He was diagnosed with cancer in December 2023 after he had just started university.

A Northern Ireland student has opened up about how a home from home support service helped in his recovery from a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Young Lives vs Cancer first opened the doors to their Belfast Home from Home Amy’s House in early 2016. Ten years on, staff, supporters from the community, young people with cancer and families who have previously stayed at the Home have gathered to celebrate the milestone anniversary and the support it has provided over the past decade.

They include Romeo, who was studying music at Ulster University in Derry when he was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, a form of bone or soft tissue cancer that primarily occurs in children and young adults, at 18 years old in December 2023.

READ MORE: ‘I was diagnosed with this hidden disease after months of unexplained pain and uncertainty’READ MORE: ‘Don’t be embarrassed about bowel cancer, get help before it’s too late’

Now 21, he stayed at Amy’s House for eight months during the entire duration of his treatment whenever he wasn’t in hospital.

Romeo said: “Amy’s House made one of the greatest impacts on my treatment outside of the actual treatment in hospital. At the time with most of my friends starting university, I was on my own. Without Amy’s house I would have likely struggled to find a place to live while undergoing treatment. Now I’m currently recovering still and trying to manage the after-effects of my surgery from cancer as well as the fatigue I have along with it to this day.”

Young Lives vs Cancer is the leading UK charity for children and young people (0–25) with cancer and their families. Amy’s House is one of Young Lives vs Cancer’s ten Homes from Home across the UK, and one of two in Northern Ireland. Each Home provides young people and families with a free place to stay nearby to where they or their child is having cancer treatment.

Treatment can often be a long way from home, which can be stressful and expensive so being able to stay at a Home from Home lessens that stress and helps families stay together.

Since opening in 2016, more than 700 families have stayed at Amy’s House. It is located just a short walk away from Belfast City Hospital and has five ensuite bedrooms for families to use. The Home also has communal areas, with a fully equipped kitchen and lounge areas, allowing families to meet, talk and share experiences with each other if they want to.

Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive at Young Lives vs Cancer, said: “This anniversary celebrates an incredibly special and vital service our charity provides in Northern Ireland. We wouldn’t be here and able to provide our Home from Home without our supporters and everyone who donates. We want to thank the community for their continued support.

“When a child or young person is diagnosed, they are often miles from their home, their family and friends. We know how much having their families able to stay close by to them in hospital helps, and the financial pressures Amy’s House eases for young people.

“We’re thankful we’ve been able to support young people with cancer and so many families in Northern Ireland at Amy’s House, and it’s been a special occasion hearing the impact the Home from Home has had over the past decade. Thank you to all our supporters, incredible house staff and social workers for everything they do to help be there for children and young people with cancer.”

To celebrate the ten-year milestone, Young Lives vs Cancer staff were joined by families who have previously stayed at Amy’s House. They marked the occasion with balloons, cake and swapping stories of how important the Home was to them.

Geraldine Burns, Accommodation Manager at Amy’s House, said: “We are so glad we can be there, for young people like Romeo, at a time when they need it most. This anniversary is a special occasion to take a moment to recognise the impact Amy’s House has in the community for so many people – and to celebrate and thank all the supporters who, through their vital donations, allow us to continue to be there for young people and families.

“I feel incredibly proud of Amy’s House and all the staff here who make the Home what it is for young people and families. In the last year, 119 young people and families have stayed at Amy’s House. Long may our service to the community continue, so we can be there for every child, young person or family member that needs us.”

To find out more about Young Lives vs Cancer’s Homes from Home and the support the charity provides, visit their website: www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk.

To ensure you don’t miss out on all the latest from Belfast Live, be sure to make us your preferred source on Google.

Aries 0904 470 1141 (65p per minute)*

Taurus 0904 470 1142 (65p per minute)*

Gemini 0904 470 1143 (65p per minute)*

Cancer 0904 470 1144 (65p per minute)*

Leo 0904 470 1145 (65p per minute)*

Virgo 0904 470 1146 (65p per minute)*

Libra 0904 470 1147 (65p per minute)*

Scorpio 0904 470 1148 (65p per minute)*

Sagittarius 0904 470 1149 (65p per minute)*

Capricorn 0904 470 1150 (65p per minute)*

Aquarius 0904 470 1151 (65p per minute)*

Pisces 0904 470 1152 (65p per minute)*

*Astro line horoscopes are updated every Thursday. Calls cost 65p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge and will last approximately five minutes. You must be over 18 and have the bill payer’s permission. Service provided by Spoke. Customer service: 0333 202 3390

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks drifted higher in hesitant trading on Monday, ahead of a deadline that President Donald Trump has set to bomb Iranian power plants.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first winning week in the last six. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 165 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%.

Oil prices likewise rose after seesawing through the day amid uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran and how long it will slow the global flow of oil and natural gas. Iran on Monday rejected the latest ceasefire proposal and instead said it wants a permanent end to the war.

“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”

Fighting continued in the war, meanwhile, including an Israeli attack on an Iranian petrochemical plant. And in the background was the clock ticking toward a deadline, one that Trump has moved multiple times, where he has threatened to attack Iranian power plants if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz. A fifth of the world’s oil typically sails through the strait during peacetime.

Trump on Monday suggested that his latest deadline of Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern time will be the final one, saying he’d already given enough extensions. “The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.

Monday also offered the first chance for U.S. stock prices to react to a report from Friday that said U.S. employers hired more workers last month than economists expected. The unemployment rate unexpectedly improved.

They’re encouraging signals for an economy that’s had to absorb painful leaps in costs for gasoline since the war’s beginning. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is nearly $4.12 across the country, according to AAA. It was below $3 a couple days before the United States and Israel launched attacks to begin the war in late February.

For countries that don’t produce as much oil as the United States, the pain has been even worse. That’s because they are more reliant on oil coming from the Middle East, and the war has blocked in much of the crude produced in the Persian Gulf area. That oil typically gets to customers around the world by exiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.8% to settle at $112.41 after erasing an earlier modest dip. Brent crude, the international standard, added 0.8% to $109.77 per barrel and remains well above its roughly $70 price from before the war.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The 10-year Treasury yield was sitting at 4.33%. That’s still well above its 3.97% level from before the war. The rise has pushed up rates for mortgages and other loans going to U.S. households and businesses, which slows the economy.

A report on Monday said that finance, transportation and other U.S. businesses in services sectors grew in March for a 21st straight month of expansion. But the growth was slightly slower than economists expected, and a measure of prices accelerated at its fastest pace since 2022 in a potentially discouraging signal for inflation.

In stock markets abroad, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.5%, and South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.4%. Many other markets in Europe and Asia were closed for holidays.

___

AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.

The annual World Coal Carrying Championships in the village of Gawthorpe, near Ossett, saw 240 entrants haul sacks of coal across a distance of 3,320ft (about 1,000m). Men carried 7st 12lb (50kg) sacks of coal, with women racers shifting 3st 2lb (20kg) bags, from the Royal Oak pub to the village’s Maypole Green.

He took on the supersized project following his retirement

A retired electrician who says “you can only cook and clean for so many hours” has earned himself the nickame “Mr Big Stuff” thanks to his new and rather unusual hobby. DIY-fanatic Steve Wainwright builds supersize versions of everyday household objects.

So far in Steve’s collection, he has made items including a giant pencil, cassette tape and a playing card. These usually palm-sized objects are made out of wood, metal and plastic and can take anywhere from three days to two weeks to complete.

Steve, 62, and from Stanground near Peterborough makes his models from a workshop at the bottom of his garden and has now made 20 different models, including a 1.5m tall Staedtler pencil and a 1m tall cassette tape.

He said: “I took on the role of a house husband as I retired before my wife. You can only cook and clean for so many hours so I decided I wanted to build something. I didn’t want to be bored in the house.

“I had a tape measure in my hand when I saw an electrical plug and I thought I could build that bigger. I settled on ten times the size as it’s easy maths but sometimes I do use a bit of artistic licence.

“Anything that will fit in the palm of my hand, I will give it a go – lipstick, screws, pencil sharpeners.”

Steve, who also worked with the ambulance service for 10 years, describes himself as a “maker of things”. He started building in his garage but soon moved into a £4k workshop which he built himself. His sculptures catch the eyes of those passing by, and he has also exhibited some items for charity.

He said: “From the male point of view, they’ll say ‘This is amazing!’ But from the female perspective, they usually ask where I could possibly keep everything. I’ve been asked to support charities and the blind find they can identify items by touch, especially with the original, smaller version alongside it. The public loves the pencils.”

Steve has made a table-sized retractable tape measure whic took two weeks to build, whilst the pencil sharpener took him three days. He has even sulpted giant keys – one shed and one Yale – and said he’d love to take them into Timpson.

Steve says that he thinks he has spent around £2.5k on the materials, but added: “It was never about the money. The joy of it would fade. People don’t appreciate the skills they have and look over just how capable they can be.”

Coronation Street favourite Debbie Webster, played by Sue Devaney, was dealt with heartbreak yet again on Easter Monday’s episode as she realised how she was being conned again

Coronation Street’s Debbie Webster appeared to disown her long-lost son on Easter Monday’s episode of the ITV soap. The hotelier, who is played by Sue Devaney, has only just been released from prison after winning an appeal off-screen after she took the blame for son Carl’s dangerous driving during the Emmerdale crossover.

Up until recently, Debbie was said to be Carl’s sister but she revealed the truth to him just before she was sent to prison. Back at work at the Chariot Square hotel Carl (Jonathan Howard) was soon up to his old tricks and asking Debbie to bail him out financially yet again. He claimed that he was £10,000 in debt to ruthless businesswoman Fiona (Sara Poyzer) yet again and she agreed to help him out, on the condition that he paid her back by working at the hotel.

Debbie, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia last year after producers confirmed that the much-loved character will be killed off at some point in the future, seemed to be happy to make this arrangement but her husband Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) smelled a rat instantly.

READ MORE: Coronation Street villain ‘ruled out as death’ after returning character news

OPINION

Advertisement

Ronnie is the former flame of Fiona, so had no qualms out calling her up to check on the situation. As he did this, Carl had been pestering Debbie to make the transfer all day and she fobbed him off with excuses about bank security checks causing a delay. When Ronnie turned up on the scene later that afternoon, Debbie said: “I know, Ronnie, you don’t approve of it, but once he’s paid off this debt, he can start afresh!”

Ronnie told Debbie: “I’ve just been to see Fiona. His debt was five grand. Not ten. He’s fleecing you. Five grand on the debt, and another five in his back pocket. He’s playing you, babe. “

Debbie was visibly heartbroken as the truth dawned on her as she turned to Carl and said: “After everything I’ve done for you?” On the verge of tears, she said: “Do you know what? We’re done! Camels and straws and all that etc. I can’t do this anymore, Carl. I can’t do it.”

Advertisement

Viewers will know that Carl is one of five potential murder victims, as teased in a flashforward that aired earlier this year. On April 23, fans will finally discover whether Carl, Jodie Ramsey, Maggie Driscoll, Megan Walsh, or Theo Silverton will be killed off.

Fans were thrilled that Debbie had finally seen the light, but some were concerned that Carl may be able to return to his ways once her condition deteriorates.

Taking to X, one fan said: “Debbie cutting Carl off now that she’s lucid but will he take advantage when she has a memory symptom? A part of me thinks Carl will ruin the hotel as retaliation thus ruining the #Swarla wedding but another part says if he ruins the hotel he won’t have a place to live. #Corrie.”

Advertisement

Another said: “I did love watching Debbie wash her hands of Carl. Let’s hope it sticks though,” whilst a third wrote: “Tell him Debbie,” and emblazoned their tweet with a clapping-hands emoji.

A fourth said: “Debbie’s finally accepted that Carl is playing her. She’s known for a while, she’s been understanding, she’s forgiven him but he just keeps doing it & now she’s had enough!”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.

* Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

ITV local news programmes suddenly disappeared off-air on Monday evening including bulletins from Northern Ireland

Advertisement

ITV regional news broadcasts abruptly vanished from screens on Monday evening (April 6), prompting baffled viewers to flood social media asking ‘what’s going on?’.

Television sets displayed nothing but a static ITV News graphic as local news services experienced widespread disruption. Concerned viewers flocked to X to report the technical fault, which seemed to have knocked out Granada Reports throughout the North West region.

Additional reports suggested programmes in Northern Ireland, Yorkshire, and the West Country were also hit by the outage. The broadcaster’s other channels continued to operate without issue.

Local news bulletins on the flagship channel went dark across various parts of the nation, leaving audiences staring at animated regional studio logos, reports the Manchester Evening News.

READ MORE: Eamonn Holmes opens up on first job he almost kept over concerns about TV breakREAD MORE: I’m a Celebrity’s Beverley Callard clears up ITV show confusion after cancer diagnosis

One viewer wrote: “Looks like a full network breakdown on@ITV1 with no regional news bulletins across the whole of the UK including @GranadaReports and with them unable to return back to national for @ITVNews.

“What’s happened to the Granada tv region signal? Its frozen on the ITV news logo,” queried another, while a third asked: “ITV1 seems to be down. Just a massive ITV logo and the region name below. Supposed to be airing the news right now.

“What the hell is happening with the local news/ national news in Yorkshire area as nothing on ?” another questioned.

In a message posted on X, ITV Granada confirmed the broadcaster had been encountering technical difficulties. It stated: “Apologies to viewers tuning in for our bulletin this evening – ITV has been experiencing technical problems and is working hard to fix the technical issues.”

The issues with the ITV news programmes came days after it was reported that ITV was closing one of its biggest channels. The iconic CITV is reportedly shutting down for good after 42 years, with its last broadcast on ITV2 scheduled for April 10.

Having launched the careers of several well-known telly stars, including Stephen Mulhern, Holly Willoughby and Cat Deeley, the channel also aired much-loved shows, such as Art Attack with Neil Buchanan, Tots TV and Horrid Henry.

CITV officially closed in 2023, however a programming block showing all the classics launched on ITV2, so viewers could still get their fix. But now, it’s no more, with the channel reportedly being shut down for good.

Announcing the news of the CITV’s demise this week, a social media account said: “This really means the end of the iconic CITV brand that’s been around for 42 years. Farewell CITV, this time for real.”

However, revealing that some of the shows would be picked up by CBBC while the rest will be under ITVX Kids, the post continued: “CBBC will have some of CITV’s programming while the rest will be under ITVX Kids.”

An independent review recently found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI”

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveal the number of PSNI officers dismissed due to sexual misconduct in the past 10 years.

It comes as the Chief Constable pledged last week to take action after an independent review found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI“.

The FOI request to the PSNI asked for the numbers of officers dismissed due to sexual misconduct. It found that from the start of the 2015 financial year, there has been 26 officers dismissed, with the majority of these dismissals taking place within the last five years.

There has been 26 officers dismissed for sexual misconduct in the last 10 financial years:

• 2015 to 2020 – Total 3 officers
• 2021 to 2025 – Total 23 officers

The PSNI “made the decision to withhold the year by year breakdown requested as this information could lead to the identification of individual officers”.

In the Chief Constable’s accountability report for April, he addressed some of the recent misconduct cases he has chaired with officers being dismissed without notice for incident which included misogyny, inappropriate sexual relationships, misogyny, domestic abuse and sexual assault.

It said: “In 2024, I chaired eleven special case hearings to consider alleged misconduct of officers, nine of which resulted in dismissal without notice, one final written warning and one reduction in rank. One of these hearings related to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a person the officer met on duty. He was dismissed without notice.

“In 2025, I oversaw a further eleven special case hearings, all resulting in dismissal without notice. Of these cases, six involved elements of misogyny. Four related to inappropriate messaging, one involved domestic abuse and one followed a criminal conviction for two counts of sexual assault on a colleague.

“So far in 2026, I have overseen two special case hearings where both officers were dismissed without notice. One related to gross indecency and the other related to domestic abuse. We will continue to work closely with the Police Ombudsman and other partners to ensure robust prevention, early identification and decisive action. Where standards fall short, we will act.”

Last week Chief Constable Jon Boutcher addressed the Policing Board following the publication of an independent review by Rachel Langdale KC that he had requested. It looked at the PSNI’s response to violence against women and girls along with the culture within the force itself.

The review found “clear evidence of sexism and misogyny within the PSNI” and that its misconduct process was “flawed”.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “The review recognises a number of positive developments and the significant work already undertaken by officers and staff. It also identifies areas where further improvement is required. I have accepted all the recommendations in full and am committed to building on the progress already made.

“We are developing a refreshed and updated Violence Against Women and Children Action Plan, where the recommendations from this review will be included, setting out our clear priorities, responsibilities and timescales for delivery. Robust governance arrangements will continue to ensure senior oversight and sustained implementation of the recommendations. We will also report to the Northern Ireland Policing Board on our progress.

“The review was commissioned as an assurance exercise to inform improvement and strengthen operational delivery. In commissioning the report, particular care was taken to ensure that it remained an internal report. This approach was adopted to create a safe and trusted environment for those contributing, allowing individuals to speak openly and candidly without fear of identification or adverse consequence. This, in turn, enabled the most honest and constructive insights to emerge. We are committed to acting on its findings and to demonstrating measurable progress in the areas identified.

“I am sharing the foreword and recommendations at this stage to provide visibility of the key findings and proposed actions arising from the review. These elements capture the overarching themes and intended direction of travel for the organisation as we continue to seek to learn and improve systems and processes.

“Our focus remains on delivering the highest standards of policing for the communities we serve and maintaining public confidence through continuous improvement and accountability. I thank Rachel Langdale KC and her team for their approach to this report and for her honest assessment of our systems processes and culture.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Arsenal are looking to bounce back from back-to-back damaging defeats in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup when they take on Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter finals

Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal will not allow “panic” to creep in with their whole season hanging in the balance.

Gunners boss Arteta says his players are “hungrier than ever” to save their season from collapse ahead of their Champions League quarter final showdown with Sporting Lisbon. Arsenal have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Carabao Cup final and then crashed out of the FA Cup at Southampton on Saturday to turn up the heat on Arteta’s men.

But Arteta says Arsenal are ready for the challenge of their lives as the Premier League leaders face Sporting on Tuesday night and then a crunch showdown with Bournemouth on Saturday. Arteta said: “I think what we have to do is clear, instead of panic, understand if that happens, why it happened and bring clarity.

“And when you analyse that and you accept that, you’ll be better. That’s it, and that’s the thing that we have to do. We are hungrier than ever, very excited and very motivated. Feel the pain, use it to improve.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

READ MORE: Arsenal handed triple injury boost for Sporting clash but Mikel Arteta rules two stars outREAD MORE: Sporting manager Rui Borges gives Arsenal verdict as season threatens to unravel

“I know what it means to them and I know how much they want it. It’s now the moment to show it, and we have to do it on that green tomorrow at the highest level. I think when you have the opportunity that we have, that has to be taken through excitement, through preparing yourself in the best possible way, focusing on the present and on the things that we have to do.

“And especially in our identity, it’s very clear what is taking us on the way to where we are, and that’s where we have to focus.”

Arteta insists the players can handle the pressure – because they have had their mentality questioned since the first day of the season. He added: “That’s in football, from the first game of the season. That’s going to be questioned. It’s okay, what about Arsenal this season? It’s been like this for the last nine months, and that’s going to continue; that’s never going to change when you play at this level for this club.

“There’s always going to be a question mark. You have to live the present; you have to deliver it every day. You cannot pick the game, you cannot pick the moments or the actions. It’s every action, every game, every moment. And that’s the standard that we set and that’s part of identity and it’s part of this football club.”

Arsenal have been boosted by the return of Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard to the squad to face Sporting, Gabriel is also fit while Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber could be fit to face Bournemouth.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Find the best flights and hotels for Champions League games

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Various Prices

Booking.com

See the deals here

Booking.com provides countless deals on flights and accommodation across Europe so football fans can follow their team on their Champions League campaign.