Hospitals

Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed at least eight people, including a child, according to hospitals, despite a year-old ceasefire.

In Gaza City to the north, hospital officials said a missile attack hit a group of civilians next to Cairo School in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood, killing three people, including a four-year-old boy.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, the Hamas-run ministry of interior said a drone attack targeted a group of police officers in the Al-Mawasi area, killing five, as they were carrying out their routine duties.

The Israeli military said it had carried out two attacks on what it described as military operatives but has not yet provided evidence or further information.

Outside Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, video showed a crowd of men gathered to pray next to two body bags and the tiny body of the child, which was wrapped in a white towel.

“My son and his child were martyred. They were sitting in their tent, bothering no one, and nothing else was happening in the area when suddenly, a missile struck them, and they were martyred,” Ali Oweis told AFP news agency. “There is no ceasefire; the war is ongoing — don’t you see?”

At Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, women despaired as body bags lay on the floor, video showed. The interior ministry named the five police officers killed, who were between the ages of 23 and 53, and called the attack a “horrific massacre”.

A ceasefire came into force in Gaza in October last year, but Israeli air strikes have continued almost every day.

Since then, 1,580 people have been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. Israel says it is targeting Hamas, but often civilians are also killed.

Meanwhile, a peace plan for Gaza, brokered by the Trump administration, has stalled.

The ceasefire saw thousands of Palestinians held by Israel released in return for all of the 48 remaining hostages held in Gaza, and an agreement to end the war – which was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Since the war began, 74,594 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Additional reporting by Jacob Phillips

The One About Matthew Perry is a new documentary exploring the life of the late Friends star, who played Chandler Bing on the beloved sitcom, three years on from his tragic death

Famously the Friends theme tune features the lyric “I’ll be there for you”.

And in real life actor Matthew Perry had both family and friends looking out for him along the way for most of his 54 years. Best known as Chandler Bing, he was regularly the stand out comic actor in the sitcom, both with physical gags and his comic timing of lines.

But often away from the cameras and the fame, there were problems in his life and we see and hear about those in abundance in the new Netflix series. I didn’t expect to react strongly to The One About Matthew Perry, but his sister Mia Perry Bowick is a captivating and unflinching interviewee.

Ahead of watching the documentary, I couldn’t really understand why she had agreed to take part and what good could come from it. But she does an incredible job by balancing her words to pay tribute to a brother she loved dearly, at the same time as also explaining the difficulties and pain of him struggling and battling with addiction.

I felt I understood the issues around addiction and Matthew Perry much more after watching and had huge sympathy for him and Mia. Here was an incredibly intelligent and talented man trying to manage a career as an A-list star as he fights desperately to not drink or turn to drugs when he feels depressed.

Those that worked with him point to his comic timing, his willingness to help with script tweaks or tiny scene changes to make projects even better. But for all his successes he never seemed to be able to be completely happy.

Despite having lots of friends and women falling at his feet, he would sometimes feel alone, perhaps thinking back to a time he would be put on planes on his own as a child flying between him mum in Canada and his dad in Los Angeles after they had separated

In one archive interview he says: “The beliefs that I had were I was too needy, I wasn’t enough, and I didn’t matter. And my whole life was about trying to have those three things not be true.”

Mia elaborates and says: “He would talk about that feeling of kind of a sense of emptiness or loneliness that he couldn’t quite fill.”

His closest friends and girlfriends discuss a recurring theme of poor Matthew losing the battle over and over again with relapses, and then his death. At one stage Mia says tearfully: “I know that a lot of parts of him did not think it was possible for him to live a sober life.” Going back further Mia recalls the good times, when Matthew first landed the Friends job, and when she was being cuddled on set by his cast mates like Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox as a young girl.

Her brother could be ridiculously generous and bought her a Corvette car when she was 15 and regularly treated friends and girlfriends to expensive gifts too. He also wasn’t against putting his hand in his pocket to try to help solve his own problems as Mia highlights he spent $7million on rehab to try to get clean and stay sober.

But another scene that lives long in the memory is when Mia describes visiting him in rehab in 2001 and being unable to control her despair at the situation, running and hiding in a cupboard in tears until her brother came to get her.

“This was my big brother, my idolised big brother. He was the most special person on the planet. Just seeing him suffering, I was really scared for him.”

As she grew older she matured and found she was having to help him even more, rushing to hospital to his aid in 2018 just six weeks after she had given birth. He came out of a coma that time and was released from hospital against the odds after three months, but the hopes that this would be rock bottom only lasted a few years.

At times this series if a tough watch because it does not sugarcoat what happened and the issues around addiction. But this decision should be applauded. It is a million miles away from so many of the other “celebrity documentaries” released these days which gloss over the difficult moments over simplify what really happened.

Explaining her reasoning for taking part, Mia said: As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be, and the work to which I’ve devoted my life. Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved. I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind.”

Mia, you were there for him, and along with director Mary Robertson you have done Matthew proud with this documentary.

VERDICT: A challenging and heartbreaking series *****

* The One About Matthew Perry premieres globally on Netflix on October 27.

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An ‘overpowering sewage smell’ was reported on board, along with flies seen around uncovered food. Passengers have been complaining about various stomach issues

A group of 12 passengers who fell seriously ill onboard a P&O ship are taking legal action after their dream Mediterranean cruise turned into a “nightmare” holiday from hell. The British passengers were struck down with gastric illness and flu-like symptoms while travelling around the Greek islands on the P&O Azura.

The holidaymakers, who paid up to £3,000 each, claim they encountered an “overpowering sewage smell” on board and raised concerns about hygiene in buffet restaurants where flies could reportedly be seen around uncovered food. Many were confined to their cabins during the eight-night voyage between May 28 and June 4 this year, while others were left hospitalised upon returning to the UK and some say they are still feeling the effects now.

The group, who had been celebrating a 60th birthday, have now instructed international injury lawyers to investigate their illnesses. Julie Stones, 53, from Bolton, was among those who says the cruise left her battling a catalogue of health problems.

She first became ill on June 2 with a sore throat and diarrhoea before her condition spiralled. She suffered vomiting, severe stomach pain, fever, headaches, dizziness, exhaustion, a persistent cough, and pain in her back and legs.

After returning home, she attended A&E, was diagnosed with a chest infection and later required further GP and hospital treatment. Julie, who has several underlying health conditions and uses a powered wheelchair, said she spent weeks largely confined to bed and relied on help from her husband and daughter.

Julie said: “This holiday was supposed to be a special celebration with friends and something I’d been looking forward to for months. Instead, it turned into a complete nightmare. It felt as though one thing after another kept going wrong and, as the holiday went on, I just got worse and worse.

“One thing that really stood out was the overpowering sewage smell near the Manhattan Bar. It was so noticeable that other passengers were commenting on it. I also had concerns about hygiene in the buffet areas. I remember seeing food left uncovered with flies around it and people entering the restaurant without sanitising their hands.

“Even after returning home, the symptoms didn’t go away. I’ve needed hospital treatment, GP appointments, and medication, but I’m still not back to normal. More than two months later, I’m still dealing with fatigue and headaches. I just want to understand what happened.”

Linda Chapman, from Bury, who was celebrating her 60th, also became seriously ill after developing symptoms on the final evening of the cruise. The mum and grandmother suffered chills, vomiting, breathlessness, wheezing, a sore throat, and a persistent cough.

Her condition worsened so badly after landing back in Manchester that she contacted NHS 111 and was taken to A&E, where she was prescribed antibiotics. Linda, who works as a housekeeper on an NHS stroke ward, was forced to take two weeks off work.

Linda said: “I remember being on the plane. The flight was only a few hours, but it felt like forever. People kept asking if I was okay and I must have looked as awful as I felt. I just kept telling myself that I’d be home soon and could finally go to bed.

“What I didn’t realise was that I’d end up spending weeks like that. In my view, hygiene onboard wasn’t up to scratch and the food often didn’t seem fresh at all, despite the cruise being very expensive. What did surprise me was just how ill I became. I was struggling to breathe and, combined with the stomach problems, I just couldn’t work out what was wrong with me. It was a very frightening and disorientating experience.”

Sharon Robinson, 51, from Wigan, was the first member of the group to fall ill. She initially believed she had a chest infection but later suffered stomach pain, nausea, diarrhoea, headaches, fever-like symptoms, and extreme fatigue.

Despite feeling unwell, Sharon tried to continue with the group’s planned celebrations but says she spent the rest of the cruise exhausted. Sharon said: “I’m unbelievably disappointed.

“Even though I felt awful, I kept trying to take part in as much as I could because I’d been looking forward to this cruise for a year. I was the first in our group to become ill, but after the first few days it felt as though everyone was dropping like flies.

“One thing that’s burned into my memory is the strong sewage smell onboard. It still makes me feel sick when I think about it. So many people in our group became unwell that it’s difficult not to have concerns about what caused it. I still feel very sad about the whole experience and I’m still suffering because of it.”

Jatinder Paul, the lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the passengers, said: “Cruise holidays should provide passengers with an opportunity to relax and enjoy their time away. However, they also involve large numbers of passengers sharing restaurants, bars and other facilities in confined space so robust hygiene measures are vital in helping to prevent illnesses from spreading.

“What’s particularly concerning for our clients is that so many from the same party became unwell, with several still having their lives affected by symptoms. Our clients understandably have questions about their illnesses and whether more should have been done to protect them.

“Nothing will make up for what they’ve been through, but we’re determined to provide them with the answers they deserve.”

P&O has been approached for comment.

Amanda Cannon was taken ill while on holiday with her daughter

A British nan is fighting for her life in Turkey after suffering a heart attack while on holiday as her family faces a £25,000 hospital bill.

Amanda Cannon, 58, was rushed to intensive care after collapsing during a trip with her daughter Marisa White on October 10. The grandmother-of-nine from Redhill, Surrey, reportedly went without oxygen for 10 minutes after suffering what doctors believe was an epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest.

She is currently on life support in a private hospital in Antalya, Turkey. Relatives say her treatment is costing around €3,500 (£3,000) a day, with the bill already reaching €30,000 (£25,000).

Hannah Cooper, the mum of Amanda’s grandchildren, flew to Turkey with her five-year-old daughter after receiving a distressing call from Marisa. She said Amanda suddenly “jolted backwards”, turned blue and stopped breathing. Marisa immediately began CPR before paramedics arrived and took over.

No travel insurance

But because she has no travel insurance, her former daughter-in-law Hannah said Turkish medics would not stop treatment for religious reasons. They fear the mounting costs could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds if her condition does not improve.

Hannah, 33, from Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, told Talk to the Press: “She’s now in a deep coma. She’s got kidney failure, liver failure. They said there’s a 20 per cent chance that she’ll wake up and if she does, she’ll be in a vegetative state.”

She added: “I got a phone call from her daughter saying that she just suddenly jolted backwards, went grey, purple, blue, started foaming from the mouth and stopped breathing. Her daughter gave her CPR. Then when the ambulance got there, they took over. She went without oxygen for about 10 minutes.”

Doctors later told the family Amanda had suffered what appeared to be a seizure as well as a heart attack. She was placed on life support and remains in coma.

Amanda travelled to Turkey with daughter Marisa, who Hannah said suffered from many severe physical and mental health conditions. Concerned she would struggle to deal with the crisis alone, Hannah booked flights and travelled out to support her.

She said: “She doesn’t have the mental capacity to cope with what’s going on. The language barrier is so hard. We have to keep going on Google Translate to speak to the doctor because he doesn’t understand us and we don’t understand him.”

Medical costs stacking up

As the family tried to come to terms with Amanda’s condition, they were shocked to learn of the mounting medical costs. Hannah said she received a phone call asking for £5,000 shortly after Amanda was admitted.

She said: “I said to them that I don’t have £5,000, but I’d be flying over to Turkey. Since then, I’ve had several emails asking for payment.”

Hannah later discovered Amanda’s stay in the private intensive care unit was costing around €3,500 every day. She also revealed that the hospital wouldn’t release her to a public one until they cleared half of the bill.

Hannah said: “I’ve asked for a transfer to a state hospital where it would still cost money, but not like this.”

The family launched a GoFundMe appeal with an initial target of £15,000, but now fear the total bill could be far higher. Despite no longer being with Amanda’s son, Hannah said the 58-year-old has remained a huge part of her life.

She said: “She’s been like a second mum to me for 17 years. She’s always been my biggest supporter.”

Toll on family

The ordeal has also taken a toll on Amanda’s grandchildren.

Hannah said: “My eldest is asking a lot of questions and is upset. My little girl just keeps saying she wants to see her nan.”

She said doctors would either wait until Amanda was biologically dead or keep her alive. Hannah and her daughter are set to return to the UK on Sunday, October 18, while Marisa plans to fly back to Turkey after collecting medication.

Hannah concluded: “We’re upset, shocked and confused. We just don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

The fundraiser can be found on GoFundMe.

Emma Willis has shared an update on Delta Goodrem after she was forced out of Strictly Come Dancing and admitted she could tell “something wasn’t right” with the pop star

Emma Willis has shared an update on Delta Goodrem after she was forced out of Strictly Come Dancing.

Pop singer Delta is currently in the lineup of celebrities trying their luck on the dancefloor. Whilst she and Kai Widdrington managed to top the leader board last week with their Salsa, it quickly emerged that the singer had done the show in “absolute agony” and on the Sunday, she went to hospital with a rib injury.

Appearing on Thursday’s edition of It Takes Two, Emma told host Ellie Taylor that it was somewhat obvious that something was amiss with Delta’s health at the time. She said: “It’s such a shame. I think it became quite apparent after the show that last week that something wasn’t right.”

Delta has been given a free pass – or bye – to the next round of the competition and, even though she will miss out on Icons Week, Emma said the cast and crew are hopeful this will mean she will be back and fighting fit.

She added: “We’re just hoping that because she has this bye week, by the week after, she’ll be good to get back. Fingers crossed!”

The TV presenter Emma, 50, took the reins of the new series of the BBC Saturday night favourite along with Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe when Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left at the end of last year.

Delta, who is best known for starring in Australian soap Neighbours and released hits such as Innocent Eyes before representing her home country at Eurovision earlier this year, has broken her rib but is hoping to recover in time for next week and – following her doctor’s order – has been getting rest at home.

Taking to social media, she wrote: “Just wanted to come on here and say a big Thank you to everyone who has sent messages and wrote lovely comments the last couple of days, I see them all.

“Not the start to the week I’d hoped for but your support has meant the world. Also special big thank you to my amazing dance partner @kaiwidd who I will miss dancing with this weekend but I am so beyond grateful for his guidance and friendship through it all.. as well as the wonderful Strictly team!!”

She added: “Resting and recovering at home and will be cheering everyone on from my couch on Saturday night xx.” Delta had previously said she was “absolutely gutted” to be out the show for the week, and hoped she’d be back the following week.

It was revealed today that Delta’s planned dance to Dolly Parton’s Jolene with Kai Widdrington will be performed instead by Amy Dowden.

A spokesperson for the show had said: “Due to injury, Delta Goodrem has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, will not dance on this weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing.

“In line with the rules of the show, Delta and Kai will receive a bye through to next week when it is hoped they will be able to dance again. We wish Delta the very best as she continues her recovery.”

Delta added: “I’ve been loving every second of this experience, so having to sit this one out is heartbreaking – especially after the high of Saturday night.” “I cannot tell you how much I love being a part of this magical show. I’m going to focus on resting and recovering, and hopefully I’ll be back on that dancefloor very soon. Thank you so much to everyone for all the love and support. It’s so appreciated. I’ll be cheering everyone on from the sidelines this week!”

Sources revealed that Delta’s rib injury “deteriorated” and she was “in absolute agony” performing. She was later rushed to hospital to undergo tests but is now resting at home.

A source said: “Delta has been pushing herself as far as possible to impress Strictly viewers. A small injury at the start of last week has quickly deteriorated. On Saturday night, despite putting on a brave face and smiling, she was in absolute agony.

“Filming didn’t wrap until late Saturday night and she was exhausted. The plan was to go home and get some rest but she could hardly sleep. On Sunday morning she was raced to A&E and then spent most of Monday also at the hospital.”

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She was celebrating her 390th birthday but now has a broken back – her family wants to bring her home

A woman has been badly injured after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony while celebrating her 30th birthday on a dream holiday in Greece. Denby McLaren suffered a broken vertebra, multiple broken bones in her foot and other injuries in the fall.

She his now in hospital in Greece, with her family desperate to bring her home to Larkhall, South Lanarkshire. Denby had been enjoying a birthday getaway with her mum.

A fundraiser set up to help get her home said: “No family should ever have to experience something like this, and never in a million years did we imagine we would find ourselves in this position. Denby was on holiday in Greece with her mum, celebrating what should have been a very special milestone – her 30th birthday.

“What should have been a happy time filled with memories has turned into every family’s worst nightmare.”

The fall left Denby with serious injuries and facing a long road to recovery far from home and her loved ones.

The fundraiser adds: “Denby has now spent four days in hospital in Greece, far away from home, her family and the people who love her most. It is impossible to put into words the fear, heartbreak and uncertainty that Denby and our family are experiencing right now.

“In a matter of moments, everything changed, and we are now facing a situation none of us could ever have prepared for. Our biggest wish is simple: we just want to bring Denby home.”

Denby requires specialist repatriation by air ambulance, travelling on a stretcher with medical assistance throughout the journey. But the cost has added further strain to the situation.

The fundraiser said: “We want nothing more than for Denby to be back on home soil, surrounded by her family, where she can receive the ongoing medical care and treatment she needs and begin the long road to recovery with her loved ones by her side.

“Right now, being able to get her home safely is our greatest priority. No one ever expects something like this to happen to someone they love, and the emotional and financial strain has been overwhelming.”

The fundraiser had raised more than £10,700 at the time of writing. The appeal added: “Any donation, no matter how big or small, would mean more to us than we could ever explain.

“Every single contribution will help us get one step closer to having Denby safely back with her family, where she belongs.”