Going on an overseas trip involves lots of admin: At a minimum, you have to double-check that your passport is not out of date, get your hands on some foreign cash, and budget extra time to get to the airport. With so many things on your to-do list, the last thing you want to worry about is how well your luggage will be able to withstand all the beating and bashing along the way.

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Lewis Hamilton insists his team are “almost there” as they look to agree a new contract with Mercedes – and has denied reports that Ferrari have approached him. The 38-year-old’s current contract with the Silver Arrows, where he has been since 2013, expires at the end of this season as he is set to take to the track on Friday in a revamped Mercedes car. COMMENT: Lewis Hamilton has shut the door on Ferrari – will he come to regret it? A report this week suggested Ferrari have offered the seven-time F1 world champion – who has won six of his titles with Mercedes – a £40m-a-year contract to join the Scuderia from 2024. Yet Hamilton, who covets a record-breaking eighth crown after missing out controversially in Abu Dhabi in 2021, revealed that his representatives are close to concluding negotiations with Mercedes over an extension. First practice at the Monaco Grand Prix starts at 12:30pm (BST) on Friday, with FP2 at 4pm (BST). Follow practice at the Monaco Grand Prix with The Independent. Read More Lewis Hamilton has shut the door on Ferrari – will he come to regret it? F1 Monaco Grand Prix: Why is practice no longer on a Thursday? Ferrari boss gives Lewis Hamilton update after reports of shock move

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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.

The Armenian branch of the Red Cross said Monday that Azerbaijan was blocking access to Nagorno-Karabakh, as concern grows over the humanitarian...

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A 25-year-old who has been mostly bed bound by a painful condition that is causing her brain to slip down her spine is pleading for help to raise funds for lifesaving treatment in the US to stabilise her skeleton. Desperate to raise the £200,000 she needs, Emily Balfour, from London, said she will eventually face permanent disability and is at risk of paralysis if she does not receive PICL, a procedure that injects stem cells into the spine through the back of the mouth. An ice-skating accident at the age of 14 flagged the alarming conditions that cause Emily to now live with “relentless levels of pain”. She was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), a collection of rare conditions affecting the connective tissues that make her joints unstable and prone to dislocation, as well as craniocervical instability (CCI), meaning the area where her skull and spine meet is dangerously unstable. Emily also has Chiari malformation, which means the lower part of her brain has herniated and is pushing down through the top of her spinal column. “My health is continuing to deteriorate but I still haven’t managed to raise enough money to get the treatment I need in America,” Emily said. “It would be lifesaving for me and, unless I get the treatment, my life is on pause and stagnated, I’ve become largely bed bound. “And this issue doesn’t just affect me, there are so many people with this condition who are struggling to get funds for treatment abroad. Money is the barrier for us being able to live our lives.” In 2011, Emily was first diagnosed with EDS after an ice-skating accident resulted in a trip to the doctors. I want to keep my sense of agency but it’s getting more and more difficult. Emily Balfour Once a sporty and active teen, Emily is now confined to her bed most days. Due to Chiari malformation, Emily’s brain is pushing down through the top of her spinal column and she said medical specialists have informed her that some of her brain is no longer in her skull. Emily once had dreams of working in film, but she is unable to complete her degree and is also not able to work while she struggles with her health. She said: “I’m not able to participate in life, I’m unable to work and I keep having to delay the completion of my degree. “I have limited vision, I can’t see out of my left eye and I have recently dealt with limb paralysis.” Earlier this year, Emily was rushed to hospital after her left arm became paralysed and swollen. She said: “It looked like a dead person’s arm, I feared I’d never regain mobility of it. “It turned out I was struggling with blood flow to the arm, and I’ve regained limited use of my arm, but I’m high risk of it happening again. “I’ve seen people with these conditions lose function of their arms completely and that obviously concerns me because I live by myself. “I want to keep my sense of agency but it’s getting more and more difficult.” Emily said her brainstem has been damaged to the point where her body is not functioning and she suffers daily from extreme fatigue, periods of paralysis, and loss of vision. It’s incredibly frustrating and I have to accept that I can’t live the life I thought I would. Emily Balfour As a result, Emily now finds herself largely bed bound, is regularly in and out of hospital and suffers from excruciating symptoms which threaten irreversible physical disability and potentially death. Innovative treatment in the US to stabilise her skeleton will be life-changing for Emily, but it comes at a cost. She hopes to raise £200,000 for multiple stem cell treatments, medical care and accommodation in Colorado, USA, where she will undergo a procedure known as PICL to repair and strengthen the ligaments that keep her skull stable. She said: “I’m in relentless levels of pain and, the more activity I do where I’m moving my neck, the worse the pain is. “If I don’t get treatment then it’s looking likely that eventually I will lose the use of one or both of my arms. “The longer it goes on, I’m losing more and more years of my life.” Before her diagnosis, Emily had dreams of working in film, having attended the BFI Film Academy as a teen. She also had plans to travel after finishing her English degree, which is currently on hold. Emily said: “It’s incredibly frustrating and I have to accept that I can’t live the life I thought I would. “I’m seeing other people my age having fun and building their careers but until I get the PICL procedure, I’m stuck. “There are other people who are also in my situation and it’s not an easy journey but I just hope that these treatments will be easier to access closer to home so we can get back to living.” I just want to be able to complete my degree and have a normal life and not be stuck in this living hell. Emily Balfour Emily hopes more research into EDS will result in more treatment options becoming available. For Emily, she says the procedure will be a lifeline and enable her to start living again. “Getting treatment will change everything,” she said. “I wanted to write and make films, but I am now more interested in medicine and want to get a psychotherapy qualification and work in that field. “I used to be so passionate about movies and reading, but because of my brain and vision issues, I’m restricted to audiobooks now. I can’t even do basic things like watching TV, that once brought me so much joy. “I just want to be able to complete my degree and have a normal life and not be stuck in this living hell.” To donate to Emily’s fundraiser, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-treatment-for-emily. 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