Ben Lowry

​Bashing Winston Churchill is by no means a new thing. ​I remember a university lecturer almost 35 years ago saying: “I don’t believe in the Union Jack. I don’t believe in the monarchy. I don’t believe in Churchill.”

​President Donald Trump’s encounter with his South African counterpart in the White House this week was extraordinary.

​The violence in Northern Ireland in recent days has been utterly atrocious. ​Not only does it leave huge physical damage in its wake, it puts life at risk. A key way to respond to such violence is hefty criminal justice penalties.

Early this month, oil prices had just reached their lowest level in Northern Ireland in four years. Now they have shot up again.

​Five years ago, in a saga that was barely reported, a brave young Hong Kong activist expressed alarm at a meeting between China and Northern Ireland’s then leaders.

Northern Ireland had another sweltering day on Sunday, in what was a very hot weekend.

​This week I was at the memorial service for Barry McIlheney held in east Belfast, a music writer.

​This is now a good time to buy home heating oil in Northern Ireland.

​An important – even extraordinary – driverless bus experiment is under way in Belfast.

​Days ago, many readers of this newspaper would not have heard of Charlie Kirk. Mr Kirk defended US conservative values and had a big following among young people who grew up in the internet age.