Michael Cousins Acting Managing Editor

Good afternoon

In the news today:

* A further three men have been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of journalist Lyra McKee.
The men, aged 36, 39 and 45, were arrested in the Londonderry area on Tuesday morning under the Terrorism Act.

* VIDEO: Unionists hail Conservative Party fringe event on Northern Ireland.
Watch participants in a meeting about the Northern Ireland Protocol speak about what they say was the success of the event.

* Bonfire licence rejection ‘a rare case of common sense in face of pan-nationalist front’.
The TUV has heartily welcomed what it called a “rare example of common sense” from Belfast City Council – namely, its rejection of a plan which would have imposed a raft of paperwork upon bonfire-builders.

* Ruth Dudley Edwards: The bigotry of Michael D Higgins shocked some - I’m sad to say I wasn’t one.
As much as any Pope, President Michael D Higgins believes himself infallible.

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* What happened to Facebook? Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram went down yesterday due to major power outage.
Users were unable to access Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp for five hours yesterday.

* Grand Opera House is set to bounce back with sold out shows.
The Grand Opera House in Belfast is all prepared to host a number of sell out shows after being closed for 21 months, following a £12.2 million restoration project and the Covid-19 pandemic.