Latest news with #non-Commonwealth
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
From The Hindu, July 3, 1975: 60 p.c. of Foreign Doctors fail in tests by council
London, July 2: Sixty percent of the foreign doctors who took Britain's first tests in English and clinical knowledge have failed, the General Medical Council (GMC) announced yesterday. Dr. Abdul Sayeed, Chairman of the Overseas Doctors Association, criticised the examinations and said he was not surprised that so many candidates had failed. Only 27 out of 68 doctors passed the two-day tests held in Edinburgh last week. Dr. Sayeed remarked, 'The question paper was such that many doctors could not understand it.' The candidates came from 70 countries whose citizens are eligible for the tests. Doctors from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the West Indies are not required to sit for the examinations because their degrees are recognised in the UK. However, this year's graduates from India, Pakistan, and non-Commonwealth nations must undergo the tests. The two-day assessments evaluated an applicant's ability to understand colloquial expressions that might arise in a doctor's office, in addition to testing their clinical knowledge. Dr. Sayeed commented, 'On the multiple-choice question, many doctors spent 20 minutes deciphering it because it was very bizarre and badly produced.' They were asked how they would cope with a pregnant woman with an infectious disease who had been in a road crash, and what they would tell the woman's mother-in-law. 'It is not the sort of situation that a medical practitioner is likely to encounter very often,' Dr. Sayeed said. 'All these put together in one question was a bit too much. The doctors were not expecting that type of question.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
King Charles to travel to Canada, deliver throne speech
King Charles will travel to Canada later this month and deliver the speech from the throne on May 27. "This historic honour matches the weight of our times," Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday as he announced the news. He added that Queen Camilla would join the visit. Gov. Gen. Mary Simon issued a statement confirming the royal visit on May 26 and 27. "Whit and I will be delighted to welcome Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Canada. Our Canadian identity is deeply rooted in our constitution and this visit highlights the enduring relationship between Canada and the Crown," she said. "Now more than ever, we need to come together to ensure a future that builds on our shared global values of democracy, equality and peace." Every new session of Parliament is opened by a throne speech, a document that lays out the government's expected direction and goals, and how it plans to achieve them. When Charles and Carney met at Buckingham Palace before the election, the prime minister asked the King about the possibility of him coming to Canada to deliver the throne speech to open the next Parliament, CBC News has learned. WATCH | King Charles and Prime Minister Mark Carney meet: That Charles would come to Canada to deliver the speech from the throne "sends a clear message regarding his dedication to the role of King of Canada," Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said via email. Much attention has focused in recent weeks on Charles's role as head of state of Canada, particularly in the face of repeated taunts from U.S. President Donald Trump about it becoming the 51st state. Those who watch Charles closely saw an increase in signals and royal symbolism in support of Canada as it faced that repeated rhetoric, which resurfaced recently after a relatively quiet spell. Charles also referenced his role as "King of Canada" during an address recently to the Italian parliament, a rare statement — particularly coming as it did in an international, non-Commonwealth setting. The opening of Canada's new Parliament provides an "ideal opportunity" for a visit from Charles, who has not yet come to the country as monarch, said Harris. "President Trump's comments about Canada becoming the 51st state, however, have increased the political significance of King Charles undertaking official engagements as King of Canada." The King delivering the throne speech in Ottawa also follows historical precedent, she said. "Queen Elizabeth II opened Parliament during her first visit to Canada as a reigning monarch in 1957." WATCH | Queen Elizabeth reads the speech from the throne on Oct. 14, 1957: The last time the speech was actually read by Canada's head of state was when Queen Elizabeth delivered it in 1977. Simon's statement said the royal visit's detailed itinerary will be published at a later date by the Department of Canadian Heritage. At two days, it will be a short visit, but that, too, has precedent. "Queen Elizabeth II's 1957 visit to Canada to open Parliament was also quite short," said Harris. Other factors and logistics likely played into the timing, she added. "The specific dates of the visit will have been organized quite quickly after the election, and royal schedules are set long in advance," said Harris. "There may be a longer Canadian royal tour scheduled in the future when there is more time for planning and preparation. King Charles III's cancer treatment also limits opportunities for extensive royal tours, as demonstrated by his visit to Australia and Samoa, which did not include New Zealand." The visit will be the King's 20th visit to Canada, and the Queen's fifth. Their last visit was in May 2022, when Charles was still the Prince of Wales.
