The charity is calling on people across Northern Ireland to support its message, ‘Be Kind to Different Minds’

A Co Antrim schoolgirl has spoken out on World Autism Day, saying she is proud to be autistic and that it’s not something that needs to be ‘fixed’.

Emily McCreedy, aged 11, from Belfast, said she doesn’t see her autism as a limitation but rather something that makes her unique.

She said: “To me, being autistic means I experience the world differently, and that’s something to be proud of. Not everyone has to be the same, and those differences should be valued.

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“Since my diagnosis, I’ve received more support at school and through Autism NI, which has made a big difference to my life.

Emily added: “Autism isn’t something that needs to be fixed, it’s part of who I am. I’m creative and kind, and with the right support, I feel safe, accepted, and proud to be autistic.”

Autism NI is marking World Autism Day by urging people right across Northern Ireland to back its campaign message, ‘Be Kind to Different Minds’. With over 35,000 autistic individuals living in Northern Ireland, the organisation is encouraging everyone to acknowledge, celebrate and demonstrate genuine support for the autistic community.

Kerry Boyd, CEO of Autism NI, adds: “This World Autism Day, we are asking the public to get behind our message, ‘Be Kind to Different Minds’. We want to build a greater understanding of autism, promote acceptance, and create a more inclusive society, but we cannot do this alone.

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“Autistic people may face challenges, many of which are not visible to others. This reinforces the message that autism is a dynamic disability, and everyone’s experience is different.

“Through this campaign, we want to encourage people to deepen their understanding of autism and recognise how this can lead to meaningful changes in empathy, respect and inclusion.

“Whether at home, in school, or throughout April, Autism NI will be delivering a variety of activities and campaigns, offering chances for individuals to participate and demonstrate their support.

“Autism NI delivers essential services for autistic individuals and their families right across Northern Ireland and continues to advocate for improved understanding and acceptance of autism within society.”

To discover more about how to participate, visit https://autismni.org/get-involved/world-autism-month

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New rules under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax come into force from April 6, requiring many self-employed workers and landlords to keep digital records and submit updates to HMRC throughout the year.

But research suggests a large number are unprepared and increasingly anxious.

A study by FreeAgent found:

• Less than half feel confident they will be ready
• Only 39 percent say they fully understand the rules
• One in five do not know what is required
• More than one in ten have lost sleep over the changes

The reforms will initially affect more than 850,000 sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000, with millions more set to follow in the coming years.

Concerns go beyond understanding the rules, with many worried about the consequences of getting it wrong.

• 47 percent fear being fined or penalised
• 17 percent admit avoiding letters or emails about the changes
• Nearly half say they feel confused or anxious about the system

Some are even reconsidering their future:

• 23 percent are thinking about leaving self-employment
• 28 percent say they may take on less work

According to Oliver Harcourt from Taxfix, the scale of confusion is a major concern.

He said hundreds of thousands are heading into the changes without a clear understanding, adding that the reforms risk making tax feel like a second job for many.

Dominic Littlewood has teamed up with accountancy software company, Free Agent to help small businesses and landlords prepare for Making Tax Digital, as new data shows one in seven have considered retiring ahead of the April roll out. (Image: Free Agent)

What the new tax rules actually mean

Despite widespread confusion, the changes are about how tax is reported, not how much is paid.

Key points include:

• You will still need to submit an annual tax return
• Quarterly updates are summaries, not full tax returns
• The rules do not mean you will pay more tax
• Digital record keeping and approved software will be required

However, fewer than four in ten correctly understand the need for digital records, and only a third know they must use HMRC-recognised software.

Dominic Littlewood, working with FreeAgent, said the scale of the change explains why so many are worried.

He described Making Tax Digital as the biggest shake-up to tax submissions in two decades but stressed it does not have to be overwhelming.

He said many sole traders are asking the same questions about bookkeeping and potential fines, and need clear, simple guidance to stay compliant.

The rollout begins next week for higher earners but will expand:

• Over £50,000 income from April 2026
• Over £30,000 from April 2027
• Over £20,000 from April 2028

In total, around 2.9 million people are expected to be affected.

Experts warn that without better awareness and preparation, confusion could lead to mistakes, penalties and added pressure on small businesses already dealing with rising costs.

On Wednesday night, the BBC reported that pre-launch testing revealed a fault in the rocket’s flight termination system

The Artemis II mission had reportedly encountered an issue that could delay its scheduled launch.

On Wednesday night, the BBC reported that pre-launch testing revealed a fault in the rocket’s flight termination system. This system is critical for safety, designed to destroy the rocket mid-flight if it veers off course, ensuring it does not pose a danger to people on the ground.

Derrol Nail, a NASA commentator in the launch control room, explained that the termination system must be fully operational before launch. If any part of the rocket goes wrong during ascent, the launch abort system will lift the Orion capsule and its astronauts to safety, while the flight termination system would destroy the rocket to prevent it from entering populated areas.

Ground controllers are currently facing a communication issue with the system, which has prevented them from fully testing the hardware ahead of launch. Engineers are attempting to resolve the problem using equipment originally designed to communicate with the Space Shuttle.

However, NASA engineers confirmed that the fault had since been fixed and ‘all systems are now go’.

The launch could take place tonight starting in a two hour window from 11.24pm GMT, at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Mason, 12, and Casper, eight, have been missing for the majority of the night and police say concern is growing.

A pair of brothers have gone missing from a Scots town this evening, with one without vital medication. Mason, 12, and Casper, eight, were last seen between 6pm and 6.20pm in Springbank, Meethill in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

It is not known where they headed or why they left without speaking to their family. Mason takes daily medication which he doesn’t appear to have with him.

Police Scotland have issued an urgent appeal to get to the bottom of their whereabouts. Mason is white, 4ft 10 in height, and is of a slim build and has blond hair. He’s wearing a coat that is blue on top and has a white and grey camouflage pattern on the bottom.

Casper is also White. He is approximately 4ft and of a slim build. He’s wearing a black Nike coat, grey tracksuit bottoms, and black shoes.

Cops say concern for the brothers is growing, particularly for Mason as he doesn’t have access to his medication. The force has been checking with local transport firms and loves ones but no one has seen or heard from them.

Anyone with any information on where they are is being asked to come forward.

Inspector Stuart Hillman said: “Obviously the worry is for Mason, to make sure he is able to access his medication. Casper is very young, they both are, so we want to find them to make sure all is well and that they are safe.

“If you have seen them at all this evening, or have any information that will assist our enquiries, then please call police via 101 quoting incident number 2776 of Wednesday, 1 April 2026.

“We have been checking with local bus and travel companies, friends and family, and indeed in the area they live, but so far no one has seen or heard from them.”

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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has rescinded a widely criticized spending rule, ending a policy that required his office to personally approve all departmental expenditures over $100,000. Implemented by his predecessor Kristi Noem, the directive was widely criticized for burdening the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster response and recovery work.

The decision marks the first major action by the new Homeland Security leader, sworn in last week, to change a policy implemented by Noem, whom President Donald Trump fired in March. Mullin’s move is expected to ease a spending bottleneck that lawmakers and states said delayed disaster response and recovery funds, though those impacts are unlikely to be widely felt until after the end of the DHS shutdown, now in its 46th day.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed Mullin rescinded the rule Wednesday, telling The Associated Press the secretary “re-evaluated the contract processes to make sure DHS is serving the American taxpayer efficiently.” CBS News first reported Mullin’s decision.

The spokesperson said Mullin’s action will streamline the contracting process and allocate aid more efficiently.

The International Association of Emergency Managers praised Mullin’s decision. “We appreciate Secretary Mullin’s common-sense approach to this matter, and we look forward to working with him,” said Josh Morton, president of IAEM-USA.

Noem issued a directive last June requiring that she personally approve any Department of Homeland Security expenditure over $100,000. Critics said the rule undermined FEMA in particular, an agency that routinely issues contracts and reimbursements well over that amount in its work preparing for and responding to natural and manmade disasters across the U.S.

The policy created “an untenable situation for emergency managers,” Morton said, and a bottleneck that also hindered mitigation and preparedness programs, “putting Americans at increased risk from disasters.”

A recently released report by Democratic members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found the approval rule had delayed at least 1,000 FEMA contracts, grants or disaster reimbursements by September.

The policy came under scrutiny after news reports linked it to unstaffed call centers and delays deploying FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams to Texas during deadly floods last July, and brought sharp rebuke from some state officials and lawmakers, especially Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, whose state is still recovering from devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

“You’ve failed at FEMA,” Tillis told Noem at a Senate hearing the day before she was fired.

About $2.2 billion in recovery and mitigation dollars were in the DHS approval queue Wednesday, according to FEMA data seen by the AP.

“It’s got a great mission, and I think people at FEMA want to do their job,” Mullin told lawmakers at his March confirmation hearing, sparking cautious hope that he would ease the tumult experienced at the agency under Noem.

Mullin said he would keep the agency ”adequately staffed” after it lost over 2,400 employees last year, and said he was already considering nominees for a permanent FEMA administrator, which the agency still lacks.

Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of eliminating FEMA, saying as recently as Tuesday that the agency is “very expensive and it really doesn’t get the job done.”

Michael Coen, FEMA chief of staff during the Obama and Biden administrations, said, “Hopefully this a step toward transparency and stability between FEMA and states.”

DHS is reviewing other policies across the agency, pausing the purchase of new warehouses for immigration detention this week as it reviews contracts signed under Noem.

Lifting the spending approval rule will not necessarily mean a rapid flow of FEMA reimbursements to states, tribes and territories, as the agency is still impacted by the DHS fund impasse, now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

While FEMA disaster response and recovery activities are paid out of a non-lapsing Disaster Relief Fund, that money is running low, a FEMA official warned lawmakers in a House hearing last week, with about $3.6 billion remaining. The DHS appropriations bill would add just over $26 billion to the fund.

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday signaled an agreement to end the shutdown could be reached in the coming days.

Emergency services did not reveal the care home’s location but it is reportedly in Queen’s Promenade

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Emergency services are tackling a fire at a care home as police say ‘avoid the area’. North West Ambulance Service are on the scene in Blackpool claiming they are “assessing the situation”.

NWAS shared an update on Facebook at 9.21pm this evening. The trust has sent resources to the scene and are working alongside “other members of the emergency services”.

According to LancashireLive, NWAS did not disclose the location of the care home but Lancashire Constabulary has since shared a post revealing it is in Queen’s Promenade.

Blackpool Police said on Facebook: “At around 8:30pm this evening we were called to reports of a fire at a care home on Queen’s Promenade, Blackpool. We are currently on scene with North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (Official).

“We ask that you please avoid the area, and allow emergency services to conduct their duties. Thank you for your patience.”

NWAS said in its post: “Following reports a fire at a care home in Bispham, Blackpool the trust has despatched resources to the scene. We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services.

“Our priority is to ensure people receive any medical help they need as quickly as possible.”

LancsLive has attempted to contact Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service. No details have been published on the service’s website at the time of publication.

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Slegers described an “unbelievable performance” in the second leg because of the fightback Arsenal knew Chelsea would give.

Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar returned to the starting XI and put in a stunning performance, denying Sam Kerr on several occasions in the second half.

England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy was a rock at the back in the absence of Leah Williamson and Arsenal were not shaken when fellow centre-half Steph Catley went off with a calf injury at the end of the first half.

In-form striker Alessia Russo was full of tricks and flicks. The England international usually keeps touches on the ball to a minimum but she did what it took to escape tricky situations when pressure was building.

Slegers said her team were prepared to “suffer” in order to get what they wanted and it paid off in the end.

“It’s suffering for something you love. I think that’s what the team did really well. They were prepared for a difficult scenario and for momentum shifts,” she added.

“In the first 15 minutes, potentially at the end of the game when things changed again, they just stayed in the ‘controlled middle’, as we call it.

“They stayed in the game and were constantly in control of whatever scenario or momentum swing. They did their job. Mentally we were in control.

“Of course, we wanted to stop them getting chances and in an ideal world there are no shots but it was two really good teams going against each other.”

Former England captain Steph Houghton said Arsenal were “better in big moments” and deserved to progress on the balance of the tie.

Brighton forward Fran Kirby added: “Arsenal allowed Chelsea to have the ball, they were comfortable in their block and defensively worked really hard.

“With the opportunities that they had, they could even have gone on and won the game, so they will be really proud of the performance.

“It showed a different side to Arsenal. It showed what they can do when they have to defend.”

Arsenal will hope to book their place in the final when they take on the winner between Lyon and Wolfsburg – who play each other on Thursday night.

The final takes place on 23 May in Oslo, Norway.

When fans walk into Immaculata’s gym they are immediately reminded of the team’s glorious past, when the Mighty Macs ruled women’s basketball nearly a half-century ago.

Championship trophies are proudly displayed near the entrance while Hall of Fame banners honoring some of the school’s icons, including former coach Cathy Rush, adorn the walls.

Powerhouses in this weekend’s Final Four like UConn and South Carolina stand on the shoulders of schools like Immaculata, Queens College, Wayland Baptist and Delta State. During the early years of the women’s basketball poll that debuted in 1976, those programs set the foundation, dominating the now dissolved Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).

But during the 50 years of the women’s poll, those pioneering programs haven’t been able to sustain the dynasty-level success that shaped women’s hoops in the 1970s.

The current revenue sharing model that allows schools to directly pay athletes has added a greater financial hurdle for small schools to overcome.

“If you want to be nationally competitive, if you want to win national championships, there’s a very significant investment involved,” said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, “because you’re paying top dollar for your coach. You’re paying for all the amenities. … And then you’ve got to, now you’ve got to acquire players, and to do that you need money, because they have options. And smaller schools aren’t going to have the same (financial) wherewithal as the big football school has.”

The 68-team women’s NCAA tournament field, for example, had 12 schools from the Big Ten, 10 from the SEC and nine ACC schools. The Big 12 had eight. There were only one at-large team from outside the Power 4 Conferences and the Big East.

“Is that a bad thing?” Ackerman added. “No — I think it’s just the reality of the world we’re in right now.”

Kinnison, who coached baseball at Delta State for 23 seasons before becoming athletic director in 2019, said he wants the school’s teams to be able to compete nationally and recapture some form of sustained success. That has been difficult, he added, and the school has faced tough financial decisions to make that happen.

“More and more, we rely on private sources, donations, alumni,” he said in his office on Delta State’s campus in Cleveland, Mississippi. “We’re in a town here of 11,000 people, and that’s not the density of a town that has 100,000 or 150,000 people. Some of our corporate options are a little less, so it’s challenging.”

Pioneers battle against becoming afterthoughts

The Delta State AD, along with others at Queens College and Immaculata, remain hopeful that their programs won’t be forgotten.

The court at Queens College is named after Kyvallos, the women’s basketball Hall of Famer and advocate who built the Knights into pioneers in the AIAW era.

At Delta State, there are similar tributes in the arena’s concourse: championship trophies and the preserved netting, the name of former coach Lloyd Clark is painted on the floor of the court named after him, honoring the period in which he won three Division II titles and guided 16 of his teams to the NCAA Tournament.

“You have to be a steward of that history, you have to tell those stories and talk about those individuals because it was crazy to think about what they had to go through,” current Queens coach Travis Ponton said.

Current Immaculata coach Brittany Whalen is very familiar with the history of the program. She played there from 2011-15 and was on the court at Madison Square Garden when the team played Queens College in her senior year — four decades after the two programs played the first women’s basketball game at MSG.

“It felt like being a celebrity,” Whalen said. “To tie in to that part of the history and that being the first-ever game played there it was just so cool to be a part of.”

Whalen, who has led the team to its first 20-win season since 1976-77 at 24-3, gives tours of the facility to perspective players.

“This is the same building they played in back in the 70s and not much has changed,” she said. “We talk about it in the preseason how you’re here because of the women who paved the way before you. If you’re going to be a Mighty Mac and be a part of the program, you need to know the history of it.”

Current Delta State coach Tracy Stewart-Lange has a similar appreciation for her program’s history.

There’s a photo in her phone that reminds her of those days. Former Delta State star and basketball pioneer Lusia Harris is captured mid-layup, and behind her fans are sitting courtside, pressed against the railings and anywhere else they could find a spot.

Games are much quieter now that the school has faded from national prominence, and Stewart-Lange often wonders if that will change.

“We want to fill these seats,” she said. “We’re trying to figure out can that still be done.”

___

Alanis Thames reported from Cleveland, Mississippi; Doug Feinberg reported from New York City and Philadelphia.

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Labour Party chair Anna Turley said the ad campaign will expose Reform’s record to voters and warn of the ‘real-world consequences of Farage getting even a whiff of power’

Nigel Farage has been accused of being a “charlatan” pretending to be on the side of working people as Labour launches a major ad campaign.

Labour Party chair Anna Turley said it will expose Reform’s record to voters and warn of the “real-world consequences of Farage getting even a whiff of power”.

As the local election campaign heats up, Labour’s ad van campaign – ‘Not on your side’ – will highlight Reform’s grim record in Parliament and public statements. It includes Mr Farage and Reform MPs voting against the landmark Employment Rights Bill.

The Bill, which became law in late 2025, contains a raft of measures including boosting sick pay provisions and banning controversial fire and rehire practices. Reform has pledged to axe the law alongside new landmark protections for renters under a “great repeal act” if the party wins power.

READ MORE: Tory turncoat who sued old party for changing office locks suffers disaster in courtREAD MORE: Reform’s plot to strip rights from workers exposed as ‘massively out of step’ with public

Labour’s ad campaign will also shine a spotlight on Mr Farage’s party’s plans to rip up the Online Safety Act, which includes vital protections for children online. Under the legislation tech companies have been ordered to bring in age verification tools, tame toxic algorithms and remove harmful content.

And the ad campaign will accuse Reform of being against the roll-out of free school breakfast clubs in primary schools by voting against the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Ms Turley said: “ Nigel Farage is a complete and utter charlatan. He and his Reform Party pretend to be on the side of working people. Yet time and again they try and block the vital changes Labour is bringing in to create a Britain built for all. That would mean vital cost of living support families across Britain wouldn’t have under a Reform Government.

“That would mean pounds torn out of the pockets of working people and workplace rights stripped away. That’s the real-world consequences of Farage getting even a whiff of power.”

Ms Turley added: “Today Labour exposes the truth: no amount of photo ops with pints down the pub will hide Farage’s naked attempts to hoodwink working people.”

The ramping up of the local elections battle comes just days after a dire prediction from experts that Labour faces losing “well over” 1,000 councillors in May’s crunch elections. They added the figure could also be as high as 2,000 if the pattern of the party’s fall in vote share in a raft of recent council by-elections continues.

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.

Melanie C, who was ‘Sporty Spice’ in the 90s pop group Spice Girls, will make a special appearance at independent record shop, Wax and Beans.

Melanie will be at the Market Street shop on Sunday, May 3 at 7pm to celebrate the release of her new solo album, Sweat, which will be available for purchase and streaming from May 1.

Melanie C (Image: PA)

A spokesman for Wax and Beans said: “Melanie C, powerhouse pop artist and former Spice Girl known for her fierce vocals, athletic style, and chart-topping hits like Never Be the Same Again.

“From global girl group fame to a successful solo career, she’s built a reputation for authenticity, resilience, and enduring pop influence.”

Tickets for the event range from £12.99 to £25.99.

Melanie, whose full name is Melanie Chisholm, rose to fame as part of the Spice Girls before launching a successful solo career.

Her new album Sweat is said to draw inspiration from the UK’s ’90s rave scene, which is described as a formative part of her youth.

Her team said: “Recorded between London, Stockholm and Sydney, ‘Sweat’ fuses her past and present – the sport and the spice, the forgotten teenage raver and the accomplished DJ.”

Fans have already expressed their excitement ahead of the visit.

One person said: “Tickets acquired! Boom.”

Another said: “Pre-ordered!! My favourite Spice Girl.”

Wax and Beans was named Best Independent Record Store at the 2025 Independent Music Awards and regularly hosts intimate music events and signings.

Last year, Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix visited the store to meet fans and sign copies of her debut album, That’s Showbiz Baby.