Spain returns three 5-star hotels and other assets to Algeria from former businessman Ali Haddad
via Algérie3603 min read
Algeria has successfully recovered several 5-star hotels in Barcelona and a large real estate portfolio from former businessman Ali Haddad, who was convicted of corruption in Algeria. This restitution, facilitated by a bilateral judicial cooperation with Spain, includes the Hotel El Palace in Barcelona, formerly the Ritz, which Haddad acquired in 2011. The Spanish authorities' diligence was praised by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who highlighted Spain's exemplary cooperation in returning misappropriated assets. Beyond the hotel sector, investigations by the General Directorate of National Security led to the dismantling of a criminal group involved in the embezzlement of nearly 1,000 billion centimes from the United Tobacco Company. Seizures in this case include two high-standing villas, six luxury apartments, prestige vehicles, and collectible watches, located in both Algeria and Spain. This cooperation is underpinned by legal frameworks, including the 2004 convention on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, the 2006 agreement on mutual assistance in civil and commercial matters, and the 2008 extradition treaty. These agreements have also enabled the extradition of individuals wanted for state security offenses and membership in terrorist groups, such as former military deserters Mohamed Benhalima and Mohamed Abdellah, members of the RACHAD organization. The successful conclusion of these procedures establishes a strong precedent for the recovery of misappropriated
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Must ReadFrench President Emmanuel Macron has publicly corrected his ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, regarding statements about visa numbers for Algerians. Romatet had suggested a return to pre-crisis levels of 250,000 visas annually, which sparked a political and media outcry, particularly from the right-wing and National Rally parties in France, who denounced it as a "capitulation" to Algiers. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon stated that Macron clarified France has no numerical visa targets and is not lenient. She emphasized that France is engaged in significant work with Algeria but without specific visa quotas. Bregeon also recalled that Macron, upon taking office in 2017, decided to reduce visa numbers from 500,000 annually to align with France's needs and geopolitical realities. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that visa numbers were never discussed in his talks with Algeria. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot responded to critics in the National Assembly, asserting that France's policy is based solely on national interest, not quotas, and noted a 20% drop in visas granted to Algerians in 2025 due to diplomatic tensions.
Algerian Civil Protection teams are battling dozens of wildfires across forests, scrubland, and agricultural areas. As of Wednesday morning, 195 fires were recorded nationwide in the past 24 hours, with 53 remaining active across 15 wilayas. Satellite imagery from Europe's Sentinel-2, analyzed by Al Jazeera's OSINT unit, shows extensive smoke plumes rising from multiple fire sources in the northeast, stretching from Skikda to Annaba and El Tarf. The images highlight the spread of smoke over coastal and inland areas, with significant burning in dense vegetation, particularly in the Edough massif and around Lake Fetzara. Skikda is the most affected wilaya with 18 active fires, followed by El Tarf 7, Béjaïa 5, and Jijel 4. Annaba, Souk Ahras, and Guelma each have 3 fires, while Médéa and Mascara have 2 each. Bouira, Mila, Constantine, Tlemcen, Saïda, and Timimoun each report 1 fire. Evacuations have occurred in Annaba, including a local hospital and hotel, due to threats to the Seraïdi massif. The Ministry of Interior, Local Communities, and Transport has reported 6 fatalities. The government has ordered a comprehensive inventory of material and agricultural losses for compensation. Since the beginning of the month, nearly 1,460 fires have been recorded. Over 19,000 personnel, 704 fire trucks, 12 water bombers, and 6 helicopters are deployed to combat the blazes, supported by the Algerian National People's Army.
The Rassemblement National RN is under investigation by the Paris public prosecutor's office for a data system breach and fraudulent extraction following a cyberattack. The investigation, now handled by the cybercrime brigade, began Monday evening when a hacker, operating under the pseudonym 84City, claimed to have stolen databases from the RN's official website. The far-right party confirmed a "malicious intrusion attempt" but stated it was "limited to the account of a single municipal election candidate and their running mates" and was controlled "within minutes," denying any "massive data exposure." The party attributed this vulnerability to a weak password. Simultaneously, Marine Le Pen's X formerly Twitter account was briefly hacked on Tuesday to promote a cryptocurrency. The RN confirmed the compromise of her profile, which was quickly secured, but emphasized it was unrelated to the cyberattack on its official website. The most visible aspect of the website intrusion was the alteration of several visuals, a technique known as defacing. Instead of Marine Le Pen's face, an image of a cat in the colors of the Algerian and Moroccan flags appeared, along with the inscription: "Brigade larguée, 2 clics de retard."