Riyadh: Alif International School in Riyadh has achieved a remarkable milestone by officially entering the Guinness World Records.

The school successfully organized the largest creative writing event, an initiative titled 'Book Bloom 500,' which featured an astonishing unveiling of 506 student-authored books on a single stage.

The record was formally confirmed by a Guinness World Records official present at the venue, who presented the certificate to the school. The initiative saw participation from students of Grades 1 to 10, resulting in published works across ten literary genres and written in multiple languages including English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil.

Ustadz Khalid Al Maeena, a prominent media analyst and former Arab News Chief Editor, inaugurated the program and lauded the school’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of literary talent.

The event, which was attended by leaders from various community, education and business sectors, highlighted the school’s commitment to innovative education.

Usthad Ali Abdurahman, Chairman of the Alif Group of Schools, Luqman Ahmed, CEO of Alif Group of Schools, and Principal Mohammed Musthafa addressed the gathering, expressing pride in introducing hundreds of young authors to society and setting a new benchmark in creative education. Abdul Nasser Haji (Stronglite), Director, Alif Group of Schools, and Mohammed Ahmed, Director, Alif Global School, were also present. 

Principal Mohammed Musthafa highlighted the school’s ‘Read and Rejoice’ programme, a flagship initiative under the motto ‘a school with a smile’, aimed at making education a joyful experience. CEO Luqman Ahmed noted that the programme encourages students to treat books as companions that sharpen thinking, enrich language, calm the mind and strengthen emotional intelligence.

School Administrator Ali Bukhari, Headmaster Noushad Nalakath and Coordinator Sundus Sabir Chaudhry were among the key officials who ensured the smooth conduct of the event.













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Mangaluru: Air India Express will introduce a late-night daily flight service on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru–Bengaluru sector starting March 10, 2026.

According to the sources, flight IX 5971 will depart from Bengaluru at 9.25 pm and arrive in Mangaluru at 10.40 pm. The return flight, IX 5972, will depart from Mangaluru at 11.10 pm and reach Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, at 12.20 am.

The additional service will operate daily and will remain in effect until March 28, 2026.

Meanwhile, Air India Express has cancelled all its scheduled international flights from Mangaluru International Airport (IXE) on March 7 due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. 

The Bengaluru–Mangaluru sector already has multiple daily services. Apart from Air India Express, IndiGo also operates flights on this route.