King Charles III made history by attending his first commissioning parade as sovereign at Sandhurst on Friday.
The monarch also gave the military academy the honour of being the first unit to receive new colours bearing his unique “CRIII” cypher.
A Kuwaiti soldier, Officer Cadet Jabar Alasabah, also received the “International Sword” awarded to the overseas cadet considered by Sandhurst’s commandant to be the best of their intake.
Addressing the 600 cadets on parade and their families looking on from the stands, the king recalled his own experiences at Sandhurst.
“I think I have some idea of the challenges which are inherent of military training,” he told them during a murky, overcast day.
“I have experienced the nerves, exhaustion even the self-doubt, but despite such recollections it is the lifelong friendships which are forged through shared hardship and the humour that you find in the darkest hours of the coldest and wettest nights which remain with you.”
The monarch also referred to the Ukraine conflict, which he described as a war not seen on such a scale in Europe since 1945.
“I am particularly impressed and proud of the role the British Army alongside wider Defence has played in supporting Ukraine,” he said. “The UK has been a leading nation in delivering training expertise, equipment, and advice. Through discussions I had with President Zelenskyy I have learnt at first-hand about this support. For as long as the conflict endures you will, no doubt, have some part to play in our unrelenting support.”
The ceremony was also attended by Jordan's King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah, who are both Sandhurst graduates.
King Abdullah presented the academy’s Al Hussein Medal, awarded to the non-British cadet who showed the most significant improvement in performance during training, to Bahraini Officer Cadet Sheikh Al Waleed Khalid Ahmed Al Khalifa
He also met King Charles and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg on the sidelines of the ceremony.
Friday's ceremony also marked the 200th anniversary of the academy’s commissioning parade, along with the 40,000th officer cadet to pass out from the academy since 1947.
The colours, that in earlier conflicts were the flag rallying point for troops on the battlefield, were the first to be presented to the British armed forces bearing the new sovereign’s cypher.
A total of 177 Officer cadets of the Senior Division, including 26 international cadets from 15 countries, passed out to become commissioned officers in either the British army or their own country’s military on Friday.
The king was escorted by the Commandant, Major General Zac Stenning, who previously served on operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. “It was with an immense sense of pride and honour that His Majesty came here to our academy and awarded us colours and a new Sovereign’s Banner, the first for British defence,” he said.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
TRAINING FOR TOKYO
A typical week's training for Sebastian, who is competing at the ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon on March 8-9:
- Four swim sessions (14km)
- Three bike sessions (200km)
- Four run sessions (45km)
- Two strength and conditioning session (two hours)
- One session therapy session at DISC Dubai
- Two-three hours of stretching and self-maintenance of the body
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
For more information go to www.abudhabi.triathlon.org.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
New schools in Dubai
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