African countries that were first to roll out a breakthrough malaria vaccine have seen a “significant reduction” in child deaths, a landmark report found this week. 

Malaria kills around 600,000 people annually, most of them in Africa, and most of them children. However, the RTS,S malaria jab, which performed well in clinical trials, is now having a positive impact on the ground, the research showed.  

Published in the Lancet health journal, the study observed infant mortality rates over four years in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi after they introduced malaria vaccinations for children. One in eight child deaths, it noted, had been avoided in the countries since the jab was rolled out. 

Twenty-five African countries now offer malaria vaccinations to children. Researchers expect similar results, or better, in countries that took up the vaccine more recently. Other vaccines are in development.   

“This is very solid evidence of the potential for malaria vaccines to change the trajectory of child mortality in Africa,” said the World Health Organization’s Dr Kate O’Brien, co-author of the evaluation. 

Challenges remain, however. “More financing is needed so that countries can purchase enough vaccine, along with other malaria prevention tools, to reach all the kids most at risk,” she said.

Image: Annie Spratt

Martin O’Neill has been on the receiving end of abusive calls and messages

Martin O’Neill has disclosed that he was compelled to change his mobile phone number following a torrent of abusive messages during the end-of-season chaos in Scotland.

The Hoops manager also responded to Tony Bloom’s assertions that Hearts players were attacked during the Parkhead pitch invasion last week – describing the Jambos chief’s comments as ‘irresponsible’. O’Neill is preparing for Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final clash with Dunfermline.

However, he finds himself dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s Premiership decider, having faced criticism from a Hearts statement for appearing to minimise the pitch incursion and the abrupt conclusion to the dramatic encounter.

O’Neill has also endured a personal bombardment following the contentious win at Motherwell which led to the final day showdown, reports the Daily Record.

He said: “I’ve changed my telephone number because it was circulated around. You want to hear some of the comments on those.

“That was from the Wednesday night. I had to change it.

“It’s not a problem but I’ve had it for 35 years and it was kind of part of me at the end of the day.

“It got circulated somewhere, but they are on tape. It was messages, texts, everything.

“That was before the game. I decided on Friday I needed to change it to concentrate on the game on Saturday.

“I might put it back again just to listen to the messages.

“I haven’t contact the police yet but I may do.

“There were only about 250 calls!”

O’Neill hit back at Hearts following Bloom’s assertion on national radio that one or two Jambos players had been subjected to attacks.

The Celtic manager stated: “I heard Tony Bloom saying that there were two players assaulted.

“It’s not true – if it is, it hasn’t been proven yet.

“I’ve watched the pictures back, and I think one of their players actually snaps a phone away from a lad and stamps on it.

“But that’s besides the point, I can understand that.

“What was remarkable about it was, pitch invasion or not, do you know how took to clear the pitch invasion? Two minutes and 50 seconds.

“For someone to say, without proof at this moment, that the players were assaulted, I think that’s irresponsible.

“If it is proved that those players had been assaulted, that’s not on.

“That’s an offence at the end of the day. I think if it’s the case, and it is proved that they’ve been hit, it would be more than an apology from us.

“If that’s the case, it’s not on. It’s not on at all.”

The Scottish FA released audio evidence on Thursday confirming Hearts manager Derek McInnes consented to ending the match.

O’Neill believes there has been heightened criticism directed at Celtic due to the club destroying Hearts’ romantic title aspirations.

He commented: “What has happened is that people have taken out the emotion of the game.

“I didn’t know what Hearts’ argument was at the end of the day.

“Because the pitch invasion had taken place? Had the game finished or not? Were we going to go back and play the last 15 seconds if that was the case?

“I also didn’t know it was the rules that the referee, Don Robertson, doesn’t have to blow a whistle to finish the game, as was proved at Leverkusen. Because Leverkusen scored another goal to put it beyond them and to win the game.

“There have been pitch invasions here in this country. There was one at Kilmarnock when Derek (McInnes) was on the pitch at the time.

“If pitch invasions are going to be universally blocked, fine. And if it’s a criminal offence to go onto the pitch, that’s something else. I’m not sure in the euphoria.

“I don’t know this for certain, but if the situation had been reversed and happened at Hearts, I think there wouldn’t have been the clamour that there has been here.

“I do agree with the football club in apologising for the Hearts players not getting the opportunity to acknowledge their own fans and for their fans to show their appreciation for their efforts.

“Regardless of all of this, Hearts’ participation has made it a season to remember.”

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Indie sleaze is back, but not as you remember it. The 00s scene’s revival taps into a growing backlash against hyper-polished influencer culture, offering a messier, more authentic alternative that feels both nostalgic and deliberately staged.

The original indie sleaze look of the 2000s was an intentionally unrefined way of dressing, driven by a desire to stand apart from mainstream fashion, with a carefully constructed sense of effortless cool.

The look was built from a recognisable set of clothing and styling details.

Black or acid-wash skinny jeans were central, paired with vintage T-shirts featuring band logos or bold graphics. Leather biker jackets reflected indie and punk influences, while sheer tights, often with rips or ladders, were styled with body-con dresses and oversized knits worn over mini-skirts. Footwear reinforced the relaxed, undone feel with worn-in Dr Martens, Converse and ballet flats completing the look.

Culturally, the trend was rooted in the indie music scenes and nightlife cultures of cities like London and New York. Bands like The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and Yeah Yeah Yeahs influenced the style by popularising a deliberately dishevelled, off-duty look that blurred the line between stage wear and everyday dress.

The style was also worn by well known models such as Kate Moss and it girl Alexa Chung. These women brought the look to a wider audience, as they captured its mix of nonchalance and effortless styling in front of the camera and across early digital media.

No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

Read more from Quarter Life:

The origin of indie sleaze

Indie sleaze emerged just before social media became fully embedded in everyday life. While early platforms like Tumblr played a role in circulating party photography and candid, flash-heavy imagery, the moment still felt more spontaneous and less controlled. It was a time before style was divided into “aesthetics” and “cores”, when young people dressed a certain way because they were part of a scene, not because they had discovered a neatly packaged, shoppable trend online.

As such, the original indie sleaze sat at a transitional moment, where subculture, style and digital self-presentation began to merge, but had not yet become fully commodified.

The indie sleaze revival taps into a desire for something that feels raw, imperfect and less controlled, in contrast to today’s hyper-curated digital environment. What makes indie sleaze appealing to a new generation is perhaps not simply how it looked, but what it allowed – messiness, excess, emotional openness and a rejection of constant self-improvement.

But there’s a contradiction. The original indie sleaze was socially driven, shaped by nightlife and real-world scenes, whereas the 2026 version exists within a culture that is far more curated. In many ways, the “sleaze” is missing. What remains is a stylised version of messiness.

The current revival grows out of the Y2K trend (a revival of early 2000s fashion and aesthetics), but it’s best understood as a reaction or mutation of it rather than a continuation. The initial Y2K revival (late 2010s into early 2020s) was glossy and hyper-feminine, reintroducing early‑2000s silhouettes like low‑rise jeans, micro bags, butterflies, neon and logo culture.

Indie sleaze draws on a similar era, but strips away the polish. Where Y2K is shiny, indie sleaze is grimy. Where Y2K is cute and curated-for-pretty, indie sleaze is curated-for-attitude. This is where the looks overlap. Neon carries over but is used abrasively rather than playfully. Ballet flats reappear but styled with sheer tights and dark makeup rather than the sweet and girly aesthetic from before. The low-effort silhouettes remain but are framed as emotional and anti-glam rather than flirty.

Culturally, there remains a strong link to both a musical and digitally social narrative. Take for example the song Messy, by Lola Young. Not only does the artist herself confirm to the semiotic iconography of the look with her unprettified dark, smudged makeup, heavy boots, leather, denim and oversized silhouettes, but the song itself communicates a message of messiness. Not in a chaotic party sense, but in its emotional exposure.

Lyrically the song explores themes of rejecting polite femininity; she’s too loud, too emotional, too much and she’s not interested in fixing that. That attitude translates into what indie sleaze represents today. The refusal of optimisation, acceptance of visible flaws and leaning into excess rather than managing it away.

The resurgence also reflects how we now engage with the past through platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where cultural moments are converted into digestible visual codes. Indie sleaze is no longer a subculture but an archive of recognisable signs: smudged makeup, flash photography, slip dresses, battered leather. These reference points are easy to remix and circulate, making the trend especially suited to algorithmic spaces and inseparable from digital culture, even as it romanticises pre-digital freedoms.

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Three teenage boys were assaulted by three men back in April

Police have released new CCTV footage of a man they would like to speak to in connection with a robbery. Three teenage boys were assaulted by three men at around 5pm on April 18 in Peterborough.

The incident took place on the railway footbridge between Maskew Avenue and Ivatt Way, linking New England and Ravensthorpe. A bike was stolen and one of the victims suffered minor injuries, but he didn’t require hospital treatment.

Detective Constable George Corney said: “I would like to thank the members of the public who contacted us to identify one of the men from an earlier appeal. We are now releasing the video footage of another man we would like to speak to in connection with the incident.”

Anyone who recognises the man in the footage or has any other information should call police on 101 or report it online and quote reference 35/28529/26.

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Former England centre-back Rio Ferdinand has described the leaking of Thomas Tuchel’s squad before the official announcement later as “madness” on X.

We know that Harry Maguire, Adam Wharton, Jarrod Bowen, Morgan Gibbs-White, Cole Palmer, Luke Shaw, Phil Foden and Lewis Hall are among those to miss out.

Manchester United star Maguire posted a heartfelt message on social media yesterday, but both his mum and brother were less careful, describing the call as “disgusting” and “possibly be the worst decision I’ve ever seen in my life” respectively.

Could be some more fallout to come, so stay tuned.

Heat health alerts are to come into force across parts of the UK on Friday as the country braces for a heatwave over the bank holiday weekend.

Temperatures are expected to soar as high as 30C in London, which is hotter than holiday destinations including Mykonos, Santorini, and Ibiza.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow warnings across London, the South East, the East and the Midlands starting from 9am.

The warnings mean there is likely to be a minor impact on health and social services, and a “greater risk to life of vulnerable people”, according to the UKHSA.

This is a breaking story, more to follow…

Hundreds of airport staff in Edinburgh and Glasgow are set to strike during the peak summer holiday season, threatening significant disruption during the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. Unite, the union, announced on Thursday that precise strike dates would be revealed in the coming days, with industrial action expected to coincide with these major events.

Around 370 workers at Edinburgh Airport Limited and approximately 320 employed by ICTS and Menzies Aviation in Glasgow have backed the walkout over ongoing pay disputes. Unite emphasised that ICTS staff are crucial for passenger security screening and processing flights, highlighting the potential impact on airport operations.

“Workers across Scotland’s largest airports have overwhelmingly backed summer strike action.

“This is a direct result of their very profitable employers’ refusal to make a fair pay offer,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said.

“The workers have no other option and the blame for this situation lies entirely with wealthy companies choosing to boost profits before people.”

A spokesperson from Menzies Aviation said: “We are disappointed the union has progressed industrial action in an attempt to disrupt flights at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports this summer.

“We have engaged constructively throughout and put forward a fair and workable offer for all parties that recognises the challenging operating environment caused by the Middle East conflict.

“Pay at both locations has consistently increased above inflation since the Covid pandemic, and our current proposal again exceeds inflation and aligns with agreements the union has reached with other ground handlers at Edinburgh and Glasgow. We hope an amicable resolution can be reached soon.

“Should industrial action take place, we have robust and proven contingency plans to minimise any potential disruption to our airline customers and their passengers, ensuring flights can operate as scheduled.”

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “Constructive talks on pay were held today with Acas between Edinburgh Airport and its unions, including Unite.  

“Further talks are planned for early next week.”

A spokesperson for AGS Airports said: “We are aware of the regrettable developments involving Unite, Menzies and ICTS including threats to disrupt passengers’ holiday plans.

“Both Menzies and ICTS continue to engage in discussions with the trade Union as they work to find a resolution on the pay awards.”

In the North East, a £1.2 million scheme will support on-street charging for drivers without driveways, allowing them to power up at lower domestic electricity rates.

The funding comes from the Government’s electric vehicle (EV) pavement channels grant and will benefit more than a thousand families across the region.

Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, said: “I am determined the North East leads the way in the transition to electric vehicles, and this funding will make EV ownership more accessible for more than a thousand families who don’t have a driveway.

“Where you live should not make a difference in whether you can choose an electric vehicle.

“This fund means families can charge at home, at cheaper residential rates, just like those with off-street parking already do – putting money back in people’s pockets and making electric vehicles a realistic option for far more people.”

The funding will allow local councils to install pavement charging channels – covered gullies that run beneath the pavement and allow a charging cable to safely connect from a home charge point to a vehicle parked at the kerb.

This discreet solution removes trip hazards while enabling convenient, low-cost charging.

The move supports the region’s goal to lead in clean transport and builds on the already UK-leading pace at which new EV charge points are being rolled out across the region.

Keir Mather, aviation, maritime and decarbonisation minister, said: “We’re investing £1.2m in the North East to make charging cheaper and more accessible, giving drivers the confidence to go electric.

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“This support is targeted at residents without private driveways so they can tap into domestic electricity rates and charge up for as little as 2p per mile.”

Residents will be able to take part in the pilot by applying through their local council, though application dates and criteria may differ depending on the area.

For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-electric-vehicle-ev-pavement-channels-grant

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