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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.
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Next Editor’s Holiday: Monday, 24 Aug., DigameXtra will be closed. Items scheduled for posting Monday 24/8 will appear the following day. Note: Rather than taking a week or 2 off for vacation, I will be taking a series of three long weekends, spaced out over the next few months.
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WHAT’S ON
Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra!
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Duo Gypsy Jazz & Dixieland concert: Wed, 19 Aug, 9pm, Free
Vélez Málaga, at the Francisco Hernández Contemporary Art Center (CAC)
Calle Félix Lomas 26, Vélez-Málaga. Tel: 952 504 349
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Balcón de Europa Gastro Fair returns to Nerja: Fri-Sun, 21-23 Aug
The fair will open its doors each day at 7pm, offering the opportunity to sample different products and culinary specialties until 1am. It will include a full musical program, with free concerts every night starting at 10:30pm.
Musical performances by Falete, Lya and OBK.
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Frecuencia Zero Band, live in Almáchar: Fri, 21 Aug, 22:30
At the Municipal Pool. Free show. Tel: 952 512 002
Info & map: https://axarquiacostadelsol.es/evento/evento-musical-almachar-2026/
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August Fair in Periana: Fri-Sun, 21-23 Aug
See full programme & map: https://www.andaluciamia.com/en/tours/feria-periana-in-august-in-costa-del-sol-province-of-malaga/
English programme below was extracted from the Spanish posters & translated by ChatGPT. AI can make mistakes.
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TNT- AC/DC tribute band, live in Almáchar: Fri, 28 Aug, 22:30
Parque Maria Zambrano. Free show. Tel: 952 512 002
Info & map: https://axarquiacostadelsol.es/evento/evento-musical-almachar-2026/
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Weather Forecast from https://weather.com/
Tap or click image for updated forecast with more details
Conditions = Chance of rain % | Color bar is temp range where the temps will be for the majority of that day.
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Vélez-Málaga
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Latest AEMET Weather Alerts & Advisories For Andalucia: https://www.aemet.es/es/eltiempo/prediccion/avisos?k=and
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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. Tell them you saw it on DigameXtra!
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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.
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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.
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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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DoctorLaptop’s Computer Repairs & Sales
Click Here To See What Is Available
Or use this link: https://wp.me/P6BZGh-BoO
New Lenovo Laptops In Stock – Contact: doctorlaptop@protonmail.com
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Heavily infected comps, computers taking more than 2 minutes to startup or shutdown, or showing error messages, those need a repair, not a maintenance service. HDD hard disks of 1000Gb or more add €10.
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Windows & Linux computers only. Sorry, no Apple/Macs, or custom built PCs. Fees for work on tower PCs and large desktops depend on the make & model.
I don’t work on 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). Always include the make & model number of the device when requesting assistance.
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RECOMMENDATIONS, REQUESTS, COMMENTS & SUBSCRIBER SOAPBOX
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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NEWS & ARTICLES
(Click the link to read the full article)
{ Translations by www.DeepL.com/Translator }
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SPAIN
August’s electricity bill is on track to exceed 100 euros for the first time since 2022: {Trans, summary}
– The price of electricity is skyrocketing in August, and the bill for the average user with the semi-regulated tariff (PVPC) is on track to exceed 100 euros for the first time in four years, according to a press release from the consumer organization Facua-Consumers in Action, which warns that, if electricity prices remain at the levels of the first half of the month, the bill will reach 101.23 euros. The association warns that you have to go back to 2022 to find a higher August bill, when it reached 158.30 euros.
– In recent years, the bill for the average user – a customer with a contracted power of 4.4 kilowatts (kW) and a monthly consumption of 366 kilowatt hours (kWh) – for the month of August has been 80.71 euros in 2025, 78.21 euros in 2024, 73.21 euros in 2023 and 158.30 euros in 2022.
– Based on data from the first half of August, the increase compared to July – which was already the most expensive month of the year – reaches 8.1%. The average bill then stood at €93.65. The next most expensive month was March, at €82.09. And you have to go back to December 2025 to find a higher bill, which then cost €87.00.
– Regarding the consumption percentages in the three time periods of the new billing system, the association has taken as a reference the profile of the average traditional user without time-of-use discrimination published in 2021 by the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC), who consumes 45% of electricity in off-peak hours, 29% in peak hours and 26% in low-emission hours.
– From Monday to Friday, peak hours are from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 22:00, off-peak hours are from 14:00 to 18:00 and from 22:00 to 00:00, and low-emission hours are from 00:00 to 8:00. Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Source, Spanish: https://www.elconciso.es/energia/factura-luz-agosto-encamina-superar_0_2007733266.html
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Some would call it MUTINY! A third Minister hides from the Senate– now Albares boycotts the Senate, and the PP threatens legal action…”We have been ignored by the Government”: {Trans, summary, DigameXtra explainer}
– On 17 August 2026, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares failed to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee he had been summoned to, called by the governing chamber’s opposition majority to demand explanations about the migration crisis in Ceuta. Albares opted for Barcelona, visiting the works of Casa Asia while the committee met in Madrid. The Government had previously announced that ministers summoned extraordinarily by the Senate during August would not attend, arguing that they would instead explain their departments’ actions before Congress later in the month.
– The PP nevertheless used its absolute majority in the Senate to maintain the formal summons. The committee met with PP, Vox and Junts representatives present, while the PSOE and most government allies were absent and Albares’s chair remained empty. The PP accused the Government of ignoring the Senate and violating the minister’s constitutional obligation to provide explanations. It said it would pursue whatever parliamentary and judicial measures were appropriate. The PP argued that the extraordinary hearing was justified by the seriousness of the Ceuta crisis, including the arrival of tens of thousands of people, approximately 100 deaths, and concerns affecting Spain’s relations with Morocco, national security and territorial integrity.
– Which 3 ministers have ignored calls to the Senate over the Ceuta crisis?
*Fernando Grande-Marlaska — Interior: declined to appear.
*José Manuel Albares — Foreign Affairs: declined to appear.
*Margarita Robles — Defence: initially declined, but then there was an announced agreement for her to appear on 18 August; she subsequently also rejected that appearance and said she would not attend until the ordinary parliamentary session begins.
Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/madrid/albares-tambien-planta-senado-pp-amenaza-con-medidas-judiciales-hemos-sido-ignorados-por-gobierno_7026448_0.html
– EXPLAINER: How three ministers can all ignore summons to the Senate within one week as a serious crisis continues– The End of Accountability!: {DigameXtra with ChatGPT AI assist. AI can make mistakes, confirm all critical info independently.}
– The issue goes beyond whether Albares and the other two ministers were physically available to attend these hearings. The Government’s position appears to rely on substituting one form of parliamentary accountability for another, when both are valid and enforceable: ministers will answer questions in Congress later, so they decline to attend the Senate now, despite a summons.
– The difficulty is that this does not address the Senate’s separate constitutional right to scrutinise the Government. Article 110 of Spain’s Constitution gives the Chambers and their committees the power to require ministers to appear.
– Thus, the Government can argue about procedure, timing and the respective roles of Congress and the Senate, but those arguments do not simply erase the Senate’s constitutional oversight function. The danger is that repeated “legal reinterpretation” by an administration becomes a means of delaying accountability until scrutiny loses its practical value.
– In a serious crisis, the democratic principle is straightforward: Parliament must be able to question the executive when the questions matter, not merely when the executive considers the timing convenient. If every government can decide for itself that a parliamentary summons is inconvenient, procedurally questionable or duplicative, the constitutional power to summon ministers risks becoming a power that exists on paper but not in practice. The proper remedy for genuine constitutional uncertainty is an authoritative and timely judicial ruling; allowing the Government to decide unilaterally that a parliamentary summons can be ignored is a dangerous precedent.
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Vivas threatens the Government with taking legal action if it does not resolve the Ceuta migration crisis within the next 30 days: {Trans, summary}
– Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas accuses the Spanish Government of denying the reality of the migration crisis while doing little to resolve it. He says Madrid tried to “make reality look better” by claiming that normality had returned within 48 hours, after around 80,000 migrants entered Ceuta. While the Government reportedly said only 2,500 remained, Vivas estimates that between 8,000 and 10,000 are still there. He describes the subsequent Government response over the following two weeks as “almost absolute passivity” and says there is a lack of political will to act firmly.
– Health Minister Mónica García rejects this, insisting that the Government has been present “from minute one”, noting that seven ministers have visited Ceuta since the crisis began, and that there has been “no abandonment”. Yet her own account acknowledges serious overcrowding and insanitary conditions, calls for safe accommodation, and says Defence will provide public spaces. {García’s response can reasonably be characterised as deceptive because it emphasises Government presence and activity while avoiding the central issue raised by Vivas: whether the Government has actually resolved the crisis or taken sufficient action to address the thousands of migrants still in Ceuta. Seven ministers visiting Ceuta is not the same as resolving the crisis. -Ed.}
– Vivas gives the Government 30 days to resolve the situation before taking the matter to Parliament or the courts. Source, Spanish: https://www.20minutos.es/ceuta/vivas-amenaza…
ANDALUCÍA
The hornet that threatens Andalusia is out of control: it is already present in seven provinces and its eradication is impossible: {Trans, summary}
– The oriental hornet is continuing to expand across Andalusia, with sightings reportedly doubling or tripling previous figures. It first reached the region in 2018, via Algeciras, and is now established throughout the Malaga coast, with particularly high presence west of Malaga city. Nests and workers have also been detected in Almeria, Seville, Huelva, Cordoba and Jaen, taking its Andalusian range to seven provinces.
– The species was added to Spain’s official catalogue of invasive alien species in May 2025, requiring official monitoring. Its main threat is ecological and agricultural: it preys heavily on honey bees and other pollinators, can damage ripe crops, and may cause significant losses.
– Experts at the Donana Biological Station now consider complete eradication impossible. Current efforts therefore focus on limiting spread and reducing impact, chiefly by trapping queens preventively and locating and removing nests, including those in urban areas. The article presents this as an escalating threat. Source, Spanish: https://www.larazon.es/andalucia/avispon-que-amenaza-andalucia-descontrol…
MALAGA PROVINCE
Comares declares the water from the Los Ventorros network unfit for consumption due to the presence of chlorates: {Trans, summary}
– The Comares City Council has declared the water from the network in the Los Ventorros neighborhood unfit for human consumption after receiving an official communication from the Territorial Delegation in Malaga, following a health inspection carried out this Monday, August 17, 2026.
– According to the notice published by the City Council, the incident corresponds to the presence of chlorates in the Concas-Ventorros network (R. 25507), so an immediate restriction has been established as a preventive measure until the analyses confirm that the water parameters are back within normal levels.
– The main measure established by the City Council is the prohibition of drinking water from the Ventorros-Concas network until further notice, with an initial forecast of three days.
However, the municipal ordinance specifies that the water can continue to be used for domestic purposes. Therefore, its use is permitted for cleaning, hygiene, and other purposes that do not involve ingestion.
– In response to this situation, the Comares City Council has announced the free distribution of bottled water for as long as necessary, until analytical controls confirm the normalization of the parameters. The distribution will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 in front of the Los Ventorros bus stop. Also, people who cannot come in the morning will have the option of collecting bottled water in the afternoon at supermarkets and establishments in the municipality. Source, Spanish: https://www.axarquiaplus.es/comares-declara…
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Three of the five beaches in Benalmádena that were closed due to possible contamination have reopened: {Trans, summary}
– Three of the five beaches in Benalmádena that were closed on Sunday as a precaution due to possible contamination have reopened after around twenty bathers suffered skin reactions. The local council announced that swimming is now permitted at Bil-Bil, Arroyo de la Miel, and Los Melilleros beaches. However, Santa Ana and Las Gaviotas beaches remain closed. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/reabiertas-tres-cinco-playas…
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Malaga bans swimming at six beaches in the capital due to the presence of E. coli bacteria: {Trans, summary}
– Six beaches in the city of Málaga have once again been affected by the presence of E. coli bacteria. Analyses of water samples taken this Sunday by the Municipal Water Company (Emasa) have led the City Council to raise the red flag and close swimming at the beaches of Campo de Golf-San Julián, Guadalmar, La Misericordia, Sacaba, San Andrés, and El Palo. The City Council has confirmed that further analyses will be conducted in the coming days to monitor the situation and determine when the beaches can reopen. Source, Spanish: https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/malaga-prohibe-bano-seis-playas_0_2007733005.html
IMMIGRATION IN SPAIN
The Government will set up tents in Ceuta to house 1,500 migrants following the border crisis: {Trans, summary}
– The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, announced this Monday at a press conference in Ceuta that the Government will set up temporary tents {pic} to house 1,500 migrants who have arrived in recent days.
– The military tents will be deployed in four locations: the parking lot of the Loma del Colmenar area, ceded by the autonomous city, the equestrian facilities, the old football field of the Cavalry barracks and the so-called Guano space, the latter two being owned by the Government of Spain.
– Most of the migrants come from Sudan, Mali, Algeria and sub-Saharan African countries, having crossed the continent and crossed the northern border of Morocco. Sources, Spanish: https://www.larazon.es/espana/gobierno-instalara-carpas… & https://www.malagahoy.es/espana/gobierno-anuncia-1-500…
WEST NILE UPDATES
Andalusia raises the number of West Nile virus cases to 43 after five new ones in Seville and Huelva: {Trans, summary}
– Andalusia has raised the number of human cases of West Nile fever registered so far in 2026 to 43, after the Ministry of the Presidency, Health and Emergencies reported five new positive cases on Monday, four of which were registered in the province of Seville and one, for the first time, in the province of Huelva. Source, Spanish: https://www.europapress.es/andalucia/sevilla-00357/noticia-andalucia-eleva-43-casos-virus-nilo…
SUR in ENGLISH HEADLINES
*Click links to read the English language articles*
– Nerja set to open its new health centre after more than two decades of waiting {pic}
https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/nerja-open-health-20260817093615-nt.html
– Vélez-Málaga begins collecting new rubbish tax with some households paying up to 135 euros per year
https://www.surinenglish.com/malaga/axarquia/velezmalaga-begins-collecting…
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HUMOUR & DIVERSIONS SECTION
Free Comic Strips provided by https://www.arcamax.com/comics
Click on videos to play, or click the Video Link
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EXCHANGE QUOTES FROM Xe.com
Click here to see updated quotes & more currencies
Last updated Aug 17, 2026, 19:54 UTC
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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
Useful Links, Info & Numbers
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
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Andalucia Reservoir Data, updated daily, NEW LINK: https://www.redhidrosurmedioambiente.es/saih/resumen/embalses
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How to check your town’s holiday calendar for 2026:
Visit this website, and click on your town to see your town’s 2026 holiday calendar
https://calendariolaboral.lavanguardia.com/andalucia/malaga/
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Earthquake Map for Spain with real-time updates: https://visualizadores.ign.es/tproximos
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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/home
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 Worldwide Newspaper Frontpages 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://torrox-computer-pc-repair-service-by-doctorlaptop.webnode.page/
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