Bahrain's official news agency will be re-launched today with a new identity and interactive features, it has been announced.

These include audio and video streaming as well as BlackBerry subscription services.

The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) website, which operates under the Information Affairs Authority (IAA), will now have separate local, national, business, sports and entertainment sections in English and Arabic.

BNA's new layout and features at www.bna.bh coincides with celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter.

'We are excited with the re-launch of BNA and the new features such as online streaming of local radio and TV channels,' said IAA president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

He was speaking at a ceremony marking the re-launch held at Crowne Plaza.

Shaikh Fawaz said the new look of the website was user-friendly with options to customise news items according to preferences.

'Visitors can prioritise news as per their needs and read different sections of news ranging from local, regional and international,' he said.

'Our team at the IAA has worked for three months to give a new look to the website with added features.

'We also welcome people to leave comments online about the website.'

BNA acting director Muhannad Suleiman said a private company was outsourced to work on the new design and features of the existing website.

He said the total budget for the make-over was around BD10,000.

'The website will be more interactive as it is connected to Facebook, Twitter and special applications for BlackBerry, iPhone and iPad,' Suleiman said.

'The photographs will be of high quality which will be useful for media outlets.'

'Visitors can listen to live radio channels such as 98.3FM and 98.4FM and watch Bahrain Television on the website.

'For English and Arabic Press, we have updated our archives, which has about two million photographs.'

The website will be linked with Bahrain Stock Exchange and provide daily business news here and globally.

It will also feature top local stories published in English and Arabic newspapers.-TradeArabia News Service