Mandy Neal won last year’s York Press Community Pride Award in the ‘Against All Odds’ category for her positivity and inspiration, which inspired award judges and Press readers.
As the Press reported, Mandy suddenly fell ill in January 2024, and was rushed to York Hospital where she was put in an induced coma in intensive care and placed on a ventilator. Doctors diagnosed pneumonia but also an infection – Strep A.
Mandy remained in hospital for a long time during which her body fought hard to keep her organs going, meaning blood supplies to her extremities were restricted. She survived but both her hands and feet had to be amputated.
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The much-loved mother and grandmother from York had always previously enjoyed good health and an active lifestyle – swimming, cycling and playing with her grandchildren.
Since her surgery, Many, who has worked as a waitress at Betty’s for 30 years, has inspired others by carrying on as best she can, including learning to independently walk again, using prosthetics legs.
Mandy Neal and guests of the TRTRehab wellness retreat. (Image: Pic supplied)
Mandy’s award was sponsored by TRTRehab, a multi-awards winning Therapy Studio which specialises in helping people get out of pain and regain control of their lives.
TRTRehab founder and owner Iwona Michalska said: “We were inspired by her honesty, humour and strength, and felt she would be the perfect motivational speaker for our retreat. She absolutely delivered, encouraging attendees to keep fighting for their health and to believe that a good life does not stop with disability.”
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TRTrehab runs immersive retreats twice a year at Hawkhills, near York. These retreats are designed for individuals who are willing to go the extra mile and fully immerse themselves in recovery from persistent pain, chronic illness or disability.
The last retreat was last weekend, which included tailored exercise sessions adapted to each participant’s ability, team games and personal challenges, mindset and resilience training and social activities.
Mandy Neal and TRTRehab’s Iwona Michalska (Image: NQ)
Iwona added: “Mandy is passionate about inspiring others and is always keen to connect with new groups, schools and organisations to spread her message that life does not stop with disability.
“Mandy joined us at the retreat as our motivational speaker, and she was truly outstanding. She inspired, motivated and encouraged everyone in the room to keep fighting for their health and their lives, no matter the obstacles they face.
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“Her story and positivity had a real impact on all who attended.”
TRTrehab hopes to welcome Mandy again, this time as a participant at our next retreat in November 2026.
For more information about TRTrehab and upcoming retreats, go to: www.trtrehab.co.uk
“It is frustrating and upsetting to be dealing with another instance of tragedy abuse.”
Rangers have released a statement after Celtic supporters were seen mocking the Ibrox disaster during Sunday’s Old Firm match and police launched a probe.
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Some Hoops fans were filmed making the sick gestures during the 2-2 draw against their bitter rivals. One twisted fan was videoed holding up his phone with the number 66 on the screen – the number of Rangers fans who lost their lives in the 1971 stairway crush.
Another supporter in front of him was spotted making a diving gesture with his hands, which is used as another vile way of mocking the tragedy. Meanwhile, a fan nearby was seen making a gun gesture with his hands.
As police confirmed they were investigating the incidents, the Ibrox side have condemned “another instance of tragedy abuse”.
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A spokesperson for Rangers said: “It is frustrating and upsetting to be dealing with another instance of tragedy abuse. After a similar event last season, an individual was prosecuted, highlighting there are serious consequences for such actions. The club will fully support the authorities in any investigation into this matter.”
The sick scenes come after a Celtic fan was prosecuted for mocking the Ibrox disaster at another Old Firm clash. Action was taken against Darren Malloch in October after he mocked the tragedy in May last year.
The 34-year-old was banned from football games for 14 months and fined £520 after pleading guilty to conducting himself in a disorderly manner. The Celtic fan also lost his job when the clip went viral.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of this incident and enquiries are ongoing.”
The Scottish Premiership clash saw two goals from Youssef Chermiti give the Light Blues a 2-0 lead over their rivals at half time.
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Celtic dominated the second half, though, as they found a way back with a goal from Kieran Tierney. Reo Hatate then equalised late on after needing three attempts to beat Jack Butland with a stoppage time penalty.
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The driver allegedly ‘punched the man to the ground’ (Picture: SolarPix)
A taxi driver has been arrested in a Costa holiday resort after allegedly attacking an Irish tourist for burping in his cab.
The 65-year-old victim was rushed to the hospital with serious head and face wounds after he was ‘punched to the ground’ in the alleged assault in Fuengirola, Costa del Sol.
He was taken to a health centre in Las Lagunas before being transferred to the hospital in Marbella.
The 51-year-old cab driver is said to have ordered the unnamed holidaymaker out of his taxi for burping inside the vehicle.
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The Irish tourist reportedly hit his head on the curb after being knocked to the ground when the driver punched him in the street once he and a friend he was with left the cab.
The second holidaymaker was unharmed in the incident, which happened near a hotel on the seafront promenade.
The accident happened near a hotel in Fuengirola (Picture: SolarPix)
It was not immediately clear this morning if the assault victim, said to have been under the influence of alcohol, remained in hospital and what his current condition is.
The arrest was made at the scene by officers from a National Police rapid response unit who were mobilised along with paramedics, thought to have been alerted by concerned witnesses.
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The taxi driver, held on suspicion of a crime of wounding, has not been named.
He is thought to have been released on bail over the incident after appearing before an investigating judge, while the criminal probe initiated following his arrest continues.
In November last year, police arrested another driver in Fuengirola after he allegedly dragged a tourist along the road who was trying to stop hfrom im driving off with his suitcase following an argument over the fare.
The holidaymaker, whose nationality was not disclosed at the time, was taken to the same hospital as the Irish assault victim.
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The victim suffered head injuries when the driver accelerated, and he fell to the ground as he lost his grip on a door handle he was holding onto.
It’s only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen. Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement.
The supreme leader has the final say on all major decisions, including war, peace and the country’s disputed nuclear program.
In the meantime, a provisional governing council composed of President Masoud Pezeshkian, hard-line judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and senior Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi is guiding the country through its biggest crisis in decades. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that a new supreme leader would be chosen early this week.
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The supreme leader is appointed by an 88-member panel called the Assembly of Experts, who by law are supposed to quickly name a successor. The panel consists of Shiite clerics who are popularly elected after their candidacies are approved by the Guardian Council, Iran’s constitutional watchdog.
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Khamenei had major influence over both clerical bodies, making it unlikely the next leader will mark a radical departure.
Here are the top contenders.
Mojtaba Khamenei
The son of Khamenei, a mid-level Shiite cleric, is widely considered a potential successor. He has strong ties to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard but has never held office. His selection could prove awkward, as the Islamic Republic has long criticized hereditary rule and cast itself as a more just alternative.
Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi
Arafi is a member of the provisional government council. The senior Shiite cleric was handpicked by Khamenei to be a member of the Guardian Council in 2019, and three years later he was elected to the Assembly of Experts. He leads a network of seminaries.
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Hassan Rouhani
Rouhani, a relative moderate, was president of Iran from 2013 to 2021 and reached the landmark nuclear agreement with the Obama administration that U.S. President Donald Trump scrapped during his first term. Rouhani served on the Assembly of Experts until 2024, when he said he was disqualified from running for reelection. Rouhani criticized it as an infringement on Iranians’ political participation.
Hassan Khomeini
Khomeini is the most prominent grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He is also seen as a relative moderate, but has never held government office. He currently works at his grandfather’s mausoleum in Tehran.
Ayatollah Mohammed Mehdi Mirbagheri
Mirbagheri is a senior cleric popular with hard-liners who serves on the Assembly of Experts.
He was close to the late Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a fellow hard-liner who wrote that Iran should not deprive itself of the right to produce “special weapons,” a veiled reference to nuclear arms.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mirbagheri denounced the closure of schools as a “conspiracy.”
He is currently the head of the Islamic Cultural Center in Qom, the main center for Islamic teaching in Iran.
If you struggle to sleep and constantly flip your pillow because you’re too hot, you might consider trying one of the best cooling pillows available to aid your slumber. They’re designed to stop you overheating in bed, ranging from those that rely on the material of the fillings to regulate your body temperature to cooling gel pillows, which are cold to the touch.
“Some pillows, especially ones filled with feather down or solid memory foam, can trap heat, meaning the sleeper may overheat during the night,” says Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert for And So To Bed. “Some people can be especially sensitive to overheating at night, such as those experiencing menopausal hot flashes or an overactive thyroid. Cooling pillows or pillow covers may help you regulate your temperature during the night, potentially helping you sleep better.”
Solutions range from a £10 chilled insert from JML to a £150 cooling memory foam pillow from Tempur. I’ve tried them all and you can read my reviews below, followed by answers to some frequently asked questions. First, here are five of our top buys:
UConn heads into the postseason undefeated and still the unanimous No. 1 choice in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25.
The Huskies, who have won 47 consecutive games, are 31-0 this season after routing St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. It’s the 11th time they’ve headed to the conference tournament undefeated.
They received all 31 first-place votes in Monday’s poll from a national media panel.
The top nine teams remained unchanged this week with UCLA, South Carolina and Texas following the Huskies. Vanderbilt and LSU were next followed by Oklahoma, Michigan and Iowa.
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TCU replaced Louisville in the top 10 after the Cardinals lost at Notre Dame on Sunday.
North Carolina made the biggest jump, moving up five spots after knocking off Duke on Sunday. The Tar Heels have won four straight.
In and out
Fairfield entered the poll at No. 25 for the second time in three seasons. The Stags are 25-4 this season and tied with Quinnipiac atop the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings. They were ranked for three weeks in March at the end of the 2023-24 season. Alabama, which has dropped five of its last six games, fell out of the rankings.
Conference supremacy
The SEC has the most teams in the Top 25 with eight. The Big Ten is next with seven. The Big 12 has four teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference has three and the Ivy League, MAAC and Big East each have one.
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Games of the week
The Power Four conferences tournaments begin with numerous potential Top 25 matchups in the Big Ten and SEC. If seedings hold, No. 5 Vanderbilt will face fourth-ranked Texas in the semifinals with a potential one-seed in the NCAA Tournament on the line. Texas was fourth and Vanderbilt fifth in the NCAA Top 16 reveal on Sunday.
At least 31 people were reported dead in Lebanon on Monday after Israel carried out strikes against Hezbollah targets. It came after the group fired rockets at the Israeli city of Haifa. An Iranian missile hit people sheltering in a city in Israel the day before, killing nine, emergency services said.
The pyjamas come in a cute floral print perfect for the spring.
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With the new season starting, you might be looking for some new pieces to freshen up your wardrobe for spring. If you are spending a relaxing weekend at home, you could treat yourself to a pair of pyjamas to feel extra comfortable.
The pyjama bottoms come in a “cute ditsy floral print” ideal for the spring and have lettuce edging, which “adds a pretty twist”. The trousers are currently being sold for £16 with the long sleeve top costing £14 and the t-shirt costing £10.
The pyjamas were posted to the Tesco F&F Instagram page. The post was captioned: “Fresh week, fresh PJs , is there anything better? Shop 25% off our nightwear in store & online now.”
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If you want to get the pyjama trousers and match it with the top or t-shirt, you can go to the Tesco website to browse all of its items. You can also go in person to a Tesco store with a clothing department.
The Blue Devils received 55 of 59 first-place votes in Monday’s poll following lopsided wins over Notre Dame and then- No. 11 Virginia last week.
No. 2 Arizona received four first-place votes after clinching a share of the Big 12 regular-season title with Saturday’s 84-61 win over No. 14 Kansas. Michigan, UConn and Florida rounded out the top five.
Duke (27-2) has been dominant defensively since losing to rival North Carolina on Feb. 7, holding its last six opponents to an average of 57 points per game.
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The Blue Devils opened the week by handing Notre Dame its worst home loss since 1898 with a 100-56 win. Duke then turned its showdown with Virginia into another rout, crushing the Cavaliers 77-51 on Saturday to clinch the top seed for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
Rising and falling
No. 10 Texas Tech had the biggest jump of the week, climbing six places with wins over Cincinnati and at Iowa State last week.
No. 19 Miami (Ohio), Division I’s only remaining undefeated team, climbed two spots for its highest ranking since reaching No. 12 in 1952-53.
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No. 15 Purdue had the biggest drop of the week, losing seven places following losses to Michigan State and Ohio State.
No. 12 Gonzaga lost three places following its 70-59 loss to rival Saint Mary’s.
In and out
Saint Mary’s win over Gonzaga not only earned the Gaels a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season, it moved into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 21.
No. 22 Miami is ranked for the first time since 2023 following wins over Florida State and Boston College.
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BYU dropped out of the poll from No. 19 with three losses in four games since sharpshooting guard Richie Saunders went down with a season-ending knee injury.
Louisville’s losses to North Carolina and Clemson last week knocked the Cardinals out of the poll from No. 25.
Conference watch
The Big 12 is tied with the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences for most ranked teams at five following BYU’s departure. The ACC is next with four teams, followed by the Big East and West Coast conferences with two each. The Mid-American Conference and Atlantic 10 each have one ranked team.
Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply, and Palestinians are reported to be “frantically buying groceries” after Israel closed all crossings into the strip following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Locals have been rushing to markets to buy food, just months after facing painful food scarcity due to an Israeli blockade last year, which led to famine in some areas, according to Associated Press and Al Jazeera.
“All the people rushed to markets, and they all wanted to shop and hide,” said Abeer Awwad, who was displaced from Gaza City during the war.
Israeli government agency COGAT said the conflict with Iran meant new “security adjustments” necessitated the closures, which would last “until further notice”.
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The Rafah crossing, on the Palestinian territory’s southern border with Egypt, was only reopened at the beginning of February this year to allow a small number of Palestinians to cross for the first time in months, including patients requiring urgent medical attention.
Ambulances wait on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on 4 February 2026 after the crossing reopened (AFP via Getty)
Since Israel’s devastating offensive on the territory, almost all of its 2 million residents have been displaced, and it is now almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid – which the border crossing closures have now suspended.
According to local reports, shelves have been emptied and key supplies, including sugar, flour, cooking oil and yeast, are in high demand, sending the price of essential goods soaring.
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Residents have said they are fearful of further neglect and deprivation, while the UN had already warned in February that aid missions continue to face obstacles in their attempts to deliver essential support, including food and medicines to Gaza.
In the statement, Israel’s COGAT officials claimed the territory had sufficient food to last “an extended period”.
They said: “Several necessary security adjustments have been implemented, including the closure of the crossings into the Gaza Strip, among them the Rafah Crossing, until further notice. The rotation of humanitarian personnel is postponed at this stage.
“It should be emphasised that the closure of the crossings will have no impact on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
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“The substantial quantities of food that have entered since the beginning of the ceasefire amount to four times the nutritional needs of the population, according to the UN methodology. Therefore, the existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period.”
Palestinians shop at a market last week in Deir al-Balah during Ramadan (AP)
One resident told Al Jazeera: “I lived through famine like everyone else. The worst days were when I had to buy a sack of flour for more than 1,000 shekels [£241]. I don’t want to relive that experience.”
He added: “Goods run out quickly, and the conditions we live in may spoil whatever we store. All we need is for someone to reassure us that the closure of the crossings will not last.”
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As well as food, Gaza is wholly dependent on trucks for fuel brought in from Israel and Egypt and a lack of fresh supplies would put hospital operations at risk and threaten water and sanitation services, local officials say.
“I expect we have maybe a couple of days’ running time,” said Karuna Herrmann, the Jerusalem director of United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which manages fuel distribution in Gaza.
Coronation Street legend Jim McDonald was killed off in scenes that aired on Monday’s episodes and a lot of fans claimed that it all felt quite ‘rushed’ given his status
Coronation Street fans have blasted the killing off of Jim McDonald as “absolutely disgusting” and “disrespectful”. It was announced some time ago that the ex army man, played by Charlie Lawson, who initially appeared on the world’s longest-running TV soap from 1989 until 2000 and then made various stints until 2018, would be written out of the programme.
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During his time on the soap, Jim, who became known for his ‘so it is’ catchphrase, was famously married to Rovers landlady Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) twice, and they had sons Steve and Andy together. Their marriage survived various infidelities on both sides, and Jim endured several stints in prison before they finally called it quits in 2005.
In scenes that aired on Monday’s instalment of the soap, Steve received a phone call, almost eight years after he last saw Jim, informing him that his father had died. The taxi driver was then seen being comforted in the pub by his girlfriend Cassie (Claire Sweeney), his daughter Amy and his ex-wife Tracy. At one point, Rovers owner Maggie was very interested to know Jim’s cause of death but Amy simply said her grandfather had been ill for a while.
Steve quickly hit the bottle to deal with the grief, and came to blows with Ben Driscoll, Maggie’s son, in the pub, when the landlord insisted he leave as he quipped: “We can reconvene the Dead Dads Club tomorrow.”
This riled Steve up, who shot back: “Well, I’m sorry, I never knew your dad, but I’m guessing he never slept with your ex. Or robbed a building society by shotgun! Oh, ‘ere y’are, here’s one for you – scammed you out of a load of money by pretending that your dead sister was alive!” It was then that it dawned on Steve that he didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye to his father, and he broke down.
Taking to Reddit, one fan said: “We’ve lost another legend, so we have. Jim McDonald has finally been killed off and I for one think it was absolutely disgusting that Steve simply received a quick phone call from his ex (presumably Hannah?) and there it was done and dusted. He deserved so much better.
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“They really need to be careful, they don’t have many characters left that are of that status and to discard of them so flippantly just smacks of being disrespectful.
“Don’t even get me started on this ridiculous Maggie twist that we’ve got coming. Jim was bonkers and did some crazy things, but at the heart of it, he just loved his Elizabeth and to undo that and pretend he kept a massive secret all those years just shows that they don’t understand these characters anymore. “
In response, another fan said: “It did feel quite rushed to me given Jim was quite an iconic character. I think they should have had the actor return one last time or at least have Steve visit him, even if that was off screen.”
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A third wrote: “The worst thing in todays ep was that Steve wished he saw Jim, knowing Steve he didn’t need to ask anyone on seeing Jim he would of gone anyway and even if he did see him it could of just been mentioned offscreen at least Steve would of had his last chance to see his dad for the last final time!”
In the weeks leading up to the death of Jim, actor Charlie Lawson criticised his final storyline, which saw Jim uncharacteristically decide to con Liz out money by pretending that his girlfriend was the daughter they had lost several years earlier.
Charlie, who has also appeared in The Bill, Bread and Doctors throughout his lengthy television career and also worked extensively in theatre, recently hit out at the “weak” storyline, which was brought in when Kate Oates, who later went on to work on EastEnders, was in charge of the soap.
Charlie said: “The storyline was weak. So many people contacted me to say they hated it. I agreed to it before I even saw the script. The work was lucrative — you can’t really turn it down. Now he can’t be ruined any more. He’s out of his misery.
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“I know I will watch that last scene and be able to say, ‘Well, what a load of s***e that was’. I will raise a glass to the old Jim, the one I loved and was proud of, who spoke his mind, with cracking, strong storylines in the Nineties.”
Speaking to The Sun, he added: “There are some bits I will miss about Corrie and some I won’t. But I have no regrets. That’s just life, so it is.”
