In short

Other home news in brief

Other home news in brief

Third arrest in O'Hagan murder case

Another man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Belfast journalist Martin O'Hagan seven years ago.

Mr O'Hagan (51) was shot dead as he walked home with his wife from a pub in Lurgan in 2001. The attack was claimed by the Red Hand Defenders, a cover name for the Loyalist Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association.

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On Tuesday two men were charged with Mr O'Hagan's murder.

Warning on 1980s levels of poverty

The Government runs the risk of "returning to the high levels of deprivation of the 1980s" if it fails to protect the living standards of those at risk of poverty, Combat Poverty has said.

Kevin O'Kelly, acting director of the State agency, warned that if the Government takes its focus off anti-poverty measures now, it will be faced with multiple challenges in the fight against poverty in the years ahead.

He said the economic downturn was already having most impact on those living in poverty and those who have recently become unemployed.

Loan deal agreed in principle

The Cabinet has approved in principle plans to let local authorities offer more mortgages to the lower-paid, but a decision about the income limits to apply will not be taken for some time, writes Mark Hennessy.

Under the plan, the Housing Finance Agency, with the help of the National Treasury Management Agency, would raise money from the financial markets - which it would find it easier to do than private banks because it enjoys a State- backed guarantee.

This money would then be offered by local authorities to people who have already been refused mortgages by banks.

Radiographer on sex offender list

A radiographer from Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry has been placed on the sex offenders' register after pleading guilty before the city's crown court to downloading 26,000 indecent images of children.

Ivor Gilfillan (52), Burnally Road, Limavady, Co Derry, pleaded guilty yesterday to 50 specimen charges of making and distributing the images between June 2004 and last February.

Gilfillan, who has been suspended by the hospital authorities, has been in custody since he was arrested at his home last March. A defence solicitor said a psychiatric report would be prepared before Gilfillan was sentenced for the offences on October 24th.