🇩🇿AlgeriaNorth Africa
Algeria battles 26 active wildfires across 13 wilayas, Skikda most affected
via Algérie3603 min read
Algeria's Civil Protection reported 69 new wildfires as of Sunday at 1:00 PM, with 26 remaining active across 13 wilayas. Skikda is the most impacted, with nine ongoing fires. Béjaïa and Guelma each have three active fires, while Mila has two. Annaba, Souk Ahras, Tizi Ouzou, Bordj Bou Arreridj, El Tarf, Jijel, Sétif, Tiaret, and Relizane each report one active fire. In Annaba, fires are advancing in Séraïdi, threatening a village, with three AT-802 water bomber aircraft supporting firefighters. Béjaïa sees fires in Toudja and Aokas, where multiple villages are at risk, also requiring water bomber intervention. Skikda's firefighters are battling blazes in Aïn Kechra and Chéraïa, with three AT-802 planes deployed to protect homes. Ground operations continue in Sidi Mezghiche, Zitouna, and Aïn Cherchar. Guelma's Medjez Amar fire threatens homes, prompting Oum El Bouaghi wilaya to send nine reinforcement vehicles. In Souk Ahras, a fire in Aïn Zana is spreading along the Tunisian border, with a BE-200 Canadair assisting. Tizi Ouzou's Amsouhal fire continues to affect Ighil Aklimane village. High temperatures and dry vegetation are contributing to the spread of fires, complicating containment efforts. The Civil Protection urges vigilance and prompt reporting of any fire outbreaks. Separately, the Civil Protection also reported a tragic incident in Tamanrasset where a concrete wall collapse inside a house in Hai Essalam killed two children, aged 1 and 6. A 40-year-old woman sustaine
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Must ReadSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez made a brief official visit to Algiers, his first since October 2020, to engage in high-level discussions with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and the Prime Minister. The visit focused on reactivating the 2002 friendship, good neighborliness, and cooperation treaty, which was frozen in 2022 following a diplomatic crisis over Spain's stance on Western Sahara. Energy was a key agenda item, with Spain seeking to secure natural gas supplies from Algeria via the Medgaz pipeline and exploring future cooperation in green hydrogen. The Spanish delegation included the Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, along with leaders from major energy companies like Naturgy, Repsol, Enagás, and Moeve. A joint Algerian-Spanish business forum was also held to boost economic ties, which suffered significantly after the 2022 rupture, with Spanish exports to Algeria plummeting from 1.9 billion euros in 2021 to 332 million in 2023. Discussions also covered regional issues such as the situation in the Sahel-Saharan zone, security coordination, and irregular migration, particularly concerning the Canary Islands. The visit marks the culmination of a gradual diplomatic thaw between the two nations, aiming to restore their strategic partnership to pre-crisis levels.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched a new multi-entry Umrah visa, valid for one year from its issue date. This visa allows pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia multiple times, with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days within the 365-day period. This initiative is part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 objectives to enhance pilgrim services. To utilize the visa, pilgrims must purchase a service package from an approved provider on the "Nusuk" platform for each entry and obtain an Umrah permit via the Nusuk application, ensuring the permit dates align with the service package. For the initial visit, the process involves purchasing a service package, applying for the visa, and undergoing travel aptitude verification. Subsequent visits require subscribing to a new service package and generating a new Umrah permit through Nusuk. The visa status is temporarily deactivated upon departure and reactivated after fulfilling regulatory formalities for the next visit. It is crucial to note that this multi-entry Umrah visa is suspended during the Hajj season, specifically from the first day of Dhu al-Qa'dah until the 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah, a period of approximately 43 days. During this time, only pilgrims with official Hajj authorizations are permitted entry. This restriction aligns with Saudi Arabia's reinforced control measures for the Hajj pilgrimage, which include mandatory permits and penalties for non-compliance.
Algeria has introduced a new administrative measure, published in the Official Gazette on July 15, to simplify access to economic land for investors. Representatives of the State Domains administration, assigned to one-stop shops, are now authorized to establish and sign concession contracts related to the state's private domain. This eliminates the need for multiple administrative steps and lengthy validation circuits, which previously caused significant delays for project holders. The authorization, granted by the Ministry of Finance, is the latest in a series of delegations aimed at streamlining the investment process. The new powers also extend to signing amendments, converting concessions into sales, and terminating contracts, providing greater responsiveness in managing economic land. In cases where the State Domains representative position at a one-stop shop is vacant, the territorially competent Director of Domains will assume the responsibility, after receiving the necessary delegation to establish, authenticate, and preserve acts related to real estate in the state's private domain. This initiative by the AAPI is part of a broader effort to expand the competencies of public administration representatives within one-stop shops, reducing administrative hurdles for investors. Previous phases involved delegating authority to representatives from the Housing, Urban Planning, and City sectors for construction permits and conformity certificates, and to representatives fro