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Verstappen secures pole position at Sepang International Circuit
Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia 2026 at Sepang International Circuit with a best lap time of 1min 35.130secs. Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari qualified second, 0.298 seconds behind. The 56-lap race starts Sunday at 3pm local time.
BNA SPORTS · · MY
Opens 17-week maritime training with Saudi, Omani, Kuwaiti cadets
Colonel Abdulrahman Ahmed Al Ruwai opened Bahrain's 20th boat captain course, a 17-week qualification programme for non-commissioned officers. Participants from the Coast Guard, Ministry of Interior, Bahrain Defence Force and National Guard joined counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. Training covers collision prevention, seamanship, maritime law and practical skills including firefighting and vessel inspection.
BNA LOCAL · · BH
Welcomes new cohort to Manama hospitality college
Vatel Bahrain held its annual Induction Day for 2026-2027 students, featuring senior officials including France's Ambassador Éric Giraud-Telme and Dr. Farzana Abdulla Al-Maraghi from the Higher Education Council. Industry professionals shared career insights, while the college introduced its blend of theoretical and hands-on hotel management education.
BNA SOCIETY · · BH
coordinates Gulf positions ahead of 153rd IPU Assembly
Bahrain's parliamentary delegation, led by Jamal Mohammed Fakhro, participated in a Gulf coordination meeting in Arusha ahead of the 153rd IPU General Assembly from October 5 to 9. The delegation plans to submit an emergency agenda item on maritime security and freedom of navigation through international straits.
BNA LOCAL · · BH
UN allocates $160 million across 12 crises
The United Nations allocated $160 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to support life-saving assistance in twelve severely underfunded humanitarian crises. The funding aims to reach 87 million people facing severe humanitarian needs this year. An additional $10 million addresses urgent needs of people with disabilities.
BNA WORLD ·
CEO warns AI emails kill conversations at Splice
Kakul Srivastava, CEO of music sample platform Splice, cautions against AI-written documents in the workplace. She argues that when readers cannot discern human authorship, the resulting conversations become worse and irreversible. Srivastava applies the same skepticism to AI-generated music, maintaining that human creativity must remain central.
The Verge ·
Brazilians vote for president Sunday, October 4
Twelve candidates compete in Brazil's presidential election today, with 159 million eligible voters participating. Current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro are frontrunners. If no candidate wins over 50% of valid votes, the top two advance to an October 25 runoff election.
BNA WORLD · · BR
drops $100 on iPad Mini ahead of Prime Days
Apple's iPad Mini is $100 off during Amazon's October Prime Big Deals Days. The Wi-Fi model with 128GB costs $499, the 256GB model is $599, and the cellular 128GB model is $649. This marks the best discount since late June when Apple raised prices on several devices.
The Verge ·
Advances on penalties, 3-2 shootout win in Jeddah
Saudi Arabia's national team beat Qatar 3-2 on penalties following a goalless draw in regular and extra time at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah. Goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais proved decisive in the shootout. Saudi Arabia, three-time Gulf Cup winners, will face either UAE or Oman in the final.
BNA SPORTS · · SA
steps up Congo Ebola funding amid resurgence fears
France will increase support for Ebola containment in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced during a rare visit to Bunia. France allocated €13.4 million to Ebola efforts between January and July, with plans for additional humanitarian funding. Barrot warned the virus could return rapidly without sustained vigilance.
BNA WORLD · · CD
hosts eighth African Union meeting in New Alamein
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi opened the eighth African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in New Alamein on Sunday. El Sisi emphasized Africa's capacity to transform conflicts into development opportunities and reiterated Egypt's opposition to external interference in African affairs, stressing sovereignty and territorial integrity as fundamental principles for continental stability.
BNA ARAB · · EG
Launches modular card wallet for phones
OhSnap's new Wallet 2 uses a springy lever to fan out cards. The toolless design lets you swap 3, 5, or 7-card cores and magnetic plates without tools. Starting at $61 on Kickstarter or $76 retail, the 3-card version weighs just enough to be practical for phone attachment.
The Verge ·