Bahrain Book Fair Push: A proposal to bring back Bahrain’s international book fair—held last in 2018—has been sent to Parliament for approval, with the Services Committee backing it and citing constitutional duties to support science, literature and the arts. Student Tech Showcases: At Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Institute of Technology, students unveiled sensor-based smart water tank controls, a smart parking system, and an AI/IoT “smart city” model aimed at sustainability and smarter urban management. Digital Land Services Upgrade: The Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) rolled out faster online map purchase and enquiry tools via bahrain.bh, cutting purchase processing to one working day and enabling instant cadastral enquiries. Regional Payments Link: Qatar’s QCB expanded acceptance of its HIMYAN national payment card to Bahrain, letting cardholders use Bahrain POS and ATMs under GCC integration plans. AI for Business: KPMG and Anthropic announced a global alliance to embed Claude into KPMG’s client delivery, starting with tax and private equity workflows. Marine Conservation Angle: New research highlights how dugongs around Bahrain’s Hawar Islands may support seagrass “blue carbon” storage, adding a fresh conservation-and-climate link. Ocean Summit in Tokyo: Bahrain’s oil and environment minister joined the Island States Ocean Summit, stressing science-based marine protection and biodiversity monitoring. Alba’s Big Move: Alba agreed to acquire France’s Aluminium Dunkerque for about $2.2bn, aiming for a low-carbon aluminium platform and stronger access to the EU market.