Top stories of the week

A round up of the most popular news stories this week.

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MP calls for tougher sentences as blast bomb man is spared prison

Northern Ireland's courts must hand out deterrent sentences to anyone connected to terrorist activity an MP has said, after a man convicted of possessing blast bomb components was given a suspended sentence.

MLA: QUB grows colder for Protestants after severing links with all four theological colleges

The atmosphere at Queen's University Belfast will be "a few degrees colder" for Protestants after the institution severed links with all four partnering theological colleges of the same outlook this week, an MLA has claimed.

Sam McBride: Inherent tension in Sinn Féin's EU stance will be difficult to balance

On Monday of this week, Mary Lou McDonald argued that the Republic of Ireland's membership of the EU now makes Irish unity more attractive for many people who were hitherto indifferent to ending partition.

'Theresa May will lead country out of the EU'

Theresa May will remain Prime Minister until she has taken the UK out of the European Union, chancellor Philip Hammond has insisted.

Fire-fighters tackle major house fire

Fire-fighters are currently at the scene of a major house fire in Newtonabbey.

Ben Lowry: The appalling sacking of the traditional philosopher Sir Roger Scruton

There was another example of political cowardice this week.

Ben Lowry: The DUP's best hope now is that a new, tougher Tory leader comes in

Arlene Foster said on Thursday that the United Kingdom was heading inexorably towards a 'no deal' Brexit if concerns on the backstop were not heeded by the European Union.