Kink and LGBT dating apps exposed 1.5m private user images online

50 minutes ago Share Save Joe Tidy Cyber correspondent, BBC World Service Share Save

Chica App Sugar daddy dating app Chica is one of five apps with unprotected user images

Researchers have discovered nearly 1.5 million pictures from specialist dating apps – many of which are explicit – being stored online without password protection, leaving them vulnerable to hackers and extortionists. Anyone with the link was able to view the private photos from five platforms developed by M.A.D Mobile: kink sites BDSM People and Chica, and LGBT apps Pink, Brish and Translove. These services are used by an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people. M.A.D Mobile was first warned about the security flaw on 20th January but didn't take action until the BBC emailed on Friday. They have since fixed it but not said how it happened or why they failed to protect the sensitive images.

This is one of the photos that anyone could have accessed. We have cropped the face and blurred it to enhance privacy

Ethical hacker Aras Nazarovas from Cybernews first alerted the firm about the security hole after finding the location of the online storage used by the apps by analysing the code that powers the services. He was shocked that he could access the unencrypted and unprotected photos without any password. "The first app I investigated was BDSM People, and the first image in the folder was a naked man in his thirties," he said. "As soon as I saw it I realised that this folder should not have been public." The images were not limited to those from profiles, he said – they included pictures which had been sent privately in messages, and even some which had been removed by moderators.

Hacking risk

Police visit over mushroom picking alarms forager

25 minutes ago Share Save Dan Martin BBC News, Leicester Share Save

BBC Louise Gather said she had a lovely time at the park and was surprised to get a visit from police

A woman says police overreacted by trying to ban her from a park over allegations she was illegally foraging for mushrooms. Louise Gather said a police officer came to her home and attempted to issue her with a community resolution report after she visited Bradgate Park, in Leicestershire, in search of magpie inkcaps - a rare kind of fungi. It follows a complaint by the Bradgate Park Trust, which runs the park, that Mrs Gather picked mushrooms illegally because it is a designated site of special scientific interest (SSSI). The 38-year-old insisted she had not picked any mushrooms during her visit in November, and that Leicestershire Police's actions had been "a bit excessive".

Mrs Gather, from Derby, revealed details of the community resolution order on TikTok this week.

Louise Gather Mrs Gather said she was a keen forager, but had not picked any mushrooms at Bradgate Park on that day

Under the terms of the community resolution report, an informal agreement between a complainant and an alleged offender, Mrs Gather was told she would not face prosecution or get a criminal record if she stuck to its terms. These also included her agreeing not to take items from the park in the future, and that she would look into what an SSSI is. However, police have subsequently admitted that the order was not valid because the officer dealing with the case mistakenly got her husband to sign the agreement, rather than her.

Louise Gather Mrs Gather said she was pleased to find the magpie inkcaps in the park

Mrs Gather said the first time she became aware of any problem was on 25 November, when an officer from Leicestershire Police came to her home and said a complaint had been made. She said: "It seems someone had followed me, taken pictures of my car registration and passed them on to police. "I was out when [the officer] came but my husband was home - and he thought I'd been in a car accident or something. "The police officer was pretty good about it - I think he just wanted to get it sorted as quickly as possible - but he got my husband to sign something, which was an informal agreement that I don't go back to the park - so he'd go. "It turns out that was a mistake and the officer's boss phoned me on Thursday to say it had been rescinded. He was very, very apologetic. "The whole thing feels a bit silly. I don't think much common sense has been used. "I was a bit excessive to send a policeman to my house - especially as I didn't pick anything from the park. "I understand Bradgate Park is an SSSI. Why would I want to do anything to harm that environment?"

'Mushroom bucket list'

"I do sometimes forage, usually for wild garlic and wild leeks," said Mrs Gather. "And on that day I was looking for magpie inkcaps, which are quite rare, and I had been tipped off they were growing there. "My interest in fungi started a few years ago. I started to notice them while I was walking the dog then I'd go home and look them up. It moved on from there. "Magpie inkcaps were on my mushroom bucket list. Occasionally I do forage mushrooms, but on that day I didn't pick anything. "I spoke to a couple of volunteers and had a lovely conversation with them. "They told me where they thought I might find what I was looking for - and I did find them. "I had my foraging basket but I didn't put anything in it. I was happy - I was there about an hour and even had lunch in the cafe. "There were rangers buzzing about on their buggies. Nobody seemed to think anything was wrong at the time. Nobody asked to look in my basket." According to Leicestershire Police, the complainant said it was reported Mrs Gather had a small knife, which meant they did not feel able to approach her. She said: "I had my tiny mushroom foraging knife. That's all. It has a lock blade but I don't think I even got it out."

Getty Images Police said the park was of "high conservation value"

A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police said a report of a woman picking mushrooms had been received, and added: "Inquiries were carried out into the report and an officer visited the woman's home address, where a community resolution was issued in relation to the offence. "Bradgate Park is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), which is covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and Nature Conservation Act 2004. "The park is of high conservation value and should be protected as part of his heritage. "The removal of any item from the park is an offence and officers will carry out inquiries into any reports of this nature which are made to us." The Bradgate Park Trust declined to comment.

Foraging dos and don'ts

The Woodland Trust's guidelines on foraging say: Minimise damage and take only what you plan to consume

Seek permission and look especially at sites of conservation importance

Know what you are picking. Some species are rare, inedible or poisonous

Know the law. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, it is illegal to dig up or remove wild plants (including algae, lichens and fungi) from the land on which it is growing without permission from the landowner or occupier

'I've not heard of incel before': Teenager dissects Adolescence with his worried parents

1 hour ago Share Save Anna Lamche BBC News Share Save

Netflix In Netflix's Adolescence, 13-year-old Jamie is accused of murdering a female peer after being exposed to misogynistic online material and subjected to cyberbullying

"It's just weird to talk about your sexual feelings to your parents," says 15-year-old Ben*. His parents, Sophie and Martin, two professionals in their 40s, nod understandingly. They are discussing the kinds of "big issues" Ben's social media usage throws up, and for Ben their conversations about sex and pornography are "the worst". The family – minus Ben's little sister, who is too young to join the discussion – are gathered in their living room to dissect the smash-hit Netflix drama Adolescence, which they watched the previous evening. The series follows the story of 13-year-old protagonist Jamie, who is accused of murdering a female peer after being exposed to misogynistic online material and subjected to cyberbullying. Both of Ben's parents are concerned their own son's behaviour is being impacted by the material he is exposed to, and Ben, who is worried himself, is trying to set limits on his own phone use. Given their concerns, and how they overlap with the themes of Adolescence, the family agreed to watch the programme together and allowed BBC News to sit in on their discussion, which ranged from the relevance of Andrew Tate to whether boys and girls can be friends.

'People just call each other virgins'

Ben is sitting on the sofa in the living room scrolling on his phone before the conversation begins. The parents take their seats looking relaxed despite the difficult subjects they are about to discuss. Photos of loved ones line the bookshelves in the family's living room, and a piano stands against the wall. Sophie and Martin have worked hard to create a "very open" household, Sophie says, where "all topics are on the table". While watching the programme, Sophie made a list of things to talk about with Ben. A confident and outspoken teenage boy, Ben is well-liked by fellow pupils at his single-sex state secondary school. But the qualities that make him popular with his peers often land him in trouble with his teachers, who give him detentions or send him to isolation for making what his mother describes as "inappropriate comments". In the show, Jamie and his peers use language associated with the "manosphere" – websites and online forums promoting misogyny and opposition to feminism – and incel culture. Incels, short for involuntary celibate, are men who blame women because they are unable to find a sexual partner. It is an ideology that has been linked to terror attacks and killings in recent years. Perhaps surprisingly, "incel" wasn't a familiar term to Ben, and his dad Martin had to explain it as they watched the programme. "People just call each other 'virgins'. I've not heard 'incel' before," Ben tells his parents. He suggests the term might have "dropped off" social media for young people in recent years, reflecting the pace at which the conversation moves online. Ben tells his parents there are elements of the show he recognises, including its depiction of the fights and cyberbullying at school. But he thinks it is only a "rough picture" of what it's like to be a teenager today, and that it was principally made for "an adult who isn't online". For example, it neglects to show the good side of social media alongside its dangers, he says, and some details – including the secret emoji codes one character claims children use – ring false. It is for this reason that Martin, who says he enjoyed the tense drama, also feels the show is playing on every parent's "worst nightmare" about their child's phone use, meaning it sometimes favours theatrics over realism in an attempt to "shock" adults into action.

Netflix Stephen Graham (left), who plays Jamie's father in Adolescence, co-wrote the show and has said he wants it to cause discussion and change

Andrew Tate, an influencer and central figure of the shadowy online world of the manosphere, is mentioned by name in the drama and has been the cause of much concern among parents and teachers. But Ben says that while Andrew Tate was "popular" at his school about two years ago, he is now "old news". Ben has noticed the way Tate combines health and wellbeing with politics. "Some of his things, like 'exercise for an hour a day' – fair enough, that's correct. But then he combines it with far-right ideas, like 'the man should go out and work and the wife should stay at home'," Ben says. Both parents agree that Tate is not to blame for misogyny. As far as they're concerned, he is symptomatic of "a bigger social problem".

Can boys and girls be friends?

This problem is represented starkly in the bleak picture Adolescence paints of male-female friendships in the social media age. Protagonist Jamie doesn't have any female friends, and appears to view relations with the opposite sex through a lens of dominance and manipulation. Sophie is concerned that interactions between boys and girls are distant and impersonal in Ben's peer group. She says Ben doesn't have many opportunities to mix with girls his age. And she worries her son is getting most of his information about how to interact with girls from social media. "It's really twisted," she says. "They don't know how to behave around each other." She asks her son a question: "If you don't know how to talk to girls when you're feeling awkward, if you're like, 'Eurgh, I don't know how to dress', where do you go for help?" "Online," Ben says. "So it goes full circle," says his mum. "That's where they get information." Ben isn't embarrassed that he's "used ChatGPT for like two years" to get this sort of advice. "Or TikTok," he adds.

Sophie says Ben learned most about friendship with the opposite sex during a visit to a cousin's house, who attends a mixed school and has female friends. She recalls Ben's cousin reprimanding him after Ben asked whether the cousin was attracted to a female friend. "I don't remember him getting annoyed with me like that, but okay," Ben says. They debate their varying recollections of events until they land on a version on which they can agree: "His cousin was like, 'No, that's my friend. I don't think of them in that way,'" Sophie says. "That was really eye-opening for him," she says. Turning to Ben, she recalls: "You came back from it, and you were like, 'It's much better [at my cousin's], girls and boys are friends.'"

Sharing intimate images

In the Netflix drama, it is revealed that Jamie's victim Katie had been subjected to misogynistic bullying after a male classmate shared intimate images of her without her consent. Jamie's discussion of this incident with a child psychologist, played by Erin Doherty, is pivotal to the programme's acclaimed third episode. Ben has seen this kind of abuse of trust among his peers too. "There's a guy near here, and [a picture of] his genitals got leaked on a massive group chat with loads of people," he says. "That was a big thing on TikTok." The series kicks off with an episode in which police question Jamie about the sexualised images of adult women he has shared on his Instagram page, hinting at the ease with which young teenagers can access pornography.

Netflix In the series, Jamie's mother (played by Christine Tremarco) and father are forced to grapple with how little they knew about their son's online world

This feels familiar to Ben, who thinks porn is the "biggest issue" among his peer group. He knows boys who are "addicted" to it: "They rely on it. There are people in my year who'll have such a bad day unless they watch it." Ben squirms a little while talking about pornography, staring at the wall or fiddling with his phone. He seems more comfortable talking about the other forms of concerning content young people come across online. He estimates that "one in 10" videos he watches on his phone contain distressing material, including scenes of extreme violence. And Ben's parents are under no illusions that their son is "safe" just because he is upstairs on his computer - unlike Jamie's parents in the show.

What can be done?

Are my braids doing more harm than good?

2 hours ago Share Save Chelsea Coates • @Coates9Chelsea BBC News Share Save

BBC A new study is raising concerns about the synthetic hair used in braiding

Braids are one of the most popular hairstyles for black women, worn by celebrities and aunties alike - but questions are being raised about its effects on our health. The process can last up to five hours as stylists deftly part small, evenly-spaced sections of hair, and gradually add in extensions. Despite the long salon visits, braids have always been closely linked to convenience for me. Growing up, they were for holidays, as the style meant that instead of fretting over how frizzy my hair would get, I could jump in the pool with no worries. Braids are still what I turn to now when I want a few months break from all the detangling - or I want to try a new colour without the potential damage of hair dye.

Chelsea Coates Braids are my go-to style, especially for big occasions

But a new study suggests that the synthetic hair many black women use to achieve this style could be bad for their health. The US non-profit organisation Consumer Reports tested samples from ten of the most popular brands of synthetic braiding hair, and found that all of them contained carcinogens, and in some cases, lead. The research made an impact, as my Instagram feed and WhatsApp groups were flooded with links to the study, warning of the alleged risks hidden in our hair.

One of the messages was from my cousin, Rochelle, who does her braids herself every other month. "Braids, famously, are called a protective style," she later told me. It's a term typically used to describe several Afro hairstyles, including braids, locs and wigs, that reduce how much your hair is exposed to the elements and cut back on constant styling. "The fact that this style is doing everything but protect us - it's actually harming us - is actually quite wild to me."

The study suggests synthetic hair in braids could contain cancer-causing chemicals

It is the lack of awareness among Black women that is most concerning, she adds. "People that are eating unhealthy food or smoking, they know that what they're doing could harm their body, whereas if you're putting braids in your hair, you're not thinking that it's harming you." James Rogers, the head of product safety testing at Consumer Reports, says that the results are a cause for concern because women have "constant contact" with harmful chemicals if their hair is in braids, often for months at a time. "We believe that whenever you're exposed to harmful chemicals, that it's cumulative - it all adds up." But he also emphasised that more research was needed, saying: "We're hoping that this begins the conversation, not only at the regulatory level, but also amongst our own communities, about sharing accurate information."

For almost 30 years, Josee (middle) has run her own salon with her daughters Abigail (left) and Naomi (right)

Here at Josée's Professional Braiding Studio in north London, the study certainly isn't putting clients off. Josée and her daughters Abigail and Naomi, who work with her in the salon, have seen interest from new customers, especially after they helped to create the wig worn by Elphaba in Wicked, one of highest-grossing movies of 2024. "People were shocked by how versatile we can be with our braiding," Abigail tells me, adding that her mum received several messages from clients telling them how proud they were. Josée says that while the findings are "worrying", it has been business as usual at the salon.

Kellie-Ann has started looking for alternative brands after the study came out

Some of her customers, however, have been rattled by the research. It's Kellie-Ann's first time getting her braids done at Josée's salon, but she has been wearing the style since she was a child. She tells me she felt betrayed after reading the study: "I think it's awful that companies have been doing this for years to black women and I think we deserve better." She's now seeking out brands free from harmful chemicals and plastic - and says many of her friends are doing the same. "A lot of women I've spoken to about it have agreed that biogradable would be better - it's good for the planet as well."

Ifeanyi wants to see more of a commitment to safer products from the black hair industry

Ifeanyi has also worn braids since childhood, and says they are the easiest and most convenient style to handle while she's busy studying at university. She argues that the study is not alarming, pointing out that people may come into contact with carcinogens every day, in certain processed foods, alcohol and tobacco. "Obviously you want be cautious - I just think that it's not necessarily something to completely abandon the style or the hair for." She's concerned that the social media posts she has seen will "scare people out of wanting to engage", to the detriment of a critical source of income for black entrepreneurs working in the hair industry. In 2021 Treasure Tress, a UK-based beauty subscription for Black hair, found that black British women spent £168m a year on hair products. Earlier research by L'Oreal suggested that Black women in the UK spend six times more on their hair than white women. "I'd like to see more of a commitment to making sure that things are safer for us, rather than telling us that some of our historical, traditional practices as black women are wrong," Ifeanyi says.

Tendai Moyo Tendai Moyo founded Ruka during the pandemic

For some, changing attitudes towards synthetic hair are opening up business opportunities. Tendai Moyo co-founded Ruka Hair in 2021, which specialises in extensions made from natural hair sourced from South East Asia, as well as biodegradable synthetic hair, made from collagen fibre. She tells me they have seen a "huge uptick in demand", especially in the US, where the study was published. But she sees this as part of a wider trend, which stretches beyond concerns raised by the new research. "We launched in the pandemic, and people were like, 'Oh, but salons are closed', but we were selling out because people don't stop doing their hair." She tells me that Black women "got to experiment" more with their hair during lockdown and were more willing to try out new products.

Tendai thinks more women turned to braids during lockdown

One of the biggest draws of traditional synthetic hair brands, however, is their low price, which has made experimenting with different styles and colours affordable for years. But newer brands tend to have a higher price point - Tendai tells me that Ruka's most popular synthetic hair type costs around 2.5 times more than several high street brands. Ifeanyi says that, as a student, brands like Ruka are out of reach for her: "To purchase the hair is equivalent to the amount it would cost you to get the hairstyle done, so you're essentially doubling the price." Tendai defends this by comparing it to choosing between "fast food and healthy food". She adds: "You can actually reuse our products if you'd like, and therefore you're saving money in that way."

Naomi says her job empowers other women - and herself

The seven bills going up this week

13 minutes ago Share Save Share Save

Getty Images

A series of essential bills are rising at the start of what some commentators have described as "awful April". The exact amount you pay will depend on your individual circumstances, and where you live. Although minimum wages are also increasing, and wages on average have been outpacing inflation, household finances could still come under extra pressure. Here are seven ways in which you could be affected from 1 April.

1. Water bills

Water bills for households are going up in England and Wales by £10 more per month on average, but there's a lot of variation depending on the company. For example, the annual Southern Water bill will jump 47% to £703, while Anglian Water customers will pay 19% more, or £626. Factors including whether households have a meter and how much water used will also impact bills, which are being front-loaded for the next five years, meaning the big increase is coming this year. Water companies in England and Wales have said the increases are needed to invest in creaking infrastructure, including sewage, and to build more reservoirs. In Scotland, water bills are rising by almost 10%. Scottish Water, which is a public body, said spending was needed to cope with periods of "drought and intense rainfall" brought on by climate change. Domestic customers in Northern Ireland are not billed for water, with the system funded by the devolved government. How much will I have to pay for my water?

2. Energy bills

The annual energy bill for a household using a typical amount of gas and electricity is going up by £111 a year to £1,849 from April. Regulator Ofgem increased the energy price cap because of higher wholesale costs and inflation. The cap is set every three months and limits the amount suppliers can charge for each unit of gas and electricity, but not the total bill, so if you use more, you will pay more. It affects 22 million homes in England, Wales and Scotland. Standing charges - fixed fees to connect to a gas and electricity supply and vary by region - are rising again for gas but dropping for electricity, but it depends on where you live. Ofgem is suggesting households consider a fixed tariff for a bit of stability. Energy price cap: Why are gas and electricity bills going up and can I fix?

3. Council tax

4. Car tax

The standard rate of tax for cars registered after April 2017 is rising £5 to £195 a year. According to the RAC, you may pay less or more if your car was first used before 2017. The exact amount for your road tax will depend on the year your car was registered and the type of fuel it uses. One big change is that electric vehicles (EVs) will no longer be tax exempt. EVs registered from April 2025 will pay the lowest rate of £10 in the first year, then move to the standard rate. The standard rate will also apply to EVs first registered after April 2017.

5. Broadband, phone and TV licence

Rule changes introduced by the telecoms regulator this year mean that mobile and broadband providers must now tell customers "in pounds and pence" about any price rises, as well as when they occur. The new rules typically only apply to new customers, so any price rise will depend on when you took your contract out, but prices ususally increase around now. For instance, under the new rules, someone with a mobile Sim only contract with EE will see their bill go up by £1.50 a month, or £18 a year. But for the majority of EE customers who took their contract out before 10 April 2024, they will face an increase of 6.4%, which is based on the inflation rate last December together with an additional charge. Similarly, most Virgin Media broadband customers will face a 7.5% rise in bills, but for anyone who took out a contract after 9 January this year, their monthly bill will go up by £3.50. The cost of a TV licence is also going up by £5 to £174.50, and for a black and white TV is going up by £1.50 to £58.50.

6. Stamp duty

House buyers in England and Northern Ireland will start paying stamp duty on properties over £125,000, instead of over £250,000. First-time buyers currently had paid no stamp duty on homes up to £425,000, but this is dropping to £300,000. A host of homebuyers had been trying to beat the deadline or face paying more. What is stamp duty land tax and how is it changing?

7. Hidden tax rises

The government has kept in place the freeze on tax thresholds on income tax and National Insurance until 2028, a policy brought in by the previous government. This is often dubbed a stealth tax - as governments don't explicitly label it as a tax. But the policy amounts to a tax rise because of a process called "fiscal drag", which sees more people "dragged" into paying higher rates of tax as wages rises. The new tax year begins on 6 April. According to figures from the government's financial watchdog by 2028-29, nearly four million additional people will be expected to pay income tax - and three million more will have moved to the higher rate - due to the threshold being frozen. What are National Insurance and income tax and what do I pay?

Why British boarding schools are so eager to open in Nigeria

11 minutes ago Share Save Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani Letter from Africa series, Abuja Share Save

Charterhouse

For many years, well-off Nigerians have sent their children to prestigious British boarding schools - but now some of those institutions are setting up campuses in Africa's most populous nation. Last year, Charterhouse launched a primary school in the city of Lagos and will open a secondary school this September. Rugby School will also begin offering secondary education in September. Other well-known institutions, such as Millfield, Wellington School and Harrow, are also exploring opportunities in Nigeria. This obviously all comes with a price tag for Nigerian parents - but the country's well-heeled elite have historically sent their children to the UK for secondary education, drawn to the British curriculum's rigour, prestige and global opportunities. "I'm actually excited about it," says Karima Oyede, a British-Nigerian management consultant, whose son is currently in year 10 at Rugby in the UK but will be moving to its Lagos school in September. Her family has been meaning to relocate to Nigeria for a while but has not done so earlier because of the children's education. "Having the opportunity to experience the British system in his country of origin is the best of both worlds," she says.

Nigeria already has a proliferation of private schools but high-quality, internationally recognised education within the country will appeal to many parents, particularly those who wish to preserve their children's cultural identity. "African parents love the fact that they are giving their children international standing so they can compete with their counterparts in any other part of the world, but they don't want their children to lose their African-ness," says Ijay Uwakwe-Okoronkwo, the founder of Nkuzhi Learning Foundation in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. The educational consultant, who advises parents and schools on international boarding options, explains the more relaxed, less respectful attitude children return with after going to school abroad is not always appreciated. This cultural dilemma extends to the growing conversation around LGBTQ issues. Same-sex relationships and public displays of affection are illegal in Nigeria and homosexuality is not openly discussed or promoted. It is something that the new crop of British schools has taken on board. For example, while Charterhouse UK displays a rainbow flag, the Nigeria school does not. "We're a British independent school but sitting firmly within Nigerian cultural needs," says John Todd, head of Charterhouse Nigeria. "There's this huge concern about Western cultural views. "For parents here, we know it's a really big issue. It's a reason parents are worried about the UK schools. "I'm not making a judgement - it's just the way it is." British institutions in Nigeria have no choice but to "follow the law of the land", he acknowledges, adding: "We are 100% compliant." Recognising Nigeria's deeply religious society, Charterhouse also permits parents to take their children home from the boarding house for Sunday church services, with the expectation that they return by Monday morning.

Charterhouse The teachers at Charterhouse in Lagos tend to be British expats

There are several reasons behind the growing interest of prestigious British schools in opening campuses in Nigeria. While regions like the Middle East and China are already saturated with international schools, Africa is relatively virgin territory. "Nigeria is the gateway to Africa, and Africa is kind of the last continent for British schools to establish in," says Mark Brooks, an export champion for the UK's Department for Business and Trade. He organises annual events in Nigeria where about 20 British schools meet prospective students and parents. "Nigeria has an incredible reputation for producing driven, high-achieving students," says Mr Brooks.

"There is no school I work with that hasn't recently had a Nigerian student serve as head boy or deputy head boy. A student may join the sixth form and end up being the head boy within a year. "I've brought hundreds of head teachers to Nigeria over the years, and the word is out in the UK that we need to take Nigeria seriously." Timing has also proved key, as the cost of sending children to the UK has soared. Just three years ago, the exchange rate of the local currency was 500 naira to £1; now it stands at 2,200 naira. On top of that, the Labour government in the UK recently imposed 20% VAT on private school fees. Beyond tuition, families face additional expenses like flights for both students and visiting parents. Establishing these schools in Nigeria allows families to maintain the same standard of education while significantly reducing the financial strain. The annual fees at Charterhouse UK, for example, are around £60,000 ($78,000), whereas the fees at its Lagos campus are equivalent to approximately £15,000. "Our main classroom teachers are expatriates, but 90% of the staff are local," says Mr Todd. By employing local people in roles such as assistant teachers, administration, finance, human resources, marketing, facilities, security, gardeners, drivers, PAs and secretaries, the school can significantly reduce costs compared to the UK, where labour is much more expensive. A vast education gap already exists in Nigeria, with many parents opting for private education of varying quality. Many struggle to pay the higher fees rather than sending their children to government schools, which are often free but plagued by poorly trained teachers and frequent strikes. As a result, the arrival of British schools may not drastically change Nigeria's education system. However, they could pose a threat to established elite schools like the British International School in Lagos and The Regent School in Abuja, which opened in the early 2000s. Such schools have long been top choices for those able to pay the annual tuition fees that often reach tens of thousands of dollars. "Rugby School Nigeria is coming also to support, develop and learn from the schools currently in Nigeria," says Mr Brooks, who is in charge of the school's marketing. "We are coming to help with partnerships as well, teacher training, and a whole range of initiatives."

AFP Since January, private school fees in the UK are no longer exempt from VAT

Mr Todd believes the Nigerian market is large enough to accommodate all the new schools without threatening existing ones. About 40% of the 200 million population is under 14. He expects the greatest impact to be felt in the UK. While Charterhouse UK typically has a long waiting list and should not be affected, less sought-after boarding schools may experience a decline in enrolment owing to the new competition in Nigeria. "Interest in our secondary school is very strong," says Mr Todd. "We already have Nigerian parents in the UK sending their children to the Charterhouse in Nigeria for September." In fact, reaching out to Nigerians in the UK has been one of their key marketing strategies. "You get this premier brand at a lower price, and every Nigerian has an aunt or uncle in Lagos" who can be a guardian, he adds. It could be that this trend extends to British universities. Nigeria's tertiary education system faces even greater challenges than its secondary sector, with many students opting to study abroad. In 2023, Nigeria ranked among the top 10 countries for UK student visas, according to UK government data. But with foreign exchange difficulties and stricter visa regulations, studying abroad is becoming increasingly challenging - and universities that rely on higher international tuition fees appear to be suffering. Earlier this month, British MP Helen Hayes, chair of the parliamentary Education Committee, acknowledged the UK's higher education sector was in trouble. "Dozens of universities are making redundancies and cuts to courses, trying to stay afloat amid uncertainty over where their money is coming from," she said when announcing a session to consider the sector's future. If enough Nigerian students can no longer go to the UK to study, British universities may find it profitable to come to them, as they have elsewhere in the world. In fact, Nigeria's premier university, the University of Ibadan, was established in 1948 as a campus of the University of London, with degrees awarded carrying the same value and prestige. Ms Uwakwe-Okoronkwo believes many Nigerian parents would appreciate this opportunity, as it would allow their children to stay in Nigeria long enough to mature before potentially moving abroad, if they choose to do so. "Many parents are worried about sending their children out of the nest too early," she says. For Ms Oyede, whose daughter will also be starting at Rugby School in Lagos come September, the timing of all this could not be better. She says the British school opening has already been an "incentive to return home". The prospect of university opportunities would be a welcome bonus. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is a freelance Nigerian journalist and novelist based in Abuja and London.

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The US firms backing Trump's fight over trade

2 hours ago Share Save Natalie Sherman BBC News Share Save

BBC

Head to the grocery store in the US and the shelves are stocked with jars of St Dalfour strawberry spread and Bonne Maman raspberry preserves - some of the more than $200m (£154m) in jams that Europe sends to America each year. But try looking for American-made jelly in Europe, and you're likely to come up short. The US exports less than $300,000 in jam each year to the bloc. It's an imbalance that US company JM Smucker, one of the biggest sellers of such products in America, blames on a 24%-plus import tax its fruit spreads face in the EU. "The miniscule value of US exports to the European Union is entirely attributable to the high EU tariff," the company wrote in a letter to the White House this month, asking the Trump administration to address the issue as it prepares to levy "reciprocal" tariffs on America's biggest trading partners. "Reciprocal US tariffs on EU jams and jellies would serve to level the playing field," the company said, noting that the highest US jam tariff is currently just 4.5%.

Globally, Trump's push to deploy tariffs against close trading partners - many of which have average tariff levels similar to America's - has generated anger and bafflement, while drawing warnings from economists about higher prices and other potential economic pain. Some businesses in the US have echoed those concerns, but Trump's calls for tariffs are also channelling longstanding frustrations many firms feel about foreign competition and policies they face abroad. Smucker's letter was one of hundreds submitted to the White House, seeking to influence the next set of tariffs, expected to be unveiled on 2 April.

Apple farmers raised the big disparity in import duties their fruit faces in countries such as India (50%), Thailand (40%) and Brazil (10%), as well as sanitary rules in countries such as Australia they said unfairly block their exports. Streaming businesses flagged digital taxes in Canada and Turkey that they said "unfairly target and discriminate" against US companies. The oil and natural gas lobby criticised regulations in Mexico that require partnership with the state-owned oil company and other policies. The White House itself spotlighted uneven ethanol tariffs in Brazil (18%, compared with 2.5% in the US), car tariffs in Europe (10%, compared with 2.5% in the US) and motorcycles in India (until a few years ago, 100% vs 2.4% in the US).

Trump has suggested that his plan for reciprocal tariffs will help remedy such grievances, pumping up his announcement as "Liberation Day". But even the businesses seeking action on their own issues have expressed hesitation about the president's tariff-first, ask-questions-later strategy, which risks retaliation and a wider trade war. With 2 April looming, there remains widespread uncertainty about the goals and scope of White House plans, especially as Trump launches a broadside of other duties. "We're going to be nice," he said this week, at the same time as he announced potentially devastating tariffs on foreign cars and car parts. "I think people will be pleasantly surprised."

India has already said it would lower its tariffs on motorcycles - an apparent bet that Trump's tariffs are a strategy designed to gain leverage for trade talks. But analysts warned that those hoping that Trump plans to use his reciprocal tariffs to negotiate changes elsewhere may be disappointed, as the president has also indicated he could be satisfied by simply hitting back. "Some days it's about revenge and just equalising things and other days it's about lowering tariffs and then other days, third days, it's about bringing manufacturing to the United States," said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington thinktank. "He's used them all at different times - there's not a single thread here that you can rely on."

Getty Images Trump displaying his car tariffs order in the White House on Wednesday

The mismatch between the blunt tool of tariffs and the more niche issues firms want the White House to champion has led to a delicate dance, as businesses suggest tariffs in their own interest, while also hoping to avoid the repercussions of the kind of sweeping duties that Trump has suggested might be on the table. For example, steel manufacturer NorthStar BlueScope Steel, which employs 700 people in the US melting steel from recycled metal, urged Trump to expand tariffs on steel and aluminium to parts. At the same time, however, it asked for an exemption for the raw materials it needs, such as scrap metal. Likewise, the lobby group for JM Smucker and other big food manufacturers, the Consumer Brands Association, warned against "overly broad and sweeping tariffs" that might end up making it more expensive for its members to import ingredients like cocoa, which are not made in the US. "I don't necessarily want the current administration to say, well, we'll impose a tariff," Tom Madrecki, the group's vice president of supply chain resiliency, said at a recent forum about tariffs, hosted by Farmers for Free Trade. "It's this careful balance between yes, I want you to take an America First trade policy and action to counter unfair trade policies abroad ... but maybe not quite in that way."

Wilbur Ross, who served as Trump's commerce secretary in his first term, said he thought business worries would dissipate as Trump's plans become clear, calling 2 April a "big step". But he noted that the president saw little downside to using tariffs, viewing them as either a source of new revenue, or a way to reduce imports and encourage more manufacturing. "He's very committed," he said. "People should have known that something like this was coming because he's been talking about it for many, many years."

Bruce Parry on life among tribal communities

1 hour ago Share Save Samuel Spencer BBC News Share Save

BBC Bruce Parry spent time along the Amazon with the Waimaha people

Living with some of the world's most remote tribal communities has changed filmmaker and indigenous right activist Bruce Parry. "I started out as an adventurer," he says. "It was all ego – I wanted to climb the biggest mountain, go and find the tribe that no one's visited to show the world how tough I was." Across three series of the BAFTA-winning Tribe, viewers have seen Parry taking the psychedelic drug ayahuasca, having his nose pierced with a thorn and taking part in numerous rituals. Now, the series is returning to screens for the first time since 2007. He was in his mid-30s in the first series of Tribe - and he has just turned 56. "Initially on the show, my whole remit was to not say anything and to experience," he says. "Now, I am much more knowledgeable, and that made it harder to be that wide-eyed character. "I'm not the same guy any more." Warning: This story contains descriptions of animal cruelty some readers may find distressing.

'Most gruesome thing'

While trying to understand the communities he visits, Parry sometimes encounters difficult situations. Among Angola's Mucubal community, for example, custom demands that as a guest, he must sacrifice a goat in a way expected within the group – that is, by suffocating it. "They do it because they see it as respectful," says Parry. In the episode, he says this is the "most gruesome thing" he has ever been a part of. "I knew how that was going to feel to some members of the audience," he says, adding that some might see it as "barbaric". Despite finding it upsetting, he says he was able to get through it by thinking on a global scale. "If you take these people as a whole, they are not a problem on this planet," he says, arguing, in his view, that by doing things like eating meat "you are contributing to so much more that is potentially negative and impactful on the planet".

Parry unblocks his sinuses with chilli as part of a Waimaha cleansing ritual

'Sometimes, they just want guns'

In his new three-part BBC series, he lives among three remote communities. He conducts a sacred ritual with Colombia's Waimaha people, lives among Angola's Mucubal community and visits Indonesia's Marapu. Behind the scenes, Parry's team works hard to make sure their visits are not just what he calls "coming to take away their images [by filming them] and take them home". Instead, he refers to his time with the remote communities as an "exchange", with his team often trading gifts with the people he visits. In the past, he has given equipment, from boats to a machine used to grind sorghum - a staple grain in Africa and Asia. And in the show, we see him receive items in return in the form of livestock or other items culturally important to each community.

The presenter with Muetuelachy, a member of the Mucubal community, who practises dental modification

"Sometimes they just want guns," Parry says, "but as the BBC, we can't quite do that." He adds: "We haven't ever really approached anyone that isn't really excited for us to come. I've never really had a sense that people didn't want me there." There may, however, be some wariness based on negative experience with outsiders. The Waimaha, whose culture was nearly decimated by rubber tappers and missionaries, for example, make Parry sleep away from them until he has gained their trust.

Bruce Parry's time among the Waimaha involved sampling various edible insects

Each episode reveals some of the other outside factors facing each community. The region of Angola that Parry visits was inaccessible for decades because of landmines left during that country's civil war. And the Mucubal group feel the effects of climate change as the desert they live in gets hotter and drier. Parry says he brings these issues to our attention after identifying what he saw as a problem with the original series. "You could be forgiven for watching those first episodes and thinking that these people were living in pristine environments in the middle of nowhere, untouched by the outside world," he says. "We used to get people saying it was questionable to go to these places and change them by our presence. "To some degree, we are doing that, but our impact on those people was a drop in the ocean compared to all the other forces of change, the globalisation, the miners, the loggers and the missionaries."

'That's where wisdom comes'

Parry takes part in a ritual fight with the Marapu community

Shorter family court hearings 'encouraging', says minister

4 hours ago Share Save Gemma Dunstan BBC News Share Save

Getty Images Journalists can request to report from family courts after new transparency rules were announced last year

Parents and children experiencing shorter family court hearings following a government review is "encouraging", a minister has said. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said a pilot scheme in some courts, intended to reduce delays and better support victims of domestic abuse, had reduced the duration of cases from an average of 29 weeks to 18. Alex Davies-Jones MP, a minister for violence against women and girls, said the scheme had helped with the family courts' understanding of domestic abuse. But some parents who have experienced the family courts under the pilot scheme have raised concerns about the process.

When parents have separated and cannot agree on how to share their caring responsibilities, they turn to the family court. The judge can decide on issues such as who the children will live with, how their holidays are organised, as well as where they will go to school. Family courts also carry out care proceedings when a local authority is concerned that a child is at risk of harm. There are about 46,000 private family law cases heard in England and Wales each year. A pilot scheme called 'Pathfinder' was launched in some family court proceedings in 2022, after a review of the family justice system highlighted examples of child arrangements being unsafe and allegations of abuse being ignored or disbelieved. Davies-Jones said Pathfinder had "definitely helped in the family courts' understanding of domestic abuse". "I think for far too long sadly [domestic abuse] wasn't really being taken into consideration, and not just by the family courts, by government and society as a whole," she added.

Alexandra Davies-Jones ©House of Commons Alex Davies-Jones MP said Pathfinder has helped courts to take domestic abuse into consideration

North Wales and Dorset were the first pilot areas, with it later being expanded to all of Wales, Birmingham and West Yorkshire. The first evaluation of the pilot areas, based on interviews with 67 frontline professionals in the court system, found that less time in court was a benefit for families and the court system, and that the child's voice being centred in proceedings was recognised. However, resourcing and staffing was found to be a challenge. Davies-Jones said the evaluation was "really key in showing us what is working, what needs to be tweaked, what needs to be improved". Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs said the evaluation provided "clear evidence that government should roll this approach out fully across all family courts in England and Wales".

'The process was still difficult'

Journalists can request to report from family courts after new transparency rules were announced last year, provided they keep the details anonymous. BBC News followed a case at Cardiff Family Court where domestic abuse allegations were made by the mother and highlighted in the initial child impact report. Identifying these claims early in the process is a key feature of Pathfinder. The report made recommendations about contact if the abuse allegations were found to be true. The judge ruled there had been coercive control, physical and emotional abuse. The mother told the BBC: "The court acknowledged the abuse, and I appreciated the separate entrances and witness protection suite. "But abuse isn't always obvious, it can come through in the smallest ways, and it's hard to paint the full picture in a courtroom." She said there was support but that it did not help with the emotional toll, adding that she found the process "exhausting". After multiple hearings, the father sought the court's permission to withdraw his application for child arrangements . The judge, who read an email from the father, told the court: "Proceedings had been distressing and [the father] doesn't feel he can engage or is in a financial position to continue with representation." The judge ruled the child would live with the mother and have no contact from the father. He said this would provide an extra layer of protection to the mother, that the father would need to complete a perpetrator programme before returning to court proceedings, if he wanted to bring them in the future.

Family Court proceedings, like those at Cardiff Family Court, are private although under a recent change in court rules certain information can be reported

Another parent who had a case under the Pathfinder pilot was critical of the process. They said abuse was not identified and the case dragged on for years. BBC News did not follow this case in court and for legal reasons is unable to view and verify the court documents. The person said: "Domestic abuse was raised but dismissed as mere conflict, without properly assessing coercive control. "I feel it has treated me as badly if not worse than my abusive ex-partner." Davies-Jones said these experiences were "really hard to hear" adding that she was "sorry" to anyone who had had that experience. "Overwhelmingly the experiences that we've had has been positive, but if that's one person's view then that needs to be taken into consideration. That's why we're evaluating it now to see where people haven't had that good experience, where can we do better but how we can do better." Davies-Jones said people should know that "we hear you, we're listening and we're trying to do better".