Tunisia launches first religious radio station

Tunisia's first religious radio station started broadcasting on the first day of Ramadan, an attempt by the government to give a platform to moderate Muslims and to keep Islamists at bay. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali announced the launching of the first radio with a religious vocation in Tunisia.

This baptized radio “Ezzeitouna” (Olive Tree) –an eponym of a prestigious mosque and a religious institution in the old Medina of Tunis--, will emit during 24 hours the tape FM and will cover 80% of the national territory.

The launching of this third private radio in Tunisia, where Islam is the religion of State, emanates in particular from the concern of the government to encourage the enlightened spirits and diffuse the authentic values of Islam, notably tolerance, mutual aid and moderation.

Lybian infrastructural projects

Libya inaugurates gigantic water reservoir in Abou Zayyan

The chairman of the Kadhafi Foundation for Development, Seif-Ul Islam Moammar Kadhafi, inaugurated on Saturday in Abou Zayyan (90km south-west of Tripoli), the Abou Zayyan reservoir of the water resources of the grand artificial river, aimed at meeting fresh water needs for domestic and agricultural purposes in the region.

The water resources in the Abou Zayyan reservoir come from a network of huge aqueducts with a diameter of 2.8, the Sidi Sayeh reservoir (50km south of Tripoli), the water of the grand artificial river via the localities of Rabta (80km south east of Tripoli) and Yaaguib where there are two reservoirs with a capacity of 400,000m3 each.

The implementation of the Abou Zayyan reservoir project started in 2004. The An-Nahr company which is under the control of the office in charge of the management of the water resources of the grand artificial river, has built the aqueducts of this project in its factories located in Brega and Serir.

This important Libyan hydraulic project called the "grand artificial river" was implemented in five stages, the first being operational since September 1994, ten years after the inauguration of the works assigned to a South-Korean firm.

At its final stage, the project will help to supply all the Libyan regions with drinking water, particularly northern towns such as Benghazi, Jdabia and Syrte, and to irrigate fertile plains in order to ensure food self-sufficiency and economic independence eventually for the Libyan people.

The cost of this project is about US$25 billions. Its implementation is in line with the studies on environmental problems linked to the "excessive" exploitation of underground water, as well as sea to water infiltration and pollution.

Work begins on 1 bln eur Libya airport

Libya said work has begun on a new 1 billion euro airport for the capital Tripoli which will be able to welcome 20 mln travellers per year.

The work is being carried out by a consortium of six companies including Vinci of France, Oderbrecht of Brazil and TAV of Turkey, under the supervision of a French research consultancy, state news agency JANA cited project director Abdel Majid Sadah as saying.

The 1,165 hectare site will be able to handle up to 100 planes, with a car park capacity of 4,400 spaces, Sadah said.

Libya’s Qadhafi launches sat-channel

The son of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qadhafi launched a satellite channel from Tripoli on August 20.

Sayf-al-Islam Qadhafi has launched Al-Libiyah, the first stage of a new media group he says he will build from Tripoli. The channel’s slogan “Together for the sake of tomorrow’s Libya”, explains that the aim behind the new media is to steer away from the usual "classical" approaches in the official media organs and added that the new channel would be committed to the national line but not be subjected to very close censorship.

Local reports say $20m has been invested in the new project. BBC Monitoring, speaking about the project, said: “The new channel is one of the media tools of the 9/1 Company that is owned by Al-Qadhafi Development Foundation that has been managed by Al-Qadhafi's son for years as a nongovernmental organization that is seen as the front for his political and media activities”.

Terrorists implement new strategy

Terrorist groups resorted to a new strategy by assembling terrorists in Algeria to carry out an attack in a place somewhere, then to go another place to lead another attack, according to an Algerian security official in The People's National Army.

The terrorists chose this strategy to make as if they are numerous, said the same sources. “Terrorist group turned to media war after they had lost in the battlefield. That’s why; they are always seeking to carry out attacks to have media echo beyond Algeria”, said the official.

echoroukonline