'This is so hard': The Chinese small businesses brought to a standstill by Trump's tariffs

6 hours ago Share Save Laura Bicker China correspondent Reporting from Guangzhou Share Save

The BBC's Laura Bicker: ''A number of businesses in limbo'' in China, after US tariffs on imports

"Trump is a crazy man," says Lionel Xu, who is surrounded by his company's mosquito repellent kits – many were once best sellers in Walmart stores in the United States. Now those products are sitting in boxes in a warehouse in China and will remain there unless President Donald Trump lifts his 145% tariffs on all Chinese goods bound for the US. "This is so hard for us," he adds. Around half of all products made by his company Sorbo Technology are sold to the US. It is a small company by Chinese standards and has around 400 workers in Zhejiang province. But they are not alone in feeling the pain of this economic war. "We are worried. What if Trump doesn't change his mind? That will be a dangerous thing for our factory," says Mr Xu.

Nearby, Amy is helping to sell ice cream makers at her booth for the Guangdong Sailing Trade Company. Her key buyers, including Walmart, are also in the US. "We have stopped production already," she says. "All the products are in the warehouse." It was the same story at nearly every booth in the sprawling Canton Fair in the trading hub of Guangzhou. When the BBC speaks to Mr Xu, he is getting ready to take some Australian buyers to lunch. They have come looking for a bargain and hope to drive down the price. "We will see," he says about the tariffs. He believes Trump will back down. "Maybe it will get better in one or two months. Maybe, maybe," Mr Xu adds with his fingers crossed.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC The US and China have both slapped high tariffs on each other

Last week, President Trump temporarily paused the vast majority of tariffs after global stock markets tumbled, and a sell-off in the US bond market. But he kept the import levies targeted at Chinese goods being shipped to the US. Beijing responded by imposing its own 125% levies on American imports. This has bewildered traders from more than 30,000 businesses who have come to the annual fair to show off their goods in several exhibition halls the size of 200 football pitches. In the homeware section, firms displayed everything from washing machines to tumble dryers, electric toothbrushes to juicers and waffle makers. Buyers come from all over the world to see the products for themselves and make a deal. But the cost of a food mixer or a vacuum cleaner from China with the added tariffs are now too high for most American firms to pass on the cost to their customers. The world's two largest economies have hit an impasse and Chinese goods meant for US households are piling up on factory floors. The effects of this trade war will likely be felt in kitchens and living rooms across America, who will now have to buy these goods at higher prices. China has maintained its defiant stance and has vowed to fight this trade war "until the end." It is a tone also used by some at the fair. Hy Vian, who was looking to buy some electric ovens for his firm, waved off the effects of tariffs. "If they don't want us to export – then let them wait. We already have a domestic market in China, we will give the best products to the Chinese first."

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Lionel Xu says he and other staff at Sorbo Technology are worried about what happens if Trump does not lift the tariffs on China

China does have a large population of 1.4 billion people and in theory this is a strong domestic market. Chinese policymakers have also been trying to stimulate more growth in a sluggish economy by encouraging consumers to spend. But it is not working. Many of the country's middle classes have invested their savings in buying the family home, only to watch their house prices slump in the last four years. Now they want to save money – not spend it. While China may be better placed to weather the storm than other countries, the reality is that it is still an export-driven economy. Last year, exports accounted for around half of the country's economic growth. China also remains the world's factory – with Goldman Sachs estimating that around 10 to 20 million people in China may be working on US-bound exports alone.

Xiqing Wang/ BBC Businesses at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou said they have stopped sending goods to the US

Some of its workers are already feeling the pain. Not far from the Canton Fair, there are warrens of workshops in Guangdong making clothes, shoes and bags. This is the manufacturing hub for companies such as Shein and Temu. Each building houses several factories on several floors where workers will labour for 14 hours a day. On a pavement near some shoe factories, a few workers were squatting down to chat and smoke. "Things are not going well," says one, who was unwilling to give his name. His friend urges him to stop talking. Discussing economic difficulties can be sensitive in China. "We've had problems since the Covid pandemic, and now there's this trade war. I used to be paid 300-400 yuan ($40-54) a day, and now I will be lucky if I get 100 yuan a day."

Xiqing Wang/ BBC The BBC visited a workshop in a Guangzhou village, which has changed from being export-oriented to focussing on domestic markets

Ancient oak tree cut down by Toby Carvery

6 hours ago Share Save Tony Grew & Harry Low BBC News Share Save

PA Media The oak tree was found cut down on 3 April

The cutting down of an ancient oak in north London was ordered on health and safety grounds by the pub chain that owns Toby Carvery after it was told the tree was dead. The felled oak, estimated to be about 500 years old, was found by council workers at the edge of Whitewebbs Park in Enfield earlier in April. An emergency tree preservation order has now been imposed on what remains of the tree, which is near a Toby Carvery. The tree, with a girth of 6m (20ft), was a nationally significant pedunculate oak listed on the Woodland Trust's ancient tree inventory. A spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers said: "We took necessary measures to ensure any legal requirements were met."

'Done the decent thing'

The pub chain spokesperson added: "This was an important action to protect our employees and guests as well as the wider general public, to whom we have a duty of care." Earlier, a Mitchells & Butlers source said the company had "done the decent thing" although they apologised to locals who loved the tree. Enfield Council's leader, Ergin Erbil, previously said they were treating the matter as criminal damage and had reported it to the police. The Met Police confirmed it had received a report from the council, but it is understood the force believes there is no evidence of criminality.

Woodland Trust Police confirmed they had received a report of criminal damage to the tree

The spokesperson for Mitchells & Butlers said: "The tree was cut back after we were advised that it caused a serious health and safety risk. "Upon further inspection, our specialist arboriculture contractors made the assessment that the split and dead wood posed a serious health and safety risk and advised that the tree was unsafe and should be removed. "We are grateful to our expert contractors for warning us of this hazard so swiftly, allowing us to act before anyone was harmed."

Paul Whiteing A local resident took a picture of a cherry-picker operating at the tree

Benny Hawksbee, a member of the Guardians of Whitewebbs group, said "the tree belonged to Enfield and to our national heritage - I am devastated. "We have now placed a legal protection [Tree Preservation Order] on the tree and are looking at ways to help it grow back." Jon Stokes, director of trees, science and research at the Tree Council, said the felling of such a "magnificent" tree was shocking. "Ancient oaks can live up to 1,000 years old and are as precious as our stately homes and castles," he said. "Our nation's green heritage should be valued and protected and we will do everything we can to achieve this."

PA Media There was outrage when the Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland was chopped down in 2023

The Woodland Trust's head of campaigning Adam Cormack said: "This depressing sight is a reminder to all of us that not every ancient tree is in a safe place. "It is very unusual to see the felling of an oak tree of this size and age. Legally protected status for heritage trees like the Whitewebbs Oak is long overdue." The trust's Living Legends petition, which aims to secure such status for heritage trees, and which attracted more than 100,000 signatures, was handed in to Downing Street in November.

The issue of tree preservation was highlighted after the destruction of the Sycamore Gap tree in September 2023. There was outrage when the tree, which stood in a dip next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, was chopped down. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, both from Cumbria, are accused of causing criminal damage put at more than £600,000. The men, who deny the charge, will appear before a jury at a trial starting on 28 April at Newcastle Crown Court.

The Sudanese city of el-Fasher has been largely cut off from the outside world for a year as a result of the country's civil war, which began two years ago. It is the Sudanese army's last stronghold in Darfur against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The BBC managed to send phones to three residents of the city - Mostafa, Hafiza and Manahel - who wanted to film their lives. In many of the videos they sent, the sound of shelling and gunfire can be heard in the background.

Their footage was recorded between August and November, by which time they all decided it was too dangerous to stay in el-Fasher and left the city.

Rodent nests found near house where Gene Hackman's wife died of hantavirus

9 hours ago Share Save Ewan Somerville BBC News Share Save

Getty Images Gene Hackman with his wife Betsy Arakawa in 1986

Nests and some dead rodents were found in outbuildings of the house where Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead. New Mexico Department of Public Health records seen by BBC News documented evidence of the animals in eight detached buildings at their home in Santa Fe. US officials previously confirmed that Ms Arakawa, 65, died from a respiratory illness linked to hantavirus, which can be transmitted by infected rodents. It is believed she died a week before her husband, 95, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease. Authorities found the deceased couple in their home in February.

An environmental assessment of the property took place on 5 March, a week after they were discovered, as part of the investigation into their deaths. It found rodent faeces, a live rodent, dead rodent and a rodent nest in three garages, in addition to further rodent droppings in two small external houses and three sheds. Traps had also been set up. There were sightings of rodents, a nest and faeces in two abandoned vehicles or farming machinery in the grounds of the property. All eight detached outbuildings were within 50 yards (45 metres) of the main house where the couple lived, which itself was "clean with no signs of rodent activity," New Mexico public health officials said in their eight-page report.

Listen to the 911 call after two bodies found at Hackman residence

Trump threatens Harvard's tax-exempt status after freezing $2bn funding

2 hours ago Share Save Brandon Drenon BBC News, Washington DC Share Save

Getty Images Protesters had called for the university to reject demands from the White House

President Donald Trump has called for Harvard University to lose a valuable tax break, hours after his administration announced it is freezing more than $2bn (£1.5bn) in federal funds for the elite institution. The White House has demanded the oldest university in the US make changes to hiring, admissions and teaching practices which it says will help fight antisemitism on campus. Since returning to office, Trump has pushed to reshape top universities by threatening to withhold federal funds that are mostly designated for research. Harvard became the first major US university to reject his administration's demands on Monday, accusing the White House of trying to "control" its community.

In a Tuesday morning post on social media, Trump threatened to go beyond withholding the federal funds and targeted Harvard tax-exempt status. Universities, as well as many charities and religious groups, are exempt from paying federal income taxes. This valuable tax break, though, can be removed if the groups become involved in political activities or move away from their stated purposes. "Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting "Sickness?" he wrote on Truth Social. "Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!" Losing the exemption could cost Harvard millions of dollars each year. The Ivy League institution also has a fund of assets, or endowment, valued at $53bn. Later on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump wanted the university to apologise for what his administration says is continuing tolerance of antisemitism. "[Trump] wants to see Harvard apologize, and Harvard should apologize," Leavitt said.

Watch: White House says Harvard should apologise to Jewish students

The sweeping changes demanded by the White House would have transformed Harvard's operations and ceded a large amount of control to the government. Its letter to Harvard on Friday, obtained by the New York Times, said the university had failed to live up to the "intellectual and civil rights conditions" that justify federal investment. The letter included 10 categories for proposed changes, including: reporting students to the federal government who are "hostile" to American values

ensuring each academic department is "viewpoint diverse"

hiring an external government-approved party to audit programmes and departments "that most fuel antisemitic harassment"

checking faculty staff for plagiarism

President Trump has accused leading universities of failing to protect Jewish students when college campuses around the country saw protests against the war in Gaza and US support for Israel last year. The letter orders the university to take disciplinary action for "violations" during protests. In explaining its rejection of these demands, Harvard president Alan Garber said the university would not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights under the First Amendment protecting free speech. "Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the 'intellectual conditions' at Harvard," he said. Columbia University agrees to Trump demand for mask ban

Trump pulls $400m from Columbia University

Why has Trump revoked hundreds of international student visas? Shortly after his letter of resistance was sent, the education department said it was freezing $2.2bn in grants and $60m in contracts to Harvard immediately. "Harvard's statement today reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation's most prestigious universities and colleges," the Department of Education said in a statement. The disruption of learning plaguing campuses is unacceptable and the harassment of Jewish students intolerable, the statement said.

A professor of history at Harvard, David Armitage, told the BBC that the school could afford to resist as the richest university in the US and no price was too high to pay for freedom. "It's a not unexpected act of entirely groundless and vengeful activity by the Trump administration which wants nothing more than to silence freedom of speech," he said. In March, the Trump administration said it was reviewing roughly $256m in federal contracts and grants at Harvard, and an additional $8.7bn in multi-year grant commitments. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, said on X: "It is time to totally cut off US taxpayer funding to this institution." Harvard professors filed a lawsuit in response, alleging the government was unlawfully attacking freedom of speech and academic freedom. Harvard is one of a number of elite universities in the crosshairs of the new presidency. Columbia University in New York City agreed to a number of demands last month after the White House pulled $400m in federal funding. But on Monday Columbia struck a less compliant tone, releasing its own letter that said it was continuing "good faith talks" with the government as it seeks to win back its funding, but also said it would "reject any agreement that would require us to relinquish our independence". Polling by Gallup last summer suggested that confidence in higher education has been falling over time among Americans of all political backgrounds, partly driven by a growing belief that universities push a political agenda. The decline was particularly steep among Republicans.

Watch: Moment Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi arrested by ICE

Civil case against Tate could be legal first, barrister says

3 hours ago Share Save Ashitha Nagesh • @ashnagesh BBC News Share Save

EPA Andrew Tate, pictured in the US in February, denies all of the women's allegations.

A civil case brought by four women against Andrew Tate is believed to be a legal first, a barrister for his accusers has said. The women accuse Tate of rape, assault and coercive control between 2013 and 2015. One claims he threatened to kill her, another says he made clear he would kill anyone who spoke to her, and a third claims he convinced her he had killed others. In written submissions, Anne Studd KC said she believed this was the first case of its kind in which it is argued that coercive control amounted to "intentional infliction of harm" - a legal concept similar to emotional distress. Tate denies the claims, saying they are a "pack of lies" and "gross fabrications".

The women are seeking damages "arising from the assaults, batteries, and infliction of intentional harm", their civil claim states. A case management hearing was held in London on Tuesday, which deals with preliminary matters and logistics. The court heard that a trial could be held in early 2027, and that it could last three weeks. Judge Richard Armstrong told the court the four women were "seeking damages likely to reach six figures". Proving the intentional infliction of harm would mean the claimants could be awarded additional damages. Coercive control, Ms Studd said, was "a form of grooming and manipulation where the victim becomes less and less able to respond in what might be perceived as a normal way". She added that a victim "may not leave even if the door is open".

Vanessa Marshall KC, acting for Tate, told the court that they "accept in this day and age that coercive and controlling behaviour does exist", but that it was "really not the issue in this case". The case concerns incidents the four women allege took place in Luton and Hitchin. Two of the claimants worked for Tate's webcam business in 2015, while the other two were in relationships with him in 2013 and 2014. Three of the women previously reported Tate to the police, but in 2019 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to bring criminal charges. Tate denies all the allegations, and argues that the women cannot now take legal action against him because too much time has passed, and emails, texts, and other potential evidence would have been lost. His solicitor Andrew Ford previously said in a statement that the women's allegations "are vehemently denied and will be fully contested in court". "When the matter was referred to the CPS, they concluded there was insufficient prospect of conviction and chose not to charge Mr Tate with any offence," Mr Ford added.

Serious legal challenges

Hamas rejects Israeli ceasefire disarmament proposal, Palestinian official says

5 hours ago Share Save Yolande Knell Middle East correspondent Reporting from Jerusalem Rushdi Abualouf Gaza correspondent Reporting from Cairo Share Save

EPA Armed members of Hamas's military wing took part in hostage handover ceremonies during the recent ceasefire

Hamas is said to have rejected an Israeli proposal for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza which called for the armed group to give up its weapons. A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks said the plan gave no commitment to end the war or for an Israeli troop pull-out - key Hamas demands - in exchange for releasing half of the living hostages which it holds. It comes as Israel continues its military offensive in Gaza. A security guard was killed and nine other people were injured in an air strike on a field hospital in Khan Younis, the hospital said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck the head of a Hamas cell.

A UN agency meanwhile warned that "the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now likely the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities". It is six weeks since Israel allowed any supplies to enter through crossings into the Palestinian territory - by far the longest such stoppage to date. UN agencies strongly refute Israel's claim that there is enough food in Gaza to last for a long time and suggest the blockade could breach international humanitarian law. Israel's prime minister said the block on supplies was aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages and to extend the ceasefire which expired on 1 March. At the same time, the UN's humanitarian affairs office stated: "Partners on the ground report a surge in attacks causing mass civilian casualties and the destruction of some of the remaining infrastructure that's needed to keep people alive."

Israel is said to have submitted its latest ceasefire proposal to regional mediators late last week, just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump in Washington. A Hamas delegation headed by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya then met Egyptian intelligence officials in Cairo. The senior Palestinian official told the BBC: "The Israeli proposal relayed to the movement through Egypt explicitly called for the disarmament of Hamas without any Israeli commitment to end the war or withdraw from Gaza. Hamas therefore rejected the offer in its entirety." It is understood to be the first time that Israel has added Hamas disarmament as a condition for advancing a ceasefire - a red line for the group. The Palestinian official accused Israel of stalling for time, seeking only to retrieve the hostages while prolonging the war. It is believed that 59 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 24 are alive. On Tuesday afternoon, the spokesman for Hamas's military wing said it had "lost contact" with a group of fighters holding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander following what he described as "a direct strike on their location". Abu Ubaida produced no evidence to support the claim and gave no indication of when contact had been lost. Israel has said it avoids hitting locations where it believes hostages are being held. Hamas released a video of the 21-year-old soldier on Saturday, in which he appeared to be speaking under duress as he criticised the Israeli government.

Reuters In Israel, polls suggest a majority of Israelis back a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal

Recently released hostages related how many were held with them in dire conditions underground. Some are in poor health with untreated injuries. Hamas has said it is ready to return all of those held captive, in exchange for a complete end to hostilities and full Israeli pull-out from Gaza. It previously offered five hostages in exchange for a truce extension but claims to have shown flexibility on the number of hostages to be released. The BBC understands that Egypt has put forward a modified proposal to Hamas which it is now considering. Israeli media had not been anticipating an imminent ceasefire breakthrough. The newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an unnamed Israeli senior security official as saying: "We assess that there will be a deal within two-three weeks, but right now there are still gaps and the distance is great." "We want to get them to release 19 living hostages. Israel and the United States are co-ordinated, and the military pressure is having an impact," the official went on. "They have a shortage of gas, and the food and the fuel will run out in a few weeks. The big achievement of the residents' return to the northern Gaza Strip has been erased. Pressure from the residents has begun. That's rattled them." Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza on 18 March and then restarted ground operations, saying it was targeting Hamas. The prime minister said future ceasefire talks would be held "under fire". Since Israel restarted its offensive in Gaza, at least 1,630 people have been killed - bringing the total killed in 18 months of war to 51,000, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. Some 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage in the unprecedented Hamas-led 7 October attacks which triggered the war, Israel says.

Anadolu A Kuwaiti field hospital in southern Gaza said a security guard was killed by an Israeli strike at its northern gate on Tuesday

On Tuesday morning, Israeli warplanes struck by the gate of the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in al-Mawasi, a crowded tented area for displaced people on the coast near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, hospital spokesman Saber Abu Arar told the BBC. The man killed worked at the site, he said, and those injured were both hospital staff and patients. Three ambulances and some tents used as a reception area were damaged. Graphic footage released by the field hospital on Facebook showed a man covered in blood being rushed away with attempts made to resuscitate him. The IDF said in a statement that it "struck the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and a combat zone commander" outside the hospital, without giving any evidence. It also said a "precise munition" was used to mitigate harm in the area. The attack comes after the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said he was "deeply alarmed" at Sunday's strike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, his spokesman said. Israel said it targeted a building at the site which Hamas was using as "a command-and-control centre" - something the group denied. Doctors scrambled to evacuate the hospital, saying they were given just a 20-minute warning by the IDF. A 12-year-old boy being treated for head injuries is said to have died because his care was disrupted. The hospital - which had been the best functioning in northern Gaza - is now out of service and cannot admit new patients. "Under international humanitarian law, wounded and sick, medical personnel and medical facilities, including hospitals, must be respected and protected," the spokesman for Guterres said. He added that the attack dealt "a severe blow to an already devastated healthcare system in the strip", adding that with aid blocked, there was strong concern that medical supplies were now running low as well as stocks of food and water.

AFP The UN says almost 400,000 Palestinians have been displaced again since Israel resumed its offensive almost four weeks ago

Man in court accused of threats to kill Farage

An Afghan man accused of threatening to kill Nigel Farage while he travelled to the UK has appeared in court.

Fayaz Khan, 25, is alleged to have posted a video on TikTok in October, where he made a gun gesture and told the Reform party leader he was going to "pop pop", Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

Mr Khan, of no fixed address, is also charged with persistently making use of public communication networks to cause annoyance, inconvenience and anxiety.

The accused did not enter a plea when the charges were listed and was remanded into custody to appear at Southwark Crown Court on 13 May.

British number four Harriet Dart has apologised for asking the umpire to tell her French opponent to put on deodorant during a first-round loss at the Rouen Open.

Dart lost 6-0 6-3 to Lois Boisson, which included the 28-year-old being swept aside in the opening set in just 28 minutes.

During a changeover in the second set, Dart was heard on the broadcast asking the official: "Can you ask her to put on deodorant? She smells really bad."

But Dart later posted on her Instagram story: "I want to apologise for what I said on court today, it was a heat-of-the-moment comment that I truly regret.

"That's not how I want to carry myself, and I take full responsibility. I have a lot of respect for Lois and how she competed today.

"I'll learn from this and move forward."

Boisson, who had walked back on to the court while Dart was still sat down, appeared to be out of earshot when the Briton made the comment to the umpire.

However, she later made light of the incident on her Instagram story, posting an edited photo of her holding some deodorant and telling toiletries company Dove that they "apparently need a collab".

The Lady: The decline and fall of the bible of female gentility

10 hours ago Share Save David Sillito Media Correspondent Share Save

BBC The Lady: spring flowers, housekeepers and vital etiquette tips

The Lady, Britain's longest-running women's magazine, has formally announced that it has ceased publication. The magazine is famed for its etiquette advice and adverts for butlers, nannies and discreet liaisons with well-heeled 60-somethings. In a statement, the publishers confirmed recent media reports that the April edition of the magazine will be the last, but added that the website with its jobs board and recruitment agency will continue. Here's a look back at its place in, and impact on, British culture over 140 years.

The 'whole field of womanly action'

The Lady was established in 1885 by Thomas Gibson Bowles, as a magazine for gentlewomen, a weekly guide to navigating the social minefield of well-to-do British life. Its very distinctive character was affectionately lampooned by PG Wodehouse. In his Jeeves stories, Bertie Wooster is briefly employed by a magazine called Milady's Boudoir, which was housed "in one of those rummy streets in the Covent Garden neighbourhood". The real Lady Magazine just happened to be in Bedford Street in Covent Garden. The Lady's fame owed much to its advice to women on the mysteries of the British class system. In 1936, for instance, its readers were given an update on the acceptability of novels. "The reading of fiction, not long ago thought deplorable by nearly all social workers, is now becoming almost a virtue," it noted. Its first edition began with an explanation that its objective was to cover "the whole field of womanly action". Almost all of it was written by a man - Bowles - using various aliases. It was not a huge success. Fortunes changed in 1894 when he appointed his children's governess, Rita Shell, to be editor.

Adverts for butlers have been largely replaced by ads for live-in carers

'How to sack a servant'

Under Shell's control, it became a successful weekly guide to women who found themselves in charge of both a household and a budget to outsource the daily drudgery to the lower classes. In December 1927, it cautioned young women "to become a good cook before you marry, darling. Then you will be competent to rebuke a staff of domestics or to dispense with one". Eighty years later, those concerns remained central. Editor Rachel Johnson was a firm believer in not being too familiar with staff, writing: "Never sit in the kitchen chatting to your nanny, it'll end in tears before bedtime." And even today there are still pages of classified adverts for livery workers and other assorted varieties of domestic help but the demand now is more for live-in carers for the elderly than butlers or nannies.

Rebranding The Lady

That age profile has long been a concern. In 2009, Johnson was taken on to give the magazine a more youthful rebrand. She was asked to halve the average of the reader, which was, when she started, 78. A Channel 4 documentary revealed it was not universally welcomed, and Johnson's diaries later catalogued all the difficulties of aiming articles at younger readers amongst adverts for walk-in baths and absorbent underwear along with products to remove their associated odours. It was an eventful three years that made more than a few headlines. Nevertheless, while the readership did briefly increase, like most print magazines, sales have been in sharp decline in recent years. Once a weekly, it went from fortnightly to monthly. The last published figures in 2023 revealed it sold just under 18,000 copies an issue.

The Lady's personal ads: surprisingly saucy

Custard creams in the safe

And while the website will continue, it is the end of the line for a very distinctive bit of British culture. The current owner of The Lady is the great grandson of the founder, Thomas Bowles. Ben Budworth has spent 17 years trying to keep it afloat. He took over the running of the magazine in 2008 and oversaw the controversial rebrand. His decision to sell off the Covent Garden offices and move production to a business park in Borehamwood in Hertfordshire was met with protest. The premises on Bedford Street were seen by many of the staff as more than just another office, they helped define The Lady's character. No-one had a direct phone line. Instead, calls all went through a telephonist. One former editor said work would stop at 2pm to listen to the Archers, and again at 3:30pm for tea. Johnson said the wall safe was where the tins of custard creams were stored. One particular perk was her own peach-coloured WC. Each day she would be handed two freshly laundered towels. The building was a reminder of its long history and the magazine's many contributors, among them Lewis Carroll, Nancy Mitford and Stella Gibbons, who while giving the impression of being hard at work wrote Cold Comfort Farm in the magazine's offices.

Also features an article on an air fryer

The L word

Teachers in England move a step closer to striking

9 hours ago Share Save Hazel Shearing • @hazelshearing Education correspondent Reporting from NEU conference in Harrogate Share Save

Getty Images Schools in England closed when National Education Union members went on strike in 2023

Teachers in England will vote on whether or not to go on strike if the government stands by its pay offer for the next school year. The National Education Union (NEU), England's largest teaching union, says it will hold a formal ballot if the offer remains "unacceptable", or if no extra funding is announced. The government has recommended a 2.8% pay rise for teachers and expects most schools will need to make "efficiencies" to fund it. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said "any move towards industrial action by teaching unions would be indefensible".

The NEU wants a higher pay rise for teachers, and for the government to announce more money so that schools do not have to pay for it from their existing budgets. The announcement from its conference in Harrogate is a warning to ministers, but a few things would still need to happen in order for teachers to walk out of England's schools. The union will need to reject a final decision from the government on teacher pay - including both the size of the pay rise, and whether or not there will be any additional funding for it. If it does launch a formal ballot, enough members would need to vote and support strike action. That ballot could open for several months, meaning any strike action would likely take place in the autumn term at the earliest.

Dalilia Espindula, a primary school teacher from Enfield at the NEU conference, told the BBC she was "sorry" for the disruption to parents and their children if teachers were to walk out, but that strikes were "a last resort". "We need to make 'efficiencies' - what's that meant to be? We already don't have enough," she added.

BBC/ Hazel Shearing Dalilia Espindula says there isn't enough support for children with education, health and care plans

Steve Ryan, a food technology teacher from Hertfordshire, told the BBC there was "much less respect for teachers than there ever used to be" and that staff were leaving schools "in droves". "This is my last year of teaching. I'm due to retire, and, from what I see, I wouldn't like to carry on," he said.

BBC/ Hazel Shearing Steve Ryan says the biggest issue is that the pay recommendation hasn't come with additional funding

Parents in Harrogate were torn about the prospect of strikes. Katie said either she or her husband would have to take annual leave to look after their children if schools closed. Baris, whose 10-year-old goes to a special school, said he supported teachers' right to strike but he was concerned about school closures because it was "vital" for his son to attend full time. "He wouldn't cope well," he said. "It would really affect us badly." Alessia, a hairdresser and mum of two, said there was "far too much" pressure on teachers. "I would have loved to have been a primary school teacher," she said. "But talking to so many clients who are teachers, [and hearing] their opinions of it, although they do it for the love of the job and the children, it's really just not a job that I think anyone would want any more."

Alessia doesn't think teachers would walk out "lightly"

Each year, the independent School Teachers Review Body (STRB) hears submissions from each side and makes recommendations on teacher pay to the government, who ultimately decide on how much to award. Daniel Kebede, the NEU's general secretary, said Ms Phillipson had the STRB's report "on her desk". "We'd like to see that published at the earliest opportunity, with the funding settlement as well, so that we can come to a conclusion to avoid any further action," he told the BBC. "No teacher wants to take strike action, but there is nothing as disruptive, actually at the moment, as an underfunded education system." Ms Phillipson said: "With school staff, parents and young people working so hard to turn the tide on school attendance, any move towards industrial action by teaching unions would be indefensible. "Following a 5.5% pay award in hugely challenging fiscal context, I would urge NEU to put children first." NEU members went on strike over pay in the first half of 2023, forcing many schools to close on eight days of action. The NEU called off action after the government revised its 2023 offer to 6.5%. Teachers were then given a 5.5% rise in 2024. In December, the government recommended a 2.8% pay rise for 2025. Last week, results from an informal NEU ballot showed 93.7% of members rejected the offer and 83.4% said they would be willing to strike. The turnout was 47.2%.

Constance Marten's baby exposed to 'substantial' cold, jury hears

They deny causing or allowing the death of a child and gross negligence manslaughter.

Marten and the baby's father Mark Gordon are in the middle of a retrial at the Old Bailey in London.

Professor George Havenith, an expert on clothing and cold exposure, told the jury that baby Victoria would have been at a "substantial risk of hypothermia."

Constance Marten's newborn baby would have been exposed to "substantial climatic cold stress" in the first few days she spent camping on the South Downs in January 2023, a jury has heard.

In their first trial they were found guilty of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice by not reporting the death of their baby.

The court has heard that they went on the run after police found a placenta on the back seat of their car, which had caught fire on the M62.

After travelling by taxi from Liverpool, they spent two nights at hotels in Harwich and another night in a taxi driving from London to Newhaven in Sussex.

They then walked out onto the South Downs with a tent from Argos and two summer sleeping bags.

It was raining at the time and the temperature over the next few days was about 7.5C.

The baby's decomposing body was found in a plastic bag in a shed on a Brighton allotment almost two months later.

Prof Havenith told the jury he had conducted a number of experiments in a climate chamber at Loughborough University to recreate the conditions inside and outside the tent.

He said that the tent was a bit warmer than the outside air temperature: "Inside the tent it gets up to five degrees (centigrade) higher than the outside," he said.

However, he said that with no mattresses, anyone lying on the floor of the tent would have been colder.

"The tent itself has virtually no insulation on the ground," he said.

He also conducted an experiment in which he asked two PhD students to sit inside the tent and found that within an hour they saw "water running down the tent walls", caused by the condensation of their breath.

Joel Smith KC, for the prosecution, asked if baby Victoria could have kept warm inside Constance Marten's coat if everything had remained dry.

"With a dry coat, dry clothing, dry sleeping bag, there would be just enough insulation to keep the baby safe," Professor Havenith said.

But then he was asked what would have happened if the clothing was wet.

"Baby Marten, in the conditions studied, especially where moisture was present In the clothing both in the tent and on the way to the South Downs, would have been exposed to substantial climatic cold stress which would have led to a substantial risk of hypothermia," he said, quoting from the conclusion of his report.

Mark Gordon and Constance Marten deny all charges.

Prof Havenith evidence continues.

Charities criticise 'distressing' cuts to adoption fund

7 hours ago Share Save Becky Morton • @beckyrmorton Political reporter Share Save

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Charities have criticised the government for cutting the amount of funding families in England can access to pay for therapy for adopted children by 40%. Adoption UK said the news was "distressing" for families, who had already faced "an agonising wait" to find out whether the adoption and special guardian support fund would continue. Last year each eligible child could access £2,500 for specialist assessment and £5,000 for therapy. But the therapy limit has now been cut to £3,000 per year, while separate funding for specialist assessment has been axed. The government said the move would "ensure the fund is financially sustainable to allow more vulnerable children to access targeted support".

In an email to stakeholders, seen by the BBC, the Department for Education said the "difficult decision" came as demand for the fund "continues to grow significantly". Nearly 20,000 children received support through the scheme last year, up from around 13,000 in 2019/20.

The future of the fund had been in doubt, until the government confirmed at the last minute that it would continue in 2025/26. In response to an urgent question in the House of Commons on 1 April - the day after the fund expired - Children and Families Minister Janet Daby said £50m had been allocated for this year. The overall funding for the scheme remains the same as last year. However, Adoption UK said the cut in the amount available per child would have "a direct impact on children and young people who have had a very tough start in life". The charity's chief executive, Emily Frith, said the decision was "very short-sighted at a time when there are more adoptive families in crisis than ever before".

Families 'in disbelief'

Louisa - not her real name - has used the fund to provide therapy for her two adopted sons and said it "changed our lives". "Without it, we fear for their future, their ability to function in the world, attend school, be safe to others and themselves, and for our family stability," she told the BBC. Louisa said her own family and others affected were "anxious, fearful, sad and in disbelief at what [the cut] means for their children". For the last two years, her eldest has used the maximum allocation of funding for therapy. He had already been forced to stop his therapy sessions at the end of January because future funding had not been confirmed, leaving the family in "limbo" and "watching the decline in front of our eyes". Louisa said this meant he had not been able to attend school full-time and she feared he would continue to go backwards if he could no longer get the same level of support. She is also concerned that after her youngest has a specialist assessment, there will be little funding left for therapy. Liberal Democrat spokesperson for education, children and families Munira Wilson has written to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson calling on her to reverse the cuts. Wilson said she was "extremely disappointed" the government had "slipped out" the announcement over the Easter break. In her letter, she said the cuts were causing "immense worry and stress" for families and "cannot be justified". The charity Kinship, which represents friends and families who step in to raise a child when parents are not able to, said the news was a "further blow", after therapy had been disrupted by the delay in renewing the scheme. Chief executive Dr Lucy Peake said the government's "confused and ill-considered approach" of boosting awareness of the scheme but not supporting this with extra funding "risks pushing more families to breaking point". Charities said the announcement would mean further delays for families trying to access therapy, while adoption agencies made adjustments to funding applications. The fund is available for adopted children and young people up to the age of 21, as well as those aged up to 25 if they have an education, health and care plan.

Among all the chaos around Manchester United's season and the talk of summer transfer priorities, the goalkeeper situation had not been top of the list.

Yes, Andre Onana's £47.5m transfer was one of those "inherited" deals namechecked by co-owner Sir Jim Ractliffe, as part of the £400m the club still owes on unpaid transfer fees.

And Ratcliffe did mention Onana by name as he talked about getting "the house in order" financially, and explaining why it will take time for the club "to move away from the past into a new place in the future".

But when former United midfielder Nemanja Matic labelled Onana one of United's "worst-ever goalkeepers" - and then the Cameroon international subsequently made two more errors in last week's 2-2 draw in Lyon - yet another 'crisis' in United's chaotic season emerged.

Amorim will be asked by media on Wednesday who will start in goal for their crucial Europa League quarter-final with Lyon, Onana or United's latest scapegoat, number two Altay Bayindir.

Whether he chooses to answer or not is a different matter. But when the choice is made between the goalkeepers, it could shape what the future looks like for Amorim and his ailing team.

Leaving Onana out of the Premier League defeat at Newcastle was the easy bit.

In terms of the domestic situation, barring an unlikely late season surge into a Uefa Conference League spot, United's campaign is done. Telling Onana to have the weekend off and clear his head was a decision with few negatives attached.

The same cannot be applied to the decision Amorim has to make on Thursday. No matter which keeper misses out, they have to be on the bench.

The goalkeeper overlooked will surely be looking for a new club this summer.

And it could yet turn out both will leave - meaning more money being paid out on replacements that the club can ill afford.

It is not an ideal situation and not one United chiefs were thinking about when Amorim arrived at the club from Sporting in November.

How on earth did we get here?

Serhou Guirassy - a man with a modest career until two years ago - finds himself at the top of the Champions League scoring charts after his hat-trick against Barcelona, though it was not enough to prevent Borussia Dortmund going out.

The striker, 29, has relegations from the German and French top tiers on his CV - and had never produced a 15-goal season until last term.

His six transfers in a journeyman career often hit by injury have cost a combined £45m.

But now the Guinea forward is the Champions League's top scorer with 13 goals.

"He has been absolutely amazing in this competition, he's been a goalscoring machine," two-time Champions League winner Owen Hargreaves told TNT Sports.

"There will be a lot of teams looking at Guirassy. He's scored all those goals for Stuttgart, now at Dortmund. A big physical presence and a natural goalscorer."

BBC Sport looks at the remarkable rise of Guirassy - who has been linked with a host of British clubs throughout his career.

'Bin strike blues' and China 'access to NHS' data

25 minutes ago Share Save Share Save

A range of stories appear on Wednesday's front pages - the Daily Telegraph opts to lead with a report that the prime minister is nearing a new trade partnership with the European Union which could "put a trade deal with the White House at risk". Catching the eye on the front is a grey-haired Johnny Depp as he appears "drastically different" for a role in his Hollywood comeback film Day Drinker.

For the i Paper it leads on new data it says shows the ongoing freeze on income tax thresholds will pull millions more into the tax system over the next three years. The i says Chancellor Rachel Reeves is turning to British pensioners "for budget help". The i also features some despondent Aston Villa players after their Champions League adventure came to an end following a narrow aggregate defeat to French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Prince William and his son Prince George are pictured at the top of the Sun as the pair attended Aston Villa's 3-2 win at Villa Park. "Windsors and losers", is the tabloid's sub-headline. The main story focuses on Wynne Evans who says he has submitted a "dossier of evidence to BBC bosses" which friends says clears him of "lewd behaviour claims" on Strictly Come Dancing.

In other Birmingham news - the Daily Mirror's front page headline urges "sort out this mess". The paper refers to the city's ongoing "bin strike blues" adding that a "proud city in the world's sixth biggest economy is being failed on every level".

Dressed in a mustard-yellow suit, actor Tom Hardy is pictured on the front of the Times as he attended the World Premiere of Havoc in London ahead of its launch on Netflix later this month. The lead story for the Times centres on UK government officials and pharmaceutical bosses scrambling to stop Donald Trump imposing a tariff on medicines "that would harm a multi-billion pound British industry". The paper reports Trump has warned that a tariff on foreign drugs will come into effect in the "not too distant future".

The largest education union in the country, the National Education Union, claims Reform UK is as a "racist and far-right" party, the Guardian reports as its front page lead. The motion was backed by delegates at its annual conference. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reacted angrily to the claims and vowed that his party would "go to war" with the teaching unions if it won the next general election.

Researchers from China are to be allowed access to half a million UK GP records, according to Wednesday's Daily Mail. Elsewhere, the paper examines why White Lotus star Aimee Lou White and her co-star have fallen out.

The Financial Times is keeping a close eye on the global markets following last week's turbulence. In an interview with the paper, J.P. Morgan chief Jamie Dimon says the retaliatory trade war could put US credibility at risk. He tells the FT that Washington and Beijing should engage as tariffs escalate.

"It's a betrayal!" is the Daily Express's main headline as it leads a "crusade" of a campaign to "respect our war heroes". Pictured on the front cover is Royal Navy hero Peter Smoothy decorated with his medals as he claims veterans have been let down by the government after it "refused to fund their final D-Day salute".

Although Monday's all-female crew that took a brief trip into space was celebrated as a "historical moment" on Tuesday's papers - Metro reports in Wednesday's edition that not everyone was enthusiastic about Blue Origin's mission. Celebrities including Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer and Emily Ratajkowski are just some famous names who have criticised the launch. The paper's headline says the "stars' trek is a waste of Space". The crew has defended their journey to space.

Finally, the Daily Star says the "body of Jesus Christ" is in a hidden chamber under the Great Pyramid of Egypt, citing an expert. "Jesus Mummy and Joseph", is the tabloid's headline.

Unai Emery has enjoyed too much success in Europe to listen to talk of glorious failure but. if there is such a thing, Aston Villa delivered it on a night of pure theatre at Villa Park.

Villa's Champions League odyssey ended with defeat by Paris St-Germain, but the manner in which they unnerved arguably the most impressive side in this season's competition demonstrated that they belonged in this elite company.

It has been 43 years since they were last in this competition, then as holders. It will not be as long again if they continue the progress under expert European operator Emery, who almost engineered yet another glory night to add to his stellar managerial CV.

It is probably just as long since the grand old stadium rocked like this in such an electric atmosphere, as Villa looked down and out when PSG struck twice early on to extend their 3-1 advantage from the first leg in Paris.

At 5-1 down on aggregate, it had all the makings of a long and painful night for Spanish boss Emery and his players as they were punished by this brutally brilliant PSG.

But they launched a stunning series of counter-punches that left PSG on the ropes, and Villa just one goal away from forcing extra time.

Villa Park is a stadium built for the Champions League - although there was a mis-step before kick-off when the Europa League theme was played.

It is something they will not want to hear next season.

The problem to which Peaty refers was his quest for a third consecutive Olympic 100m breaststroke gold last July.

He had to settle for silver by an agonising 0.02 seconds, having contracted Covid-19 earlier in the week.

He was in tears afterwards and again soon after when holding his three-year-old son, George.

"I got ill on the day you are most healthy," says Peaty, who also won relay gold in Tokyo in 2021.

"I have got to laugh about it because it is one of those incredibly painful moments but I don't see it is one of those things I am always going to look back on and say 'what a horrible moment'.

"It has taught me so much about myself, about my future and where I want to apply that experience to my potential next Olympic Games.

"It is just life. It will be tough sometimes and will be easy sometimes too."

Peaty's first two Olympic golds - in Rio de Janeiro and then Tokyo - came during his period of dominance.

The third individual medal, not quite the colour he wanted, followed his time out of the sport after issues with alcohol and his mental health.

Since then Peaty's long-time coach Mel Marshall has left for a job in Australia, leading plenty to believe he would walk away from the sport, but the Englishman committed to another Olympic cycle last week after the 50m breaststroke races were added to the schedule for the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

"I watched the press conference and thought 'this is going to change the sport for everyone'," Peaty says.

"Swimming is one of those sports where it is incredibly demanding.

"You are doing 4,000 to 5,000m in the morning, doing a whole day of work or school then 4,000m at night.

"Sprinting is a little bit different because you don't have to commit to the metres as much.

"You still have to put the time in, it is going to be difficult like anything, but it is going to give longevity to those athletes that have been doing that for a long time, are getting tired of the sport and can train a bit differently."

The British swimming championships began on Tuesday - and are live on BBC iPlayer until 20 April - but Peaty will not defend his title.

He is making a careful return to the sport after a break post-Paris with LA the ultimate goal, by which time his son will be eight.

"He is going to fully appreciate what it is like to be at an Olympic Games," Peaty says. "That is the journey we are on.

"It is no longer a selfless decision it is a family and broader decision.

"I race fastest when I am happiest. You have got to get results, most of the time you will not be happy but at least there is a balance there.

"That is something I learned from my previous cycle into Paris."