AFP US seeks to reassure wary Gulf allies over Iran dealManama (AFP) - Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel holds talks in Bahrain Friday to reassure anxious Gulf allies that the US military will maintain a robust regional presence despite a nuclear deal with Iran. Defense Secretary Hagel, who flew to Bahrain on Thursday evening, will convey to Gulf leaders at a security conference that the United States remains a steadfast partner and has no plans to scale back its military deployments or weapons Read more [...]

Bahrain’s Gulf Air has launched a Double Miles Promotion to coincide with the launch of its newest routes.  The promotion gives its frequent flyer program (FFP) members the opportunity to fly to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, Thiruvananthapuram in India or Mashhad in Iran and earn double miles. Kavita Sharma AlJassim, Gulf Air’s Senior Manager of Customer Experience, commented on the promotion, “We constantly strive Read more [...]

MANAMA: Zain Bahrain has announced it has completed a key step paving the way for the launch of its new network by the first quarter of next year. With the commissioning of the latest convergent database, which is a key element of the core network, Zain Bahrain has become one of the first operators in the region to have deployed this latest network element. "The $100 million network transformation, which began in April this year, is expected to give Zain Bahrain a new state-of-the-art network, Read more [...]

In 2011 Reda al-Fardan watched in horror as Bahraini troops plowed down protestors camped at a Manama roundabout. Now he is among Shiite activists urging greater pressure on the monarchy to implement long-promised reforms. "It's a moral choice," Fardan said, after meeting in Washington with top Obama aide Susan Rice to urge the United States to throw its weight behind activists. His NGO, Bahrain Watch, is calling for a transparent, accountable government in the nation ruled by the Sunni Khalifa Read more [...]

Iraq and Bahrain have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance bilateral relations and strengthen political and diplomatic co-operation, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday (December 5th). Iraq's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari and his Bahraini counterpart, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa signed the memorandum on Wednesday, and an official invitation was extended to the Bahraini minister to visit Iraq "to discuss co-operation and consult on ways to establish security Read more [...]

NEW YORK, N.Y. - The price of oil edged higher Thursday as the U.S. economy grew more than expected in the third quarter.Benchmark U.S. crude for January delivery rose 18 cents at $97.38 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil rose near $98 for the first time in five weeks before falling back a bit. Oil is still up $4.66 a barrel, or 5 per cent, this week.Meanwhile, natural gas rose to the highest level in six months as the Read more [...]