A duty-free loophole for low-value packages is about to be closed by President Donald Trump, pushing up prices for US customers of firms like Shein and Temu.

The Chinese online retail giants relied on the so-called "de minimis" exemption to sell and ship low-value items directly to the US without having to pay duties or import taxes.

Supporters of the loophole, which applied to parcels worth less than $800 (£600), argue it helped streamline the customs process.

But both Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, said it damaged American businesses and was used to smuggle illegal goods, including drugs.

What is the de minimis exemption?

De minimis is a Latin term, which literally translates to "of the smallest".

In this context it refers to a US trade rule enacted in 1938 to allow tourists returning to the US to bring souvenirs worth up to $5 (about $112 in today's money) from abroad without declaring them to customs.

In the 21st Century, it allowed retailers to ship packages worth less than $800 to US customers without having to pay duties or taxes.

Shipments under the exemption account for more than 90% of all the cargo entering the US, according to the country's Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

Chinese online retailers like Shein and Temu have benefited greatly from the loophole.

Both platforms have attracted millions of US customers with marketing blitzes that showcased their ultra-low prices

And it was the de minimis exemption that helped them offer those deals so cheaply.

Shein and Temu did not immediately respond to BBC requests for comment.

However last month, in almost identical statements, the rival companies said they have seen operating expenses rise "due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs", adding they will make "price adjustments" from 25 April.

Why has Trump closed the loophole?

In February, Trump briefly closed the loophole.

The suspension was quickly paused as customs inspectors, delivery firms and online retailers struggled to adapt to such a major change at short notice.

During the initial suspension of the exemption the US Postal Service temporarily stopped accepting parcels from mainland China and Hong Kong.

The executive order announcing the latest move said it was aimed at tackling the illegal importation of synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

It said many Chinese shippers use deceptive practices to hide illicit substances in low-value packages "to exploit the de minimis exemption".

"These drugs kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, including 75,000 deaths per year attributed to fentanyl alone," it added.

Under the executive order, those packages from mainland China and Hong Kong will become subject to import duties from 2 May and the charge will rise the following month.

The idea is not new. Last year, the Biden administration proposed rules intended to stop "abuse" of the exemption.

"The growing volume of de minimis shipments makes it increasingly difficult to target and block illegal or unsafe shipments," it said.

The move is in line with Trump's policies of cracking down on goods from China.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed taxes of up to 145% on Chinese imports. His administration said in April that when the new tariffs are added on to existing ones the levies on some Chinese goods could reach 245%.

US authorities have also blamed the success of firms like Temu and Shein for putting strains on border authorities, as the number of packages entering the US under the loophole surged from about 140 million a decade ago to more than one billion last year.

What does this mean for online shoppers?

Even before these packages became subject to import taxes, US consumers saw prices rising.

Shein and Temu started putting up prices for their US customers ahead of the 2 May deadline "due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs".

The American Action Forum, a right-leaning policy group, estimated last year that getting rid of the exemption would result in "$8bn to $30bn in additional annual costs that would eventually be passed on to consumers".

Chinese online retailers have also benefited from similar rules in the UK and the European Union to reach millions of customers.

There are concerns that the US crackdown could lead to cheap goods from China flooding into the UK.

In a move mirroring the US action, the UK has announced a review of low-value imports coming into the country.

In the UK, the current rule allows international retailers to send packages to the UK worth less than £135 without incurring import taxes.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the cheap goods are "undercutting the British High Street and British retailers".

The European Union has also called on member states to scrap duty-free exemptions for parcels worth less than €150 (£127.50; $169.35)

And in February, the EU proposed a new fee for parcels being shipped into the bloc from online retailers.

Which means consumers in the UK and EU could soon also see prices rising.

Will US border checks change?

Packages that arrive in the US under the exemption are inspected in the same way as other goods, including being checked for illegal substances. And most synthetic opioids are brought into the country through the border with Mexico, according to officials.

Some experts think ending the exemption will do little to curb illegal drugs and not address the challenges faced by US manufacturers.

There are also concerns the move will create more work for US border officials, who are already stretched as they try to stop drug smuggling.

According to pro-open trading association the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), removing the de minimis exemption would "shift the CBP's focus away from the border, where a vast majority of illegal substances and products are entering the country."

"CBP would need to hire and train new personnel, costing the agency millions or causing them to move agents from the already overburdened southern border," it added.

Fires that have ravaged large parts of central Israel since Wednesday have largely been extinguished, the country's Fire and Rescue Authority says.

More than 150 teams have been battling the blaze, which has scorched around 20 sq km (7.7 sq miles) of land in the Latrun area - between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Israel's ambulance service said at least 12 people had been treated for smoke inhalation, but no fatalities have been reported. Seventeen firefighters were injured, according to Israeli broadcaster Kan.

Authorities said hot and dry conditions, with strong winds, made controlling the fires more challenging, and a senior official warned they could flare up again.

"I've been in the service for 24 years, and I've been through many fires," said Shlomi Harush, a deputy commander of Ayalon fire station. "There's no doubt that this is one of the toughest fires I've seen."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared a national emergency in response to the fires, and hundreds of people evacuated their homes, but an evacuation order for 12 towns near Jerusalem has now been lifted.

Countries including France, Italy and Spain had dispatched aircraft to assist in the emergency.

The fires led to the cancellation of most official events celebrating Israel's Independence Day on Thursday, and there was a nationwide ban on lighting fires for barbecues - a traditional part of the day.

A major highway linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv has now reopened. Videos posted online earlier this week showed people abandoning their cars as flames and smoke whipped across the road.

Israeli authorities have provided conflicting accounts for the cause of the fire.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the fires were "part of the climate crisis, which must not be ignored".

Netanyahu blamed the fires on arsonists and said that 18 people had been arrested, but Israeli police later said that only three suspects were in detention, and they were not linked to the wildfires.

In January a migrant boat was rescued off the north African coast after 14 harrowing days lost at sea. Some 50 people died on the voyage, many of whom were lied to by people smugglers promising safe and legal routes to Europe. BBC Verify has tracked one of the traffickers responsible - documenting his activities across three continents.

Punjabi rap music plays over a video showing three men at a beachside restaurant in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott. One after the other, they smile at the camera before casually turning to talk and laugh together.

The three are clearly friends. Two of them, Sufian Ali and Atif Shahzad, are cousins from rural Pakistan.

But it's the third man in particular who dominates the conversation. He's Fadi Gujjar, a people smuggler.

The video - posted to Gujjar's TikTok account - is one of more than 450 clips analysed by BBC Verify that reveal clues about his activities and his close relationship to the other men.

Within a month of this video being posted online, Ali and Shahzad were dead - beaten to death on the boat journey sold to them by Gujjar, who promised a safe route into Europe.

Meanwhile, Gujjar found himself on the run, wanted by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for his role in the tragedy.

When BBC Verify contacted him on a phone number obtained from survivors, Gujjar said repeatedly in a series of voice notes his name had been "misused" by survivors in connection with the disaster and that he was leaving it all in the hands of Allah.

Fadi, the nomad smuggler

Fadi Gujjar is from Jaurah in Pakistan's Punjab region. In his 30s, his real name is Khawar Hassan - though he also goes by Bishi Gujjar.

Pakistani smugglers the BBC has previously reported on have tended to boastfully advertise illegal routes to Europe online.

But Gujjar is careful. His online presence is limited to highly edited videos of his travels and almost all clients BBC Verify identified are local to Jaurah. Advertisements for his services seem to spread by word of mouth.

His current location on Facebook is set to Istanbul, Turkey - an oasis for smugglers looking to make a quick buck. Videos posted to TikTok place him in the city since July 2022, showing the smuggler outside the iconic Hagia Sophia and a Pakistani supermarket.

One other location stands out: Mauritania on West Africa's Atlantic coast - the nerve-centre of his operation and the place from which the migrant boat started its perilous journey.

Since 2023, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says Mauritania has become a hub for people smuggling - spurred on by a crackdown on other routes.

The route is deadly. IOM data shows that 170 people - including 14 children - have died or gone missing on it this year.

Many Pakistanis seeking economic opportunities in Europe are willing to take the risk. Life there is glorified online by migrants already living on the continent. Smugglers like Gujjar, whose lucrative business is fuelled by people's aspirations, take advantage of this.

These migrants are taking a gamble, using their families' savings or selling up to make the journey. The survivors we spoke to, on average, say they paid Gujjar $13,000 (£10,000).

There are no direct flights from Pakistan to Mauritania, so some of the migrants transited through Ethiopia or the Middle East. From there, almost all of them went on to Senegal, before crossing into Mauritania, either by road or a short boat journey along the Senegal River.

Gujjar's travel history - obtained by BBC Verify through a source - showed the smuggler followed a similar route, entering Dakar airport in Senegal on two occasions in 2024.

Multiple videos also place him in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott from October 2024 - though the date of upload could differ to when they were filmed.

Further clips, posted to TikTok by Ali and Shahzad place Gujjar in Mauritania as early as August 2024. The trio are seen on the rooftops of Nouakchott's sand-coloured buildings and in restaurants around the city - a luxury other migrants couldn't afford.

Videos from their accounts reveal the men were close, hailing from the same village. Their uncle, Ahsan Shahzad Chaudhry, confirmed to BBC Verify that his nephew Sufian Ali was friends with Gujjar.

Backtracking on promises

One survivor named Uzair Bhat said Gujjar falsely promised him safe and legal routes to Europe. He sent BBC Verify proof of funds transferred to a bank account under Gujjar's real name, Khawar Hassan.

But when Uzair arrived in Mauritania, the smuggler backtracked.

"He said going by air will not work from here. I'll send you by a big ship," Uzair recalled. "Please cooperate, your visa [to Europe] won't come through."

Eventually Uzair relented.

• Listen: From a smuggler's TikTok to tragedy

As well as Ali, Shahzad and Uzair, BBC Verify identified two other migrants who bought journeys from Gujjar.

Once they arrived in Nouakchott they say they were placed in "safe houses" - a term used for buildings tucked away in obscure alleys where migrants are held illegally by smugglers.

One person who used a different agent said he also stayed in safe houses run by Gujjar.

BBC Verify confirmed the location of one to an area near the port of Nouakchott, which survivors say Gujjar occasionally visited.

The boat journey

Survivors BBC Verify spoke to say they set off from Nouakchott in a small fishing boat in the early hours on 2 January. Most of those onboard bought passage from smugglers in their hometowns in Pakistan.

But the three day trip turned into a deadly two-week journey adrift at sea.

Uzair said that from the day they left port the migrants "were constantly scooping water out of the boat". Another man, Bilalwal Iqbal, recalled that passengers soon began "drinking sea water and after drinking it, people became delirious".

According to the survivors, the crew onboard - West Africans employed by the smugglers - starved the Pakistani migrants of food and water, and beat them daily.

"I tried to take one of their bottles of water so they hit me on the head with a rope and the impact just made me fall back," Iqbal told BBC Verify. "Then they pummelled my thumbs with a hammer. I still have those wounds."

Sufian Ali and Atif Shahzad died after being beaten to death by the crew, their uncle said. He was informed of the circumstances surrounding their deaths by survivors.

Others died of starvation, dehydration and hypothermia.

Those still alive, including the crew, had given up until they saw a much larger fishing vessel come into view. Uzair Bhat jumped into the ocean and swam towards it for help.

The coastguard instructed the vessel to take the migrant boat to Dakhla port - 60 miles away. According to the IOM, 15 dead bodies were found onboard while 35 people remain missing at sea and presumed dead.

Pakistani authorities have named Gujjar as one of ten smugglers involved in the tragedy. Some have been arrested, but not Gujjar.

BBC Verify geolocated his most recent TikTok posts to Baku, Azerbaijan - though we cannot say for certain if he is still there.

Since news of the rescue broke, his mother and one of his brothers have been detained in Pakistan, accused of collecting money on Gujjar's behalf from people buying routes to Europe.

BBC Verify has also seen six police reports filed in Punjab by the families of those on the boat journey. They allege Gujjar collected $75,000 (£56,000) for his role in the January disaster. Three people paid in full, while the remaining three had only paid deposits, the police reports said.

We believe Gujjar was still facilitating journeys to Europe after the boat disaster in January.

Contacted by an undercover BBC reporter in March using a phone number obtained from survivors, Gujjar said he "knew someone" who would help arrange a journey, but did not directly offer to get involved himself.

Additional reporting by Dilay Yaçin, Javed Sumroo and Joshua Cheetham.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

Campaigners have questioned Health Secretary Wes Streeting's commitment to maternity safety after his department watered down funding levels.

Almost £100m was invested into improving maternity safety annually following the publication of an interim report into poor care at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trust. But changes by the Department of Health mean that just £2m of the funding is guaranteed to be spent on maternity care this year.

Rhiannon Davies, who lost her daughter due to poor care at the trust, called the decision "an absolute betrayal by Wes Streeting".

The Department of Health said local health leaders would be given the money to decide how best to spend it.

The Royal College of Midwives described the funding decision as taking "a wrecking ball" to maternity safety.

'Short-sighted'

The review into maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford trust, published in 2022, found that at least 201 babies and nine mothers could have survived with better care.

Following the publication of an interim report, in March 2021, NHS England said it would increase spending on maternity care by £95m a year.

At the time, it said the money would be used to hire as many as 1,000 midwives and around 80 consultant obstetricians.

Some of the money was also to be spent on allowing consultants and midwives to train together - a key recommendation of the initial report, by senior midwife Donna Ockenden - as well as allocating money for the NHS to recruit from overseas.

But analysis of NHS funding for this year, carried out by the Health Service Journal, showed that just £2m of the £95m was to be ringfenced for 2025/26.

The rest of the money will be given to the 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) that decide how the health service funding is allocated locally across England.

Responding to the change, Ms Ockenden posted on social media: "How has this happened? So disappointed. Talking to colleagues across perinatal services, the sense of disappointment is profound."

If the ICBs decide to spend the money they've been allocated on maternity care, there won't be a funding cut.

But some maternity staff have labelled the change as disastrous, fearing that taking away the funding protection will mean maternity budgets will be cut.

"Removing the ringfencing will take us back years," said a senior midwife.

The Royal College of Midwives said it was "utterly shocked" by Streeting's decision, adding it was "short-sighted" and "utterly unacceptable".

"These budget cuts… will rip the heart out of any moves to improve maternity safety," said chief executive Gill Walton.

"The government has taken a wrecking ball to the work that's being done up and down the country to improve maternity safety, something which is desperately needed."

'More flexibility'

Rhiannon Davies, who alongside Kayleigh Griffiths was instrumental in getting the Shrewsbury inquiry commissioned, was also strongly critical of the health secretary.

The money, she wrote, "was to ensure others avoided the lifelong pain we have to endure without our children".

The Department of Health and Social Care said maternity care remained a top priority for the health service.

In a statement, it said: "The same level of funding is still being delivered as part of wider ICB allocations, giving local healthcare leaders - who are best placed to decide how to serve their local community - more flexibility.

"We are clear that too many women are not receiving the safe, personalised and compassionate maternity care they deserve, but through our Plan for Change, this government is determined to change that."

The department said it would help hospital trusts to make rapid improvements and train thousands more midwives.

A lynx born in a zoo in Cornwall could become the first UK zoo-born cat to be successfully released into the wild.

Animals born and raised in zoos are rarely considered for release because they either don't have the survival skills or have become too used to human interaction.

But a shortage of female lynxes in the European breeding programme led to the unusual request being made for the cat from Newquay Zoo.

It has been moved to Germany's Black Forest where it will spend the next few months being monitored in an enclosure to see if it's up to the challenge.

This week the BBC watched on as, with the help of some judicious prodding with a broom, the Newquay lynx was loaded onto a truck headed for southwestern Germany.

Two days later we were in Germany as it was cajoled into a 1,200-sq-metre enclosure. John Meek from Newquay Zoo was also on hand to see the lynx gingerly stroll out into its new home.

"I'm a big boy but I had a few tears in my eyes," he said. " Nowadays, zoos are not here to keep animals in cages. They're there for conservation. And this is it, conservation in action."

Thousands of lynx already roam wild in European forests but efforts are being made to introduce new cats to increase their genetic diversity particularly in central Europe.

Though not officially classed as a "big cat" Eurasian lynx can weigh up to 30 kilos and hunt deer for food.

Once native to the UK they were driven to extinction hundreds of years ago and with British deer populations at record levels there have been calls for their re-introduction.

"Basically I'm Tinder for the zoo-born lynx," says Dina Gebhardt from Bern Animal Park with a smile when I speak to her on Zoom.

It was her who sent out the SOS for the Newquay lynx.

The lynx-breeding coordinator for the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), she matches females and males from across the continent as well as finding new homes for their offspring.

"Our nature is very fragmented, due to railways and streets and cities. And this means we created a lot of barriers for the lynx, which leads to inbreeding," Dina says.

To combat that Dina finds captive young lynx that can be introduced into the wild to increase numbers and improve the genetic mix. Usually Dina's lynxes have been raised from birth with the minimum of human contact, specifically with release in mind.

But last year, much to Dina's frustration, there was a particularly high number of male lynxes born. And a successful rewilding programme needs females much more than males.

So Dina reached out to Newquay Zoo to ask them if their one year old female might be available.

"Of course we said yes straight away, that's something that we'd love to do," says John Meek, the curator of plants and animals at Newquay Zoo.

Over the next few months the lynx will be monitored to see if it has the necessary skills to survive in the wild. Catching and killing prey is not expected to be a problem.

"If you know your cats, you know that even a cat that has lived in a room its whole life, once it gets out is able to kill a bird or a mouse," Eva Klebelsberg who runs the lynx reintroduction programme for Baden-Württemberg told us.

We're standing over the carcass of a Roe Deer in the Black Forest just outside Karlsruhe. There is a small population of lynxes already living in the forest and this is one of their kills.

There are puncture marks on its throat – a sure sign.

"Our ecosystems in Europe are missing large predators," Eva says, explaining that the lynx helps control populations of deer as well as ensuring that they keep moving and don't strip forested areas.

The key question in relation to the Newquay lynx is likely to be its relationship with humans. Having spent its entire life looking through bars at visitors and being fed by keepers it will need to show that it is not going to seek out more human interaction.

"Central Europe is very crowded and we don't have many places where there is enough space for larger animals." says Dr Marco Roller from Karlsruhe zoo, who manages the enclosure.

"We don't want human animal conflicts. So for us it's important we don't have aggressive animals or curious animals which may walk through cities or close to human settlements."

The final decision on the Newquay lynx's fate will be taken later in the summer after several months of close monitoring.

A duty-free loophole for low-value packages is about to be closed by President Donald Trump, pushing up prices for US customers of firms like Shein and Temu.

The Chinese online retail giants relied on the so-called "de minimis" exemption to sell and ship low-value items directly to the US without having to pay duties or import taxes.

Supporters of the loophole, which applied to parcels worth less than $800 (£600), argue it helped streamline the customs process.

But both Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, said it damaged American businesses and was used to smuggle illegal goods, including drugs.

What is the de minimis exemption?

De minimis is a Latin term, which literally translates to "of the smallest".

In this context it refers to a US trade rule enacted in 1938 to allow tourists returning to the US to bring souvenirs worth up to $5 (about $112 in today's money) from abroad without declaring them to customs.

In the 21st Century, it allowed retailers to ship packages worth less than $800 to US customers without having to pay duties or taxes.

Shipments under the exemption account for more than 90% of all the cargo entering the US, according to the country's Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

Chinese online retailers like Shein and Temu have benefited greatly from the loophole.

Both platforms have attracted millions of US customers with marketing blitzes that showcased their ultra-low prices

And it was the de minimis exemption that helped them offer those deals so cheaply.

Shein and Temu did not immediately respond to BBC requests for comment.

However last month, in almost identical statements, the rival companies said they have seen operating expenses rise "due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs", adding they will make "price adjustments" from 25 April.

Why has Trump closed the loophole?

In February, Trump briefly closed the loophole.

The suspension was quickly paused as customs inspectors, delivery firms and online retailers struggled to adapt to such a major change at short notice.

During the initial suspension of the exemption the US Postal Service temporarily stopped accepting parcels from mainland China and Hong Kong.

The executive order announcing the latest move said it was aimed at tackling the illegal importation of synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

It said many Chinese shippers use deceptive practices to hide illicit substances in low-value packages "to exploit the de minimis exemption".

"These drugs kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, including 75,000 deaths per year attributed to fentanyl alone," it added.

Under the executive order, those packages from mainland China and Hong Kong will become subject to import duties from 2 May and the charge will rise the following month.

The idea is not new. Last year, the Biden administration proposed rules intended to stop "abuse" of the exemption.

"The growing volume of de minimis shipments makes it increasingly difficult to target and block illegal or unsafe shipments," it said.

The move is in line with Trump's policies of cracking down on goods from China.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has imposed taxes of up to 145% on Chinese imports. His administration said in April that when the new tariffs are added on to existing ones the levies on some Chinese goods could reach 245%.

US authorities have also blamed the success of firms like Temu and Shein for putting strains on border authorities, as the number of packages entering the US under the loophole surged from about 140 million a decade ago to more than one billion last year.

What does this mean for online shoppers?

Even before these packages became subject to import taxes, US consumers saw prices rising.

Shein and Temu started putting up prices for their US customers ahead of the 2 May deadline "due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs".

The American Action Forum, a right-leaning policy group, estimated last year that getting rid of the exemption would result in "$8bn to $30bn in additional annual costs that would eventually be passed on to consumers".

Chinese online retailers have also benefited from similar rules in the UK and the European Union to reach millions of customers.

There are concerns that the US crackdown could lead to cheap goods from China flooding into the UK.

In a move mirroring the US action, the UK has announced a review of low-value imports coming into the country.

In the UK, the current rule allows international retailers to send packages to the UK worth less than £135 without incurring import taxes.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the cheap goods are "undercutting the British High Street and British retailers".

The European Union has also called on member states to scrap duty-free exemptions for parcels worth less than €150 (£127.50; $169.35)

And in February, the EU proposed a new fee for parcels being shipped into the bloc from online retailers.

Which means consumers in the UK and EU could soon also see prices rising.

Will US border checks change?

Packages that arrive in the US under the exemption are inspected in the same way as other goods, including being checked for illegal substances. And most synthetic opioids are brought into the country through the border with Mexico, according to officials.

Some experts think ending the exemption will do little to curb illegal drugs and not address the challenges faced by US manufacturers.

There are also concerns the move will create more work for US border officials, who are already stretched as they try to stop drug smuggling.

According to pro-open trading association the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), removing the de minimis exemption would "shift the CBP's focus away from the border, where a vast majority of illegal substances and products are entering the country."

"CBP would need to hire and train new personnel, costing the agency millions or causing them to move agents from the already overburdened southern border," it added.

Are we getting ahead of ourselves?

Why would England get a sixth Champions League place?

Could England have a clean sweep of European trophies?

What were the other all-English finals?

The 2024 film Conclave - a box office hit and Oscar winner - tells the story of a papal election in which there are no obvious favourites. For many people, it was a glimpse into the rarefied world of the Vatican, and the highly secretive process of choosing a leader for the Roman Catholic Church.

On Wednesday 7 May, life follows fiction when 134 cardinals begin the process of electing a successor to Pope Francis. As viewers of the film will know, the papal conclave will take place entirely behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel, beneath its world-famous Michelangelo frescoes.

Nobody outside the confines of the Vatican will know the outcome until the plume of white smoke will curl from its chimney, signifying that the Roman Catholic Church has a new leader.

But what does the film tell us about how the conclave could unfold, and why do people find the process so fascinating?

'Intense responsibility'

Adapted from the bestselling novel by Robert Harris, Conclave shows the cardinal-electors isolating themselves within the confines of the Vatican during the process of the election.

They are not allowed communication with anyone outside the conclave - although given the practicalities, they are not entirely cut off.

"They all need feeding, they're not totally hermetically sealed off from the world," says Stephen Bullivant, professor of theology and the sociology of religion at St Mary's University, Twickenham.

This self-imposed isolation is a tradition which stretches back hundreds of years.

In part, it is aimed at preventing the electors being influenced by external factors, although the idea of a process that happens behind closed doors may seem at odds with the modern world's "focus on transparency, visibility and scrutiny", according to Anna Rowlands, professor of Catholic social thought and practice at the University of Durham.

The film invokes an "incredible, introspective atmosphere" and sense of withdrawal from the world, she says. "I struggle to think of a more intense responsibility and feeling than being locked away in conclave."

'Lots of politicking'

On the screen, claustrophobic and intense deliberations, strategic huddles and tactical moves abound. One cardinal undermines a frontrunner to improve their own chances. Others with unlikely prospects urge their supporters to change their vote.

This conflict of interests and competing ideologies provides much of the film's drama. "It's essentially about the political machinations that go on," Nick Emerson, the film's editor, told the BBC earlier this year.

While some cardinals will think the most important part is following divine guidance, others will have anxiety over making a quick decision, says Tina Beattie, professor emerita of Catholic studies at the University of Roehampton.

Given that Pope Francis's health had been poor for a while, it is likely that, even before the conclave, "there will have been lots of politicking and jostling for position already behind the scenes", she adds.

"There will be all those tussles going on and [the cardinals] won't all be of one mind."

Although in the film, some of the tensest scenes are focused on the act of voting, in reality, much of the drama may come in meetings in the days before conclave officially begins.

During this time, the participants will be "getting to know each other, working out what the priorities are and learning how to work together as a body so they can come up with a unified decision", says Prof Rowlands, who is nearing the end of a two-year secondment to the Vatican.

A complete unknown?

In the film, an unknown cardinal - secretly appointed by the late pope - is catapulted into the fray.

In real life, this would not be possible. Although any baptised Roman Catholic male is theoretically eligible to be made pope, all cardinals voting in the conclave would need to have been appointed publicly by a previous pope.

Having said this, the imminent election may be one of the most unpredictable there has ever been. About 80% of the cardinals eligible to vote have been appointed in the past 12 years by Pope Francis. He consciously chose people from across the globe and with diverse political backgrounds.

Many of Francis's appointees are from the developing world - "places and contexts which are not normally given a red hat", says Prof Rowlands.

This adds a level of uncertainty as to their priorities and the ultimate decision.

'A very human thing'

The film presents the cardinals as fallible human beings jostling for power.

Director Edward Berger told the BBC last year that while the conclave was thought of as "an ancient spiritual ritual", he wanted to bring the participants "into modernity".

"We put them on this pedestal, and when you look closer, they're going to have cell phones, they're going to smoke, they have the same problems and vices and secrets as we do."

Prof Rowlands says the film provides a peak behind a process, with all elements of human nature and human life in it: "Loss. grief, ambition, fear, temptation, courage."

She adds: "It's a very, very human thing, a conclave... It's got a divine purpose to it, but it's a very human thing."

US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is leaving his post with the Trump adminstration, according to media reports.

Waltz, who was the president's principal adviser on national security issues, has had a difficult tenure amid accusations that senior officials used insecure methods of communication to conduct government business.

Last month, he took responsibility for a group chat on the Signal messaging app in which high-ranking officials planned military strikes in Yemen in the company of a journalist who was inadvertently added.

Waltz's deputy Alex Nelson Wong has also reportedly been removed from his post in what appears to be a shakeup of the US' security establishment.

In March, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine Jeffrey Goldberg revealed he had been mistakenly added to a group chat on Signal, in which senior officials - including Waltz, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - discussed confidential information about a planned military strike on Yemen.

Mr Goldberg revealed he was added to the chat by Mike Waltz, who later took responsibility for the fiasco.

At the time, Trump and US intelligence chiefs downplayed the security risks and said no classified material was shared.

President Trump had defended Waltz, saying he was "doing his best" with "equipment and technology that's not perfect".

But Democrats and some Republicans had called for an investigation into what several lawmakers described as a major breach.

Tariffs on goods coming into the US will add nearly a billion dollars to Apple's costs this quarter, the tech giant has said, despite President Donald Trump's decision to spare key electronics from the new import taxes.

The estimate from the iPhone maker comes as firms are scrambling to respond to Trump's tariff strategy, which is disrupting supply chains and raising uncertainty about consumer demand.

Apple said it was shifting production of iPhones bound for the American market away from China, which is facing the highest duties.

The majority of iPhones sold in the US in coming months will be made in India, Apple said.

For now, the turmoil has left Apple's sales unscathed.

The company said revenues for the first three months of the year rose 5% from the same period last year, to $95.4bn.

Amazon, another tech giant whose results were being closely watched for signs of tariff damage, likewise said sales were holding up, rising 8% year-on-year in its North America e-commerce business in the most recent quarter.

It forecast similar growth in the months ahead.

"Obviously no one of us knows exactly where tariffs will settle or when," said Amazon boss Andy Jassy, while noting that the firm has emerged from periods of disruption – like the pandemic – stronger than before.

"We're often able to weather challenging conditions better than others," he said. "I'm optimistic this could happen again."

Made in India

Apple shares had plummeted after Trump announced his administration would levy "reciprocal tariffs" on products imported to the United States, with the aim of persuading companies to manufacture more in the US.

Trump has said he hopes Apple products in particular will be made in the country.

But the administration has faced significant pressure to moderate its plans. Shortly after the tariffs went into effect, it announced that certain electronics, including phones and computers, would be exempted.

On a call with investors to discuss the firm's quarterly performance, Apple boss Tim Cook seemed keen to draw attention to Apple's investments in the US, opening with a reminder of its plans to invest $500bn across multiple states over the next four years.

But though Apple is already shifting its supply chain for US-bound products away from China, it is India and Vietnam that are poised to be the largest beneficiaries, not the US.

Mr Cook said the company expected to make the majority of iPhones destined for the US in India by the end of June, and move production of almost all iPads, Macs, Apple Watches and Airpods to Vietnam.

"We do expect the majority of iPhones sold in US will have India as their country of origin," Mr Cook said, referring to the next three months of trading.

He said Vietnam would be the country of origin "for almost all iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods product sold in the US".

China will remain the country of origin for the vast majority of total products sold outside the US, he added.

New positioning

Nevertheless, the shift of the iPhone supply chain to India was "impressive" according to Patrick Moorhead, chief executive of Moor Insights & Strategy.

"This is a marked change from what [Cook] said a few years back when he said that only China can build iPhones," Mr Moorhead said.

"There is lots of progress that Apple must show here but it's a pretty good start," he said.

Amazon is also repositioning itself to increase resilience in the face of the tariffs.

The company said it working to make sure it had a diversity of sellers and Mr Jassy said he felt the firm was well-positioned for the months ahead, pointing to the firm's scale and its role supplying everyday essentials.

For now, it said sales had not been hurt by the tariff turmoil. If anything, executives said the business may have benefited from some customers starting to stockpile.

Overall sales jumped 9% to $155.7bn in the first three months of 2025, compared with the same period last year, while profits surged more than 60% year-on-year to roughly $17bn.

In January a migrant boat was rescued off the north African coast after 14 harrowing days lost at sea. Some 50 people died on the voyage, many of whom were lied to by people smugglers promising safe and legal routes to Europe. BBC Verify has tracked one of the traffickers responsible - documenting his activities across three continents.

Punjabi rap music plays over a video showing three men at a beachside restaurant in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott. One after the other, they smile at the camera before casually turning to talk and laugh together.

The three are clearly friends. Two of them, Sufian Ali and Atif Shahzad, are cousins from rural Pakistan.

But it's the third man in particular who dominates the conversation. He's Fadi Gujjar, a people smuggler.

The video - posted to Gujjar's TikTok account - is one of more than 450 clips analysed by BBC Verify that reveal clues about his activities and his close relationship to the other men.

Within a month of this video being posted online, Ali and Shahzad were dead - beaten to death on the boat journey sold to them by Gujjar, who promised a safe route into Europe.

Meanwhile, Gujjar found himself on the run, wanted by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for his role in the tragedy.

When BBC Verify contacted him on a phone number obtained from survivors, Gujjar said repeatedly in a series of voice notes his name had been "misused" by survivors in connection with the disaster and that he was leaving it all in the hands of Allah.

Fadi, the nomad smuggler

Fadi Gujjar is from Jaurah in Pakistan's Punjab region. In his 30s, his real name is Khawar Hassan - though he also goes by Bishi Gujjar.

Pakistani smugglers the BBC has previously reported on have tended to boastfully advertise illegal routes to Europe online.

But Gujjar is careful. His online presence is limited to highly edited videos of his travels and almost all clients BBC Verify identified are local to Jaurah. Advertisements for his services seem to spread by word of mouth.

His current location on Facebook is set to Istanbul, Turkey - an oasis for smugglers looking to make a quick buck. Videos posted to TikTok place him in the city since July 2022, showing the smuggler outside the iconic Hagia Sophia and a Pakistani supermarket.

One other location stands out: Mauritania on West Africa's Atlantic coast - the nerve-centre of his operation and the place from which the migrant boat started its perilous journey.

Since 2023, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says Mauritania has become a hub for people smuggling - spurred on by a crackdown on other routes.

The route is deadly. IOM data shows that 170 people - including 14 children - have died or gone missing on it this year.

Many Pakistanis seeking economic opportunities in Europe are willing to take the risk. Life there is glorified online by migrants already living on the continent. Smugglers like Gujjar, whose lucrative business is fuelled by people's aspirations, take advantage of this.

These migrants are taking a gamble, using their families' savings or selling up to make the journey. The survivors we spoke to, on average, say they paid Gujjar $13,000 (£10,000).

There are no direct flights from Pakistan to Mauritania, so some of the migrants transited through Ethiopia or the Middle East. From there, almost all of them went on to Senegal, before crossing into Mauritania, either by road or a short boat journey along the Senegal River.

Gujjar's travel history - obtained by BBC Verify through a source - showed the smuggler followed a similar route, entering Dakar airport in Senegal on two occasions in 2024.

Multiple videos also place him in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott from October 2024 - though the date of upload could differ to when they were filmed.

Further clips, posted to TikTok by Ali and Shahzad place Gujjar in Mauritania as early as August 2024. The trio are seen on the rooftops of Nouakchott's sand-coloured buildings and in restaurants around the city - a luxury other migrants couldn't afford.

Videos from their accounts reveal the men were close, hailing from the same village. Their uncle, Ahsan Shahzad Chaudhry, confirmed to BBC Verify that his nephew Sufian Ali was friends with Gujjar.

Backtracking on promises

One survivor named Uzair Bhat said Gujjar falsely promised him safe and legal routes to Europe. He sent BBC Verify proof of funds transferred to a bank account under Gujjar's real name, Khawar Hassan.

But when Uzair arrived in Mauritania, the smuggler backtracked.

"He said going by air will not work from here. I'll send you by a big ship," Uzair recalled. "Please cooperate, your visa [to Europe] won't come through."

Eventually Uzair relented.

• Listen: From a smuggler's TikTok to tragedy

As well as Ali, Shahzad and Uzair, BBC Verify identified two other migrants who bought journeys from Gujjar.

Once they arrived in Nouakchott they say they were placed in "safe houses" - a term used for buildings tucked away in obscure alleys where migrants are held illegally by smugglers.

One person who used a different agent said he also stayed in safe houses run by Gujjar.

BBC Verify confirmed the location of one to an area near the port of Nouakchott, which survivors say Gujjar occasionally visited.

The boat journey

Survivors BBC Verify spoke to say they set off from Nouakchott in a small fishing boat in the early hours on 2 January. Most of those onboard bought passage from smugglers in their hometowns in Pakistan.

But the three day trip turned into a deadly two-week journey adrift at sea.

Uzair said that from the day they left port the migrants "were constantly scooping water out of the boat". Another man, Bilalwal Iqbal, recalled that passengers soon began "drinking sea water and after drinking it, people became delirious".

According to the survivors, the crew onboard - West Africans employed by the smugglers - starved the Pakistani migrants of food and water, and beat them daily.

"I tried to take one of their bottles of water so they hit me on the head with a rope and the impact just made me fall back," Iqbal told BBC Verify. "Then they pummelled my thumbs with a hammer. I still have those wounds."

Sufian Ali and Atif Shahzad died after being beaten to death by the crew, their uncle said. He was informed of the circumstances surrounding their deaths by survivors.

Others died of starvation, dehydration and hypothermia.

Those still alive, including the crew, had given up until they saw a much larger fishing vessel come into view. Uzair Bhat jumped into the ocean and swam towards it for help.

The coastguard instructed the vessel to take the migrant boat to Dakhla port - 60 miles away. According to the IOM, 15 dead bodies were found onboard while 35 people remain missing at sea and presumed dead.

Pakistani authorities have named Gujjar as one of ten smugglers involved in the tragedy. Some have been arrested, but not Gujjar.

BBC Verify geolocated his most recent TikTok posts to Baku, Azerbaijan - though we cannot say for certain if he is still there.

Since news of the rescue broke, his mother and one of his brothers have been detained in Pakistan, accused of collecting money on Gujjar's behalf from people buying routes to Europe.

BBC Verify has also seen six police reports filed in Punjab by the families of those on the boat journey. They allege Gujjar collected $75,000 (£56,000) for his role in the January disaster. Three people paid in full, while the remaining three had only paid deposits, the police reports said.

We believe Gujjar was still facilitating journeys to Europe after the boat disaster in January.

Contacted by an undercover BBC reporter in March using a phone number obtained from survivors, Gujjar said he "knew someone" who would help arrange a journey, but did not directly offer to get involved himself.

Additional reporting by Dilay Yaçin, Javed Sumroo and Joshua Cheetham.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

In the early hours of Thursday morning, Chinese state media announced that the United States had been seeking to initiate tariff negotiations with Beijing.

It was news the rest of the world had been waiting to hear as astonishingly high tariffs - up to 245% on some Chinese exports to the US - throttle trade between the world's two biggest economies, raising the spectre of a recession.

President Donald Trump's administration has used various channels to contact Beijing, according to a post on social media platform Weibo by Yuyuantantian, an account affiliated with China Central Television (CCTV).

The statement, which cited unnamed individuals familiar with the matter, came less than a week after Trump claimed conversations between the two nations were already underway – a suggestion Beijing later denied.

"China has no need to talk to the United States," Yuyuantantian said in Thursday's post. "From the perspective of negotiations, the United States must be the more anxious party at present."

The statement follows a cycle of assertions and denials from both the US and China, as each side refuses to publicly initiate discussions.

The question is not whether the discussions will take place, but rather when, under what circumstances and at whose behest.

Playing chicken

Experts characterise the tussle as a game of chicken between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as both men attempt to save face while covertly pursuing a mutually beneficial outcome – namely, a de-escalation of the trade war.

"I expect some of this back-and-forth, because neither Washington nor Beijing wants to look like they are the side that's giving in," says Ja Ian Chong, assistant professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.

"[But] a de-escalation would be to the overall benefit of both sides, so there is some overarching incentive to do so."

Wen-Ti Sung, an academic member of the Australian Centre on China in the World, puts it another way: "It's like two race cars going at each other: whoever swerves first will be seen as the weaker of the two parties. And at this juncture, neither party wants to look soft."

So the leader who admits that he was the first to initiate tariff talks would be seen as the one compromising his position in negotiations.

"Whoever seems desperate loses bargaining leverage," Mr Sung says. "Both sides want to portray the other side as the more desperate one."

This peculiar stalemate – where both parties seek the same outcome, but neither wants to be the first to suggest it – has resulted in a tactic of "constructive ambiguity": the deliberate use of language or claims so vague that each party could arguably claim to be in the right.

It is this tactic that Mr Sung points to as an explanation for Yuyuantantian's Weibo post.

"This is Beijing trying to explore the possibility of using word games to create an off-ramp for both sides, so that they can gradually climb their way down from this escalation spiral," he says.

One way to escape this game of chicken is when a third party mediates, offering both sides an off-ramp. The other option, Mr Sung explains, is a "much looser understanding of what 'the other side has reached out' means".

That way, the side that does indeed come to the table first is still able to characterise it as a response rather than the first move.

In Trump and Xi's case, it would also mean that tariff negotiations could begin with both leaders claiming to have achieved some kind of victory in the trade war.

A win at home

The optics here are important. As Mr Chong points out, de-escalation is one thing – but another top priority for Trump and Xi is to "deliver a win for their domestic audiences".

"Trump obviously wants to show that he has made Beijing capitulate. And on the People's Republic of China side, Xi probably wants to show his own people and the world that he's been able to make Trump become more reasonable and moderate and accommodating," Mr Chong says.

On the domestic front, both leaders are facing tariff-induced headwinds. Trump this week struggled to quell fears of a recession as fresh data indicated the US economy contracted in its first quarter for the first time since 2022.

Meanwhile, Xi - who before the tariffs was already battling persistently low consumption, a property crisis and unemployment - must reassure China's population that he can weather the trade war and protect an economy which has struggled to rebound post-pandemic.

"Both [Trump and Xi] recognise that at this point of the trade war, it's not going to be a winner-takes-all outcome for either side anymore," Mr Sung says.

"Trump recognises he's not going to get anywhere near 100% of what he wants, so he's trying to find a concession point where China can let him have just enough winning, especially for domestic purposes."

And while China is not unwilling, he adds, "they are very much stuck on what's the right price point".

For Xi, Mr Sung described the situation as a "two-level game".

"The China side needs to manage US-China bilateral negotiations, while domestically Beijing needs to save enough face so that the Chinese leadership can hold on to this narrative of 'the East is rising and the West is declining'," he says.

"A kowtowing of the East towards the West is not a rising East."

At the time of writing, the US has not denied China's claims that it has been attempting to initiate talks. But the fact that both sides have now made that assertion indicates there is "some sort of contact", according to Mr Chong.

"The two sides are talking," he says. "And that is a sign that there is some possibility that some accommodation could be reached."

But the start of negotiations does not mean that the US-China relationship - which was rocky even before Trump kicked off a trade war - is close to being steadied.

Mr Chong isn't holding his breath. For one, he believes the "posturing" suggests the two sides have not reached the point "where they are both trying to seek a way out".

"[Each party] may hope that there are concessions from the other side, so they're going to have this standoff until they see which side blinks first.

Anyone who wants to vote in May's local elections must register before midnight on Friday.

Voters in some parts of England will elect councillors and mayors on Thursday 1 May.

These are the first local elections since the general election was held in July 2024.

Which elections are taking place on 1 May?

Elections are taking place in 23 councils across England.

All seats will be contested in:

• 14 county councils: Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire
• 8 unitary authorities: Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, County Durham, North Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Shropshire, West Northamptonshire and Wiltshire
• 1 metropolitan district: Doncaster

Six mayoral elections are also happening: in the West of England, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, North Tyneside, Doncaster and – for the first time – in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire.

In addition, council elections are taking place in the Isles of Scilly.

On 5 February, the government announced that some local elections would not take place as planned.

Elections in East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Thurrock, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk and Surrey will be delayed until 2026 as part of a wider shake-up of local government.

Voters in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency will also elect their new MP on 1 May.

The former Labour MP Mike Amesbury announced he was standing down after his conviction for assaulting a constituent.

No routine elections are taking place in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

How can I vote in the May elections?

There are three ways to vote:

• in person at your local polling station on election day between 0700 BST and 2200 BST
• by postal vote
• by nominating a proxy - someone to vote on your behalf

To vote in local elections you must be:

• aged 18 or over
• registered at an address in the area where you want to vote
• a British or Irish citizen
• an eligible Commonwealth citizen
• a qualifying EU citizen - the rules vary according to which country you are from

Voters in some areas may have several ballot papers for the different elections taking place.

In council elections, voters generally have one vote for each available seat in an election area - known as a ward or division. However, some large wards have several seats.

As in general elections, whoever receives the most votes wins. If, for example, there are three seats available, then the top three candidates win.

Mayors are also elected under this system, known as first-past-the-post.

EU citizens cannot vote in the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election.

• Matt Chorley: Local elections might lack glamour - but they matter

What is the deadline for registering to vote?

To vote in person in England and Wales, you must be on the electoral register by 23:59 BST on Friday 11 April 2025.

You can register online with your National Insurance number, or by writing to your council's electoral registration office.

If you are already registered, the deadline to request a postal vote is 17:00 BST on Monday 14 April.

If you are already registered, the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 17:00 BST on Wednesday 23 April.

The rules about postal voting have changed, and you now need to reapply every three years. Any postal vote which was set up before 31 October 2023 will expire on 31 January 2026.

The proxy rules have also changed. Proxy votes in place before 31 October 2023 have already expired, and you must apply for a new one.

• Electoral Commission: Register to vote
• Find your polling station

What ID do I need to vote?

You must show photo ID in order to vote in person. You do not need your polling card.

There are more than 20 acceptable forms of ID, including passports, driving licences and - from 1 May - Armed Forces Veteran Cards.

You can use out-of-date ID as long as you are still recognisable.

Anyone who is already registered to vote but doesn't have the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

The deadline to apply for a certificate to use in the May elections is 17:00 BST on Wednesday 23 April.

• What photo ID will be accepted at the local elections?

What can and can't I do in the polling station?

You must not take selfies or any other photographs inside a polling station.

With the exception of assistance dogs, animals are not usually allowed in polling stations, but can be admitted at the discretion of the local authority.

You are welcome to bring your children but they must not mark your vote on the ballot paper.

Writing implements are provided but you can bring your own pen or pencil.

You can wear political clothing but you must not discuss any of the candidates inside the polling station.

• What are the rules about polling stations?

What happened in the 2024 local elections?

In the May 2024 local elections, when different councils were up for election, Labour won more than 1,000 of the 2,660 seats being contested.

The Conservatives lost almost as many councillors as they held and ended up in third place behind the Liberal Democrats.

In total, 20 councils changed hands, with Labour gaining 10 and losing two.

Labour also won nine out of the 10 mayoral contests, with the Conservatives winning the other.

• May 2024 local election results in maps and charts

What do local councils do and why do local elections matter?

Different types of councils are responsible for a variety of local services. These include:

• care for the elderly and disabled
• fixing potholes on some roads
• collecting rubbish and recycling
• housing
• education

Many councils are facing a funding crisis, and have cut services.

Voters in the May elections will have seen their council tax increase in April.

• What is council tax and how much is it going up?

What do mayors do?

Six mayors will be elected on 1 May:

• two single authority mayors in Doncaster and North Tyneside
• four metro mayors in the West of England, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Lincolnshire, and Hull and East Yorkshire

A single authority mayor is the political leader of the council. They are responsible for delivering local council services.

Metro mayors are regional leaders who chair combined authorities, which are groups of several local councils.

They set out plans to boost their local economy, and have some powers over housing and transport.

• Institute for Government: What is a metro mayor?
• How mayors became the fashionable new thing in England

When will the May election results be known?

Some local election results will be announced overnight into Friday 2 May, including three of the mayoral results.

Most of the council seats will be counted on Friday, and no results are expected over the weekend.

It is not clear when the result of the Runcorn and Helsby by-election will be announced. At the general election in July 2024, the outcome was known fairly early - at around 02:25.

How does the BBC report polling day?

Detailed BBC election guidelines are written and published for each election, setting out the approach it has to take on polling day.

The BBC, like other broadcasters, is not allowed to report details of campaigning or local election issues on TV, radio or online on polling day between 06:00 and 22:00, when voting closes.

While polls are open, it is a criminal offence to report any exit polls, which aim to predict election results on the basis of surveys of how people say they have voted.

References to the local elections on the day are normally restricted to uncontroversial factual accounts, such as the appearance of politicians at polling stations, the weather, or practical information about how to vote.

Once the polls have closed at 22:00, the election guidelines no longer apply.

However, the BBC must still report the results with the impartiality required both by Ofcom and the BBC's own Editorial Guidelines.

• GET IN TOUCH: Tell us the election issues that matter to you
• FULL COVERAGE: Catch up on all our election stories

US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is leaving his post with the Trump adminstration, according to media reports.

Waltz, who was the president's principal adviser on national security issues, has had a difficult tenure amid accusations that senior officials used insecure methods of communication to conduct government business.

Last month, he took responsibility for a group chat on the Signal messaging app in which high-ranking officials planned military strikes in Yemen in the company of a journalist who was inadvertently added.

Waltz's deputy Alex Nelson Wong has also reportedly been removed from his post in what appears to be a shakeup of the US' security establishment.

In March, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine Jeffrey Goldberg revealed he had been mistakenly added to a group chat on Signal, in which senior officials - including Waltz, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - discussed confidential information about a planned military strike on Yemen.

Mr Goldberg revealed he was added to the chat by Mike Waltz, who later took responsibility for the fiasco.

At the time, Trump and US intelligence chiefs downplayed the security risks and said no classified material was shared.

President Trump had defended Waltz, saying he was "doing his best" with "equipment and technology that's not perfect".

But Democrats and some Republicans had called for an investigation into what several lawmakers described as a major breach.

Tariffs on goods coming into the US will add nearly a billion dollars to Apple's costs this quarter, the tech giant has said, despite President Donald Trump's decision to spare key electronics from the new import taxes.

The estimate from the iPhone maker comes as firms are scrambling to respond to Trump's tariff strategy, which is disrupting supply chains and raising uncertainty about consumer demand.

Apple said it was shifting production of iPhones bound for the American market away from China, which is facing the highest duties.

The majority of iPhones sold in the US in coming months will be made in India, Apple said.

For now, the turmoil has left Apple's sales unscathed.

The company said revenues for the first three months of the year rose 5% from the same period last year, to $95.4bn.

Amazon, another tech giant whose results were being closely watched for signs of tariff damage, likewise said sales were holding up, rising 8% year-on-year in its North America e-commerce business in the most recent quarter.

It forecast similar growth in the months ahead.

"Obviously no one of us knows exactly where tariffs will settle or when," said Amazon boss Andy Jassy, while noting that the firm has emerged from periods of disruption – like the pandemic – stronger than before.

"We're often able to weather challenging conditions better than others," he said. "I'm optimistic this could happen again."

Made in India

Apple shares had plummeted after Trump announced his administration would levy "reciprocal tariffs" on products imported to the United States, with the aim of persuading companies to manufacture more in the US.

Trump has said he hopes Apple products in particular will be made in the country.

But the administration has faced significant pressure to moderate its plans. Shortly after the tariffs went into effect, it announced that certain electronics, including phones and computers, would be exempted.

On a call with investors to discuss the firm's quarterly performance, Apple boss Tim Cook seemed keen to draw attention to Apple's investments in the US, opening with a reminder of its plans to invest $500bn across multiple states over the next four years.

But though Apple is already shifting its supply chain for US-bound products away from China, it is India and Vietnam that are poised to be the largest beneficiaries, not the US.

Mr Cook said the company expected to make the majority of iPhones destined for the US in India by the end of June, and move production of almost all iPads, Macs, Apple Watches and Airpods to Vietnam.

"We do expect the majority of iPhones sold in US will have India as their country of origin," Mr Cook said, referring to the next three months of trading.

He said Vietnam would be the country of origin "for almost all iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods product sold in the US".

China will remain the country of origin for the vast majority of total products sold outside the US, he added.

New positioning

Nevertheless, the shift of the iPhone supply chain to India was "impressive" according to Patrick Moorhead, chief executive of Moor Insights & Strategy.

"This is a marked change from what [Cook] said a few years back when he said that only China can build iPhones," Mr Moorhead said.

"There is lots of progress that Apple must show here but it's a pretty good start," he said.

Amazon is also repositioning itself to increase resilience in the face of the tariffs.

The company said it working to make sure it had a diversity of sellers and Mr Jassy said he felt the firm was well-positioned for the months ahead, pointing to the firm's scale and its role supplying everyday essentials.

For now, it said sales had not been hurt by the tariff turmoil. If anything, executives said the business may have benefited from some customers starting to stockpile.

Overall sales jumped 9% to $155.7bn in the first three months of 2025, compared with the same period last year, while profits surged more than 60% year-on-year to roughly $17bn.

Two Palestinian girls with serious health conditions have been brought to the UK for private medical treatment.

The Gazan children are the first to be granted temporary UK visas since the war between Hamas and Israel broke out in October 2023.

Ghena, five, and Rama, 12 arrived in the UK from Egypt on Saturday to be treated for conditions which cannot be dealt with in war torn Gaza, Project Pure Hope (PPH) said.

Ghena's mother said she hoped other children "would get the chance" to benefit from the chance to receive medical care overseas.

Both suffer from pre-existing conditions which require specialist treatment not available in Gaza, where the healthcare system has come under huge pressure during the war between Hamas and Israel.

Rama - who has a lifelong bowel condition - described her life in Khan Younis, where her family home was destroyed, and spoke about her hopes for the future.

She told BBC News: "We were so scared. We were living in tents and shrapnel from airstrikes used to fall on us.

"Mum used to suffer so much going to hospitals while bombs were falling and would stand in long queues just to get me a strip of pills.

"Here I'll get treatment and get better and be just like any other girl."

Her mother Rana said: "I'm very happy for Rama because she'll get treatment here.

"As a mother, I felt so sorry in Gaza because I couldn't do anything to help her. 

"To see your daughter dying in front of your eyes, day by day, watching her weaken and get sicker – it pained me."

Ghena has fluid pressing against her optic nerve, which could lead to her losing the sight in her left eye if she does not have an operation.

Her mother Haneen told the BBC: "Before the war, Ghena was having medical treatment in Gaza, in a specialised hospital.

"She was getting tests done every six months there and treatment was available."

But the hospital was destroyed a week after the war began, she said, and Ghena was no longer able to get the care she needed.

"She began complaining about the pain," Haneen continued. "She would wake up screaming in pain at night."

"I hope she gets better here," Haneen added.

"In Gaza there are thousands of injured and sick children who need medical treatment. I hope they get a chance like Ghena."

PHP and PCRF worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) to secure their temporary stay in the UK and private funding for their healthcare.

PCRF chairwoman Vivian Khalaf told the BBC: "We came across these cases through an ongoing list that is getting longer and longer of children who need urgent medical treatment outside of Gaza.

"The current physicians and hospitals that continue to be operating to whatever extent have determined that the treatment isn't available within Gaza."

Khalaf said 200 children had been relocated for medical treatment via the initiative, including to the US, Jordan and Qatar, as well as several European countries.

She was unable to say how many children in total had been identified as needing to be moved to the care of international health services in the future.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said earlier this month that conditions at Gaza's hospitals - several of which have been damaged during the fighting - are "beyond description".

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 50,980 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

The husband of a British-South African woman found dead at her house in France has said he cannot imagine "the terror and the fear she must have gone through".

Karen Carter, 65, was found by her friend lying near her car with stab wounds in the village of Trémolat in the Dordogne on Tuesday evening, the state prosecutor said.

Mrs Carter's husband, Alan, who is in South Africa, said she was "such a decent, lovely person", and spoke of the family's shock.

A 69-year-old local woman has been arrested as part of an investigation into the mother-of-four's death.

A friend who discovered Mrs Carter's body was questioned by police and later released without charge, the state prosecutor, Sylvie Martins-Guedes, said.

"At this stage, no hypothesis is being favored," she added.

Mrs Carter had lived in Trémolat for more than a decade, where she ran two holiday rental homes.

"Particularly since Covid, my wife has spent more time there running the gîtes (holiday homes). It's been very busy, it's been very successful," Mr Carter said.

"She was very good at her job and marketing it and getting bookings throughout the year."

Mr Carter said his cousin, who lives in Trémolat, called him after seeing a post about Mrs Carter's death on a local community Facebook page.

"She phoned me...to say she's sorry to tell me and that she thinks Karen has died. That was the first I heard about it," he said.

"No one had got in touch with me at all to let me know what had happened. I found out through my cousin who happened to see it on a Facebook page."

He said he got confirmation of Mrs Carter's death after his assistant phoned local police.

"She managed to get through to the right person. I don't know how she managed that, but she did.

"He confirmed it, but he didn't give any details of what happened," he said, adding that he has relied on news reports for information.

Mr Carter said the village is in shock over her death, adding: "It's terrible. Such a small village where nothing like this ever happens."

He described Mrs Carter as an outgoing, friendly person who "wouldn't hurt a fly", and said her death has been "traumatic" for his family.

"I'm an introvert, and she's the exact opposite. She's an extrovert, she loves people, she loves to have fun. People love her, she has a good heart," he said.

"She's the one who would bring home the lost dog, or cat, or whatever. She's that sort of person. Everyone liked her. That's why I married her. She's just lovely."

A key Westminster by-election is set to be held in Runcorn and Helsby.

Voters will head to the polls in the Cheshire constituency on 1 May, the same day as local elections in much of England.

The by-election has been triggered by the resignation of Mike Amesbury, who was convicted earlier this year of assaulting a constituent.

What is the make-up of Runcorn and Helsby?

Runcorn and Helsby includes the towns of Runcorn, Frodsham and Helsby, as well as various villages and a significant rural area.

In total, 22% of the constituency is classed as a built-up area, 60% rural and 14% as water or wetland.

It has a population of 93,520, with 21% of residents under 18, 57% aged 18-64 and 21% over 65.

Runcorn and Helsby is a new constituency that was only created in time for the general election in July 2024.

More than half of it (51.2%) came from the former constituency of Weaver Vale, with 37.1% from Halton and the remainder from three other former constituencies - Ellesmere Port and Neston, Eddisbury, and City of Chester.

Who are the candidates?

A total of 15 candidates are standing in the by-election.

Listed alphabetically, they are as follows:

• Catherine Anne Blaiklock (English Democrats)
• Dan Clarke (Liberal Party)
• Chris Copeman (Green Party)
• Paul Duffy (Liberal Democrats)
• Peter Ford (Workers Party)
• Howling Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party)
• Sean Houlston (Conservatives)
• Jason Philip Hughes (Volt UK)
• Alan McKie (independent)
• Graham Harry Moore (English Constitution Party)
• Paul Andrew Murphy (Social Democratic Party)
• Sarah Pochin (Reform)
• Karen Shore (Labour)
• John Stevens (Rejoin EU)
• Michael Williams (independent)

What rules are in place?

Since May 2023, voters have had to show a valid form of photo identification at polling stations to vote in person.

Anyone who does not have photo ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate, and the deadline to apply for this is 23 April.

The deadline to apply for someone to vote on your behalf if you cannot get to a polling station is also 23 April.

Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.

On Thursday 1 May elections will be held for 23 councils and six mayors in England.

Around a third of electors in England are eligible to vote, and more than 1,600 councillors will be elected.

In some parts of England, local elections have been postponed because the government is planning to reorganise local councils.

Use our tool to find out whether there is an election near you.

Most of the councils up for election are county councils - large authorities like Lancashire and Kent that look after services including social care, education, road maintenance and libraries.

In parts of England with no district councils, like in Cornwall, Doncaster and Buckinghamshire, local authorities are responsible for the full range of services - these also include bin collections, public housing and planning.

• When and where are the local elections?

Mayors in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Doncaster, North Tyneside, and the West of England are up for election. While in two areas - Hull and East Yorkshire, and Greater Lincolnshire - voters will have the chance to elect a mayor for the first time.