INTERNATIONAL: For the first time since the pandemic began last year, the famous “Changing of the Guard” ceremony has returned to Buckingham Palace in London. It was a welcome sight and a sign that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s a ceremony which dates back to the days of Queen Victoria, when a grumpy monarch saw a guard with a dirty uniform and insisted on a daily changing of the guard as punishment. 150 years later, they’re still at it – much to the delight of international tourists.

The crowd may have been smaller on Monday, but after a pause of 18 months due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was hailed as a sign that the days of the pandemic are numbered and that life will, eventually, return to normal. And that’s a very welcome change indeed.