وكالة أنباء البحرين - بنا | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1976 |
Preceding agency |
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Jurisdiction | Government of Bahrain |
Headquarters | Manama |
Minister responsible |
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Agency executive |
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Parent agency | Ministry of Information Affairs |
Website | www |
The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) is the state news agency of Bahrain.
The BNA was established in 1976 with the name of the Gulf News Agency. [1] In 2001 it was renamed as the Bahrain News Agency. [2] The agency is run under the Ministry of Information Affairs. It is a member of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA). [3] The BNA has both Arabic and English publications and is based in Manama. [2]
In July 2013, the agency launched BNA Zaman, a service which documents Bahrain's landmark development achievements via pictures. [4]
BNA is an active member of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) that includes the national news agencies of 18 Arab countries. [5]
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population. After periods of Portuguese and Persian control and invasions from the ruling dynasties of Saudi Arabia and Oman, Bahrain established itself as an independent nation in 1971 after a period of British hegemony.
Bahrain plays a modest, moderating role in regional politics and adheres to the views of the Arab League on Middle East peace and Palestinian rights. Since achieving independence in 1971, Bahrain has maintained friendly relations with most of its neighbours and with the world community. It generally pursues a policy of close consultation with neighbouring states and works to narrow areas of disagreement.
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, is a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The council's main headquarters is located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The Charter of the GCC was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution.
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) is an official state news wire service based in Kuwait.
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Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, also known as Prince Nasser, is a member of the Bahraini royal family, Commander of Bahrain's Royal Guard, deputy chairman of the Higher Committee for Energy and Natural Resources and the head of the government's Supreme Council for Youth and Sports. He is the third in line of the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Bahrain. In April 2021, he was appointed as chairman of Bapco Energies, formerly called “nogaholding.”
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 per cent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The current population of Bahrain is 1,870,817 as of May 14, 2023, based on elaborations of the latest United Nations data, of whom 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi), and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.
Al-Wasat, also Alwasat, was an Arabic-language daily newspaper in Manama, Bahrain. Al-Wasat was generally regarded as the only independent newspaper in Bahrain. The newspaper ran for 15 years, during which is provided reporting unique to Bahrain.
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The media of Bahrain mainly consists of several weekly and daily newspapers, with the Information Affairs Authority controlling Bahrain's state-owned Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation, which broadcasts radio and television services. The media is predominantly in Arabic though English language and Malayalam newspapers are beginning to emerge in the country. The IAA also controls the Bahrain News Agency which monitors, originates and relays national and international news in Arabic and English, usually generating from 90 to 150 stories a day. Bahrain Telecommunication Company, trading as Batelco, is Bahrain's sole Internet service provider. In 2015, there were an estimated 1.29 million internet user, a penetration of 96.4%.
The Middle East News Agency (MENA) is a news agency based in Egypt. It is run by the Egyptian government.
Emirates News Agency, also known as WAM, is the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates.
The kingdoms of Bahrain and Thailand share bilateral relations, established diplomatically in 1972.
Ali Sayyar was a veteran Bahraini journalist who founded and edited a newspaper, Al Qafilah, and a magazine, Sada Al Osbou. He was one of the founding fathers of the Bahraini press.
The Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA), a branch of the Arab League, is a membership organization for Arabic-language, national news agencies, currently of 18 or 19 members and established in 1975 in Beirut, Lebanon.