo: Thurs, 20 Feb, 8pm
Centro Cultural Villa de Nerja, C/ Granada 45, Nerja
Italian pianist winner of prestigious international awards and has performed recitals at renowned festivals and halls, both as a soloist and as part of chamber ensembles and soloist with orchestra. She is currently a scholar at the Royal College of Music in London, studying with Professor Norma Fisher, and has just completed her master’s degree in Performance with distinction. Info & tix (€10): https://www.giglon.com/todos?idEvent=giulia-toniolo-piano & Video Link

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Casa de Cultura, Almunecar:
Puerta De Granada, 19, 18690 Almuñécar.
– Jazz, “Una Noche en la Habana”: Fri, 14 Feb, 7pm
Bernaldez Latin Jazz Orchestra
A musical journey that takes the audience back to those wonderful years in Cuba through genres such as Cha cha chá, Mambo, Son, Danzón and Pregón Cubano, Guajira, Bolero and Salsa Cubana with the peculiarity that our concert has a common thread with the stories and curious anecdotes of the repertoire and its authors guided by Samuel Aguilera, our Conguero and Main Voice, a native of Havana.
Info & tix (€15): https://lacocheraentradas.com/shows/details/1849/una-noche-en-la-habana

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Dia del Beso (Day of the Kiss)- Vélez-Málaga:
Friday, 14 Feb from 5pm
Music, dancers & snacks. There will be a big party with musical performances, the unveiling of a sculpture by local artist Eduardo Roberto and the inauguration of the ‘Rincón del Beso’ (Kissing Corner), in the Velez neighbourhood of La Villa.

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Live Music by “Deja Vu”: Sat, 15 Feb, 10pm
La Carpinteria Bar, Cómpeta. Tel: 661188466

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Flamenco Event- “In the Heat of Flamenco”: Fri, 21 Feb, 7pm
Casa de Cultura, Puerta Granada 19, 18690 Almuñécar
With Irene la Serradilla on dance, and the special collaboration of the Cuerpo de Baile de Ananda. Alicia Morales and Fita Heredia on vocals; with Rubén Campos on guitar.
Info & tix (€15): https://bravoentradas.es/es/events/al-calor-del-flamenco

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Submissions for posting in sections below
must be signed like this or they will be returned !!!
Sender’s First Name / Nearest Town
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Services Wanted/Offered

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BLUCEE REAL ESTATE

BluCee Real Estate:
Our team is expanding. A new full-time member of staff will be joining the BluCee team at the start of February, adding Polish and German to our spoken languages.
We are proactive, dynamic and creative. Listing properties for sale is our speciality and our passion.
Not only do we advertise on the leading major property websites, we attend international property exhibitions and are very active on social media.
50% of our buyers are Spanish and the other 50% are from all corners of the world. We do not focus on a particular nationality, we focus on selling!
Would you like a free realistic valuation?
If so, please contact us, as we have the capability to take on more properties to advertise. If you list exclusively with us before 18th February your property will be showcased at our next international property exhibition, A Place In The Sun Live in Manchester, UK.
Email: info@blucee.com ; Web: http://www.blucee.com/
Tel: 0034 711 042 727 / 0034 951 553 890
Or pass by our office to have a no obligation chat!
Calle Timón 11b, Torre del Mar, 29740
From 09.30 to 17.30 hrs Monday to Friday.
For an appointment outside of our opening times please contact us.
We cover the whole coast line and inland.
BluCee Real Estate are a DigameXtra sponsor so our contact details are shown here every day.

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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MALAGA PROVINCE

The El Caminito del Rey facility will be expanded with the largest pedestrian suspension bridge in Spain: {Translation, summary}
– On the eve of the tenth anniversary of its reopening after the rehabilitation process it underwent, the Caminito del Rey in Malaga is facing its most important enlargement with the installation of the biggest pedestrian suspension bridge in Spain, 110 meters long and with a maximum height of 50 meters, which will be located near the area over the iron railway bridge and the El Chorro tunnel in Alora.
– The work for the installation of this pedestrian bridge, which already has the approval of the Junta de Andalucía, will begin in the coming weeks and is expected to be open in November, as announced this morning the president of the Diputación de Málaga, Francisco Salado, who stressed that the investment will be 1,250,000 euros. This amount will be charged to the funds generated by El Caminito del Rey, which, according to the canon, must be used to improve this tourist infrastructure.
– This new bridge is presented as an alternative to the current exit route of the Caminito -which can continue to be used- and will mean that visitors will save almost a kilometer of downhill through steeper terrain. At the end of the bridge, trails will be prepared to complete the route to the exit. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/malaga/caminito-rey-ampliara-mayor-puente-colgante-peatonal-20250212094710-nt.html

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The first town in Spain with a flock of municipal goats to clean the mountains is in Malaga: {Translation, summary}
– The Town Council of Benarrabá, a small municipality in the province of Málaga located in the Valle del Genial {map}, has acquired, for about 3,000 euros, a total of 40 head of goats, thus becoming the first town in Spain to have a herd of goats owned by the municipality.
– The purchase of these animals is derived from a double need. On the one hand, the cleaning of the mountains, defenseless against the risk of fires due to the lack of rain and the abandonment of the countryside by goatherds and shepherds. This has caused the undergrowth to grow out of control and the firefighters are forced to fight the fire alone by making auxiliary strips along the roads. On the other hand, this acquisition means the recovery of a profession and a way of life in danger of extinction, together with the tourist potential and the attractiveness that we want to give to rural life.
– For this reason, the mayor of Benarrabá, Silvestre Barroso, has carried out this initiative together with the training and hiring of a young shepherd, Mohamed Adiraman, who has taken charge of the municipal goat farm thanks to a grant from the Next Generation funds to combat depopulation in rural areas and as part of a cooperation program with the Saharawi people.
“Not only will we contribute to the work of Plan Infoca is more effective in our term, but also hope that this year can come to our town groups of families and visitors in general, attracted by the particularity of having a herd of goats in our term, “said the mayor.
– But the intention of the Consistory goes further and has set as a priority objective that this project grows, so that it becomes viable that a family can live from the care of the herd. To this end, the creation of up to three goat stables is contemplated, which will allow the animals to graze in different areas of the public forests, covering an area of more than 500 hectares.
Source, Spanish: https://www.eldebate.com/espana/andalucia/malaga/20250212/primer-pueblo-espana-rebano-cabras-municipal-limpiar-monte-esta-malaga_269244.html

TORROX

Torrox hosts a provincial conference on irrigation water in Axarquia: {Translation, summary}
– Torrox hosts a provincial conference on irrigation water in the Axarquia which will address, among other issues, the hydrological planning for the region or the efficiency of irrigation in subtropical crops. It also includes a round table on the need for organization of irrigation communities and the current situation of reclaimed water.
– The conference will take place this coming Tuesday, February 18 from 16:30 hours in the Multipurpose Building of Torrox Costa, sponsored by the Association of Irrigation Communities of Andalusia CREA, the Professional Agricultural Organization COAG Malaga and Torrox City Council itself.
– The inauguration will be attended by both the Mayor of Torrox and the Councillor for Agriculture and Environment, Ana Pérez Rico, who will welcome the territorial delegate of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía in Malaga, Fernando Fernández Tapia-Ruano, and the provincial secretary of COAG Malaga, Antonio Rodríguez. The delegate will address in his speech the current situation of the hydrological plan in the Axarquia and the new lines of aid to irrigation communities. Then Ricardo Martin, technical director of CREA Andalusia will speak to analyze the agreements of the hydrological plan and the use of reclaimed water.
– This will be followed by a round table on the need to organize irrigation communities and the current situation of reclaimed water. Participants will include the president of the Commonwealth of Municipalities of the Costa del Sol-Axarquia and president of the public company Axaragua, Jorge Marin, the president of the Central Board of Users South of Guaro, Jose Campos, and the manager of the Community of Irrigators of Algarrobo and member of the Central Board of Irrigators of the Axarquia on its left bank, David Escutia. The table will be moderated by Antonio Rodríguez.
– The next turn of intervention will be for the torroxeño Antonio Ernesto Rico, CEO and co-founder of the DeepDrop System device, which will present the water efficiency in subtropical through results and experiences through this drip irrigation system designed to maximize the use of water and nutrients directly into the roots.
– The closing, with the final conclusions on the water situation and future prospects, will be given by Eduardo López and Antonio Rodríguez.
– All those interested in participating in this conference can call 674331425 or send an e-mail to info@creaandalucia.com
Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/torrox-acoge-una-jornada-provincial-sobre-el-agua-para-riego-en-la-axarquia/

TORRE DEL MAR

Dog park in Torre del Mar has been completely renovated:
– The dog park in the El Tomillar in Torre del Mar has been completely renovated and reopened on Tuesday 11 February.
Vélez- Málaga town hall has moved the benches and litter bins to external areas to avoid collisions and has replaced the facilities damaged by the autumn rain, which forced the park to be closed.
– Other improvements include replacing the sand which generated dust and, with the passage of animals, became impassable and unstable, with the consequent risk of falls. It has been replaced by sieved sand, which allows compaction and does not generate dust. In the same line of action, the central flowerbeds have been removed. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/dogs-eastern-costa-sol-get-new-facilities-20250211080022-nt.html

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

City of Velez-Malaga 2025 Half Marathon Details Released: {Translation, summary}
– The event will be on Thursday, 1 May, 9am.
– Participants can register online [ https://atletismovelez.es/ ] until Thursday, April 24 at 23:55 hours. Registrations from April 9 to 24, both inclusive, will not be entitled to a runner’s bag or T-shirt. {I checked this and the Velez-Malaga 2025 Half Marathon event info is not yet posted. There is a contact form available on the website if you need info urgently. -Ed.}
– The cost to participate is 22 euros for the half marathon and 15 euros for the 10K. No registrations will be accepted on the day of the race. The race bib and runner’s bag can be picked up at the El Ingenio Shopping Center on April 29 and 30 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., and on the day of the race at the sports center from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. The limit is 600 and 250 registrations. The limit is 600 and 250 entries for the half and 10K, and the categories will range from U18 and U20 to Master 65, respectively.
– In the City of Velez-Malaga Half Marathon there will be trophies and cash prizes for the top three finishers in male and female categories. Specifically, they will receive 100, 75 and 50 euros, consecutively. The athlete who beats the record of the race will receive 50 euros. In the 10km race, the first three finishers in the general male and female category will receive a trophy. All participants will receive a medal for finishing. It should be noted that the corresponding mobile ambulance unit will be available throughout the race, with physiotherapists and masseurs to attend to injuries and indispositions. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/la-media-maraton-ciudad-de-velez-malaga-2025-reunira-a-corredores-de-toda-andalucia-el-proximo-1-de-mayo/

MIGRATION IN SPAIN

363 people rescued from 4 small boats in Canary Islands waters Tuesday: {Translation}
– A total of 363 people have been rescued by Maritime Rescue on board four small boats Tuesday in waters near the Canary Islands. One person died when one of the boats capsized when it was about 22 kilometers (12 nautical miles) south of La Restinga, on the island of El Hierro. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/islas-canarias/noticia-ampl-rescatan-363-personas-pateras-aguas-canarias-donde-inmigrante-fallece-volcar-embarcacion-20250212094949.html

EUROPE

Deadly Russian attack on Kyiv; Zelenskyy open to Kursk swap:
– A missile attack on Kyiv early on Wednesday morning killed at least one civilian, injured three and started fires, Ukrainian officials said. The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday that it shot down six out of seven ballistic missiles and 71 drones. Another 40 out of 123 total drones launched overnight were probably stopped by electronic countermeasures.
– The strikes had caused damage in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi, Podilskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Obolonskyi districts, mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ukrainian natural gas production facilities were damaged in a heavy Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s central Poltava region over Tuesday night, officials, said on Tuesday.
– Meanwhile, officials in the city of Kryvyi Rih also reported damage to residential buildings and infrastructure after the city was also targeted in Russian strikes on Tuesday night, the Dnipropetrovsk regional governor said on Telegram.
– Volodymyr Zelenskyy will offer Vladimir Putin a swap of Ukrainian-occupied territory in Kursk for Russian-held land in Ukraine, if Donald Trump manages to bring them to the negotiating table, Shaun Walker reports. “We will swap one territory for another,” the Ukrainian president said in an exclusive interview, adding that he did not know which part of Russian-occupied land Ukraine would ask for in return. “I don’t know, we will see. But all our territories are important, there is no priority.”
Refs:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/12/ukraine-war-briefing-zelenskyy-prepared-to-offer-swap-of-seized-kursk-land &
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce85x4792w6o

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Santorini records its largest earthquake of the current wave, with a magnitude of 5.3: {Translation, summary}
– The Cícladas Archipelago, in which the Greek island of Santorini is located, has suffered an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 on the Richter scale, the greatest earthquake that has been recorded since the current climbing of tremors began Two weeks and also in the capital, Athens. The seismological agency recorded two earthquakes on Monday with a magnitude equal to 5, while until 8.00 on Tuesday another eight that exceeded level 4 exceeded, one of which reached the magnitude 4.8.
– The Greece government has declared the state of emergency to prepare for possible emergencies, since the main fear of experts is that earthquakes are the prologue of a great tremor. More than 10,000 people have abandoned Santorini for the incessant tremors, which is equivalent to two thirds of the local population. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/internacional/noticia-santorini-registra-mayor-terremoto-ola-actual-magnitud-53-20250211114603.html

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Germany extends border controls by 6 months as election rivals focus on migration ahead of poll:
– Germany’s outgoing government on Wednesday extended by six months the border checks it imposed on all its frontiers last fall as it attempts to cut the number of migrants arriving in the country, an issue that has become a top issue in the campaign for the Feb. 23 election.
– Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his government notified the European Union’s executive commission of the extension to Sept. 15. “With the border controls, we are pushing irregular migration down successfully. The figures prove this,” he said.
– Germany turned back 47,000 people back at its borders, seeing one-third fewer asylum requests year-on-year and arresting 1,900 smugglers.
– The country was already controlling its borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland before it extended the checks last September to its remaining borders, with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Full article: https://apnews.com/article/germany-border-controls-extended-migration-election-316a0b1de7d57acb0826a12a7a9cece0

GASTRONOMIA

Where to eat in Canillas de Aceituno- suckling goat is the local specialty: {Translation, summary}
– Restaurante La Sociedad. For decades it has become one of the sanctuaries of the suckling goat from Malaga in the wood-fired oven. There it is usually done in the traditional way with a roast in which the excellent quality of this meat is pampered. A complete piece of suckling goat is ideal for a group of at least four people. It is advisable to book well in advance (at least two days) not only to find a table but also to have the goat available, as it is usually made on demand. You can also enjoy other dishes with Malaga suckling goat that do not require booking a whole animal, such as garlic dishes. In this restaurant it is also possible to find other traditional dishes. Among them, the most famous is the fennel stew, very typical of this area of the Axarquia.
WHERE: Calle de la Iglesia, 12, 29716 Canillas de Aceituno. Telephone 952 518 292.
– Secret Garden. Whether in its cozy and landscaped courtyard or in its lounge, in this restaurant in Canillas you can enjoy a cuisine with an exotic and avant-garde touch, which is clearly different from the more traditional restaurants and bars of the town, although there is also room for some classics of Spanish cuisine. Thus, there you can order a Wellington sirloin steak or a paella. Their homemade desserts deserve a special mention.
WHERE: Calle Agua, 7, 29716 Canillas de Aceituno. Telephone: 600 696 574.
– Bar El Puente. At one of the entrances to the town center, next to one of the parking lots, you can make a stop at this restaurant where there are many traditional tapas. There is no lack of goat with garlic, but also other classics of Andalusian cuisine, such as Russian salad, meatballs in sauce or meat with tomato or anchovies in vinegar. It is also ideal for breakfast.
WHERE: Carretera MA-125, 16, 29716 Canillas de Aceituno. Telephone: 652 593 872.
– Bar Andalucía. Near the church, this is another of the bars that have been serving breakfast and lunch in this village in Malaga for years. There is no shortage of classics, such as meat with garlic, lean meat with tomato, pork fillets, meatballs or chicken skewers. They also have some fried fish, patatas bravas, Russian salad or homemade croquettes as other options in their menu.
WHERE: Plaza de la Constitucion, 1, 29716 Canillas de Aceituno. Telephone: 660 439 694.
– Barbacoa Sugar Family. On the outskirts of the city center, next to the municipal swimming pool and with a beautiful environment, you can also go to a very different place from the rest, both for its menu and its location. There you can taste Romanian cuisine, but also from other countries of the planet. It has a barbecue where tasty grilled meats are made. For the little ones there is a swing where they can wait while the food arrives.
WHERE: Next to the municipal swimming pool. MA-126, s/n. 29716 Canillas de Aceituno. Telephone: 642 480 323.
Source & photo credits: https://www.diariosur.es/malagaenlamesa/restaurantes/comer-canillas-aceituno-restaurantes-bares-destacados-20250211235329-nt.html

TECH

Spanish Internet Crisis- Movistar & DIGI Are Blocking Legit Websites As Result Of Overzealous Efforts To Protect La Liga Football From Pirates- Citizen’s Rights Trampled By Sports Conglomerate:
– Unexplained chaos at ISPs Movistar and DIGI has prevented some customers from accessing many sites using Cloudflare for over a week. Simultaneously, football league LaLiga stated they are working to shut down pirate streaming platforms, warning Cloudflare and others that they consider them responsible for profiting from piracy. Since statements now link these two events, Spain has a crisis on its hands.
– The idea that powerful companies could gain authority from the courts to interfere in residential access to the internet, was initially dismissed as insane. In time, those who protested the loudest were the ones dismissed as deluded. Their warnings, that handing internet blocking powers to rightsholders would eventually end in disaster, were subsequently dismissed by governments and national courts all around Europe. Politicians often dismissed these concerns, citing safeguards and suggesting such problems were impossible.
– To prevent piracy, Spain’s top football league LaLiga has permission from the courts to compel ISPs, including Movistar and DIGI, to block access to pirate sites.
– For roughly a week, customers of Movistar and DIGI have been complaining that seemingly random sites were refusing to load for no obvious reason. Cloudflare customers were reporting similar issues; more specifically, Cloudflare customers who are also customers of Movistar, or Cloudflare customers who run websites that customers of Movistar could no longer visit.
– Cloudflare says La Liga understood the dangers but went ahead anyway. Cloudflare’s statement in full:
“Cloudflare provides security and reliability services to millions of websites, helping to prevent cyberattacks and make the Internet safer. Like virtually all major cloud service providers, Cloudflare uses shared IP addresses to manage its network, meaning that thousands of domains can be accessed with a single IP address.”
“Cloudflare has repeatedly warned about the consequences of IP blocking that fundamentally ignores the way the Internet works. Indeed, other governments in Europe have acknowledged these concerns and concluded that IP blocking violates net neutrality. Although LaLiga clearly understood that blocking shared IP addresses would affect the rights of millions of consumers to access hundreds of thousands of websites that do not break the law, LaLiga went ahead with the blocking. This appears to reflect a mistaken belief that its commercial interests should take precedence over the rights of millions of consumers to access the open Internet.”
“At the same time, Cloudflare regularly speaks with rights holders and policy makers about better ways to combat illegal piracy and online abuse. While Cloudflare cannot remove content from the Internet that it does not host, we have well-developed abuse processes in place to help by connecting rights holders with service providers who can take effective action. We will continue to push for rational solutions to combat illegal piracy that do not impact the rights of millions of Europeans to browse the Internet.” Full article: https://torrentfreak.com/spain-piracy-crisis-cloudflare-says-laliga-knew-danger-blocked-ip-address-anyway-250211/

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

What You Need To Know Before Allowing Your Business To Integrate AI:
– Most organizations have implemented AI policies, yet enforcement remains a challenge. Many organizations opt to simply issue AI policies and hope employees follow the guidance. While this approach avoids friction, it provides little enforcement or visibility, leaving organizations exposed to potential security and compliance risks. Remember, businesses in Spain must comply with government mandated data security standards.
– Businesses need to ensure your AI policy meets your organization’s requirements by consulting with your legal, security, and HR teams before implementation. Full article: https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/how-to-steer-ai-adoption-ciso-guide.html

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DigameXtra No. 2947 Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

On February 12, 2025February 11, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

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COMPARE FUNERALS

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This plan is exclusive to a number of provinces, please ask advisor for more information.
Contact Ruth Forder on 0034 693 715 718 ; funeralplansbyruthforder.com
Your questions answered by Ruth from Compare Funerals Spain
– Why should I have a funeral plan? Having been funeral planning for over 10 year I’ve experienced some very sad and upset families when nothing is in place. A Spanish funeral plans will ensure that all costs are covered for your funeral service. Getting a prepaid plan will help you feel assured that your family will not be under any financial strain when it comes to paying for your funeral. A plan also means you can have peace of mind that everything has been organised in advance, so your loved ones do not have to make any difficult decisions.
– Why choose Compare Funerals? There seems to be a gap in Spain between independent funeral directors, offering plans at a good price but lacking the security of an established Trust or ability to cover a client overseas and Providers who seem to charge more than necessary. We want to be right in the middle and offer the best of both worlds. Our best-priced plan is only 2,250€ and does the essentials.
– Can I do a payment plan? All our plans are payable in full or over up to 5 years interest FREE. The interest free periods are based on initial deposit. The higher the deposit the less your monthly repayments will be.
– Can I transfer the plan? The answer is YES. You could name 2 people on one plan however if you had a friend/family member pass away we can transfer the plan into a 3rd party’s name.
– What happens if I move? All our plans offer the equivalent service in Spain (including the islands), Portugal, Republic of Ireland and the UK. If you moved to the UK, we would transfer the plan to one of our many partners at no extra cost to you.
– Is paperwork included? Yes, your family will receive a death certificate in Spanish and an international certification in English. We also provide a cremation certificate that allows the ashes on board a plane.

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Great Deals From Upcycling Nerja
– Lovely solid hardwood round table with 4 matching chairs beautiful decorative metal detail . Measurements diameter 120cms height 82cms price 225€ (possibly from salablanca)
– Ikea Hemnes bedside table natural wood (waxed) grey color bronze handle measurements 46 x 35 x 70cms 40€
– Ikea Hemnes drawers natural wood (waxed) grey color bronze handles measurements 118 x 50 x 95cms Price 130€
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Super 8 Conversion: Does anyone know if there is any place near Torre/Velez/Caleta to get Super 8 film reels converted to DVD? The fellow who used to advertise this service on Digamextra has closed down. Tom, Almayate. Email: criaderodelasartes@gmx.com

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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SPAIN

Minimum monthly wage will now be be taxed after it is increased to €1,184 euros in 2025: {Translation, summary}
– The Council of Ministers has approved the increase in the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI) to 1,184 euros gross per month in 14 payments, an amount which for the first time will not be exempt from taxation and which has generated conflicting positions within the coalition Government.
– The Government has given the green light to an increase of 4.4% (or 50 euros more per month) of the SMI which will have retroactive effect as from January 1st and which was agreed by the Ministry of Labor and the trade unions, but not by the employers.
– In the press conference after the Council of Ministers, the Second Vice-President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, defended this increase which helps to reduce inequality and which will benefit 2.4 million salaried workers, 12.9% of the total.
It “suits Spain very well” to raise the SMI, since it is allowing “the robust growth that it has today” and facilitates that the country “walks in the right direction”, remarked the second vice-president, who added that this “is a success story”.
– This new minimum wage (16,576 euros gross per year) will not be exempt from personal income tax as it has been until now.
Even so, many of the recipients of the minimum wage will continue without paying tax, something that will depend on their personal situation: a taxpayer with a partner and a child under three years of age will not pay any income tax, just as now, but if he is single and has no children, 300 euros a year will be withheld, almost half of the 700 euros by which his remuneration will be increased.
– The spokesperson of the Government, Pilar Alegría, has defended that the collection “is for the benefit of improving public policies and public services” of which all citizens “make use”.
– In response to the Treasury’s decision, the Sumar party has presented a bill in the Congress of Deputies to ensure that the SMI is exempt from personal income tax.
Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1864816/el-salario-minimo-comenzara-a-tributar-tras-la-subida-a-1184-euros-para-2025/

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Transparency International ranks Spain below Rwanda or Saudi Arabia in Corruption Perceptions Index: {Translation, summary}
– Spain is in the middle of the table with 56 points, behind countries such as Grenada, Botswana, Rwanda or Saudi Arabia, but ahead of others such as Italy, Poland, Greece or Slovakia. Although Transparency International has not registered in Spain a significant setback at the legislative level and in the anti-corruption framework, the reality is that the organization has not perceived a “substantial progress” in these areas either.
– For the NGO, the lack of progress at the national level, coupled with the dismantling of structures at the regional level, explains the four-point drop with respect to the last report. These symptoms extend across the continent, especially in Western Europe, where the capacity to fight corruption “is falling dangerously”. Source, Spanish: https://www.abc.es/internacional/transparencia-internacional-alerta-niveles-extremadamente-elevados-corrupcion-20250211093621-nt.html

AXARQUÍA

Two men stabbed in separate brawls in Rincón de la Victoria and Torre del Mar: {Translation, summary}
– Two men were stabbed in separate brawls that occurred last weekend in two localities of the Axarquia, specifically Rincon de la Victoria and Torre del Mar. In chronological order, the first of the events took place last Friday night in the central Avenida del Mediterráneo in the town of Rincon.
– A 28-year-old man was seriously injured and had to be taken to the emergency room of the nearby health center of Rincon de la Victoria, after being stabbed in the course of a fight in which half a dozen people were involved. The incident took place outside a hairdresser’s shop. Sources confirmed that there was a stab wound victim, who was evacuated to the health center. No further information has been released about his state of health, although there was no fear for his life.
– The second of the events took place just 24 hours later, in this case in the middle of Torre del Mar, in the Avenida de Andalucía, next to the Burger King. Four young people were involved in the fight, resulting in a stab wound, 20 years old. The injured young man was evacuated by emergency medical staff to the Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquia, with a guarded prognosis, although his life was not in danger. Those involved have been identified, but not yet arrested, as there are several security cameras in the vicinity. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sucesos/dos-hombres…

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National Geographic includes three villages in Axarquía among the best in Malaga: {Translation, summary}
– In the prestigious National Geographic’s list of the 11 most beautiful villages in the province of Malaga we find Frigiliana, Sedella and Competa. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/national-geographic-incluye-a-tres-pueblos-de-la-axarquia-entre-los-mejores-de-malaga/

MALAGA PROVINCE

The Malaga cheese market returns to Coín: {Translation, summary}
– Next Sunday, February 16, the Malaga Cheese Market returns to Coín, offering an exceptional gastronomic experience and the opportunity to discover some of the high quality cheeses and dairy products produced in the province. The event will be held at the Guadalhorce Agroalimentary enclosure in Coín, as usual, next to La Trocha Shopping Center, in the morning hours, from 9:00 to 14:30 hours.
– Once again in Coín, some of the most outstanding cheese dairies of the province will gather to present to the public their most refined products, ranging from the most traditional and classic options to the most innovative, exotic and avant-garde ones. This initiative is promoted by the Malaga Cheese Association and highlights the work of ten dairies in the province.
– This time will be a dozen Malaga cheese factories that will be during this gastronomic day in the Malaga Cheese Market, showing, offering samples and selling their products. These will be Quesos Montes de Málaga de Colmenar, Quesos Cabraline de Antequera, Quesos El Alcornocal de Cortes de la Frontera, Quesos El Arquillo de Campillos, Quesos El Pastor Del Torcal de Antequera, Quesos El Pastor del Valle de Alhaurín el Grande, Quesos Flor Bermeja de Casabermeja, Quesería La Hortelana de Coín, Quesería Rey Cabra de Cuevas del Becerro and Quesos Santa María del Cerro de Villanueva de Concepción.
– All of them are artisan cheese dairies that present their most outstanding products, offering visitors the opportunity to taste new flavors and experiment with different textures. Some of these dairies are small family businesses that have been progressing and developing in the industry, and an additional factor to highlight is that they produce their cheeses with milk from their own goats. Full article: https://www.malagahoy.es/la-farola/plan-gastronomico-domingo-mercado-quesos-malaga-coin_0_2003314247.html

NERJA

Cycling News- La Cueva de Nerja will host the end of the first stage of the Vuelta Ciclista a Andalucía: {Translation, summary}
– The Town Hall of Nerja (Málaga) and the Nerja Cave Foundation have presented the first stage of the Vuelta Ciclista a Andalucía ‘Ruta del Sol’ of this year 2025 in which this sporting event celebrates its 100th anniversary. In this initial section, to be held on Wednesday, February 19, the participants start from the town of Torrox and arrive at the site of the cave of Nerja.
– The Vuelta Ciclista a Andalucía turns one hundred years old in this 2025, a centenary that demonstrates the historical importance of a sporting event that runs through the autonomous community in different sections.
– This year it will be held in five different stages, starting in Torrox on Wednesday, February 19 and ending in La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz) on Sunday, February 23, five consecutive days in which more than 820 kilometers will be covered in total.
– The first stage takes place in the Axarquia, in Malaga, with a duration of 162.6 kilometers of route that, starting from the town of Torrox, passes through different enclaves such as Lagos, Mezquitilla, Algarrobo, Sayalonga, Archez, Salares, Sedella, Frigiliana or Nerja, and ends at the site of the natural monument Cueva de Nerja. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/malaga/…

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Four arrested for stealing more than two thousand euros in Nerja restaurants: {Translation, summary}
– The Civil Guard, in ‘operation Koffer’, have arrested four people for thefts in public establishments in the Axarquia town of Nerja. The investigation began late last December after receiving several reports of thefts in restaurants in the easternmost coastal town of the province. Doors were forced open. Once inside the premises, they stole the cash in the cash register and quickly left the premises to avoid being caught. In the four robberies committed a total of 2,350 euros was stolen.
– The corresponding steps were taken to identify and locate the perpetrators, and four people were arrested for the crimes of robbery with force. Two of the detainees had numerous police records for similar acts and had already been arrested last year.
Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sucesos/cuatro-detenidos-robar-dos-mil-euros-restaurantes-nerja-20250211111924-nt.html

UK

UK’s proposed assisted dying law to be changed to remove judge sign-off:
– Britain’s proposed new assisted dying law for terminally ill people will be amended to remove the requirement that a High Court judge sign off on each case, lawmaker Kim Leadbeater said on Tuesday.
– Under the proposals, mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less left to live would be given the right to choose to end their lives with medical help after approval by two doctors and a judge.
– With the process of political scrutiny underway, Leadbeater said she wanted to scrap the need for authorisation by a High Court judge, with each case instead considered by a panel of experts, including a senior legal figure, psychiatrists and social workers. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-proposed-assisted-dying-law-be-changed-remove-judge-sign-off-2025-02-11/

MIDDLE EAST

Trump says Hamas should free all hostages by midday Saturday or ‘let hell break out’:
– U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Hamas should release all hostages held by the militant group in Gaza by midday Saturday or he would propose canceling the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and “let hell break out.” Trump cautioned that Israel might want to override him on the issue and said he might speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
– But in a wide-ranging session with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration with the condition of the last group of hostages freed by Hamas and by the announcement by the militant group that it would halt further releases. “As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock, I think it’s an appropriate time. I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out. I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday,” Trump said. He said he wanted the hostages released en masse, instead of a few at a time. “We want ’em all back.”
– Trump also said he might withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if they don’t take Palestinian refugees being relocated from Gaza. He is to meet Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday.
– The comments came on a day of some confusion over Trump’s proposal for a U.S. takeover of Gaza once the fighting stops.
He said Palestinians would not have the right of return to the Gaza Strip under his proposal to redevelop the enclave, contradicting his own officials who had suggested Gazans would only be relocated temporarily. In an excerpt of an interview with Fox News channel’s Bret Baier broadcast on Monday, Trump added that he thought he could make a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take the displaced Palestinians, saying the U.S. gives the two countries “billions and billions of dollars a year.”
– Asked if Palestinians would have the right to return to Gaza, Trump said: “No, they wouldn’t because they’re going to have much better housing.” “I’m talking about building a permanent place for them,” he said, adding it would take years for Gaza to be habitable again.
– In a shock announcement on Feb. 4 after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, Trump proposed resettling Gaza’s 2.2 million Palestinians and the U.S. taking control of the seaside enclave, redeveloping it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Full article: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-says-palestinians-would-not-have-right-return-gaza-2025-02-10/

SPORTS

World Athletics wants to use cheek swab tests to decide female athlete eligibility:
– The “pre-clearance requirement” is one of several changes that will further tighten regulations concerning the eligibility of transgender and difference of sex development (DSD) athletes.
– In March 2023 World Athletics banned transgender athletes who had gone through male puberty from competing in the female category in international competition.
– However, following recommendations from the World Athletics council the governing body is now set to revise its eligibility regulations for male-to-female trans athletes on the basis of fresh evidence it said shows there was a “significant performance gap before the onset of puberty”.
– World Athletics said the cheek swab test would look for the SRY gene, which is “almost always on the male Y chromosome” and “is used as a highly accurate proxy for biological sex”. The proposals developed by a World Athletics working group on gender diverse athletes will now go through a consultation period from 10 February until 5 March. Full article: https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/articles/cj91dr17d1no

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

EU to mobilise €200 billion for AI investment- wants to ‘supercharge’ AI development in EU:
– Europe will mobilise €200bn euro for investment in artificial intelligence, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced at the AI Action Summit in Paris today. Of this, €20bn will be earmarked for AI gigafactories , which, according to the Commission, is needed to allow for “collaborative development” the most complex AI models.
– {AI gigafactories require insane amounts of electricty & water! Look for them to be located near nuclear power plants. In the USA the AI gigafactories are building their own mini-nuke power plants, integrated into the facilities for their exclusive use, and always near a large water supply they soon degrade by discharging heated water from their cooling systems. -Ed}
– The announcement comes on the heels of French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement on Sunday of a €109 billion investment plan for AI projects in France in the coming years. Macron said the investment is “the equivalent for France of what the US has announced with ‘Stargate’,” referring to OpenAI’s $500-billion programme.
– Von der Leyen said that she wants “AI to be a force for good and for growth”. “We are doing this through our own European approach – based on openness, cooperation and excellent talent. But our approach still needs to be supercharged. This is why, together with our member states and with our partners, we will mobilise unprecedented capital through InvestAI for European AI gigafactories,” she added. Full article: https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/02/11/eu-to-mobilise-200-billion-for-ai-investment

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WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab explains to the World Governments Summit 2025 the future of AI & globalism he has planned for us- “Governments in the Intelligent Age”: Video Link

OTHER

Private Plane Owned by Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil Involved in Fatal Arizona Crash:
– A private plane owned by Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil collided with another private plane in a fatal incident in Scottsdale, Arizona on Monday. One person was killed, and several others were left injured in the incident.
– Neil was not on the plane, but his girlfriend Rain Andreani was among the several injured who were taken to a local hospital. A statement regarding the incident was posted on the Mötley Crüe X account on Monday. “At 2:39 p.m. local time, a Learjet aircraft Model 35A owned by Vince Neil was attempting to land at the Scottsdale Airport. For reasons unknown at this time, the plane veered from the runway causing it to collide with another parked plane,” the statement read.
– “On board Mr. Neil’s plane were two pilots and two passengers. Mr. Neil was not on the plane. Vince’s girlfriend, Rain, was taken to hospital following the crash. More specific details regarding the collision are not available as this is a rapidly evolving situation and there is an ongoing investigation.” Full article: https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/…

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Last updated Feb 11, 2025, 17:44 UTC

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Fun & Games

Useful Links, Info & Numbers

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily.
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

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DigameXtra No. 2946 Tuesday, February 11th, 2025

On February 11, 2025February 10, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

Welcome to DigameXtra !

The Most Popular English Language Daily Newsletter In Andalucia

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*Subscribe to receive free daily issues by email. To subscribe, please send me an email with the message “subscribe me to DigameXtra” from the email account you want subscribed.

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Costa Jazz Quartet Presents “Film Jazz”: Thurs, 13 Feb, 8pm
Villa de Nerja Cultural Center, C/ Granada 45, Nerja
Info & tix (€15): https://www.giglon.com/todos?idEvent=costa-jazz-quartet-jazz-de-cine

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Valentines Day- Sara Carnero Flamenco Show: Fri, 14 Feb, 8pm
El Rincón del Arte, Plaza de la Hoya 12, Torrox
Info & tix (€12): https://www.giglon.com/todos?idEvent=espectaculo-flamenco-sara-carnero & Video Link

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Be My Valentine Party at Siddhartha on the Rock:
Fri, 14 Feb, 8-11pm. C/ Aguacate 2, Competa.
Book for food or drop in for drinks
Info: Tel 952516748 or https://allevents.in/nerja/be-my-valentine-at-siddhartha-on-the-rock/200027785625949

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Velez Malaga- Festival of Beer: Fri – Sun, 14 – 16 Feb.
Parque Andalucia

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La Piñona, Lucía Álvarez, presents ‘Lucía en Vivo’:
Sat, 15 Feb 8pm. Teatro Municipal de Torrox.
Address: Av. Isaac Albéniz, 3, Torrox
A show full of passion and art as part of Flamenco In Progress.
(Note: I could not find advance tickets for sale online, no phone number, no email, no website posts, just this X post.)
Info: https://twitter.com/Ayto_Torrox/status/1888916761778454740

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Carnival de Almayate 2025: Sunday, 16 Feb.

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Flamenco recital- “Oh Federico García!”: Fri, 21 Feb 8pm
Villa de Nerja Cultural Center, C/ Granada 45, Nerja
Info & tix (€10): https://www.giglon.com/todos?idEvent=ay-federico-garcia20250221
In 1922 Federico García Lorca and Manuel de Falla organize the celebration of a Cante Jondo contest. ‘Oh Federico García!’ intends to pay warm tribute to Federico García Lorca and Flamenco for the centenary of that contest.

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Free Concert- Museum of Malaga: Sunday 16 Feb, at noon, with AUSTRI MUSICI (string and clarinet quintet). They’ll be playing music by Penderecki and Shostakóvich {pic}. Free entry, but get there early (11ish) to be sure of a place.

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NOTICE!
Submissions for posting in sections below
must be signed like this or they will be returned !!!
Sender’s First Name / Nearest Town
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Services Wanted/Offered

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ARCHGROVE TRANSPORT SERVICES

Archgrove Services: A family run light haulage/transport company with bases in Archez, Spain and Cambridgeshire.
We are part of the ADH Storage and Transportation company and as such have storage available in Competa and Puente Don Manuel. Very reasonable rates.
We provide a one stop service for all your transport needs and pride ourselves on reliability, flexibility, good communication and a very much ‘can do’ approach. No job is too small and there is always a solution.
Our services include:
-Regular runs between UK and Spain
-Transport of personal property from full house moves to small single items
-Man & Van services
-Packing, including supply of packing materials
-UK Home shopping with UK delivery address
-Storage of property and vehicles in Spain
If we can be of service please contact Gail. We are on Facebook and always available to chat through your needs and provide a free no obligation quote if required.
UK: 0044 7846672013
Spain: 0034 951 066 093
Email: archgroveservices@gmail.com ; FB Link
Our contact info is also in the DigameXtra Sponsor’s Section everyday.

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SPW CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

SPW Construction Services: Professional high quality building service, fully qualified tradesmen to all trades.
Extensions, retaining walls, driveways, swimming pools, damp problems, roofs, blocked drains.
Replacement kitchens and bathrooms, Tiling and terraces. Plumbing, electrics and plastering, painting.
Architect service, building licence applications.
Handyman service now available for those smaller jobs.
Water Deposit Installations: Due to the ongoing drought and current water restrictions SPW Construction are currently offering the following service.
– Supply and installation of new above or below ground water deposits. 1000 litres up to 25000 litres. Delivered and installed, all relevant plumbing. All work warrantied.
– We can also advise you or help to organise water deliveries from local suppliers.
Selling Your House? SPW Construction can offer you a bespoke package to prepare your house for sale.
Through our extensive relationships with Agents, buyers and sellers we understand what is required to present your home to potential purchasers.
Interior & Exterior decoration / Replacement bathrooms and Kitchens
Pool Reforms / Garden tidy
DAFO Compliance, septic tanks, solar installations, etc.
Roof checks / Damp proofing
For free consultation and estimate contact us on 622938440
or email: scottparkwilson AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk
Scott/Arenas. Home Page and FB-Link
Our contact info is also in the DigameXtra Sponsor’s Section everyday.

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Buy / Sell / Trade / Rent / Wanted

Click on pics to enlarge

How to post more photos than the rules allow – use collages. The limit is one pic per item/event. You can combine several of your photos into a 
single collage photo by using this free online collage creation tool. It’s very easy to use, give it a try! https://www.photocollage.com/

Are you still dealing with scammers on Fakebook Marketplace?
Sell your items here, to locals, for cash, without the shenanigans.

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For Sale: New Lenovo Ideapad 1, Gen 7. Only €380
Business Grade Laptop.
Windows 11 Pro (UK). 8Gb RAM, 512Gb SSD.
15.6inch Full HD display. Spanish keyboard.
Proc: AMD Ryzen 5 5500u (2.1 to 4GHz), 6 core 12 threads.
SD card reader, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2, HDMI, Wifi 6.
Stereo speakers w/ Dolby. HD webcam with blocker.
Slim-line, light weight at 1.6kg. Heavy duty hinges.
Rapid-Charge 9hr battery, 2hr charge in 15mins!
Fully setup, updated and ready to use.
Website: https://psref.lenovo.com/Product/IdeaPad_1_15ALC7
1yr factory warranty upon registration.
Naythan, Torrox Costa.
doctorlaptop@protonmail.com

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Recommendations, Requests & Comments

When making a recommendation always include the phone number or website of the biz, service, etc., so readers can reach them.
Note: I can’t post third party email addresses.

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Musicians Wanted: Seeking classically trained musicians to play in an ensemble, for pleasure! I am living in Nerja and have space where we could meet. I also have access to a piano and would like to play sonatas. Good sightreading skills and some technical proficiency are necessary!
Roberta, Nerja, +34 642551181
Rmail: Rabbina2 AT aol D0T com

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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SPAIN

Food cost markup for basic foods between wholesale distributors and the store is as much as 583%: {Translation}
– The association Facua-Consumers in Action has detected an increase of up to 583% in the price of certain basic foods in supermarkets with respect to their price at source, according to a study comparing what a farmer receives with what the consumer pays for the same product. In this analysis, a dozen products have been taken into account, including fruit, vegetables, pulses, olive oil and sunflower oil, according to the association in a press release.
– The prices at source were obtained and/or calculated using data published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for the week of 20-26 January 2025, the last week for which there are records.
– The prices in supermarkets (Mercadona, Dia, Eroski, Alcampo and Carrefour) were taken on the 4th of January and, in order to calculate the average price in the points of sale, the association has taken as a reference only the private labels or bulk products, which are usually the lowest prices on the market. VAT has been subtracted from all supermarket prices (4 % for fruit, vegetables, pulses and olive oils and 10 % for sunflower oils) so that both prices, both at source and in the points of sale, are before tax.
– A kilo of lemons is currently paid at origin at 0.30 euro, while at points of sale it costs on average 2.05 euro (583% more).
– For onions, whose price at origin is 0.27 euros per kilo these reach an average price of 1.44 euros in supermarkets, while chickpeas have risen by 300%, from 0.53 to 2.12 euros.
– Golden apples saw a 243% rise from 0.57 euros at source to 1.96 euros at the consumer price; carrots rose by 220% from 0.30 to 0.96 euros; and potatoes by 161% from 0.44 to 1.15 euros. The kilo of pears went from 0.90 to 2.08 euros, an increase of 131%; lentils from 0.95 to 1.93 euros, an increase of 103%; and sunflower oil increased by 35%, from 1.19 to 1.61 euros. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1864469/los-alimentos-basicos-se-encarecen-hasta-un-583-en-el-supermercado/

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New regulations approved to ensure the quality of honey sold in Spain:
– Although honey production in Europe is high – second only to China, with more than half a million tonnes per year – the demand for honey is even greater, which is why it is also imported to the continent from other countries, which tend to have different regulations. European beekeepers have been complaining for years that honey is being sold in Europe that does not meet their requirements, and they have been calling for greater control by the authorities.
– According to the European Commission’s food report from 2023, honey and royal jelly were among the products that raised the most concerns of suspected fraud. A 2021-2022 European Commission investigation into the honey marketed in Europe revealed that almost half (46%) of the products investigated did not comply with requirements. A leading consumer organisation in Spain (OCU) has said the European market contains products with added glucose and fructose syrups, as well as other additives and colourings, that adulterate the product and are not permitted in honey. In addition, the origin of the product is sometimes not indicated.
– In Spain, any packaged product, including honey, must indicate its country of origin, according to regulations from 2020. However, with the recent approval by the cabinet of a Royal Decree amending the quality standard for honey, this requirement has been further tightened.
– The main change is that, when the honey product is a blend, it is now compulsory to indicate the percentage of contribution of each country of origin on the label. In other words, it is not enough to state the places of origin of the packaged product and the percentage of each country must also be added.
– As the OCU pointed out, the modification of the honey quality standard is good news for consumers, as it includes measures that contribute to improving the product that reaches the Spanish market. How? By guaranteeing that the honey has not been stripped of the natural substances or ingredients that give it its properties. For example, the filtered honey variety is eliminated, so that honey from which a significant part of the pollen has been removed will be considered honey for industrial use and cannot be marketed directly to the final consumer.
– However, the OCU recommends that, in order to be sure of the origin of the honey consumed, “it is best to choose honeys with PDO or PGI (quality seals linked to a protected origin)”, such as PDO Miel de Málaga, PDO Miel de Granada, PDO Miel de La Alcarria, PDO Miel de Tenerife, PDO Miel de Villuercas-Ibores, or PGI Miel de Galicia. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/spain/new-rules-approved-ensure-the-quality-honey-20250207062120-nt.html

GRANADA

Sierra Nevada opens the Laguna de las Yeguas ski slopes: {Translation, summary}
– Sierra Nevada has reached 55 skiable kilometres – the maximum of the season – this Sunday with the opening of the Laguna de las Yeguas area. The ski resort has slopes in all six areas of its ski domain. In addition, sector 3 of the snowpark in Loma de Dílar has been opened.
– The extension of the ski area has also allowed the opening of the Virgen de las Nieves chairlift, so there is a new access to the slopes from Pradollano, in this case from the Los Peñones car park. Source, Spanish: https://www.granadadigital.es/sierra-nevada-abre-la-laguna-las-yeguas/

GASTRONOMIA

From Hojiblanca to Nevadillo- The essential guide to the varieties of olives used to make olive oil in Malaga:
– Malaga is a real melting pot in terms of the varieties used to make extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). In fact, despite being the smallest province in Andalusia, it boasts a great diversity, which has meant that today there is plenty to choose from.
– Although many olive oil mills continue to make so-called ‘coupages’ (blends of different varieties), the trend in recent years has been to produce single-varietal oils. Thus, on a tour of the province, from the Axarquía to the Serranía, one can find many different olive oils, each with its own nuances. In order to evaluate them, it is necessary to identify the main varieties used to make them. These are the most important ones.
Read the full article in English: https://www-diariosur-es.translate.goog/malaga…

HEALTH

Another Huge Malpractice Suit For Andalusian Public Health Service (SAS)- Man who ‘fathered’ non-biological daughter after semen mix-up at hospital claims compensation of one million euros (paid with taxpayer money!):
– The man who ‘fathered’ a non-biological daughter via an artificial insemination process has decided, with the support of his wife, to continue his legal fight against the Andalusian public health service (SAS). He rejected the regional advisory council’s proposal for a compensation offer of 120,000 euros, claiming a settlement of 1 million euros for the semen sample handling error committed at a SAS hospital in Cadiz.
– The clinical analysis service of the Puerta del Mar Hospital issued a dictum in which they admitted the error that had happened during the assisted reproduction phase. Those who signed the dictum concluded that there is an “unequivocal causal relationship” between the “damage alleged and the health service provided”, which leads to an “anomalous functioning of the public service”, as the administration itself has acknowledged.
– The advisory council, on the other hand, described the amount requested by the parents as “disproportionate and unjustified” and set the compensation at 120,215 euros. Of this amount, 41,658 euros are allocated to the father, some 24,995 to the mother and 53,561 to the little girl. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/andalucia/the-man-who-had-nonbiological-daughter-an-20250207061611-nt.html

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

Free to use version of ChatGPT released:
– ChatGPT is becoming more accessible to the masses. Its ChatGPT Search feature is now available without having to log in to the popular chatbot. Parent company OpenAI has also confirmed that ChatGPT Search will be free to use– the feature works similarly to a search engine.
– When accessing the service’s web address, ChatGPT you will see ChatGPT Search front and center, with a message saying “What can I help you with?” You can immediately input your query into the text box. At the bottom of the text box are options that say “Search” and “Reason.” The Search option is the option that allows you to use the page without logging in. Selecting the Reason option will prompt you to log in or sign up to access ChatGPT.
– {Remember, before relying on anything an AI chatbot tells you, you must verify the facts. This is becoming easier to do as most AI chatbots provide links to sources used. Check them! Chatbots often misinterpret the source material- especially if humor, inuendo, sarcasm, idioms or clichés are involved. With search engines becoming more useless by the day, free AI Chatbots like ChatGPT, GROK & DeepSeek often offer a superior way to do searches. It is worth giving them a try while they are still new & simple to use. AI ain’t going away. It will be invading our lives as we approach 2030. Today it’s chatbots, tomorrow it’s personal assistants with “personality”, then comes digital companions in your ear and smartglasses, where you have a running conversation throughout the day with a friend who knows everything! Warning: the chatbots never forget anything, every search or request you submit will be saved and associated with your “digital internet profile”, your Device’s ID number & your IP address, forever! And since everything you enter into the chatbot will be used to train the AI, consider your searches public knowledge. -Ed}
Full article: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/openais-chatgpt-search-is-now-free-to-use-without-a-login/

PETS

2025 Masters Obedience Championships (#1) & 8″ – 12″ Preferred Jumpers with Weaves (#2) from Westminster Kennel Club: Video Link 1 & Video Link 2

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Humour & Diversions Section

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Exchange quotes from Xe.com

Click here to see updated quotes & more currencies

Last updated Feb 10, 2025, 20:43 UTC

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Fun & Games

Useful Links, Info & Numbers

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily.
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

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Home Page – Based in Torrox Costa, near the bus station.

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DigameXtra No. 2945 Monday, February 10th, 2025

On February 10, 2025February 9, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

Welcome to DigameXtra !

The Most Popular English Language Daily Newsletter In Andalucia

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PHOENIX CLUB

Phoenix Club: The Phoenix Social Club is open to all nationalities but the lingua franca is English.
We offer an opportunity to make friends, help each other & share information but primarily to have fun in a friendly and inclusive association. You do not have to be a member to join us on our trips.
Our handmade greetings cards are for sale weekly with all proceeds to the Red Cross. We would be happy to accept any greeting cards you may have to re-make into fantastic cards.
We meet every Thursday between 12 and 2 pm at Chine in Caleta, just off the coast road to/from Algarrobo.
***Trips/Events***
~All trips/events include a driver’s gratuity~
February
– 21st – A visit to Estepona Market and Orchid House €24
March
– 4th – Trip to Gib €22pp
– 21st – Trip to IKEA and Guzmans Garden Centre €20
April
– 2nd – Trip to Gib €22pp
– 11/12th – Train trip from Antequera to Algeciras with an overnight stay in Algeciras at the 4* Reina Cristina hotel. Price 120pp based on 2 sharing and €135 Single room.
– 25th – Trip to Colamares Castle AM and Benalmadena Marina PM. 25€pp
For information call Gail on 951067723 / 626370695 (Whatsapp). Email: phoenixsocialclub@yahoo.co.uk ; check out our FB page.
We are DigameXtra sponsors and our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.

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Pink Floyd Experience: Fri 14th & Sat 16th February
Salón Varietés Theater, Fuengirola
The nine-piece band features the incredible musicianship of the performers, plus the production includes a fantastic light and stage show, which recreates the ambience of a real Pink Floyd concert.
Tickets for the shows, which begin at 7.30pm, cost 25 euros and are available from the theatre’s website, or from the box office between 11am and 2.30pm Monday to Friday.
Demand permitting, tickets will also be available on the night.
Info & tix: https://www.salonvarietestheatre.com/live/show-details.php?id_show=730

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Concert- The Silver Beats: Sunday 16 February
At the Sala Atlántico of the Hotel Estival Torrequebrada
89 Avenida del Sol 29630 Benalmádena
Show at 6pm (doors open 5pm) and tickets cost 20 euros in advance or 25 euros at the door.
Tickets can be obtained from the Ruben money exchange outlets and El Corte Inglés or online or by phoning 633647260. Info & tix (€20 adv, €25 door): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tributo-a-the-beatles-tickets-1123540843909 & Video Link

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Costa del Sol’s Welsh community celebrates the Feast of St. David, the patron saint of Wales: The large-scale event will be staged in Plaza Mezquita in Benalmádena on 1 March, from 1pm.
– Organised with the support of the town hall, the event will present some of the area’s top entertainers, including Mama Cath and the Soul Sisters, a trio fronted by Cath John, known as The Voice from the Valleys; Rock of Ages, a duo that perform classic rock anthems; and Tony Whitehouse, who will offer songs from some of the top ‘80s and `90s boybands. Other artists scheduled to appear are The Rock and Roll Brothers, Laura Ellen, Siobhan, Wayne Ward and Loz Carter, although more acts are expected to join the lineup. Performers interested in taking part in the event can contact Cath John on her Facebook page.
– The day will offer traditional Welsh food made by members of the society to help raise funds for this year’s cause.
Ref: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/benalmadena-torremolinos/costa-sols-welsh-community-gets-set-fly-20250127104219-nt.html

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La Caleta Carnival 2025: Sun, 2 March
Plaza Colonias del Puerto III
The day will be enlivened by various performances, including two comparsas (troupes), a batucada (drummers), dance groups, charanga (brass) and other groups that will entertain the audience with their music and colour. ‘We want the whole town to enjoy a day full of joy and fun, with entertainment for all ages,’ said Segura.

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Torrox & El Morche Carnival 2025:
– Torrox, Fri & Sat, 7 & 8 March
– El Morche, Sat, 15 March

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Kick Boxing and K1 fights in the XV edition of the Night of the Rincón de la Victoria Fighter: Sat, March 15, 6pm start
Rubén Ruzafa Pavilion, Rincón de la Victoria
An evening in which up to 36 fighters will compete in 18 Kick Boxing and K1 bouts.
Tickets, priced between 20 and 30 euros, can be purchased at the box office on the day of the event or, beforehand, at the participating clubs: Gimnasio Pitu (El Palo); Club Nirvana (Rincón de la Victoria); Chema Calderón (Forum-Rincón de la Victoria); Rapid Team (Torre del Mar); The Fight Club (Torre del Mar); Molina Team (Torre del Mar); Spartan (Fuengirola); AMM Ciudad Real (Ciudad Real); Unit 41 (Marbella); RR Team (Córdoba); Artes Marciales Mixtas de Nerja (Nerja). Doors are scheduled to open at 17.30.

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NOTICE!
Submissions for posting in sections below
must be signed like this or they will be returned !!!
Sender’s First Name / Nearest Town
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Services Wanted/Offered

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HANNINGTONS KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

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MANDY’S PAINTBOX

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Buy / Sell / Trade / Rent / Wanted

Click on pics to enlarge

How to post more photos than the rules allow – use collages. The limit is one pic per item/event. You can combine several of your photos into a 
single collage photo by using this free online collage creation tool. It’s very easy to use, give it a try! https://www.photocollage.com/

Are you still dealing with scammers on Fakebook Marketplace?
Sell your items here, to locals, for cash, without the shenanigans.

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BLUCEE REAL ESTATE

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For Sale, 3 items:
– Beautiful set of 8 whisky glasses plus decanter, delicately engraved, 15€.
– Lamps. Lovely pair of blue bedside table lamps, 15€.
– House shoes. 2 pairs of comfortable lined shoes for indoors use, never worn, 10€.
Jill, Algarrobo, 695 463 385. Can meet in Caleta.

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For Sale: Miele ironing machine 50 euros.
Buyer collects. Keith, Los Romanes
Tel 44 7716546001 or WhatsApp.
Email: e2property AT icloud D0T com

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For Sale, 3 items:
– IKEA Occasional table/stool with tray. The stool is 45cms high and the 35cms diameter top can also be used as an occasional table. This can be enlarged using the IKEA tray system with a diameter of 44cms. Just 10€;
– IKEA Jonaxel Storage Unit. This can be used as a freestanding unit or to help as an organizer within wardrobes or kitchen spaces. It comes with four plastic trays. Overall dimensions are 50x51x70cms. 15€
– High Gloss White Bathroom Cupboard. The cupboard is 188cms high, 50cms wide, and 29cms deep. The doors are 91cms high(top), 78cms high(lower), with internal shelves as shown. 30€
Contact Richard in Caleta de Velez on mobile/Whatsapp 617282970

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Recommendations, Requests & Comments

When making a recommendation always include the phone number or website of the biz, service, etc., so readers can reach them.
Note: I can’t post third party email addresses.

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Volunteers Wanted- The charity Nerja Ambulatorio AVISA team seeks new members [Association of Volunteer Interpreters in Axarquía]:
Is your Spanish OK? You do not have to be super proficient? Do you have a morning to give?
We support non-Spanish speakers, residents & tourists alike, to access the service offered at the Ambulatorio in Nerja, the main user language being English. The users are very thankful that we are there.
Group members will guide you through the process & work alongside you. We are a supportive group, together with the main team in Velez-Malaga hospital, who would also appreciate more volunteers. The Ambulatorio staff love us there too as it helps them to offer their service more efficiently. They are a great bunch of people.
It is rewarding and you will learn so much.
Our hours are 0930-13.30, but of course we are volunteers so this can be flexible.I look forward to hearing from you.
Email: carol ellul 18 at gmail dot com

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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SPAIN

Sanchez claims to support farmers and fishermen, while pushing EU Agenda 2030 goals that destroy these industries: {Translation, summary}
– There are no winners in the trade war. We all lose, especially when food is at stake’. This was warned by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez {pic}, at the presentation of the National Food Strategy, where he called on the European Union ‘not to ignore the turbulence in international trade’ following the latest tariff policies of US President Donald Trump, the consequences of which he acknowledged to be ‘unpredictable’. Sánchez called for the EU to be ‘prepared to take the appropriate decisions’ and to show ‘unity and firmness’.
– ‘When there are wars, those who suffer the consequences are always the most vulnerable, the most exposed, those for whom an increase in prices is a devastating blow’, he said. Although he extended his hand to ‘avoid trade wars and tariff escalations’, he focused on calling on the EU-27 to be prepared for whatever may come. ‘Unity is strength and, more than ever, the EU has to show unity and take the appropriate decisions in the face of a potential trade conflict’. For Sánchez, this represents ‘a real roadmap for food, not only to promote effective public policies, but also to strengthen Spain’s influence in Europe’. This will be articulated around three values, ‘quality, safety and innovation’, seeking to move ‘towards a safe, sustainable, healthy, competitive, responsible and socially just model’.
– With all this in mind, Sánchez said Spain was committed to defending ‘farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen and their cooperatives’.
– {Thats rich coming from a guy that has for years delayed water development projects for drought stricken farmers while proceeding with the removal of 200 dams vital to prevent flooded fields, and who pushed the socialist-greenie Agenda 2030 by passing animal control laws that threaten to put most small to medium poultry and meat producers/breeders out of business with impossible to meet animal transport and housing requirements. The Sánchez administration even adopted the radical new EU fishing limit mandates, now only 27 days per year for common trawlers, effectively putting them out of business. Is that how you “defend” them, by bankrupting them so your corporate buddies can convert all our food production to industrially produced, genetically modified, insect enhanced, frankenfood? -Ed.} Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5679877/0/sanchez-pide-unidad-firmeza-ue-frente-guerra-comercial-trump-no-depender-que-decida-cualquiera/

AXARQUÍA

Central Gov’t Revives Old Hoax- Blames Farmers for Delay in Axarquía Desalination Plant:
– The Axarquía area on the eastern side of Malaga province is still experiencing a serious drought, despite the heavy rains in autumn 2024 and the relatively wet winter so far. This means that there is still a need for a desalination plant, which has been a commitment of the central government since May 2023, when it declared the projects to be of general state interest. Almost two years later the project is still moving forward, albeit slowly.
– In this context, the central government’s representative in Malaga, Javier Salas held a meeting on Friday 7 February with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morán, in which the pair discussed the progress made on the future Axarquía desalination plant, which the Spanish Government is undertaking with an investment of approximately one hundred million euros.
– Salas said in a press release that “the government is waiting for the area’s central board of farmers to deliver the preliminary project and to be able to speed up all the procedures for the construction of this important water project”. He went on to say that the government “will speed up the procedures for the construction of the desalination plant as much as possible”. {This central gov’t claim of needing the farmers to deliver a plan before proceeding was exposed as a hoax in early 2024. Either this guy is too poorly informed to perform his job correctly, or he is intentionally being deceptive. I covered this in detail in: https://digamextra.com/2024/06/20/digamextra-no-2795-thursday-june-20th-2024/ -Ed.}

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

The Board gives green light to the expansion that will double the Vélez-Málaga cemetery: {Translation, summary}
– The population of Vélez-Málaga is now close to 86,000 registered inhabitants. And although the number of burials has fallen considerably in recent years due to the increase in cremations, the need for new niches and columbaria is still very present in the capital of the Axarquia. For this reason, the bipartite government team in the Town Hall, PP and GIPMTM, continues to make progress in the procedures to increase the available surface area, until it doubles in the next few years. At the moment, there are still some 200 free niches in the current facilities. The current plan is to add 100 niches initially, with another 100 to follow.
– After a bureaucratic process that began in 2021, the Junta de Andalucía has given its approval to the innovation of the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) that will make it possible to increase by 7,802 square metres the current surface area of the Velez cemetery, of 10,149 square metres. The final approval of the modification of the planning for the extension of the municipal cemetery of the capital of the Axarquia was published in the Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucia (BOJA) on Wednesday 5th February. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/axarquia/junta-luz-verde-ampliacion-duplicara-cementerio-velezmalaga-20250206232028-nt_amp.html

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Two people injured in a housefire in Chilches this weekend:
{Translation}
– Two people have been affected and have required hospital evacuation following a fire in a house in the Teresa de Chilches residential development in the Malaga municipality of Velez-Malaga.
– The incident occurred in a two-storey house located in the village of Chilches, in a residential area next to the N-340 at 5.00 a.m., when 112 received several alerts from neighbours about a house from which flames and smoke were coming out and inside which an elderly person could be trapped. Health sources have indicated that, as a result of the fire, two men aged 87 and 55 years have been evacuated to the hospital of Axarquia, although the extent of their injuries have not transcended.
– Firefighters have reported that the fire has affected the living room and kitchen of the property, and that the rest of the house has been affected by smoke. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/dos-personas-resultan-afectadas-en-el-incendio-de-una-vivienda-en-chilches/

UK

UK Government Fast-Tracking Bill to Monitor Bank Accounts, Revoke Licenses, and Search Homes:
– UK’s government is accused of attempting to rush a controversial bill – the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error & Recovery) Bill – through parliament. Critics say the draft legislation contains some dystopian social credit-style surveillance provisions. The 116-page bill was only introduced a week ago, prompting rights campaigner Big Brother Watch to conclude that MPs may not even have enough time to read the text before they are supposed to start debating it.
– Despite its very public-spirited title – the bill’s opponents are warning that under the guise of preventing mass waste of taxpayer money through benefit fraud, it would also serve to set up a system of “mass spying” of bank accounts, carried out by the government (the Department for Work and Pensions, DWP).
That includes constant monitoring of people’s bank statements, the ability to revoke driving licenses, and search premises, computers, and other devices. The UK’s welfare system would in this way be turned into “a digital surveillance system (…) with unprecedented privacy intrusions,” said Big Brother Watch Director Silkie Carlo.
– On the other hand, the DWP claims that while they will have access to bank statements belonging to accounts targeted as defrauding the benefits system, and be able to cause money to be taken from those accounts – they won’t have “direct access to actual accounts.”
– That’s cold comfort, privacy groups are suggesting, since the law then expands into requiring that banks and building societies submit reports about suspected fraud, which will allow DWP investigators to exercise their new ability to ask for search warrants, and then together with the police carry out searches, including of houses and devices. Full article: https://reclaimthenet.org/uk-public-authorities-bill-mass-surveillance-bank-monitoring

USA

Trump rules out deporting Prince Harry- ‘He’s got enough problems with his wife- she’s terrible’:
– Prince Harry can breathe freely in Montecito, because President Donald Trump has ruled out deporting the self-exiled British royal.
– Harry’s immigration status is the subject of litigation in Washington DC, with the Heritage Foundation alleging that he may have concealed past illegal drug use that should have disqualified him from obtaining a US visa.
– But the president told The New York Post Friday that he isn’t interested in throwing Harry out of the country. “I don’t want to do that,” he said. “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
– Trump took the opportunity to praise Harry’s estranged older brother William, with whom he met privately in Paris in December during the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame Cathedral. “I think William is a great young man,” he said.
– The Duke of Sussex and his liberal American wife Meghan Markle have voiced disapproval of Trump over the years, including one outburst in which the Duchess called the president “divisive” and “misogynistic.” Trump in turn has described Harry as “whipped” by Markle. “I think poor Harry is being led around by the nose.”
– Heritage cited Harry’s autobiography “Spare” — in which he admitted to using cocaine, cannabis and psychedelics — when it sued the Department of Homeland Security last year to force the release of his US visa records. “Anyone who applies to the United States has to be truthful on their application, and it is not clear that is the case with Prince Harry,” Heritage’s Nile Gardiner told the London Daily Telegraph. The conservative think tank suggests Harry was given preferential treatment by the Biden administration after he and Meghan moved to California in 2020 following their acrimonious “Megxit” split from the royal family. Full article: https://nypost.com/2025/02/08/us-news/trump-rules-out-deporting-prince-harry-takes-jab-at-meghan-markle/

HEALTH

Cases of stroke in Malaga have risen by 32% since the outbreak of the covid pandemic- Experts believe that this figure has a multifactorial explanation, ranging from more complete diagnoses to some effect of the virus itself (while ignoring the most obvious explanation): {Translation}
– February 2025 marks just five years since the first cases of covid appeared in Spain. Five years in which medicine has been able to defeat a pandemic in record time, true, although the real consequences will probably not be known for some time yet. However, at the moment it is possible to analyse some figures, objective data that professionals are trying to explain. One of them is the increase – sometimes exponential – in the number of cardiovascular accidents, which in the case of Malaga and centred on strokes, have grown by more than 30 percent in just four years.
– According to official data provided by the Regional Ministry of Health, the number of ischaemic strokes registered in the province shot up by 32 percent between 2019 and 2023, the last year with complete data. In total terms, this means an increase from 1,945 diagnoses to 2,585, a more than significant number. It is true that the general trend over the last decade is upward, but there is a significant acceleration from 2021, in the second part of the pandemic. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/malaga/malaga-ictus-infartos-covid-20250207225952-nt.html

TECH

Gmail Security Warning For 2.5 Billion Users- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Driven Hack Confirmed:
{Editor’s note: In response to this very serious threat, Protonmail is blocking suspicious Gmails from being delivered to protect Protonmail accounts, such as the DigameXtra submissions email. As most readers use Gmail, many of your submissions have been blocked for the past 7 to 10 days. This is why I have been posting very few For-Sale submissions recently. This also happened back in mid-October 2024. It took about 2 weeks to fix it then. I expect things to slowly return to normal over the next week or so. -Ed.}
– Hackers hiding in plain sight, avatars being used in novel attacks, and even perpetual 2FA-bypass threats against Google users have been reported. What a time to be alive if you are a criminal hacker. Be warned, this malicious AI wants your Gmail credentials.
– If this sounds familiar, that’s because it is: I (Forbes) first warned about such AI-powered attacks against Gmail users on Oct. 11 in a story that went viral. The methodology is almost exactly the same, but the warning to all 2.5 billion users of Gmail remains the same: be aware of the threat and don’t let your guard down for even a minute. “Cybercriminals are constantly developing new tactics, techniques, and procedures to exploit vulnerabilities and bypass security controls, and companies must be able to quickly adapt and respond to these threats,” Spencer Starkey, a vice-president at SonicWall, said, “This requires a proactive and flexible approach to cybersecurity, which includes regular security assessments, threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and incident response planning.” Full article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/02/01/gmail-security-warning-for-25-billion-users-ai-hack-confirmed/

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U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted accounts, to be enforced by “UK Secret Courts”:
– Security officials in the United Kingdom have demanded that Apple create a back door allowing them to retrieve all the content any Apple user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
– The British government’s undisclosed order, issued last month, requires blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, not merely assistance in cracking a specific account, and has no known precedent in major democracies. Its application would mark a significant defeat for tech companies in their decades-long battle to avoid being wielded as government tools against their users, the people said, speaking under the condition of anonymity to discuss legally and politically sensitive issues.
– The office of the Home Secretary has served Apple with a document called a technical capability notice, ordering it to provide access under the sweeping U.K. Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which authorizes law enforcement to compel assistance from companies when needed to collect evidence, the people said.
– The law, known by critics as the Snoopers’ Charter, makes it a criminal offense to reveal that the government has even made such a demand. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
Apple can appeal the U.K. capability notice to a secret technical panel, which would consider arguments about the expense of the requirement, and to a judge who would weigh whether the request was in proportion to the government’s needs. But the law does not permit Apple to delay complying during an appeal.
Full article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/02/07/apple-encryption-backdoor-uk/

PETS

Best of 2025 Masters Agility Championships from Westminster Kennel Club: Video Link

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DigameXtra No. 2944 WEEKEND EDITION Friday, February 7th, 2025

On February 7, 2025February 6, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

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Tablao Flamenco with María Costre in Vélez-Málaga:
Fri, 7 Feb 9pm. Show with dance, vocalists & guitar
Peña Flamenca Niño de Vélez
C/ Tejeda 10, Vélez-Málaga. Tel: +34 606 510 329
Info & tix: https://flamencoabierto.com/

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Archidona’s II Feria del Aceite & “Sabor a Málaga” market:
Sat & Sun, 8 & 9 Feb.
Activities on Saturday and Sunday: music (concert at 5pm, in La Palza Ochavada), cultural visits & tours, tastings of local oil/wine/jamon, cooking demos, sports events, among other activities. These initiatives aim to attract a diverse public and promote both local products and those that form part of the Sabor a Málaga brand.
The event will have a large number of exhibitors, where you can find stands of local producers and the renowned provincial brand.
Info: https://www.archidona.es/4303/com1_md3_cd-11286/ii-feria-del-aceite-productos-locales-y-sabor-a-malaga

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Real American Punk in Granada- Dead Boys: Tues, 11 Feb
This is the closest you will ever get to CBGBs!
Featuring original member guitarist Cheetah Chrome. Rumour has it that at least one member of The Cult will be in this current lineup.
Sala Planta Baja, C/ Horno de Abad, 11, Centro, 18002 Granada
A unique opportunity to listen again live to the legendary songs of Dead Boys, one of the reference bands and pioneers of North American Punk Rock.
Info & tix (€22): https://entradas.conciertos.club/es/events/dead-boys-en-granada & Video Link 1 & Video Link 2

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For Sale: New Lenovo Ideapad 1, Gen 7
Business Grade Laptop. Only €380
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doctorlaptop@protonmail.com (Yes, this is just like the other Lenovo I offered this week, except this one has 8Gb RAM rather than 16Gb, so it’s €40 less.)

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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SPAIN

Israel suggests that Spain is obliged by law to welcome the Gazans that Trump wants to relocate: {Translation,}
– Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, has instructed the army to draw up a plan to facilitate the ‘voluntary departure’ of Gaza Strip residents, Israeli media reported on Thursday. The move comes on the heels of a surprise announcement by US President Donald Trump, who said his country intends to take control of Gaza, resettle its inhabitants in other countries and turn the region into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’.
– ‘I welcome President Trump’s bold plan. Gaza’s residents must be free to leave and emigrate, as is the case anywhere in the world,’ Katz was quoted as saying by Israel’s Channel 12. The plan envisages various options to facilitate the Palestinians’ departure, including land crossings and specific arrangements for evacuation by sea and air.
– Who will take in the Palestinians? One of the main questions raised by the announcement is the fate of Palestinians who decide to leave Gaza. Katz said that the responsibility should lie with those countries that have questioned Israel’s military operations in the Strip. ‘Countries such as Spain, Ireland, Norway and others, which have made false accusations and claims against Israel for its actions in Gaza, are legally obliged to allow any Gaza resident to enter their territories,’ the Israeli minister said. However, none of these nations have officially responded to Katz’s statement and the international community has expressed concern about the implications of this plan.
– Trump’s plan has been met with a barrage of criticism from a number of world powers. Russia, China and Germany have expressed their rejection, arguing that the proposal would only generate ‘new suffering and new hatred’ in the region. Saudi Arabia has flatly rejected the initiative, while Jordan’s King Abdullah II has reiterated his refusal to accept any attempt at territorial annexation or displacement of Palestinians.
– In turn, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has partially endorsed Trump’s proposal, calling it ‘remarkable’ and noting that it ‘should be fully explored’. Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu assured that ‘there is nothing wrong with allowing the first Gazans who want to leave to do so’ and that eventually ‘they will be able to return’ to the Gaza Strip once the region is rebuilt. Source, Spanish: https://www.vozpopuli.com/internacional/israel-plan-espana-irlanda-noruega-salida-palestinos.html

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The price of electricity soars this Thursday: {Translation, summary}
– The price of electricity this Thursday, 6 February, soars in what is a new blow for customers whose contract is linked to the regulated tariff. At no time during the day will it cost less than 100 euros megawatt hours (MWh) to use one of the appliances that consume the most, such as the washing machine. On this occasion, we can speak of prohibitive hours throughout the day because the price soars and even exceeds 300 euros. This is the time that should be avoided in an attempt to save on the monthly bill.
– Price of electricity on Thursday 6 February by hours.
Specifically, the so-called ‘pool’ will register its most expensive price of 363.1 €/MWh between 20:00 and 21:00 hours, while the cheapest price will be around 119.8 €/MWh between 14:00 and 15:00 hours, according to the latest data from the Iberian Electricity Market Operator (OMIE). On average the day will cost 200.37 €/MWh.
– See image for the complete list by time slots:
Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/lainformacion/economia-y-finanzas/se-dispara-precio-luz-hoy-6-febrero-2025-precios-por-hora-5672146/

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Pedro Sánchez’s brother resigns his position in the Diputación de Badajoz: {Translation, summary}
– The brother of the president of the Government, David Sánchez {pic}, has resigned from his disputed job in the Diputación de Badajoz. The musician has presented a letter on the morning of Wednesday in which he resigns as head of the performing arts of the provincial institution, and for whose contract he is being investigated by a Pacense court.
– The resignation occurs after the judge, Beatriz Biedma, rejects a request for dismissal of several of the charges and decided to continue with the case when considering that the hiring of Sánchez in 2017 as coordinator of the conservatories of the Diputación and the subsequent modification of the position as head of the stage of arts could have been “arbitrary”. According to the magistrate, “irregularities” have been found in the selection process of the candidates. Source, Spanish: https://www.eldiario.es/extremadura/politica/hermano-pedro-sanchez-renuncia-puesto-diputacion-badajoz_1_12030176.html

MALAGA PROVINCE

State of the reservoirs in Malaga Province on Thursday, February 6, 2025:
Source: http://www.redhidrosurmedioambiente.es/saih/resumen/embalses

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Villages in Malaga where residents can deduct up to 400 euros on their tax returns: {Translation, summary}
– During the visit of the delegate of the Andalusian Government in Malaga to Carratraca, she listed some of the tax benefits that the Junta de Andalucía will implement in 2025 for residents of municipalities with less than 3,000 inhabitants.
– The residents of these villages in Malaga will be able to benefit from a deduction in their tax declaration of up to 400 euros for each child born or adopted, or for each child in foster care.
– For the purchase of homes ‘the residents have the possibility of saving up to 6,750 euros’, explained Navarro. The Transfer Tax and Stamp Duty has been increased to 3.5%, as long as the property is used as a primary residence and the value of the property does not exceed 150,000 euros.
– The delegate also pointed out the extension of the deduction for the purchase of housing from 5% to 6% in the case of people under 35 years of age, people over 65, people with disabilities and victims of gender violence or terrorism.
– See the full list of qualifying villages in source article: https://www.malagahoy.es/provincia/pueblos-malaga-deducir-declaracion-renta_0_2003282748.html

MALAGA CITY

Wild boars sneak into a Fuengirola shopping centre to the surprise of customers:
– The presence of wild boars in Malaga has become increasingly common in parks, streets and gardens of the city. However, until now, wild boars have never before been seen inside a shopping centre, as they were seen this Monday in the Miramar Shopping Centre in Fuengirola.
– In a video posted on the social network X, a herd of wild boars can be seen strolling alongside neighbours doing their mid-afternoon shopping. The walk ended without incident, and the centre’s security led them to the exit door.
Source article, Spanish: https://www.laopiniondemalaga.es/malaga/2025/02/04/piara-jabalies-cuela-centro-comercial-malaga-113987823.html & X Link

NERJA

Mayor of Nerja’s guilty verdict again overturned in Rio de la Miel landfill case: {Translation, summary}
– The 15th Criminal Court, in compliance with the decision of the Provincial Court of Malaga, has issued a new ruling upholding the acquittal of the Mayor of Nerja, José Alberto Armijo {pic}, in the case of the Río de la Miel landfill. The ruling follows last October’s decision, in which the higher court agreed to annul the lower court’s initial ruling of the mayor’s guilt in its entirety and urged that a new ruling be issued, without the need for a retrial, ‘in which the totality of the evidence presented is assessed in a sufficient and reasoned manner’.
– The Nerja Town Hall has confirmed the decision. For his part, the councillor expressed his ‘enormous satisfaction after learning of the new acquittal in the Río de la Miel landfill case handed down by the 15th Criminal Court. This new ruling confirms once again what I have been defending since 2017. Neither my political conduct nor the behaviour of the businessmen were worthy of any criminal reproach,’ he added.
– This case investigated the existence for some 18 years of a landfill located in the area of the Río de la Miel quarry, in the vicinity of the Sierra de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park, where construction, hazardous and pruning waste was allegedly dumped ‘in an uncontrolled manner’, which caused significant risks, according to the public prosecution. This landfill was closed down by order of the Junta de Andalucía and Seprona in September 2016, occupying 36,000 square metres.
– But the 15th Criminal Court of Malaga acquitted Armijo, for the first time in 2023, and six other defendants, by determining that it had not been found by the various experts, that, despite the volume in cubic metres exposed and during the course of the approximately 18 years of operation of the same, there was risk of fire or risk to the health of people. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/provincia/absuelven-alcalde-nerja-caso-vertedero-rio-miel_0_2003282405.html

TORRE DEL MAR

Torre del Mar presents the activities of its 2025 Carnival with the performance of Toni Rodríguez: {Translation, summary}
– Friday thru Sunday, 14 – 16 February.
– The activities start on Friday 14, from 18:00 pm, with registration for the contest of God Momo and Goddess of Carnival. In the Azucarera building. At around 20:30 we will know the winners and at 21:00 we will start with the opening speech. ‘There will be performances by local groups Peña del Antifaz and Murga del Ladro, plus the female comparsa POETAS DEL ACERO and also UN DOMINGO CUALQUIERA. The event will be rounded off with the humour of Toni Rodríguez, a famous Cadiz comedian.
– As for Saturday the parade, as usual, will start at 16:00. After the parade, the prize-giving ceremony will take place on the Paseo de Larios.
– Sunday there will be two stages, one on the Paseo de Larios and the other on the Paseo Marítimo de Poniente, in the music pavilion, where different local performances will take place during the morning. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/torre-del-mar-presenta-las-actividades-de-su-carnaval-2025-con-la-actuacion-de-toni-rodriguez/

UK

Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath to reunite for first time in 20 years, Sharon says it’s Ozzy’s last gig:
– The original line-up of heavy metal legends Black Sabbath, including Ozzy Osbourne, will play together for the first time in 20 years at a one-off concert on July 5 in Birmingham, England, organisers said on Wednesday. Tickets will go on sale on Feb. 14.
– The gig will feature guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — who along with charismatic frontman Osbourne pioneered heavy metal music in the early 1970s with hits such as “War Pigs”, “Paranoid” and “Iron Man”.
– Since their last performance together in 2005 {Video Link}, Black Sabbath has played in partial reunions but never in their original line-up.
– Osbourne’s wife, music manager and TV personality Sharon, said that while other band members might continue to make records and perform, Black Sabbath’s gig at the birthplace of the band will certainly be the 76-year-old’s final performance. “For Ozzy right now, it’s definitely: ‘I love you and good night’,” she told Reuters.
– Black Sabbath will top a line-up of rock and heavy metal icons including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Lamb Of God and Anthrax at the Villa Park event. Full article: https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/black-sabbath-reunite-first-time-20-years-2025-02-05/ & Video Link

MIDDLE EAST

Trump explains how he plans for US to take over Gaza:
– President Trump on Thursday laid out how his proposed US takeover of the Gaza Strip would unfold, insisting it wouldn’t need military action and would ensure that “stability for the region would reign.” “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” Trump stated in an early morning Truth Social post.
– “The U.S., working with great development teams from all over the World, would slowly and carefully begin the construction of what would become one of the greatest and most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth,” he said. “No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed!”
– It comes a day after the commander-in-chief laid bare the proposal and said that “all” Gaza Strip residents should leave the war-shattered territory. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings — level it out and create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.” “The Palestinians, people like Chuck Schumer, would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region,” he continued, with a knock on the Democratic New York senator. Full article: https://nypost.com/2025/02/06/world-news/trump-explains-exactly-how-he-plans-for-us-to-take-over-gaza/

FROM THE “WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING” DEPARTMENT

Lego can be anti-LGBT, says Science Museum: {The Telegraph UK}
– A self-guided museum tour on “stories of queer communities, experiences and identities” includes a display of Lego bricks alongside a guide stating the plastic blocks may reinforce the idea that heterosexuality “is the norm”. The tour, devised by a Gender and Sexuality Network at the museum, also claims in the “Seeing Things Queerly” guide that Lego adds credence to the view that there are only two genders. This is because people supposedly describe Lego bricks as having male or female parts that are made to “mate” with each other.
– This is “heteronormative”, the guide states, which is the idea that “heterosexuality and the male/female gender binary are the norm and everything that falls outside is unusual”. The Science Museum guide claims that people think “the top of the brick with sticking out pins is male, the bottom of the brick with holes to receive the pins is female, and the process of the two sides being put together is called mating”.
– Visitors are told that “while a biological human female usually has XX sex chromosomes and a biological human male generally has XY” other features mark sex, including “hormones, genitals, and characteristics like depth of voice and hairiness”. It adds that there is “diversity in the presence and combinations of sex-determining features”. Full article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/06/lego-can-be-anti-lgbt-says-science-museum/ & X Link

OTHER

EU approves sale of UV-treated mealworm powder as novel food:
– The European Commission approved the marketing of ultraviolet-treated mealworm powder, derived from the larvae of Tenebrio molitor, as a novel food within the European Union. The decision, reported by ANSA, classifies the powder as a novel food under EU regulations, allowing its incorporation into a variety of products, including bread, cheese, pasta, and jams.
– The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted an assessment in 2023 and concluded that the UV-treated mealworm larva powder is safe for consumption under the proposed conditions and levels of use. “The whole larvae powder of Tenebrio molitor treated with UV rays is safe under the proposed conditions and levels of use,” the EFSA stated.
– For at least the next five years, the French company Nutri’Earth will hold exclusive rights to market this novel food, safeguarded by industrial property protection. As reported by Portfolio, unless another company obtains authorization or consent from Nutri’Earth, they will be the sole supplier of the UV-treated mealworm powder in the EU market.
– The authorization will come into effect 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. This means that products containing the UV-treated mealworm powder could soon appear on store shelves across EU member states. The inclusion of the mealworm powder is part of the EU’s initiative to introduce novel foods as alternative protein sources. Since 2021, the European Commission authorized four insects as novel foods in the EU market, considering them an “alternative source of protein.” These insects include the migratory locust, the house cricket, and the lesser mealworm.
Full article: https://www.jpost.com/science/science-around-the-world/article-840920

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Viral Feel Good Videos- Maybe there is hope for the youth:
– 10 year old with sign asks band at festival to let him play guitar…:
– 10 year old Jake wows 30,000 with epic return performance!
Video Link 1 & Video Link 2

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Useful Links, Info & Numbers

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily.
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

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DigameXtra No. 2943 Thursday, February 6th, 2025

On February 6, 2025February 6, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

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Concert- La Insostenible Big Band, Back to Swing:
Fri, 7 Feb, 8pm. Centro Cultural Villa de Nerja
C/ Granada 45, Nerja
The Unsustainable Big Band, with 23 musicians on stage, presents a classic Swing repertoire, with a tribute to Henry Mancini on the 100th anniversary of his birth, hence the name of the concert. Songs such as Moment’s notice, Big swing face, The pink panther, Ain’t misbehavin, A shot in the dark, My funny Valentine, and others can be heard at the concert. We look forward to seeing you.
Info & tix (€15): https://www.giglon.com/todos?idEvent=la-insostenible-big-band-back-to-swing & Video Link

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Casa de Cultura, Almunecar:
Puerta De Granada, 19, 18690 Almuñécar.
– Blues, Richard Ray Farrell. Sat, 8 Feb, 7pm.
Richard is an artist who has mastered the American musical tradition: country, rock, ragtime, swing and above all the blues in all its forms from Chicago to the Mississippi.
Info & tix (€12): https://lacocheraentradas.com/shows/details/1942/richard-ray-farrell
– Jazz, “Una Noche en la Habana”: Fri, 14 Feb, 7pm
Bernaldez Latin Jazz Orchestra
A musical journey that takes the audience back to those wonderful years in Cuba through genres such as Cha cha chá, Mambo, Son, Danzón and Pregón Cubano, Guajira, Bolero and Salsa Cubana with the peculiarity that our concert has a common thread with the stories and curious anecdotes of the repertoire and its authors guided by Samuel Aguilera, our Conguero and Main Voice, a native of Havana.
Info & tix (€15): https://lacocheraentradas.com/shows/details/1849/una-noche-en-la-habana

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Live Music by “Deja Vu”: Sat, 15 Feb, 10pm
La Carpinteria Bar, Cómpeta. Tel: 661188466

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Work Wanted: Hi, I am looking for any work gardening, house-painting and maintenance, small electricals, no job too small, I charge 10€ per hour. I also do house /pet minding for €25 per night. I’m based in Velez-Malaga so can cover Torrox to Benajarafe. Call Kennedy on 630792368.

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News & Articles

(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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SPAIN

Accused Attorney General Ortiz tries to tell the investigating judge how to do his job, then refuses to cooperate using a “word-salad” of obscure reasoning to justify this: {Translation, summary}
– The state attorney general, Álvaro García Ortiz, criticised the Supreme Court (SC) magistrate Ángel Hurtado {pic} before starting his statement regarding his alleged disclosure of secrets, for not accepting certain defence proceedings that Ortiz proposed and told the judge that therefore he would not answer the judge’s questions because he understood that the judge was acting with ‘predetermination’ and with ‘a certainty that does not lead to the discovery of the truth’. ‘I believe that this situation is detrimental to me’, Ortiz added.
– The attorney general added that the entry and search of his office ‘was an invasive violation of fundamental rights’ and that Ortiz asked for it to be annulled, something to which the Supreme Court had not yet responded. ‘This appeal has not been resolved,’ he lamented, adding that what was seized could be “the whole basis for the charges to be brought”.
– Ortiz also criticised the magistrate for having ordered a series of proceedings of which he had not informed the defence, and that this would prevent him from being ‘exact’ in his replies. ‘It would give me little opportunity to be exact in my replies if I did not have them present when answering,’ Ortiz explained.
– Ortiz added that he understood that the subject matter of the trial ‘is not fixed’ in terms that would guarantee his defence. ‘Although it has been the subject of a small debate, the subject of the trial is not fixed in terms that can guarantee my defence in any way’, he added. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-garcia-ortiz-afeo-juez-hurtado-instruye-certeza-no-lleva-descubrimiento-verdad-20250205113032.html

AXARQUÍA

Axarquía villages Colmenar, Casabermeja & Riogordo to be connected via new footpaths:
– Malaga’s provincial authority, the Diputación de Málaga, has approved funding of €444,640 to adapt two footpaths and a pedestrian path in Colmenar in the Axarquía, on the eastern side of Malaga province. The project is designed to provide new places for hiking in the area.
– The aim is to adapt the pre-existing river path between the centre of the village and La Moheda residential area in neighbouring Casabermeja, which would extend the river paths between the two villages. Work will be carried out on a 3.5-kilometre-long path to clear it and improve accessibility.
– A rural path between Colmenar and Riogordo will also be upgraded. Along a 5.5-kilometre route, existing public footpaths will be repaired and a new rest area is planned at the start of the route with tables, benches and more trees to provide shade.
– The Diputación has also granted another €199,187 subsidy to Colmenar town hall for the adaptation of a footpath next to the A-7204 regional road. It will start at the end of the village, near the petrol station, and will reach the Camino de los Pozuelos and the Cañada Real de Alhama de Antequera tracks. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/axarquia-villages-connected-via-new-footpaths-20250204155425-nt.html

COSTA DEL SOL

Drought moderates- Water shortage downgraded, Western Costa del Sol water restrictions rise to 225 litres per inhabitant per day: {Translation, summary}
– The Western Costa del Sol is in a situation of moderate shortage and has established a maximum allocation of up to 225 litres per inhabitant per day considering the total resources, as reported by Acosol.
– Thus, in a statement, they have indicated that this region changes its situation with respect to drought and leaves the severe shortage to be in a situation of moderate shortage.
– This region includes the municipalities of Torremolinos, Mijas, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Marbella, Estepona, Manilva, Ojén, Istán, Benahavís and Casares. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/malaga/1862759/la-sequia-se-modera-la-costa-del-sol-occidental-aumenta-a-225-litros-por-habitante-y-dia/

MALAGA CITY

One person arrested in connection with murder of American priest who was on holiday in Malaga:
– The police investigation into the death of Father Richard K. Gross – the American tourist who was killed during a robbery on 21 January in the city centre of Malaga – has resulted in the identification of one of the perpetrators. Officers from the homicide group of the National Police have arrested a man of North African origin, 27, in connection with the incident.
– An arrest was made on Friday 31 January and the suspect was brought before the courts at the weekend. The man has already been remanded in prison for his alleged involvement in the murder of the Boston priest.
– The autopsy determined that the tourist, who was about to go on a cruise the next day, had died of asphyxiation. Investigations have yet to determine how this happened, although the main hypothesis is that he was attacked and murdered via a ‘mataleón’ – a dangerous and, in this case, fatal technique often used by robbers to immobilise the victim. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/malaga-city/one-arrested-for-the-crime-the-american-20250205084328-nt.html

VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA

Historic Center of Vélez-Málaga will be the scene of the first edition of “Streets of Passion”: {Translation, summary}
– For the ‘Streets of Passion’ programme the Historical Centre will be transformed on March 1st & 2nd into a great setting for the brotherhood, with concerts, exhibitions, workshops and guided tours of the churches. It will be a novel event that will give the best kick-off to our Lent. The geo-strategic points of reference will be: Plaza de la Constitución, which will host 14 concerts by bands and a cooking showcooking by the experts Pablo Vega from Ménade and Lourdes from Chinchín; and San Francisco market, with an exhibition of the thrones of the Virgen de los Dolores, ‘El Pobre’ and the Piedad, as well as live displays of the heritage of the 19 local brotherhoods, artisan expressions of embroidery, sculpture and photography, and round tables and workshops for children.
– There will also be a plan of guided visits, with prior registration, to different churches in the municipality, which will remain open for the same, an effective way for residents and visitors to learn about the cultural and brotherhood heritage of Vélez-Málaga. Among them, the chapel of the Virgen de la Amargura, the chapel of La Piedad and the brotherhood house of Los Estudiantes will remain open to the public. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/el-centro-historico-de-velez-malaga-escenario-de-la-primera-edicion-de-calles-de-pasion/

NERJA

Butane gas cylinder explosion sparks house fire in Nerja:
– Firefighters were called to a property on Plaza de La Ermita in Nerja on Tuesday 4 February after a butane gas cylinder which was being used to power a heater exploded. The 112 Andalucía emergency service control room received several calls at around 5.15pm alerting them to the explosion of a butane cylinder in a property, which was empty at the time.
– Firefighters arrived at the scene and proceeded to extinguish the fire and to carry out ventilation work in the building. Nobody was injured in the incident. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/butane-gas-cylinder-explosion-sparks-house-fire-20250205110632-nt.html

EUROPE

Sweden’s worst mass shooting leaves at least 11 dead, including the gunman:
– Sweden’s worst mass shooting left at least 11 people dead, including the gunman, and at least five seriously wounded at an adult education center west of Stockholm. The gunman’s motive hadn’t been determined by early Wednesday as the Scandinavian nation – where gun violence at schools is very rare – reeled from an attack.
– The school, called Campus Risbergska, offers primary and secondary educational classes for adults age 20 and older, Swedish-language classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities. The school is on the outskirts of Orebro, which is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Stockholm. The shooting started Tuesday afternoon after many students had gone home following a national exam. Students sheltered in nearby buildings, and other parts of the school were evacuated following the shooting. Full article: https://apnews.com/article/sweden-shooting-adult-education-center-fa26e8064a0708ddc213c7cd9f50267c

USA

US military flying “dangerous” migrants to Guantanamo Bay for first time:
– The first U.S. military aircraft carrying detained migrants to Guantanamo Bay departed on Tuesday, U.S. officials said, as President Donald Trump’s administration prepares to potentially house tens of thousands of migrants at the naval base in Cuba. U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the military flight to Guantanamo Bay carried 9 or 10 immigrants. McLaughlin called them “highly dangerous criminal aliens” but declined to provide further details. Trump said he wants the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security to expand a migrant detention facility at the base to hold more than 30,000 migrants. All previous statements by Trump administration officials have indicated the use of the facility for migrant detention at GTMO will be for those considered “high threat level migrants.”
Refs:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-military-fly-migrants-guantanamo-bay-tuesday-first-time-2025-02-04/ &
https://www.breitbart.com/border/2025/02/04/trumps-first-military-flight-of-gtmo-bound-migrants-leaves-el-paso/

MIDDLE EAST

Trump says ‘US will take over the Gaza Strip’ after relocating ‘all’ Palestinians:
– President Trump proposed a US takeover of the Gaza Strip Tuesday night – shortly after suggesting moving “all” Palestinians living there to other countries. “The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump, 78, said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised the concept.
– “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings – level it out and create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.” Full article: https://nypost.com/2025/02/04/us-news/trump-says-us-will-take-over-the-gaza-strip-after-relocating-all-palestinians/ & X Link

HEALTH

Facua warns of the closure of a laser hair removal clinics in Malaga Capital and Rincón de la Victoria and advises customers on how to act: {Translation}
– A few days ago, Spanish consumer association Facua announced that the branch of the Europiel laser hair removal clinics had been closed in Granada. Now, Facua has confirmed that the two establishments of this firm located in Málaga city and in Rincón de la Victoria have also closed.
– Europiel Belleza de España SL, parent company of the Europiel laser hair removal clinics, has already notified the Commercial Court No. 3 of Valencia of its current situation of ‘insolvency’ and has communicated ‘the opening of negotiations with its creditors to reach a refinancing agreement’, as Facua Málaga points out.
– In this regard, the association says that it has already received complaints from members and users who have been affected by non-compliance in the provision of contracted services, delays in appointments or problems with the company’s app.
– FACUA Málaga reminds those affected that they are entitled to a refund of the amount of the vouchers and treatments they have paid for and will not receive. Even if the company is not going to provide its clients with the services they have already paid for, it is obliged to refund the amount of the treatments or the proportional part of them, explains the association.
– Facua recommends that those affected file a complaint against Europiel demanding that it fulfil its obligations. In the event that the treatments have been paid for by means of bank financing linked to the contract signed with the centre, users should also file a claim with the bank with which they signed the loan and inform them of the centre’s cessation of activity so that they can stop the collection of the bills. Facua also advises them to request their medical records in order to be able to claim the credit for the part of the treatment not carried out, as well as to keep all the documentation relating to the payments and the contract until they have recovered all the money. Those affected should also keep an eye on whether the company finally enters into insolvency proceedings, as if an insolvency administrator is appointed, they will have a period of one month from the date of publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE) to communicate their claims.
– Facua is also at the disposal of those who wish to file a claim against the hair removal clinics to receive advice and information on the steps to follow. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/economia/mibolsillo/facua-avisa-cierre-clinica-depilacion-laser-malaga-20250204000749-nt.html

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65% of aesthetic procedures in Spain are carried out by unqualified technicians: {Translation, summary}
– 65% of the aesthetic procedures that are made in Spain are carried out by unqualified professionals, and 20% of the interventions are carried out in centers of aesthetics, hairdressers and even in private homes, which can lead to health problems for the patient, as pointed out by the Spanish Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SEME).
– In fact, up to 15% of the first complaints registered in the SEME are patients who experience adverse effects that resulted from procedures at this type of unskilled establishment, some found in coffee shops or backrooms of shoe stores.
– There has been a series of recommendations by authorities such as the verification of the authorization of the center, which can be carried out through a search in the General Council of Official Doctors Colleges, ensuring that it has the authorization U.48, granted by The Ministry of Health. The patient must also confirm the professional’s degree through the State Registry of Health Professionals (REPS), to verify that he is enabled to exercise aesthetic medicine. In the same way, it is advisable to request the identification of the doctor in case it does not carry it visible and demand the seal of the products used.
– Another measure is to ensure that your medical report carries the sticker with the registration number of the material used, since there are cases in which illegal materials bought on the Internet are used and no sticker is provided. It is also advisable to require confirming the SEME badge of the establishment, which guarantees that the center has the U.48 and the qualification of its doctors. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/sociedad/65-procedimientos-esteticos-espana-realizados_0_2003280370.html

TECH

This is why we cannot trust the police or gov’t to safely store our personal data on their computer systems- Teenage hacker who stole and sold Guardia Civil police database arrested in Alicante, suspected in dozens of other industrial level computer attacks: {Translation, summary}
– ‘Natohub’, among other exploits, was the hacker who, with one of his attacks last December, got hold of the user accounts and emails of some 180,000 members of the Civil Guard, Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence personnel. This data was then offered for sale on a well-known portal for cybercriminals. The data contained personal information that could be used to facilitate identity theft and banking fraud, among other exploits.
– The Ministry of the Interior also considers the arrested man to be the author of attacks against: the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre; Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal; Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports; different Spanish universities; the United States Army; Dirección General de Tráfico; Generalitat Valenciana regional government; the United Nations; the International Civil Aviation Organisation; and the Ministry of Defence. Source, Spanish: https://www.diariosur.es/sucesos/detenido-hacker-anos-vendio-base-datos-guardia-20250205092121-ntrc_amp.html

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Last updated Feb 5, 2025, 17:36 UTC

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Fun & Games

Useful Links, Info & Numbers

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily.
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

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DigameXtra No. 2942 Wednesday, February 5th, 2025

On February 5, 2025February 5, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

Welcome to DigameXtra !

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS! While donations will still be accepted, it is time to remove the info from the main page. A link to donation info will be placed next to the Submissions Rules page link at the top of the issue.

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What’s On

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Ardales hosts XXVIII Fiesta de la Matanza (Slaughter Festival):
Sun, 9 Feb.
– One of the main attractions of the day will be the free tasting of typical sausages such as chorizo, black pudding and salami, accompanied by local wines. In addition, from 2 p.m. onwards, those attending will be able to savour the traditional caldereta de magro de cerdo (pork stew), made with 500 kilos of meat by 300 volunteers, following a recipe handed down from generation to generation.
– In addition to the gastronomy, the Fiesta de la Matanza will offer guided tours of historic sites in the municipality, such as the Castillo de la Peña castle, the Prehistoric Interpretation Museum and the Mudejar church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. Likewise, the traditional market of local products will allow visitors to buy cured meats, oils, cheeses and homemade sweets.
– The festive atmosphere will be guaranteed with live music, thanks to a batucada and a charanga (brass band) that will be touring the streets of Ardales. From 16:30 hours, the Malaga artist Juanlu Montoya will put the finishing touch to the day with his musical show.

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On Sale- Festival Soles de Malaga 2025: Sat, 26 April
Noon till midnight. Plaza de Toros, Malaga.
Music, dancers, gastro and drink booths, all to aid anti-poverty NGOs.
Performers: Raimundo Amador, Nacho Campillo de Tam Tam Go!, Teo Cardalda de Cómplices, La banda original de Antonio Vega, Legends Alive (Homenaje a Tina Turner, Whitney Houston y Queen), Pop FM, Soul Station, Tarifa Plana, Electroduendes, Paquito Carmona, Zayas, Lady Shakes & DJ Juan Marín.
Home page: https://www.solesdemalaga.org/festival/2025/
Info & tix (€15 with advance purchase discount): https://entradium.com/events/festival-soles-de-malaga-2025

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COMPARE FUNERALS

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ruthforder@comparefuneral.org
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– Why choose Compare Funerals? There seems to be a gap in Spain between independent funeral directors, offering plans at a good price but lacking the security of an established Trust or ability to cover a client overseas and Providers who seem to charge more than necessary. We want to be right in the middle and offer the best of both worlds. Our best-priced plan is only 2,250€ and does the essentials.
– Can I do a payment plan? All our plans are payable in full or over up to 5 years interest FREE. The interest free periods are based on initial deposit. The higher the deposit the less your monthly repayments will be.
– Can I transfer the plan? The answer is YES. You could name 2 people on one plan however if you had a friend/family member pass away we can transfer the plan into a 3rd party’s name.
– What happens if I move? All our plans offer the equivalent service in Spain (including the islands), Portugal, Republic of Ireland and the UK. If you moved to the UK, we would transfer the plan to one of our many partners at no extra cost to you.
– Is paperwork included? Yes, your family will receive a death certificate in Spanish and an international certification in English. We also provide a cremation certificate that allows the ashes on board a plane.

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Buy / Sell / Trade / Rent / Wanted

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For Sale: New Laptop, Acer Aspire 3 A315
Powerful business model. 15.6″ Full HD display
Windows 11 Pro (UK), 16 Gb RAM, 512 Gb SSD
Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U, up to 4.4GHz
Spanish keyboard. HDMI, Ethernet, 3x USB 3.2, Wifi 6.
Price: €480, fully setup and ready to use.
Naythan, Torrox Costa.
Email: doctorlaptop@protonmail.com

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For Sale: New Lenovo Ideapad 1, model 15ALC7, Gen 7
High Performance Business Grade Laptop
Windows 11 Pro (UK). 16Gb Hi-Speed RAM, 512Gb SSD.
15.6inch Full HD display. Spanish keyboard.
Proc: AMD Ryzen 5 5500u (2.1 to 4GHz), 6 core 12 threads.
SD card reader, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2, HDMI, Wifi 6.
Stereo speakers w/ Dolby. HD webcam with blocker.
Slim-line, light weight at 1.6kg. Heavy duty hinges.
Rapid-Charge 9hr battery, 2hr charge in 15mins!
Fully setup, updated and ready to use.
Website: https://psref.lenovo.com/Product/IdeaPad_1_15ALC7
Price €420. 1yr factory warranty upon registration.
Naythan, Torrox Costa.
doctorlaptop@protonmail.com

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(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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SPAIN

Judge Peinado charges the Moncloa adviser who acts as Begoña Gómez’s secretary: {Translation, summary}
– Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who is investigating Begoña Gómez for alleged influence peddling and corruption in business, among other crimes, has agreed to charge the Moncloa advisor who assists the president of the Government’s wife and who already testified as a witness in the proceedings in December. She is Cristina Álvarez, the Moncloa advisor who sent several emails related to Gómez’s private activity.
– In an order of the magistrate Juan Carlos Peinado, it is pointed out that after her testimony and reports ‘on her intervention’ in the events, ‘it is agreed to direct the investigation’ against her. ‘It is agreed to direct the investigation against Cristina Álvarez {pic} as a possible participant in the investigated facts, which could constitute a crime of influence peddling and a crime of corruption in the investigated businesses’, it indicates.
Source, Spanish: https://www.eldiario.es/politica/juez-peinado-imputa-asesora-moncloa-asiste-begona-gomez_1_12024163.html

MALAGA PROVINCE

Emergency services responded to more than 100 storm-related incidents across Malaga province Monday: {Summary of two articles}
– The 112 Andalucía emergency services control centre has already attended some 104 incidents due to the heavy rains that fell this Monday morning in Malaga province. This was confirmed by Junta’s regional government spokesperson, Antonio Sanz.
– Sanz, who said that a large majority of town halls on the Costa del Sol also activated their corresponding local emergency plans, explained that at the moment, the situation is “under control” with no serious incidents having been recorded, “apart from flooding of basements or pools of water in certain streets”. Emergency status has been deactivated by Tuesday noon. Full articles: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/emergency… &
https://www.europapress.es/andalucia/noticia…

MALAGA CITY

Number of squatted properties triples in Malaga following introduction of Spain’s anti-eviction law:
– It can be argued, and it is true, that housing has become much more expensive in Malaga this decade, and the supply of affordable apartments is almost non-existent, especially for rent. But it is striking that from 2020 to 2023, the cases of squatting have multiplied no less than threefold. Problems with mortgages have also increased, although with much lower figures.
– Following the Royal Decree Law 11/202, which was passed on 31 March 2020mm which protects vulnerable families from eviction, the number of squatting cases has grown exponentially.
Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/malaga-city/squatting-triples-malaga-following-the-antieviction-law-20250203074822-nt.html

NERJA

Blood donation campaign arrives in Nerja: {Translation, summary}
– The Nerja Health Department has announced that the Centro de Transfusión, Tejidos y Células de Málaga will be collecting blood in Nerja next Friday, 14th February, in the Sala Mercado, from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/la-campana-de-donacion-de-sangre-llega-a-nerja-el-proximo-viernes-14-de-febrero/

EUROPE

Santorini- Hundreds flee Greek island amid quake warnings:
– Hundreds of people packed a port on the Greek island of Santorini in the early morning hours of Tuesday to board a ferry to safety while others hoped to fly out on additional flights.
– Numerous earthquakes have been registered every few minutes in the sea between the volcanic islands of Santorini and Amorgos in the Aegean Sea since Friday. At 2:46UTC on Tuesday morning there was a magnitude 5.1 quake 25km NE of Fira, Greece.
– Around a third of Santorini’s 16,000 residents have temporarily left the island, according to dpa, a German news agency.
Authorities have shut schools until Friday and advised people to stay out of coastal areas due to the risk of landslides and avoid indoor gatherings. Full article: https://www.dw.com/en/santorini-hundreds-flee-greek-island-amid-quake-warnings/a-71498739
Official Earthquake Maps: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/…

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Sweden- Baltic Sea cable damage not sabotage, ship released. Why do Baltic Sea cables keep getting damaged?:
– Swedish investigators have concluded that damage sustained by an underwater data cable beneath the Baltic Sea at the end of January was not a result of intentional sabotage and have released a suspected ship. The communications cable, which transmitted information between Sweden and Latvia for a Latvian broadcaster, was damaged on January 26 by a Maltese-flagged ship named the “Vezhen,” which was then seized by Swedish authorities.
– The Bulgarian owners of the ship, a shipping company called Navibulgar, always denied sabotage and blamed bad weather, a conclusion which Swedish prosecutors also came to on Monday.
“It has been determined that a combination of weather conditions and inadequate equipment and seamanship contributed to the cable damage,” said public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist. He said the “Vezhen” did cause the damage through navigational failures but ruled out sabotage, adding that the investigation would continue.
– The release of the “Vezhen” comes just days after Norwegian authorities released a Russian-crewed cargo ship which had also been suspected of involvement.
– In December, Swedish police were invited aboard a Chinese ship to observe a Beijing-led probe in cable damage.
– Incidents involving damaged underwater cables in the Baltic Sea have increased since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, leading European countries to suspect Moscow of involvement — which the Kremlin denies. NATO has stepped up patrols in the region, deploying warships, fighter planes, satellites and drones as part of “Operation Baltic Sentry.” Photo: BGNES. Full article: https://www.dw.com/en/sweden-baltic-sea-cable-damage-not-sabotage-ship-released/a-71495750

GASTRONOMIA

Premium EVOOs: {Translation}
– El Milenario. It is of the Verdial de Vélez variety, an oil that is produced in the Axarquía and which is said to be an ancient variety that gave rise to the verdiales. The cooperative was founded in 1982 by the merger of 18 oil mills that existed in the area. An extra virgin olive oil from an early harvest, it has herbaceous aromas that resemble nuts on the palate.
Producer: SCA San Isidro ; Zone: Periana
Varieties: Verdial ; Harvest: 2023/24
Info: aceiteperiana.com ; Price 500ml: €12.50 ; Rating: 7,5/10
– Purgatori. This extra virgin olive oil of great aromatic intensity is produced with olives from the Finca El Purgatori estate. The Torres family is not only dedicated to the cultivation of vines and the production of wines, but also, and on a smaller scale of production, they have been producing for years a blended oil of varieties that are not very well known in Andalusia. This oil comes from olive trees that are around 400 years old. Clean and bright greenish colour. Aromas of tomato and green banana. In the mouth it is a very fruity oil, ideal for dressing salads.
Producer: Miguel Torres S.A. ; Zone: Penedés
Varieties: Picudo, Rojal, Farga and Arbequina. Harvest: 2024
Info: torresimport.com ; Price: 500ml: €16 ; Rating: 8/10
Source, Spanish:
https://www.diariosur.es/malagaenlamesa/aceites/aceite-recomendado-1738351977-20250131000000-nt.html

PRODUCT ALERT & RECALL

Health alert in Spain- they withdraw French cheeses for the presence of Escherichia coli: {Translation, summary}
– The Spanish Ministry of Health has issued a health alert following the detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria (STEC) in several cheeses of French origin sold in Spanish supermarkets.
– “Jean Perrin” branded products withdrawn from the market include:
*Table Morbier, Comté 12M and St Vernier (300 g)
*Table Morbier, Comté 12 and Édel Cléron (300 g)
*Raclette 3 Flavours Morb-LC-Most (540 g)
*Morbier 1/4 Wheel (best before or before 18 February 2025)
*Morbier Rueda (6,5 kg) (shelf life not later than 14 March 2025)
Any batch of these products with an expiry date less than or equal to 26 March 2025 must be withdrawn from the market immediately. Source, Spanish: https://theobjective.com/sanidad/2025-02-03/alerta-sanitaria-quesos-franceses-escherichia-coli/

TECH

Time to update your Android devices:
– Google has released system updates to address 47 security flaws in its Android operating system, including one it said has come under active exploitation in the wild. “Android partners are encouraged to fix all issues…and use the latest security patch level,” Google said. Full article: https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/google-patches-47-android-security.html

OTHER

The cost of second thoughts- tattoo removal thrives in Malaga:
– Something is happening. Two tattoo removal businesses, just a few metres apart, have sprung up at the same time in Malaga’s Cruz del Humilladero district. Perhaps the craze for body art is giving over to the fashion of leaving your skin unblemished because that’s what these two salons promise. While the removal process hurts even more than getting a tattoo, if it’s done well, it should leave no marks or scars. But more about that later. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/the-cost-second-thoughts-tattoo-removal-thrives-20250131200030-nt.html

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Useful Links, Info & Numbers

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily.
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

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DigameXtra No. 2941 Tuesday, February 4th, 2025

On February 4, 2025February 3, 2025 By naythandoctorlaptop

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The Most Popular English Language Daily Newsletter In Andalucia

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PHOENIX CLUB

Phoenix Club: The Phoenix Social Club is open to all nationalities but the lingua franca is English.
We offer an opportunity to make friends, help each other & share information but primarily to have fun in a friendly and inclusive association. You do not have to be a member to join us on our trips.
Our handmade greetings cards are for sale weekly with all proceeds to the Red Cross. We would be happy to accept any greeting cards you may have to re-make into fantastic cards.
We meet every Thursday between 12 and 2 pm at Chine in Caleta, just off the coast road to/from Algarrobo.
***Trips/Events***
~All trips/events include a driver’s gratuity~
February
– 21st – A visit to Estepona Market and Orchid House €24
March
– 4th – Trip to Gib €22pp
– 21st – Trip to IKEA and Guzmans Garden Centre €20
April
– 2nd – Trip to Gib €22pp
– 11/12th – Train trip from Antequera to Algeciras with an overnight stay in Algeciras. Price TBC shortly.
– 25th – Trip to Colamares Castle AM and Benalmadena Marina PM. 25€pp
For information call Gail on 951067723 / 626370695 (Whatsapp). Email: phoenixsocialclub@yahoo.co.uk ; check out our FB page.
We are DigameXtra sponsors and our contact info can be found everyday in the Sponsor’s Section.

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Free Concert- Malaga Municipal Band: Sat, 8 Feb.
In the Héroes de Combate Park in Teatinos, Malaga at 1pm. Commemorating the 215th anniversary of Malaga’s fight against Napoleon’s army. Map Link

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Free Concert- Museum of Malaga: Sunday 16 Feb, at noon, with AUSTRI MUSICI (string and clarinet quintet). They’ll be playing music by Penderecki and Shostakóvich. Free entry, but get there early (11ish) to be sure of a place.

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On Sale Now- Kool & The Gang at Starlite Occident:
Friday, 27 June, 2025, 10pm (doors open 8pm)
Cantera De Marbella (Marbella Quarry)
Info & tix (€49 & up): https://www.elcorteingles.es/entradas/conciertos/entradas-kool-the-gang-starlite-occident-2025-marbella/ & Video Link

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Periana Carnival is celebrated on Sat, 1 March:
– The programme of activities for Carnival 2025 in Periana will start at 16:30 on 1 March with children’s activities in the María Zambrano assembly hall. ‘They will be able to have fun with crafts, make-up, balloon twisting, tattoos, thanking in advance the predisposition of the group of volunteers led by Mariola Mantas. There will also be entertainment with a local DJ, an inflatable mattress and a small gift for all participants.
– At 18:30 there will be a parade of Disney characters through the main streets of the town.
– At 19:30 there will be music by a local DJ.
– As for the fancy dress competition, there will be four categories. For the individual, couple and trio there will be a first prize of 125 euros, a second prize of 100 euros and a third prize of 75 euros. Groups will be eligible for 300, 250 and 200 euros for the first three winners. There will also be a special prize of 400 euros for the best local troupe. From 02:00 the verdict will be reached to decide the winners of the night.
– The event will have bar service throughout the day.

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Very Special Concerts with limited seating- Rincón Treasure Cave Music Festival 2025: Fridays, February 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 8:30 p.m.
– 7th. Mariola Cantarero {Video Link}
– 14th. Ginés González
– 21st. Erika Leiva
– 28th. Muchopelo (on Andalucia Day holiday)
Each show has limited capacity of 80 spectators.
All concerts will be priced at 10 euros per seat. Tickets can be purchased starting Tuesday, January 21 at 12:00 noon on this website: https://entradas.turismoenrincon.es/ (two ticket max).
For more information about the festival, please contact the following telephone number: 952406162.

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Warning Note: High winds & waves, ending Monday evening 3/2.

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Sell your items here, to locals, for cash, without the shenanigans.

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BLUCEE REAL ESTATE

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News & Articles

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{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }

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COSTA DEL SOL

Taken down- A ‘mini-army’ of thieves who raided luxury Costa de Sol villas with extreme violence:
– They formed, in the words of the magistrate, a “mini-army” of thieves who demonstrated military training in the execution of each robbery. They reconnoitred the area, planned the robbery and all escape routes, and never, ever carried their mobile phones with them when carrying out the robberies.
– To communicate with each other they used modern, hands-free walkie-talkies to avoid being detected on the mobile network during these raids on luxury villas, which always took place between 9pm and midnight when the occupants were at home.
– Perhaps the main thing that characterised their modus operandi was the use of extreme violence. The gang members, thieves of Albanian origin who posed as police officers, would tie up and gag their victims, beat them and even threaten to amputate their fingers.
– After a very complex investigation that lasted for a year, Guardia Civil officers from Algeciras command have managed to dismantle this organised gang with the arrest of six of its alleged members, according to SUR. Investigators attribute to them more than ten robberies of mansions and luxury villas in Estepona, Benahavís and Sotogrande, which is why the operation began in Cadiz province and was overseen by the head of San Roque magistrate’s court number 1. Robberies were also attributed to them in Lucena and Puente Genil (Cordoba), as well as in Requena (Valencia), which shows the extraordinary geographical mobility of the gang. Full article: https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/beatings-gags-and-beatings-children-miniarmy-that-20250131095710-nt.html

MALAGA PROVINCE

Prison for a man arrested for a dozen robberies in restaurants in Velez, Torrox and Malaga city: {Translation, summary}
– The National Police have arrested a 44-year-old man in Malaga for his alleged responsibility in a dozen robberies in bars, most of them located in the villages of Benajarafe and Lagos, in the municipality of Velez-Malaga, but also in Torrox and the capital. The investigated forced the access to the establishments to seize the cash registers.
– The arrested man has already been remanded in prison by order of the competent judicial authority.
– Since the beginning of January an increase in robberies had been detected in bars and restaurants in the villages of Benajarafe and Lagos, and an investigation was initiated to clarify the facts. According to the investigation, the person responsible for the robberies acted alone. He took advantage of the opening hours to force the doors of the establishments. Once inside, the intruder had a predilection for the money in the cash registers.
– Agents have managed to clear up a dozen robberies with force in establishments. They collected evidence that allowed them to attribute to the suspect five robberies in restaurants and bars in Benajarafe and Lagos; one in Torrox; and another four in the eastern district of Malaga city. The National Police also seized various items of clothing which incriminated him in the robberies, as well as a cash register tray. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/andalucia/malaga-00356/noticia-prision-detenido-decena-robos-restaurantes-velez-torrox-malaga-capital-20250131133449.html

ALMUÑÉCAR

2 local policemen sentenced to fines for injuring a 71-year-old woman in Almuñécar: {Translation}
– The Court of First Instance and Instruction number 2 of Almuñécar has sentenced two local policemen of this town on the coast of Granada to a fine of 2,700 euros for injuring a 71 year old woman after she commented on the way they had parked a patrol car on the public road while the officers were eating.
– The events occurred on 24 May in the morning after the woman got off a bus whose stop was obstructed by a patrol car, while the officers were having breakfast in a nearby bar. Once they returned to the police car, they chased the woman and having caught up with her, asked her to identify herself, which she reportedly refused, before they tried to force her into the police car, causing the injuries for which she filed a complaint. Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/granada/1861813/condenados-a-multa-2-policias-locales-por-lesiones-a-una-mujer-de-71-anos-en-almunecar/

GASTRONOMIA

Asador Iñaki celebrates its days of Wagyu and Angus:
– Until 16 February, Asador Iñaki is once again holding its wagyu and angus days, where you can find different cuts and preparations of these outstanding meats.
– As starters, you can choose from a selection of wagyu in different versions: carpaccio, tartar, black pudding, picaña salad and cecina, as well as angus tataki.
– In the main meat section, there is another variety of options to try wagyu. Known for its intricate marbling and exquisite flavour, it comes in different types: premium ‘cube roll’ cut, sirloin, international, domestic and Japanese.
– For Angus, they offer domestic DRS (maximum infiltration), domestic beef, international (original from Scotland) and domestic Angus sirloin. They also include national angus beef.
– In addition to these days, Asador Iñaki also offers several menus (between 50 and 70 euros) and a special Valentine’s Day menu for two people for 120 euros. Bookings and more information on the website asadorinakimalaga.com, email reservas@asadorinakimalaga.com or telephone 952 312 265.
– Address: Calle Ayala, 38, Carretera de Cádiz, 29002 Málaga
Info: https://asadorinakimalaga.com/

HEALTH

Dismantled a network of illegal products of aesthetic medicine in several provinces: {Translation, summary}
– In total, four people have been arrested and 41 investigated for 53 offences against public health, fraud, professional intrusion and membership of a criminal organisation; in the provinces of Alicante, Malaga, Madrid, Cadiz, Murcia, Cordoba and Seville, having seized large quantities of illegal medicines and health products mainly from Korea, as well as material for their packaging, storage and distribution.
– Among the buyers of these substances were various legally established beauty clinics and other clandestine ones, as well as people who carried out this type of medical work without official qualifications.
– Among the illegal drugs seized in these actions, 700 vials of botulinum toxin, 275 vials of hyaluronidase, more than 200 containers of lidocaine, as well as more than a thousand pre-filled syringes of hyaluronic acid are worth mentioning, tensile threads and specific machinery such as centrifuges for carrying out platelet-rich plasma treatments, all without the traceability, quality and conservation required for official products and therefore without the certainty that the content is what appears on the labels.
– Although this criminal organisation is considered to have been disbanded, complaints are currently being received from possible victims of the application of these treatments, with highly serious cases due to the after-effects suffered after the application of these illegal substances by unqualified personnel.
Source, Spanish: https://andaluciainformacion.es/andalucia/1862484/desmantelada-una-red-de-productos-ilegales-de-medicina-estetica-en-varias-provincias/

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

AI Generated News Update- The media bet on the implementation of artificial intelligence to face their medium-term challenges: {Translation, summary}
– The media sector has clear strategic priorities for the medium term. The majority of its executives (78%) will focus on implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, followed by increasing the revenue generated by the subscription model (65%) and promoting measures aimed at increasing audiences (57%), according to the report ‘Media: the trends that guide a transformational future’, prepared by KPMG in collaboration with Digital Journey.
– Evidence of the opportunity presented by this technology is that 57% of the executives surveyed say they already have this type of technology in their media, while 37% plan to implement it in the near future.
– Among the areas in which generative AI is transforming the media sector, 68% of respondents put the most importance on content generation, in addition to data analysis and trend prediction, and the automation of editorial and production processes, both with 63% of responses. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/economia/medios-apuestan-implantacion-inteligencia-artificial_0_2003264164.html

TRAVEL

New Night Train Connecting 5 EU Countries Launches on February 5:
– European Sleeper will launch a new service on February 5, 2025. The new night train will connect Belgium and Italy, passing through the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria. The prices for the new night train will depend on the option that travellers decide to choose, starting from €100.
– The new night train will connect a number of winter sports and city trip destinations in only one route. The route will begin in Belgium and will end in Italy, connecting Brussels, Utrecht, Cologne, Munich, Innsbruck, Verona, and Venice. Full article: https://schengen.news/new-night-train-connecting-5-eu-countries-launches-on-february-5/

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Exchange quotes from Xe.com

Click here to see updated quotes & more currencies

Last updated Feb 3, 2025, 19:15 UTC

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Fun & Games

Useful Links, Info & Numbers

Taxi
Nerja 952 524 519
Torrox: 952 531 030
Frigiliana: 952 533 231

Phone numbers for emergencies
Emergency Services.: 112
National Police: 091
Guardia Civil: 062
Ambulance: 061
Fire Station (Bomberos): 080
Emergency English Help Line: 902 102 112

Local Police
Torrox: 952 539 828
Nerja: 952 521 545
Frigiliana: 952 533 126
Torre del Mar: 952 549 238

Check All Lottery Results Here: Updated daily.
https://www.20minutos.es/loterias/

Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Malaga Province: New, updated link (Aug, 2023). Info in English with list of English speaking meetings. https://aacostadelsol.com/

DoctorLaptop’s Homepage: https://doctorlaptop-repairs.webnode.com/

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