London has recaptured its crown as Europe’s largest stock market from Paris, lifted by surging crude oil prices.

Fashion feels like Blair Waldorf’s wildest dream right now. Headbands, the classic ladylike accessory mostly associated with childhood photos and country club gatherings, are one of 2023’s biggest fashion trends, endorsed by both designers and street style stars.

Scientists have created a model human embryo to study the first weeks of life, complete with a heartbeat and traces of blood. The synthetic embryo was created with human stem cells and did not require sperm, eggs or fertilisation. It mimics the structure that occurs during the first month of pregnancy. Yet, scientists ensured it was designed to not form a foetus. Researchers involved in the extraordinary project discovered that the model had early stages of developing a brain and beating heart cells, which generally develop after 23 days in a human embryo. It was achieved through embryonic stem cells, which are 'blank' cells from a human embryo. Scientists grew the model in a lab before transferring it to a rotating bottle to act as an artificial uterus, The Guardian reported. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Scientists hope the findings will help them understand more about the impact of genetic disorders and miscarriage. Dr Jitesh Neupane, of the University of Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute, told the publication: "I randomly took my plate under the microscope and when I saw the [heartbeat] for the first time I was scared, honestly. I had to look down and look back again. "It was overwhelming for me. People get emotional when you see the heartbeat." He went on to emphasise that the model is "neither embryos nor are [they] trying to make embryos actually." "They are just models that could be used to look into specific aspects of human development," he continued. The findings are yet to be published in either a preprint or a journal paper. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

WFH — that's working from home — has its benefits. At home, you can do

Gen Z is ditching sanitary products and encouraging others to do the same and try 'free bleeding'. A recent surge of TikTok uploads shows women embracing the method and educating viewers on how to do it. The centuries-old practice is simply not using period products. Some people, including prominent TikTokers, are taking part in a movement to remove the stigma and normalise free bleeding. Others are doing it for environmental factors as most products are single-use and disposable. In one viral clip, Brittany (@odbrittany) tells viewers she is free bleeding and "it is not bad at all." She explains how she purchased three pairs of reusable period pants from the brand Thinx and claims since using them indoors her "cramps are not bad compared to how they are when I'm wearing a tampon." Brittany adds that she has tried other methods such as menstrual cups, but is pleasantly surprised that she likes the period pants. "For some reason, while I'm wearing these underwear, my bleeding isn't as heavy and my cramps are nowhere near as bad," she continues. @odbrittany I also havent had a headache yet ??#freebleeder #freebleeding #freedbleed #menstrual #fyp The TikToker's clip was soon inundated with comments from fellow free bleeders, with one writing: "Started free bleeding & my period is extra short & light!" "I noticed wen i free bleed my period is shorter," another said, while a third added: "Thinx are the best. Changes my LIFE!" Another creator Annette uploaded a video where she explains "free bleeding just hits different." "I stay home when I’m on my period. I stay home and I bleed," she says, adding that when she goes out she uses period pants. Dr Jenna Beckham, OB-GYN, clinical assistant professor and Flo medical board member also points out that some people are free bleeding as a result of period poverty that is happening across the world. Some people "free bleed not by choice but because of lack of access to menstrual products," she explains. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

For most traditional career paths, getting an education is a necessity. An electrician will spend hours mastering their craft, a nurse will study hard to pass their classes — and their licensure exams — and teachers will learn how to teach. But for the rapidly growing career of an influencer, there’s no formal schooling, no Get Ready With Me 101 classes or TikTok exams to pass, mainly because this profession still isn’t seen as “real” by those who exist outside of it. As influencing becomes a more common — and maybe even more respected — career, some are trying to make it more accessible by bringing influencer education to the forefront.

With a TikTok ban hitting Montana and dozens of other, more nuanced bans of the

The term ‘soft life’ is trending on TikTok, with the #softlifeera tag clocking 12.2million views. While not brand new, it seems a growing number of social media users are leaning towards the lifestyle concept – but what does soft life actually mean and how can it benefit people? Where does the trend come from? As the wording suggests, soft life is all about veering away from stress and struggle and embracing a more easy and enriched life. But this isn’t just about life looking ‘perfect’ on social media. “Soft life isn’t new, however I’m really grateful to see its resurgence,” said Chlöe Pierre, founder of wellness platform thy.self and author of Take Care: The Black Women’s Guide To Wellness. “Essentially to me, especially as a black woman, soft life is about making choices that can avoid me having to live a much longer, and unsustainable, life in hardship. For me it’s about wellness in general, and sustainable wellness. “My only concern when seeing trends [on social media] is that they are inclusive, and generally they aren’t. First and foremost, soft life is a choice – and it’s a privilege to be able to make that choice,” Pierre added. “Originally, the soft life kind of movement had origins in places like Nigeria and other places around the continent, but was popularised via America and a lot of African American women, [who were often] fictional characters on TV. Because there weren’t, especially not in the UK, reachable or visible representations of black women and women of colour that had amassed a wealth, and therefore the privilege of living a ‘soft life’.”Permission to live a soft life For Dr Evelyn Okpanachi, author of The Emotionally Empowered Woman, it makes sense people are increasingly leaning towards the trend. “Collectively, we are still tired. We have had the Covid era, austerity and more, and we simply want to live and breathe a little. This is why we are leaning towards it more right now. Collectively, we are breathing a sigh of relief,” said Okpanachi. “Most people associate the soft life with booking last-minute flights, mojitos on the beach, dining at nice restaurants and all of the externalities. It is in part, but it a lot deeper than that. “Soft life is living life on your terms. Creating a career you want, the business you want, and looking after yourself holistically. This starts with empowering yourself to succeed by elevating your mindset and knowing you deserve to live a soft life.” Nothing comes easy Okpanachi noted the work that can be involved, however. “In order to enter the soft life era, the average person tends to go through an element of stress. Nothing comes easy,” she explained. “It is essentially about purposely creating a lifestyle with minimal stress and setting boundaries – boundary setting is key. It’s embracing the things that serve you and letting go/eliminating the things that don’t. We all deserve to live a soft life, and we all should. But we have to put the work in to attain it.” This is something social media can often miss out. As Pierre noted, influencers or celebrities may “show you one side of their life – you don’t get to see the struggle they have had to get to that point, or to maintain that lifestyle they have in front of the camera”. Making space for a softer lifeFor many, the dilemma is making these things a reality when work takes up so much energy, along with caring/parenting duties, health challenges and everything else. Pierre discusses in her book about how our identities can be “very wrapped up” in work, which can make it so much more draining – especially for black women who have faced “more hardship in the workplace, compared to other demographics”. Setting “clear expectations and intentions” for yourself can be helpful, she added, and getting to know yourself better. “So making clear expectations about who I am, what I will accept, and what I want – and having the belief that I don’t have to go through too much hardship, that it’s not a benchmark for who I am,” Pierre explained. “This can even be applied to dating.” Ditch the guilt Donna Noble, yoga teacher and author of Teaching Body Positive Yoga: A Guide To Inclusivity, Language And Props, also believes making things intentional is key for how people can embrace the soft life in their everyday routines. “[People] can prioritise their me-time and be intentional about it – for instance, meditating, journaling or doing yoga as soon as they get up (before the rest of the world invades their space), as this will set you up nicely for the rest of the day,” said Noble. “I believe rest and self-care are part of our birth-right – no feeling guilty for just being and not doing. Normalise taking the pause, and that it can be the most powerful thing we do in our day.” For those who struggle to put themselves first, Noble suggested taking time to work on giving yourself permission. “The key here is a shift in perspective and empowerment – you’ve got to discover the precious gem that is your wellbeing. Society’s old scripts may try to hold us back, but rewriting the narrative is where the magic happens,” she said. “Giving ourselves a permission slip to prioritise self-care isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity. It’s about understanding that nurturing ourselves isn’t selfish; it’s the foundation for health and wellbeing.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Kim Kardashian teased as the face of a major fashion brand Shoppers make seven big impulse buys per year on average – survey Even 4,000 steps a day could ‘reduce risk of death’ – study

Jellysmack, a startup that helps video creators manage and grow their online catalogs, has announced

Summer is now in full swing, which means the days are mostly being spent outdoors. Whether you prefer the beach or the country, summertime fashion needs to be as reliable as the SPF you apply, in order to make the most out of the warm-weather season.

The snaking queues for food and fuel that crisscrossed Sri Lanka last year have given way to a different kind of line -- people scrambling for travel...

The recent softening in the US labor market is hurting Black men the most, threatening to unravel record