Arabic channel Alhurra said it will telecast live its star program, Al Youm (Today in Arabic) from eight countries to mark its second anniversary on Tuesday.

The channel, broadcast on the Nilesat and Arabsat satellites in the Middle East, said Al Youm will expand its broadcasts to include live reports from Libya, Jordan and Tunisia as part of the special event from March 8 to10.

This will be in addition to reports from Al Youm’s hubs in Dubai, Beirut, Cairo, Jerusalem and Washington, DC, said a statement from Alhurra.

Al Youm airs Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 7 pm (GMT) across the Mena region, with the newly launched 'Best of Al Youm' airing on Saturdays at 9pm (GMT).

Over the past two years, Al Youm has made its mark with up close, on the ground reporting of current events shaping the Arab world and earning a reputation of providing the personal stories that go beyond the headlines, it added.

“Al Youm’s well-seasoned journalists have provided some of the best insights during the recent revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, as well as the uprisings in Libya and elsewhere in the Middle East,” said Fran Mires, executive producer of Al Youm.

“By having live reports from eight countries, Al Youm is in a unique position to show the impact of these historic events throughout the Middle East and focus on the human interest stories our viewers have come to expect from us.”

With a staff of 130 straddling five countries, Al Youm combines hard news and news magazine styles into one fast-paced, hard-hitting program offering balanced, in-depth journalism.

As part of the anniversary broadcasts, Al Youm’s Jerusalem anchor Eman Haddad will appear live from Jordan, examining the changes in the Jordanian government and reporting on the power of Bedouin tribes in governance.

Business anchor Loubna Dib will broadcast from Tunisia, where she will be dissecting the post-revolution landscape, the place of women in Tunisian politics, and the country’s deep-rooted unemployment issue.

Al Youm correspondent Ayham Ibrahim al Kasem is in Libya providing first-hand accounts of protesters in Benghazi, including how they are surviving with the lack of food and medical supplies.

Meanwhile, Amr Khalil will continue to break down post-Mubarak Egypt by bringing viewers up-to-date news, insightful commentary and the personal stories that will help shape the future of Egypt, Mires said.

Since its inception in 2009, Al Youm has produced more than 500 live, three-hour programs, totaling an impressive 1,500-plus broadcast hours featuring hundreds of key newsmakers and high profile guests.-TradeArabia News Service