As health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continue to battle an ongoing Ebola outbreak, scientists around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against the strain of the virus that’s causing it.

Two approved vaccines exist for Ebola, but they target the Zaire strain of the virus, not the Bundibugyo strain causing the 2026 outbreak – which has so far killed 61 people, with 359 confirmed cases in the DRC and neighbouring Uganda.

The outbreak is centred in the Ituri province of northeastern DRC, where conflict, displaced people, a large migrant community and poorly resourced health facilities make stopping the spread particularly challenging.

In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to two scientists from the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, Teresa Lambe and Rebecca Makinson, who are developing a vaccine candidate for Bundibugyo virus. On June 1, they were among three research groups to receive fast-track funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, alongside Moderna and IAVI.

The Oxford group are using ChADOx1, a viral-vector platform that formed the basis of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, and adapting it for use against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. This builds on previous work developing a vaccine against another strain of Ebola in 2022.

Development of a vaccine typically involves three stages: pre-clinical trials, tests in animals, and manufacture of batches of the vaccine for use in clinical trials in humans, explains Lambe. “Because we are using a platform technology where we have amassed a lot of knowledge around how to make these types of vaccines, we’re trying to run each of those different streams at the same time.”

Lambe says they have already begun testing the vaccine on small animals while manufacturing batches of it for trials, adding that they hope to do a phase one clinical trial “relatively soon, and certainly faster than you would routinely do”.

“The question isn’t really whether we can make an Ebola vaccine because it’s very clear that’s possible,” explains Makinson, a postdoctoral researcher in Lambe’s group. “The big challenge is being able to develop these vaccines … when there’s not an outbreak happening, and then making sure that they’re available as and when and where the outbreaks occur.”

Listen to the interview with Lambe and Makinson on The Conversation Weekly podcast.

This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Gemma Ware, Katie Flood and Mend Mariwany. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl.

Newsclips in this video from France 24 English and CBS News.

Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available via the Apple Podcasts or Spotify apps.

Veera has opened in what was Alishaan on North Road, which has undergone an extensive refurb since it closed last month after 16 years in business.

The restaurant and bar was opened by Mayor of Durham Cllr Gary Hutchinson in a ribbon cutting on Wednesday (June 3).

Owner Minhaz Syed said: “Veera is bringing something really special to Durham. We are proud to offer fantastic traditional Indian food, prepared with passion and authenticity.

“This restaurant is the result of a great deal of hard work and commitment from our team, and we hope the people of Durham love it as much as we do.”

The team behind Veera say they want to bring traditional Indian flavours using quality ingredients, while creating a welcoming destination for diners seeking an authentic culinary experience.

Paul Howard from the Durham business improvement district (BID) said the opening shows the city’s hospitality sector is thriving.

He added: “It is fantastic to see new investment and ambition being brought into the city centre, creating exciting new experiences for residents and visitors alike.

“We wish the team at Veera every success and look forward to seeing this restaurant thrive in our city.”

Mayor Hutchinson said: “I am thrilled to cut the ribbon and officially open Veera Indian Dining and Bar.

“Their investment here proves our local dining scene continues to thrive. I offer sincere congratulations to the team on this wonderfully refurbished eatery.

“I wish Veera every success for the future.”

After a private meeting with Nowak’s father Mark Nowak, mother Lucy Ross and stepmother Katie Woodcock, Sir Keir said he was moved to learn about Henry’s “kindness, his warmth, and his love of football” and his bright future ahead which was “cruelly stolen from him in appalling circumstances”.

His naked body was found in an underground water tunnel on June 27, six days after he left home

A retired PSNI officer has said there is “absolutely nothing at all” in a photo taken on Noah Donohoe’s phone after his last known sighting that would have helped police find the schoolboy.

The inquest, which is being heard with a jury, is now in its 18th week at Belfast Coroner’s Court.

Noah, 14, had set off on his bicycle from his home in south Belfast on the evening of Sunday June 21, planning to meet two friends in the Cavehill area in the north of the city.

However, he was later seen on CCTV footage cycling along York Road. The last sighting of him was on Northwood Drive.

His naked body was found in an underground water tunnel on June 27, six days after he left home. A post-mortem examination found the likely cause of death was drowning.

On Thursday the inquest heard evidence from retired PSNI Detective Constable Wilson.

Mr Wilson was a digital media investigator (DMI), acting as a “first point of contact” for digital inquiries and was involved in the search of Noah’s Alcatel phone which was found by a member of the public.

The inquest has previously heard evidence from Detective Inspector Cunningham, from the PSNI’s cyber unit, in relation to a photograph of what appears to be a hand captured on the device at 6.50pm on June 21, after he had last been seen.

Under questioning from Declan Quinn, junior counsel to the coroner, Mr Wilson agreed that his job was to review the available information on Noah’s phone and make a “judgment call” as to what should be elevated for further investigation.

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The jury viewed notes from Mr Wilson’s diary of his actions on the 24, 25 and 26 of June at which point he said “by far the major priority is to find Noah and find him alive”.

He said the search of the schoolboy’s phone was to find clues as to “what might have triggered him, where might he have gone” and to “try and understand the person”.

Mr Quinn outlined there is “concern from next of kin that this photograph wasn’t tagged” to become part of further inquiries, which Mr Wilson said he is now aware of.

The barrister said the photograph “appears to be taken at a time after Noah had left his home for the last time and after he was last seen in Northwood road”.

Mr Wilson said he didn’t recall seeing the specific photograph but that he “physically opened every photograph and asked if there’s anything that would tell us where that photograph was taken”.

Looking at the picture, which was displayed to the court, Mr Wilson said it is “clear that a person was holding the phone but as to what you could do to identify that person, absolutely nothing”.

He agreed some shrubbery and greenery could be seen in the background, but asked if there was anything that assisted police in finding Noah, he said: “Absolutely nothing at all.”

The retired detective then faced questions from Brenda Campbell KC, representing Noah’s mother Fiona, who said that one way of finding a missing person would be to discern “the possibility of third party involvement”.

Mr Wilson said officers would consider “is there any crime practiced against them or is it a missing person inquiry, but yes you are considering if there’s any other factors at play”, adding that “hypotheses are directed by the senior investigating officers”.

He said he “didn’t recall” if he knew the working hypothesis and his role was to see if anything in digital media could help to find Noah.

Asked by Ms Campbell if it would have been important to know the working hypothesis, Mr Wilson said “irrespective of whether I knew or didn’t know that wouldn’t change anything I was doing at that point” in terms of “interrogating devices”.

“Nothing would have changed whether I knew or didn’t know,” he said.

Ms Campbell questioned the importance of “investigative curiosity” to which Mr Wilson said he “100%” had a curious mindset.

The barrister also said Mr Wilson spoke with Ms Donohoe when Noah had been missing for three days, describing her as “desperate” for news of her son and being “entirely reliant” on the police at that point in time.

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Molly-Mae Hague fans think they’ve worked out the gender of her second child after the former Love Island star revealed that she had given birth

Molly-Mae Hague may have just revealed the gender of her second child, according to fans. On Wednesday, the Love Island star announced that she had given birth to her second baby with Tommy Fury, whom she met on the show.

The reality star took to her Instagram page on Wednesday, sharing a snap of herself, Tommy and their eldest child, Bambi, with their newborn resting up in her hospital room.

Captioning her post, Molly wrote: “…and then there were 4.” She has yet to share the name they have chosen for their new arrival, or their gender, but just days before giving birth, she uploaded a YouTube video telling fans about a name she had in mind.

However, fans believe they have worked out the gender of the newborn. On TikTok, fans noticed a blue blanket folded up alongside a crib, which Molly showed in her latest YouTube video. Fans have jumped on this as evidence.

A fan penned: “Why is no one talking about the blue baby blanket in the background of Molly’s two new vlogs?” A second wrote: “I think baby boy.” Meanwhile, a third went on to type: “Defo a boy!! I’m the only one that has noticed this?!”

However, some stated that the blanket could have merely been carefully planned by Molly, with one writing: “Molly would have known this would happen that’s why it’s a blanket for both genders.” The blanket in question features both blue and pink, as well as yellow.

And others believe they have worked out the name of Molly and Tommy’s second child. Theories escalated after Bambi was spotted wearing a Miffy T-shirt from the 1955 book, while other guesses include Bunny, Dusk, Dream and Cloud.

But while no name has been officially announced, Molly told fans she feels they may be “disappointed” by the name she and her fiancée chose. Speaking in her YouTube video, Molly said: “Final bets do we think I’m having girl or I’m having a boy? And what do we think we’re calling it? I think people are going to be a bit disappointed, upon reflection I don’t think it’s that crazy.

“I know people are going to pronounce it wrong … I just feel like people are going to say it wrong because when I mention the name to a few people or I’ve spelt it out because I have this big complex about people saying it wrong, and then a few of my friends have said it completely wrong – Like absolutely not how you pronounce it.

“But then also, if you know this word or you know the name, you would pronounce it how it is – For me I just see it as exactly what it is.”

She went on to say: “It’s definitely not as different as Bambi, I wouldn’t say, but I have only ever heard one other child be called it and it’s not someone in the public eye, it’s literally just someone I am connected to through a friend, someone they know, their child is called it. But I just think it sounds so good with the surname Fury that is another reason why I love it so much.”

Molly also hinted that she is considering stitching the name of their newborn into the back of Tommy’s shorts ahead of his fight with Eddie Hall at the AO Arena in Manchester on June 13. She added: “I am thinking, do I put the name of baby number two on his fight shorts? Because he always has Bambi’s name on his fight shorts and I don’t want to leave the baby off. Maybe that’s how we announce the name on his fight shorts, that would actually be quite cool.”

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The next stage of the Cardiff project will see the council develop a funding strategy

Plans have been approved for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge to be built across the River Taff. Approved on Tuesday, June 4 at Cardiff Council’s Planning Committee, the bridge will span from The Marl in Grangetown to Hamadryad Park in Butetown.

The new crossing is part of the council’s regeneration of the Channel View area plans, a scheme within the Council’s ambitious housing project to deliver 4,000 new homes across the city.

Together, the development and new crossing is aimed at helping create a more connected, accessible neighbourhood, supporting both existing and future residents.

A funding strategy has yet to be confirmed but it will be developed as part of the next stage of the scheme. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here

The bridge will provide a more accessible, safer and user-friendly route, improving the experience for people walking, wheeling and cycling between Grangetown and Butetown.

At around 165 metres in length and six metres wide, the bridge has been designed with space for both pedestrians and cyclists.

Cabinet member for housing and communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: “The new bridge plays an important role in our vision for the regeneration of Channel View and the wider area, as well as improving active travel across the city.

“It will provide a safe, dedicated route for walking and cycling, creating a new east–west connection across the river that will encourage more sustainable journeys and reduce reliance on cars. We will continue to explore funding options to help deliver the bridge and strengthen key routes in our active travel network.”

Thomas Tuchel has given Jude Bellingham the number ten jersey but the Real Madrid midfielder is facing a battle to make the starting line-up ahead of Morgan Rogers

It would be easy to put numbers one to eleven together and come up with England’s starting eleven for World Cup 2026. After all, that was almost the case at Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate was far from unusual in getting annoyed when his team selection was leaked, but he pretty much announced his preferred starting line-up ahead of the tournament in Germany.

In fact, he pretty much announced his tactics, giving Trent Alexander-Arnold the number eight jersey and duly playing him in midfield against Serbia in England’s opener, a 1-0 win in Gelsenkirchen. The only squad member with a number higher than eleven to start that game was Kieran Trippier, number 12. That was because Southgate had given Luke Shaw the number three shirt, despite the Manchester United defender being injured and unavailable for the first three weeks of the tournament.

In the final against Spain, Southgate played one to eleven, with the exception of eight, Alexander-Arnold. That midfield experiment had long been consigned to the dustbin and Kobbie Mainoo, with 26 on his back, was the numerical outlier.

Thomas Tuchel is no Southgate but it would not exactly be a seismic shock if the players numbered one to eleven in his squad started England’s first game against Croatia in Dallas on June 17. That would give us the following line-up.

Pickford – Konsa, Guehi, Stones, O’Reilly – Anderson, Rice – Saka, Bellingham, Rashford – Kane. In however you want to categorise the formation.

The right-back position is up for grabs – Reece James’s number 24 is probably club-connected – and Anthony Gordon, number 18, has a case to start ahead of Marcus Rashford. But the most contentious spot is the one numerically occupied by Jude Bellingham.

Assuming they are both fit, it looks like Bellingham or Morgan Rogers for Tuchel’s first line-up. One or the other.

And as good a season as Rogers enjoyed for Aston Villa, topped off by a very nice goalscoring performance in the Europa League final, it should be Bellingham. The Real Madrid player had a slightly interrupted season but made 40 appearances for his club, contributing eight goals and five assists.

Rogers’ numbers are better – 14 goals and nine assists in 55 appearances. But Bellingham is what Americans refer to as a ‘clutch player’. He can produce brilliance in moments of extreme pressure.

He has done it for club and for country, most notably when he produced an overhead kick to equalise against Slovakia in the round of 16 five minutes into added time. That was in late June, 2024, and should not, of course, guarantee him a starting spot two years later. But he is a big-game operator.

Twice, he has scored added-time winners in El Clasico. He has a proven elite pedigree.

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But what will really inspire Bellingham is the narrative that Tuchel himself has helped to create, by his remarks – for which he later apologised – about his mum finding some of the 22-year-old’s behaviour ‘repulsive’. And also by his obvious – and commendable – refusal to offer the Madrid man any selection guarantees.

There has never been any suggestion Bellingham needs extra motivation when he pulls on an England jersey. But if he did, there has been plenty provided by some of the negativity that has infused discussion of his contributions to club and country in recent times.

As the tournament progresses, Tuchel might use a system that enables him to start Bellingham AND Rogers. After all, they are both outstanding players.

But Tuchel will want to make a statement in his first game at a World Cup. And no player is more capable of making a statement than the one who has been given the number ten.

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