Caspar Barnes

The King’s Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun salute next to Buckingham Palace at noon on Thursday 14 November to mark King Charles’ 76th birthday. Some of the artillery horses refused to behave themselves for the big occasion with at least one ditching its rider for a solo canter around Green Park. With the horses under control the King’s Artillery proceeded to fire off 41 blank rounds at 10-second intervals, while the Irish Guards provided musical accompaniment. Twenty-one is the most common number of gun salutes, with 20 rounds added if the salute is fired from a Royal Park, adding up to a total of 41.

Surrey Police have released a call made by Sara Sharif’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, to a travel agent on August 8 2023 where she tries to arrange flights to Pakistan for the next day. Sara Sharif was hooded, restrained and beaten with a belt buckle and pole in a campaign of abuse lasting more than two years before her death, a court has heard. Taxi driver Urfan Sharif, 42, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of his 10-year-old daughter’s murder alongside Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and uncle, Faisal Malik, 29. Batool has denied murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

A six-year-old who went viral for his adorable reaction to the news that he would receive a donor's heart has provided an update on what his life has been like since leaving hospital. John-Henry Lee, who had been waiting for a new organ for six months, excitedly walked the halls at Cleveland Clinic Children’s hospital. His mother Sarah Lee told The Independent that the youngster "doesn't do anything relaxed any more" since having the transplant. "He was just so excited to see the outside... When he was able to go outside and play and run, that was probably the best feeling for him, you know, riding in a car, things we take advantage of."

David Beckham has led tributes to former England manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, who died aged 76 on Monday, 26 August. Beckham wrote on Instagram, “Sven thank you for always being the person you have always been, passionate, caring, calm & a true gentleman... I will be forever grateful for you making me your captain.” The former England captain wrote that he was comforted by the memories of last day they spend together. And, the final words his old manager had said to him: “It will be okay.” Eriksson’s death was confirmed by his family after he revealed in January that he had “at best a year left to live” after his pancreatic cancer diagnosis. The Swede led England from 2001 to 2006 and was the first foreign manager of the English national side.

In a video posted on TikTok, the normally serene Hawaiian waterfall, Rainbow Falls, is transformed into a raging wall of water by Hurricane Hone. The 80 foot (24 metre) waterfall near Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island is usually only made up of a small stream of water. On sunny mornings, rainbows can be seen in mist thrown up by the waterfall. In the footage, only a torrential downpour of muddy water can be seen, blanketed by heavy rain clouds. Hurricane Hone whipped through the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, 25 August, resulting in more than a foot of rainfall in some areas. Nearly 10,000 people lost power across Hawaii.

During a live broadcast in Birmingham on Monday, 5 August, Sky News’ communities correspondent Becky Johnson was surrounded by thugs wearing masks. People appeared on the streets after word had spread among Birmingham’s muslim community that the far right were planning a rally in the city. After speaking live from Birmingham, the Sky crew were then followed by a man wearing a balaclava and holding a knife. The man stabbed the tyre of their Sky broadcast van but did not damage the vehicle so the crew was able to drive away.

Those marching on the annual London Trans Pride march on Saturday 27th July, share their thoughts about what it means to be transgender in the UK in 2024.