Cisco goes to Morocco Cisco announced on July 13 that its Casablanca office has become the first business premises in Morocco to offer Cisco TelePresenceTM exchanges. Unveiled in Cisco's Casablanca offices last week, the Cisco TelePresence solution offers a live, face-to-face experience that enables people from different offices and cities around the world to meet virtually using the power of the network. Cisco TelePresence meeting participants can share content, create high-quality video recordings of events, consult with experts, and deliver powerful personalized services, all using the network for an immersive in-person experience. 14 killed in road crash in Algerian Sahara Algeria's official news service says 14 people have been killed in a road crash in the North African country's desert. The APS agency says 11 people were injured. The crash occurred late Tuesday or early Wednesday, when a large van carrying two families skidded off the road in a hairpin curve. The crash took place about 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of the capital, Algiers, between the Sahara Desert towns of Hassi Lefhal and El Menea. Nine victims died on the site, while five others died in hospitals. Group of Tunisian military contingent in DRC leave On the departure of a group of the Tunisian contingent operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under the aegis of the United Nations Organisation, a ceremony was held and it was attended by the representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DRC, the deputy-chief of the UN forces, Tunisia's ambassador in Kinshasa and several military observers and officers of the UN mission. The Tunisian military contingent takes part in the peace- keeping operation in this sisterly country, as was decided by President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Libya ready for tourists For the first time in more than four years, Libya is granting tourist visas to American citizens. There is one caveat: travelers must apply through a handful of Libya-approved tour operators. Jerry Sorkin, the president of one such company, TunisUSA, said that the United States Embassy in Tripoli told him a few weeks ago that he was the first to be granted a visa under the new system, allowing him to take tourists to the country. “As Libya is essentially governed by one person, decisions frequently come without warning,” he said. “In the case of the visas, the change that resulted in the new policy was based on a real change” (the United States Embassy opened a visa office in Libya last year for the first time since 1980). Sudan not ready for referendum The Sudanese government and the United Nations are “alarmingly” unprepared for a scheduled January 2011 referendum on south Sudan's independence, according to a new report from a coalition of NGOs. The report, released on Wednesday, said that Sudan had missed a number of deadlines to prepare for the referendum, and that the voter registration process had yet to begin. BM
