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Arab Times
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
From memories of old guard
IN February 1939, the 'National Jaafari School' was inaugurated as the first public charitable private school and the third public school in Kuwait's history. Despite the sectarian connotations of its original name, the school was entirely moderate. It did not teach Shia jurisprudence specifically; rather, its doors were open to all students, regardless of sectarian affiliation. During the Iran-Iraq War, the school's name was changed to 'The National School.' Ahmad Mohammad Hussein Marafie was the visionary behind the establishment of the school and was the first to donate and lead fundraising efforts for its founding. In the 1950s, ownership and licensing of the school were transferred to the late Mohammad Rafi Marafie, who took on the responsibility of covering any budget deficits. After his passing, these responsibilities were passed to his son, the well-known businessman Abdullah Marafie, who, along with the Marafie family, continued to finance any financial shortfalls the school encountered. The 'National School' was distinguished by the quality of its education, and remains so to this day. Its academic approach was notably serious, with particular emphasis on subjects such as Mathematics, Arabic, and English. As students in public schools, we often noticed the academic excellence of students who had transferred from the National School, especially in these core subjects. In its early years, the National School offered elementary education free of charge to children from underprivileged families. Unlike Al-Mubarakiya School and Al-Ahmadiyya School, the National School continues to operate nearly ninety years after its founding. What refutes any claim of sectarianism at the Jaafari School are the names of the distinguished educators who taught there, or were educated there themselves, including professors Fahd Al-Mousa, Duaij Al-Aoun, Mohammad Al-Nashmi, Abdul Latif Al-Omar, Abdul Latif Al-Falah, Khaled Al-Masoud, Abdulaziz and Moajab Al-Dousari, Abdulaziz Al-Balool, Saud Al-Kharji, Abdullah Al-Hindi, Mulla Issa Al-Matar, Mulla Rashid Al-Saif, Abdul Wahab Hashim Al-Badr, and many others. Among its notable students were His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, along with his brothers Sheikh Khaled and Sheikh Nawaf. The National School also educated prominent figures such as Jaber and Salem Al-Ali, Salem, Abdullah, and Ali Sabah Al-Nasser, as well as Malik, Yousef, Mubarak, and Ali Al-Malik, Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber, and Nasser Sabah Al-Nasser. Other notable alumni include Issa Al-Yousefi, Aqeel Yaqoub Behbehani, Mohammad Musaed Al-Saleh, Thabet Mohammad Al-Muhanna, Ismail Bahman, Hassan Tifuni, Hamed Amin (the singer), and thousands of others. The late Ruler, Sheikh Ahmed Al- Jaber, was the first prominent figure to donate to the establishment of the school, and he enrolled several of his sons as students. The National School came under the supervision of the Ministry of Education in 1978, with Salah Al-Din Al- Qadoumi appointed as its first principal. One of the school's foundational figures was the Jordanian teacher Mohammad Hassan Odeh, who joined the school as a teacher sixty years ago. Over the years, he held several key positions, including serving as General Manager of the Knowledge Company for Educational Services.
Irish Independent
12-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Donegal school selected as Biodiversity School of the Year in national competition
St. Naul's National School in Keelogs, Co Donegal was chosen from the 120 schools who were awarded their Green Flag for Biodiversity this year. The school was presented with their award during the Green-Schools Award Ceremony in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Letterkenny. Students Odhrán O'Sullivan and Ella McHugh accepted the award on behalf of the school, along with their teachers Carmel McDaid and Maura Gavigan. The award was presented by Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Niamh Kennedy and Green Schools Biodiversity Coordinator, Clare Patten. A spokesperson for the competition said, 'St. Naul's dedication to improving their school grounds for wildlife as part of their work on the biodiversity theme was impressive, as was the creation of an environment to allow students to learn about and connect with nature. 'With the addition of native trees, log piles, bird feeders, a polytunnel and even an outdoor classroom, the school grounds sound like the perfect place to observe nature. 'The impact of St Naul's work was clear to see with students' awareness of biodiversity improving drastically over the course of their work on the theme during the two-year period. "The school also had great links with their community and went beyond the school gates in their journey to learn about and help biodiversity.' All schools who were awarded the Green Flag for Biodiversity must work on the programme for at least two years and follow a 7 step programme before applying to be awarded with the flag. The winning schools went above and beyond on their work to improve their school grounds and local communities for wildlife through practical actions and awareness raising.
The Irish Sun
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+ hypercar is coming to Bumblebee 1000
THE wait is finally over, BUMBLEBEE 1000's Talladega Nights roadtrip blasts off tomorrow. For this three-day adventure, we will see over 100 of Ireland's finest supercars starting off from Barberstown Castle. Advertisement 3 ULTIMATE FERRARI: Powered by a 6.3-litre V12 the LaFerrari produces 950bhp and can travel from 0-200kph in under 7 seconds Credit: Bumblebee 1000 And there you'll see one of the fastest and most expensive hypercars in the world — a 1,600bhp Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. This Bugatti is a limited-edition variant of the Chiron, specifically designed to break the 300mph barrier and reach speeds of up to 490.484 km/h (304.773 mph). This Chiron Super Sport 300+ features extensive aerodynamic enhancements, including a longer tail and air curtains, to manage drag and downforce at high speeds. But if the Chiron isn't special enough, how about a 950bhp LaFerrari that's powered by a 6.3-litre V12 and uses F1-derived tech and a hybrid system to produce 950bhp. Advertisement Only 499 of these drop-dead gorgeous Ferraris were made. Or a Ferrari SF90 and a Ferrari 296 GTB? 3 SUPER RARE: Lamborghini Aventador 63 is one of only 63 worldwide Credit: Bumblebee 1000 3 BEEM MACHINE: Keep an eye out for The Ligg in a red 727bhp BMW M5 Credit: Darren Liggett Advertisement Other rare Italian supercars will include models from Lamborghini, such as the limited-edition Aventador SVJ 63, one of only 63 in the world. And the last Gallardo Superleggera ever made, which was owned by Eric Clapton. Most read in Motors Road Test As well as Huracáns including STO and Performante models. Also confirmed is a stunning 765bhp silver McLaren 765LT, the most powerful LT ever. Advertisement I'll be back driving the new 727bhp M5 thanks to Plus you'll see Audi, Bentley, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan GT-Rs, Rolls Royce and some American and Australian muscle cars too. ROUTE DETAILS: Talladega Nights roadtrip DAY 1 - Friday June 13 STARTLINE : Barberstown Castle, 9am PITSTOP : National School, Scoil Bhride, Sallins Rd, Naas, Kildare, 10am FUEL STOP : Barrack Obama Plaza, Junction 12, Moneygall, Tipperary, 12 noon LUNCH STOP : Woodlands Hotel, Adare, Limerick, 1.30pm FINISH LINE : Neil Armstrong Way, Tralee Town, Kerry, 4pm DAY 2 - Saturday June 14 FUEL STOP : Walsh's SuperValu Caherciveen, Kerry, 10.30am LUNCH STOP : Sneem Hotel, Sneem, Kerry, 12.30pm FINISH LINE : Lewis Road Car Park, Killarney Town, Kerry, 3pm DAY 3 - Sunday, June 15 START LINE : The Europe Hotel Killarney, Kerry, 9.30am FUEL STOP : Mallow N20 Plaza, Limerick Rd, Mallow, Cork, 11am LUNCH STOP : Charleville Park Hotel, Charleville, Cork, 12.30pm FINISH LINE : Portlaoise Plaza, Junction 17, Portloaise, Loais, 3pm And on Friday morning at Barberstown Castle you can see one very special and incredibly expensive hypercar that you simply won't believe is here in Ireland! After leaving Barberstown Castle the first Pit Stop will take place at the National School, Scoil Bhríde, Sallins Road, Naas, Kildare at 10am. Advertisement And then we'll make our way to our first Fuel Stop which will be at the Barrack Obama Plaza, Junction 12, Moneygall, Tipperary at noon. We will then journey to the Woodlands Hotel, Adare, Limerick for lunch at 1.30pm. And Day One will come to an end at the Neil Armstrong Way, Tralee, in Kerry as we cross the Finish Line at 4pm. Day Two, Saturday, June 14, will see us meet up at 10.30am and fuel our machines at Walsh's SuperValu, Caherciveen, in Kerry. Advertisement Then we will hit the road again and power our way to the Sneem Hotel in Sneem in Kerry, where we will stop for lunch at 12.30pm. It will be another dash to the Day Two Finish Line, arriving at 3pm at the Lewis Road Car Park, Killarney, in Kerry. Day Three will be another early start as those having a lie-in at the Europe Hotel in Killarney will awaken to the sounds of over 100 supercars starting up and revving into life at 9.30am. The multi-million euro convoy will head south to Cork and make a much-needed Fuel Stop at the Mallow N20 Plaza, Limerick Road in Mallow, at 11am. Advertisement Lunch will be held in the Charleville Park Hotel, Charleville, Cork, at 12.30pm. Then the roadtrip heads for the Finish Line at the Portlaoise Plaza, Junction 17, Portlaoise, Laois at 3pm. And with such an awesome array of machines to see, below is my Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps selection of some of the line-up. BUMBLEBEE 1000 TOP TRUMPS Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+ Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo W16 Power: 1,600bhp Torque: 1,600Nm 0-100kph: 2.4 seconds Top Speed: 490.484kph Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps Ferrari LaFerrari Engine: 6.3-litre, V12 Power: 950bhp Torque: 1,000Nm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds Top Speed: 350kph Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps Lamborghini Aventador SVJ 63 Engine: 6.5-litre, V12 Power: 770bh Torque: 720Nm 0-100kph: 2.9 seconds Top Speed: 350kph Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps McLaren 765LT Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 Power: 765bhp Torque: 800Nm 0-100kph: 2.8 seconds Top Speed: 330kph Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps Lamborghini Huracán STO Engine: 5.2-litre, V10 Power: 640bhp Torque: 565Nm 0-100kph: 3.0 seconds Top Speed: 310kph Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps Ferrari 296 GTB Engine: 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6 Power: 830bhp Torque: 740Nm 0-100kph: 2.9 seconds Top Speed: 330kph Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps Nissan R35 GT-R NISMO Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V6 Power: 600bhp Torque: 620Nm 0-100kph: 2.9 seconds Top Speed: 315kph Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera Engine: 5.2-litre, V10 Power: 570bhp Torque: 510Nm 0-100kph: 3.4 seconds Top Speed: 325kph Bumblebee 1000 Top Trumps Porsche GT3 RS - Weissach Engine: 4.0-litre, flat-six Power: 525bhp Torque: 465Nm 0-100kph: 3.2 seconds Top Speed: 296kph As always, all proceeds from this event will go to the fabulous Advertisement Read more on the Irish Sun To date, Bumblebee 1000 has raised over €608,649 for this incredible charity organisation. 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