France Telecom looking to expand in Morocco France Telecom SA is in talks to buy a stake in Medi Telecom SA, Morocco's second-largest phone operator, said a person familiar with the situation. No decision has yet been made and Meditel is holding similar discussions with other companies, said the person, who declined to be identified because the talks are private. France Telecom spokesman Tom Wright today confirmed the company's “interest in the Moroccan telecom market” and declined to comment on possible negotiations with Meditel. France Telecom, which has said it's earmarking as much as 7 billion euros ($9.16 billion) to expand in Africa and the Middle East, is seeking to double emerging-market revenue in five years and reduce dependence on a slow-growing domestic market. The Paris-based company is studying four to five acquisitions, executive director for Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Marc Rennard said in June. Orascom Telecom's Algeria Unit Said to Be Prevented From Buying SIM Cards Orascom Telecom Holding SAE's unit in Algeria is being prevented from buying SIM cards after the country's central bank froze its money transfers and bank accounts, a person familiar with the matter said. The restrictions on Orascom, the biggest mobile-phone company by number of subscribers in the Middle East, include blocking the release of some of its equipment from customs, said the person, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. The Algerian government ordered the unit, known as Djezzy, to pay $596 million in back taxes last year. Orascom said in April that it paid the disputed amount, pending an appeal. EU, Tunisia: Montada promotes heritage value of Kairouan Thanks to a programme financed by the European Union, the inhabitants of this town in central Tunisia are beginning to value their architectural heritage- and are becoming aware of the need to take care of it. Kairouan's water and openings are the themes around which various activities will be organized: photography competitions, training courses for young people, conferences, exhibitions. Teaching people from Kairouan about Kairouan? This is what is planned for September 2010 in four schools of this city in central Tunisia. It is essentially a teaching and learning tool, which has been developed by the Montada project and will be made available to teachers in Kairouan, through a project funded by the European Union to be implemented in six North African cities (Salé and Marrakesh in Morocco, Ghardaïa and Dellys in Algeria, Kairouan and Sousse in Tunisia). The aim: to raise awareness among people, starting with the youngest, about the importance of conserving architectural heritage. BP plans off Libya, Shetlands meet opposition BP's plans to drill for oil off Britain's Shetland isles and the Libyan coast are facing opposition after the company's disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Environmental campaigners and some European lawmakers on Monday called for for a U.S.-style moratorium on deepwater drilling. Greenpeace says a Gulf-style blow-out off Scotland's coast would wreak havoc to fragile habitats. Missing Russian chopper pilot found released in Sudan: official The pilot of a Russian helicopter who went missing in Sudan on Monday has been freed, said Russian president's special representative for Sudan on Thursday. “The helicopter captain (Yevgeny Mostovshchikov) who went missing in Sudan on July 26 and was captured has been released and is now at the UN mission's office,” said Mikhail Margelov as quoted by the Interfax news agency. Earlier in the day the Russian Foreign Ministry said the Mi-8 chopper, belonging to Russian airliner UTair, was en route from Al Fashir in North Darfur to Abeche in Chad on Monday afternoon with a group of Darfur insurgents, and stopped in Aborjo of South Darfur to pick up a second group of militants. BM
