Capital of Bahrain, trading hub, population ~743,066 (2025 est.)
Syria is weighing entry into the Makkah defense pact, as regional powers discuss joint deterrence amid escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The pact, signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, binds an attack on one member to collective response. Syria’s participation signals broader regional security alignments.
Google has rolled back a new Google Earth feature that used the Nano Banana 2 image model to generate AI images over satellite, aerial and 3D imagery after researchers and journalists created fabricated scenes — from refugee camps to bomb craters — that could be shared as persuasive, falsified evidence.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has made a brief port call at Laem Chabang, Thailand, allowing about 5,000 sailors and Marines to rest after a record, months-long deployment supporting US operations against Iran. Thai authorities are managing transport, security and restrictions in Pattaya while US officials deny widespread failures in shipboard conditions.
The Gulf Cooperation Council’s electricity and water committee has met in Manama to advance multilateral interconnections and water security, with GCC member states including Saudi Arabia participating. Somalia and Saudi discussions in Mogadishu have focused on strengthening bilateral ties, trade interests, and Red Sea security amid shifting regional dynamics.