Latest news with #AuldLangSyne
Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
A march into history: 1st batch of 17 female cadets passes out from NDA
WITH THE background score of the emotional and nostalgic Scottish tune of Auld Lang Syne and the majestic backdrop of the Sahyadri hills, the cadets from the landmark 148th course of the NDA, including first batch of 17 female cadets, marched past Quarterdeck flag mast on the Khetrapal Ground, marking the end the of their three-year challenging training. A total of 336 cadets including 17 female cadets passed out of the academy, according to the NDA. Gen Vijay Kumar Singh (retd), Governor of Mizoram and former Chief of Army Staff was the Reviewing Officer for the Passing Out Parade (POP). Gen Singh addressed the cadets and ceremonially pinned medals on those who earned top honors of the course. The President's Gold Medal was awarded to Battalion Cadet Adjutant Prince Raj of Charlie Squadron. The President's Silver Medal was awarded to Academy Cadet Captain Udayveer Singh Negi of Golf Squadron. The President's Bronze Medal went to Battalion Cadet Captain Tejas Bhat of November Squadron. The Chiefs of Staff Banner for the Champion Squadron was awarded to the Golf Squadron. The complete parade line-up consisted of a total of 1,341 cadets divided in 18 contingents of each squadron. Of these 1,341 cadets in the parade line-up, 336 were from the passing out course and remaining from the junior courses which included the female cadets. On Friday morning, Gen Singh visited the Hut of Remembrance (HOR) and paid homage to the bravehearts. The Hut of Remembrance is the sanctum sanctorum of the NDA and was built by the voluntary efforts of cadets of the 10th to 17th courses, to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of Indian soldiers during the World War II and post–independence operations in J&K. Later, it also became a memorial for ex-NDA officers who made the supreme sacrifice during combat operations.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Gen V K Singh reviews historic Passing Out Parade of NDA's 148th course
With the emotional and nostalgic Scottish tune of Auld Lang Syne playing, and the majestic backdrop of the Sahyadri hills, the cadets from the historic 148th course of the National Defence Academy, including the first batch of 17 women cadets, marched on the Khetrapal Ground, marking the end of their three-year challenging training. As many as 338 cadets participated in the Passing Out Parade (POP), which was reviewed by General Vijay Kumar Singh (Retd), former Chief of Army Staff and current Governor of Mizoram. Gen Singh addressed the passing-out cadets, and ceremonially pinned medals on those who earned top honours of the course. The President's Gold Medal was awarded to Battalion Cadet Adjutant Prince Raj of Charlie Squadron. The President's Silver Medal was awarded to Academy Cadet Captain Udayveer Singh Negi of the Golf Squadron. The President's Bronze Medal went to Battalion Cadet Captain Tejas Bhat of November Squadron. The Chiefs of Staff Banner was awarded to the Golf Squadron. Each year, India's premier tri-services academy witnesses the graduation and passing out of two batches of cadets. On Thursday, the convocation ceremony for the 148th course of NDA was held, and 339 cadets, including 17 women, were awarded their degrees and course completion certificates. The cadets were conferred with degrees and course completion certificates from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the convocation of the 148th course of the NDA. Division Cadet Captain Shreeti Daksh, who is from the first batch of women cadets, became an academic topper by standing first in the Arts stream. Situated amidst the scenic foothills of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, NDA is often hailed as the cradle of military leadership. Upon completing their three-year training at NDA, the cadets proceed to their respective armed forces' academies for an additional year of pre-commissioning training. This includes the Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala, Kerala; the Indian Military Academy in Uttarakhand's Dehradun for the Army; and the Air Force Academy at Dundigal in Telangana. In August 2021, the Supreme Court passed an interim order while hearing a plea seeking directions to allow eligible women to take the entrance examination for the NDA and Naval Academy conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The apex court asked UPSC to issue a corrigendum in keeping with its interim direction. The court, however, said that admission of women candidates will be subject to the final ruling on the petition. The first batch of women cadets joined the NDA in July-August 2022 as part of its 148th course.
LeMonde
24-05-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
'What is a woman?': Court ruling reopens the 'gender war' in the UK
The sun was shining and the smiles were wide. On April 16, in front of the UK Supreme Court – a neo-Gothic architectural gem across from the Palace of Westminster – Susan Smith and Marion Calder, two founders of the group For Women Scotland, celebrated their victory. Surrounded by photographers, they toasted and then sang their rallying song, "For Women's Rights," to the tune of the famous Scottish melody "Auld Lang Syne." After five years of legal battles with the Scottish government, the country's highest court ruled in favor of these so-called "gender critical" feminist activists, who believe gender is not a perception but a biological reality, by offering a definitive answer to a seemingly basic question: "What is a woman?" The Equality Act 2010, the country's main anti-discrimination law, had not, until now, defined the term "woman." In its April 16 decision, which carries the force of law, the Supreme Court restricted the definition to "biological sex." The court rejected the previously prevailing interpretation that transgender women with a gender recognition certificate – which legally acknowledges their change of gender – are also considered women and therefore entitled to access women-only spaces such as toilets, locker rooms or prisons. "This is a victory for common sense," declared the founders of For Women Scotland after the hearing, surrounded by banners in purple and green – the colors of the suffragettes, those early 20 th -century campaigners for women's right to vote, whose memory remains cherished in the country.
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Rangers stuck in holding pen as Barry Ferguson's Ibrox swansong ends in victory over Dundee United
Rangers wrap up their home campaign with XX at Ibrox. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rangers ended their home campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win over Dundee United to send off interim boss Barry Ferguson with a win on what is expected to be his final home game in charge. Appointed as interim head coach in February, the Ibrox icon's blueprint was simple. Restore pride into a disenchanted fanbase and inject confidence into squad that had underperformed for so long, their hopes of a title challenge extinguished before they'd even had the chance to belt out Auld Lang Syne. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The truth is that, domestically at least, that's all Rangers had left to play for when the appointment of their popular former captain was made. In a campaign that started with their home games being played at Hampden Park, it's been as unrecognisable a season as many fans can remember, and it's clearly pained Ferguson, a man who has the club coursing through his veins. The club stuck in a holding pen off the pitch, he and his players await news on their own futures, with the impending takeover from the Andrew Cavenagh-led consortium involving 49ers Enterprises reported to be edging closer to completion. Cyriel Dessers celebrates Rangers' equaliser against Dundee United. Cr: SNS Group. | SNS Group The subdued Ibrox atmosphere apparent, a faint grumble was heard when United's Samuel Cleall-Harding opened the scoring by heading home from a corner on 20 minutes, though top scorer Cyriel Dessers would soon restore parity with the 49th goal of his Rangers career just six minutes later. The Nigerian had a great chance to reach the half century on 57 minutes, but would blaze a neat a through ball from Nicolas Raskin over the bar. The milestone arrived less than 20 minutes later though, when a VAR check ruled Will Ferry had felled Mohamed Diomande in the area, and Dessers stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards out. Neat play between Vaclav Cerny and Raskin saw Belgian blast home a clinching third with 15 minutes to play. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Expected to be Ferguson's swansong as Rangers boss, this victory at least allowed the 47-year-old to leave with a sense of pride intact. Held in such high esteem by the Govan faithful, he was never likely to leave with anything but applause and a thank you from a fanbase who hold a lifelong respect for a man who helped put 15 pieces of silverware in the trophy cabinet during his time in a royal blue. Seven points from the last three home games is a solid enough return after the winless run that preceded it. The Europa League penalty shootout win over Fenerbahce and the late 3-2 victory over Celtic gave brief moments of glee during the Ferguson era, however, inconsistent performances and a 76-day wait for an Ibrox victory is what will see his - and some of the squad's - time at Ibrox ended this summer as the club embark on a new adventure.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The Chinese and French children's choirs have another musical rendezvous in Paris
WUZHISHAN, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 14 May 2025 - May is a great season to experience the French romance. Nearly 20 members of the Wuzhishan Li & Miao Children's Choir once again set off in central Hainan Island, China, for a cultural exchange in France. On the evening of May 9 (local time), nearly 300 guests lined up outside Café de la Danse, a theater in downtown Paris, to enjoy the show that highlighted the friendship between the two countries. When the Chinese and French versions of 'Sing Wuzhishan to France' alternated, the performance reached its climax, and everyone could not help but clap along to the song. The event ended with 'Auld Lang Syne.' Monica, a French audience member, expressed that she was highly impressed and thrilled about the people-to-people exchange. The repertoire was co-prepared by the Wuzhishan Li & Miao Children's Choir, Le Choeur des Polysons, La Chorale Chin'harmonie, and Association Vent d'Orient Vent d'Occident. 'Last May, we sang together to celebrate the 60 years of Sino-French diplomacy. Last October, Le Choeur des Polysons performed in Wuzhishan. Children bonded over music and gained a better understanding of each other's cultures. Today, we reunited in Paris, and I am deeply touched.' Elisabeth Trigo, the head of the Le Choeur des Polysons, said. Another phenomenal scene was the collaboration between Huang Hailin and Matthieu Lecoq. Hailin is an inheritor of Hainan's intangible cultural heritage, the nose flute, which is a bamboo instrument of the Li ethnic group. Matthieu is a musician of the Opéra de Paris who uses the flute to demonstrate his love of the history and mythology of Wuzhishan. He stated, 'It is a tremendous pleasure working with her for the first time and finding synergy between Chinese and Western music.' This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the EU. The Publicity Department of the Wuzhishan Municipal Party Committee is one of the organizers of this visit event, the Wuzhishan Li & Miao Children's Choir also visited the UNESCO headquarters, the Cinémathèque Française, and a primary school, not only observing the wonderful diversity of world heritage and experiencing France's one-of-a-kind arts but also spreading excellent. Hainan is blessed with abundant natural and cultural resources and has unique potential in adding 'Hainan Tropical Rainforest and the Traditional Settlement of Li Ethnic Group' to the UNESCO Heritage List. We hope that Hainan can further integrate resources and strengthen systematic protection and innovative development of intangible cultural heritage, said Wang Ying, Deputy Delegate of the Chinese Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.
