i'm in singapore, the headlines: thailand begins five days of funeral ceremonies for its revered king bhumibol adulyadej, a year after his death. lam in i am in bangkok where long lines of people are still waiting for the chance to go and see the elaborate cremation ceremony for the late king bhumibol expected to start in less than an hour. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme. the plight of china's human rights lawyers. after 18 months of detention, one dares to speak out about president xi jingping's brutal crackdown on dissent translation: they withheld food, they did not allowed me to sleep, i was kept in a small room and saw no daylight per half a year. and rock ‘n‘ roll legend — fats domino — dies at the age of 89.

it's 7am in singapore, midnight in london and 6am in bangkok, where hundreds of thousands of mourners have converged on the city — many camping on the streets — to bid farewell to thailand's revered king bhumibol adulyadej. a funeral procession is about to begin and the cremation will take place at the end of the day, as part of a five—day buddhist funeral ceremony. elaborate preparations — including the construction of a vast cremation complex — have taken almost a year. many mourners have spoken of their determination to be there, to pay their final respects.

translation: it's difficult to put into words but i want to be here. it's overwhelming. i have been uber two days already and want to see our father to heaven. i slept in the rain last night. i stayed put even though it was raining. even though there are a lot of people here and we cannot get inside to see the procession we are willing to be here, near his majesty, as close as possible. we will stay until the cremation ceremony takes place and ends. so let's take a look at the late king's final journey, as his people prepare to honour him. a total of six processions are involved in the funeral in bangkok. the first three take place on thursday. starting at the dusit maha prasat

throne hall inside the grand palace. from there the royal urn will be carried on a large palanquin with three poles, travelling around the grand palace to the wat pho temple complex. there, the urn will be transferred to the royal chariot of great victory, which was built during the reign of king rama in the 1790s and has been used to carry royals ever since. the elaborate pavilion throne will then travel nearly 900 metres over about two hours to the royal crematorium. there, the royal urn will be loaded into a cannon—equipped chariot, and the procession will circle the crematorium three times in an anti—clockwise direction. joining me from bangkok is our correspondentjonathan head. jonathan thank you forjoining us, i can see behind you a long line of mourners who want to pay their

respects to the late king, why is this process is so important? it's really, the ceremony is a mix of the very personal, these people have come from all over the country and have been waiting some of them for several days. people came over the weekend. quite extraordinary enjoyments, we are in the middle of the rainy season. there has until now been, it's like a giant picnic now been, its like a giant picnic as people have shared sleeping spaces, huge numbers of volunteers drafted in to give them food and water, a tremendously shared national moment. at the same time the actual ceremony itself is very formal, it's been very tightly choreographed. this had been organised by an ultra—royalist military government and runs on the hierarchy, the absolute centrality of the monarchy in the tile and political arrangement, it's

extremely elaborate, spending about $90 million on this and there are very tight codes of behaviour and dress. it's a mix of the very formal, almost propaganda nature of the formal proceedings and this is an informal atmosphere among the crowd where people have come to give genuine, heartfelt fond farewell to the only king they have known and the only king they have known and the man who put into much more that the man who put into much more that the modern shape of the country. many of them respected and revered the late king bhumibol adulyadej, what did he mean to the people? that's an interesting question, means so many things. it's always quite hard in thailand to separate genuine feelings from the immense amount of royalist propaganda you get and remember there are some people here who do not agree with the monarchy and their voices are absolutely silenced. it's been described to me as a mixture of love

and fear, people you're talking about the monarchy because the laws against doing it but at the same time the love for king bhumibol is genuine. what people say is here was a king born into the most exalted family in the country, in a country where elite status is taken very seriously and the monarch has near divine status and yet, in person he came across as very down divine status and yet, in person he came across as very down to was genuinely dedicated to doing useful things, working on things at agricultural development. how effective those projects where is ha rd to effective those projects where is hard to say but people respect and thank him for things he said he did not have to do, he did it for 70 yea rs. not have to do, he did it for 70 years. i think it is more than that, i think the people here feel their country has been lucky to many of its neighbours, avoiding wars and civil strife in countries like cambodia and my credit the mark for

providing stability. it actually makes them anxious now he has gone. i'd might guess, transform the thai society. what does it mean for the government and political system ? hard to say, especially thailand is a constitutional monarch and the monarch has a similar role to that of queen elizabeth in britain or other constitutional monarchs in europe. but because of the authority the monarchy has there are power relationships at the top which are very important for the country, all the big business families aligning themselves closely with the monarchy. the monarch ‘s approval can be decisive. the new king making it clear he wants to exert more obvious power over the shape of things like the constitution,

potentially a great deal more power in the monarchy. the monarchy has angered a network of businesses, the military elite and the bureaucratic elite and people have used it to a range they are sitting and it has kept the political and social system as it is. although it is not written down in the constitution it's essential institution and the way the army has organised this elaborate cremation ceremony they are making it clear they want the monarchy to the main centre stage. and we will have continuing coverage, thank you very much for joining us. let's stay with forthcoming events in bangkok. where the mood is emotionally—charged, ahead of king bhumibol's cremation. queues of mourners, many carrying portraits of the late monarch, have snaked around parts of the city's old town, waiting to enter the cremation site. the bbc's rupert wingfield—hayes joined them. this is what the centre of bangkok

looks like today, every single person dressed in black waiting for the last chance to say goodbye to their late king. the numbers of people here in the centre of bangkok is extraordinary, it must be in the hundreds of thousands. that golden pagoda like building is for the ceremony will take place and if you look on the other side of the street these are the people lining up and hoping to get closer, get a glimpse of the ceremony. this line stretches back down the street for more than a kilometre. over the last year since the death of the king it is estimated 12 million thai people have come here to bangkok to pay their respects. these people have little chance of seeing the actual ceremony but it does not matter, they just want to be ceremony but it does not matter, theyjust want to be here. translation: we have been here since the very early morning, just a glimpse of the crematorium and we're happy. translation: i love him so much, even when i watch the news on tvi much, even when i watch the news on tv i still cry. translation: it's notjust that i tv i still cry. translation: it's not just that i want to be tv i still cry. translation: it's notjust that i want to be here, i must be here. we are his royal

subjects, we are his children. the funeral ceremony will begin at the royal palace which you cannot actually see from here and then there will be a five—hour procession with the funeral urn will be carried atop a huge wooden chariot and towed slowly through the streets until it ends up here at the golden pagoda building behind me. that is where the actual cremation will take place at ten o'clock thursday night. rupert wingfield—hayes there. and we'll have live coverage of the funeral procession when it starts about midnight gmt, here on bbc world news. also making news — kenya's leading political figures are divided over the re—run of the presidential election taking place on thursday. president uhuru kenyatta has urged voters to carry out their constitutional right. but the opposition leader, raila odinga, has called on his supporters to not participate, saying the election won't be free and fair. a day after his behaviour was rebuked by two senators from his republican party, president trump is stressing party unity and has turned on the democrats. his comments follow revelations that hillary clinton's campaign helped

pay for a dossier that claimed russia was trying to get mr trump elected as president and it had compromising evidence against him. i understand they paid a tremendous amount of money and hillary clinton a lwa ys amount of money and hillary clinton always denied it, the democrats a lwa ys always denied it, the democrats always denied it, the democrats always denied it, the democrats always denied it and now only because it's going to come out in a court case they say yes that they did it, they admitted it and they are embarrassed by it but i think it's a disgrace. it'sjust are embarrassed by it but i think it's a disgrace. it's just really, it's a disgrace. it's just really, it's a disgrace. it's just really, it's a very sad, to very sad commentary on politics in this country. brazil's president michel temer will not face a supreme court trial for corruption after the lower house of congress voted against lifting his immunity from prosecution. earlier, mr temer was taken to hospital ahead of the vote after he started feeling unwell. he is accused of racketeering and

denies any wrongdoing. finally, it was a flight with plenty of leg room. a woman from scotland said she was amazed when she found that she was the only person that boarded a flight to crete, on a jet that normally carries 189 passengers. karon grieve got the vip treatment. she certainly didn't have to wait long for a meal and a drink. the world has been sizing up china's newly—announced senior leadership committee, but breaking with tradition, president xi jinping failed to anoint a clear successor. it comes at the end of the 19th communist party congress, where mr xi outlined a populist vision for increased prosperity, underwritten by strict one party rule. our beijing correspondentjohn sudworth has been given a rare interview with a chinese human rights lawyer, who details how mr xi's first five years in power have resulted in a brutal crackdown on dissent. we enter through a basement in an

attempt to avoid the surveillance. there are a few occupations more sensitive in china right now than that of a human rights lawyer. this man is the first to dare to speak out about his ordeal. translation: they withheld food and did not allow me to sleep. i was kept in a small room and saw no daylight per half a year. this is torture and the isolation is more painful than being beaten. president xi has been tightening his already formidable grip on power. today revealing the men who will rule with him during his second term. if xi is now china's most powerful leaders and chairman mao then the plight of the human rights lawyers tell us

something important about how he intends to use that growing authority. there was once our hope that as china grew richer it would grow more free politically. not any more. this woman's husband is one of the lawyers still in detention. she has heard nothing since he was taken away more than two years ago. translation: i think it might be because he won't signa i think it might be because he won't sign a confession, she says. however long he holds out i will always support him. any challenge is now viewed as a threat, notjust dissidents but the lawyers who represent them and the lawyers on families. even when petitioning for justice they are followed and filmed. after 18 months in detention the risks of not gone away. he has been warned not to talk to the foreign media. translation:

been warned not to talk to the foreign media. translationzlj been warned not to talk to the foreign media. translation: i am taking a risk but i think it's my responsibility to speak out. i cannot accept a society that arrests people what they think and what they say. our interview is suddenly interrupted. his wife tells us that a group of men has begun to gather outside the apartment. as we leave, the same way we came in, we can hear their voices. quite. the same way we came in, we can hear theirvoices. quite. lock the the same way we came in, we can hear their voices. quite. lock the doors. lock the doors. they are waiting for us lock the doors. they are waiting for us and block our way. there they are, look. don't open the door. we are, look. don't open the door. we are held here for an hour or so and then allowed to go. another short glimpse on the tightening control under president xi. you're watching newsday on the bbc.

still to come on the programme... a flavour of what it's like to be a member of the thai royal family. we'll bring you an exclusive interview with a relative of the late king bhumibol. our historic moment that many of his victims have waited for four decades. the former dictator in the dock, older, slimmer, as he sat down obedient enough. dawn and as the sun breaks through the piercing chill overnight on the plane outside it lights upa overnight on the plane outside it lights up a biblical famine. now in the 20th century. the depressing conclusion in argentina today it's actually cheaper to paper your walls with money. we had controversies in the past with great britain but as

good friends we have always find a good friends we have always find a good and lasting solution. concorde bows out in style after almost three decades in service, an aircraft that has enthralled its many admirers for so has enthralled its many admirers for so long taxis home one last time. this is newsday on the bbc. our top stories. five days of funeral ceremonies have begun in bangkok for the late thai king bhumibol adulyadej, who'll be cremated later on thursday. hundreds of thousands of mourners have converged on bangkok for the ceremonies, many camping on the streets in their determination to pay their last respects. police in osaka have finally nabbed a nimble "ninja" thief who dressed in black, scrambled over walls to commit scores of break—ins over an eight—year career —

and were astonished to find he was 7a years old — that story is popular on bbc.com across asia. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the bankgok post website has a special section dedicated to the funeral ceremonies of king bhumibol adulyadej. it also reports on how businesses across the country will be closed on thursday for the cremation. in the south china morning post, more coverage of the 19th party congress, including analysis of who in the new leadership team might oversee hong kong. and finally the japan times front page reports on the new words which have made it into the authoritative kojien dictionary this year. they include words for "honey trap" and "selfie", and also "kareishu", which translates as "an old person's distinctive smell". now babita we all like

a good dance don't we? absolutely rico — especially when it's on a runway of an airport. this is greater rochester international airport in new york where kyran ashford who works as an operation agent at the airport was getting down with a few dance moves. he said it's all about "30 seconds of positive vibes." thanks to the country musician terry mcbride who filmed this from his airplane seat. he was one of the biggest stars of the early rock and roll era. fats domino, who has died in louisiana at the age of 89. he sold 65 million singles in those years, with 23 gold records, making him the second biggest artist at that time after elvis presley. our correspondent, nick higham has been taking a look back at his life. # one day, you'll cry.

# i won't come back to you. # just wait and see... antoine "fats" domino started playing piano in the bars of new orleans, rolling rhythm and blues with its rich jazz and latin roots. # but i love to see you with a smile... # oh well, goodbye. # although i'll cry. # ain't that a shame... but soon he developed a much more popular style, one of the first black artists to top the white—dominated charts. the genial fats delighted crossover audiences and, in the process, found he'd helped to invent rock and roll. # i've found my thrill. # on blueberry hill... blueberry hill, his biggest seller, was one of 30 top a0 hits, though one he didn't write himself.

he made millions and gambled much of it away, but went on playing into old age. when hurricane katrina hit his home town in 2005, he chose to stay at home and was rumoured dead. later there was a visit from george w bush to replaced fats domino's presidential gold medal, lost in the floods and looting. as for his music, it remained as appealing and infectious as ever. fats domino, one of the kings of rock n' roll, who has died at the age of 89. let's go back to our top story now, the funeral of thailand's revered king bhumibol adulyadej. our south east asia correspondentjonathan head has been talking to a relative of king bhumibol who'll be attending the cremation ceremony. we are now in the house of a

great—granddaughter of king bhumibol adulyadej, the great modernising king at the turn of the 19th, 20th century, the grandfather of king bhumibol adulyadej so our bona fides royal but you are have british, when you look at these extraordinarily elaborate preparations for this on your doorstep, how much do they mean to you as somebody who is related to the king? they mean a lot and i think it's the people you see on the street who make it very vivid and emotional. some people could say it's very extravagant but i think it's very extravagant but i think it's rather wonderful. we see this really emotional connection between him and ordinary people, genuine personal affection, there is that kind of bond and yet until the knead you have a country were royalist propaganda is so prevalent and there are so many restrictions on what you

can say people outside are bound to ask is this love genuine?” can say people outside are bound to ask is this love genuine? i think it is. i have been brought up in britain and thailand so i am interested in democracy and equality but i feel it just interested in democracy and equality but i feel itjust as much as anyone else. i was surprised in a way how upset i felt when he died and then going on the streets and seeing people, i think it's very genuine. you have been critical of the way expression about the monarchy has been restricted. yes, i don't think it's helpful but apart from that, it does not mean that he's not been a great king in many ways. and also it's been our whole lives. anyone who is younger than 70 i think we'll have known only this king so it's a very historic moment. i think it's all about us as well as him. asked at the end of the total epoque for many of us. did you have many

dealings with him, many personal encounters that told you a little bit about what kind of a man he was? my bit about what kind of a man he was? my mother was quite close to the queen so he would go and have tea with the queen and they used to, we had a house by the sea and we would go and go in the sea at the palace. we could not leave the sea unless they came out and i was quite young andi they came out and i was quite young and i used to get exhausted and my mother would say you cannot come out yet. i would come out all shrivelled out. but it was good, fun. when i got older and started publishing i went and presented a book to him and he was extremely charming, he was getting down any respectful position and he insisted i come and sit on a chairand and he insisted i come and sit on a chair and not everyone does that. we had a really long chat about the duties of a publisher and everything else. he was interested in the

environmental work i was doing so the conversations i have read him he was extremely serious but very well—informed so another time i went to see him we talked about water purification and that sort of thing. i think that is what made him loved, he touched so many aspects of peoples lives. is it a mixture of love and people feel?” peoples lives. is it a mixture of love and people feel? i would say it's more love than fear. he had a great human side. i think it came across. thank you very much. stay with us for live coverage in the next hour of the funeral of the king of thailand here on bbc world news. good morning, significant changes to come over the next few days, once

again on wednesday it was another mild day with much more sunshine around and we saw temperatures as high as 20 degrees in the south—east but over the next few days, for all of us the wind direction will change and will drive down some called air as well. at the moment this weather front on the scene having moved south it is now moving north, dragging misty murky damp weather into england and wales. north of that, clearer skies in scotland but enough of a wind to prevent temperatures getting to low and more showers across the north, like winds for ireland, patchy mist and fog, cloud spinning into northern england, dampness around, damp start with low crowd bury cloud, hill fog likely, more general low level fog. it might brighten up across southern counties of england and turn out to be another mild day. the sunnier

skies in scotland away from the northern showers, more sunshine for northern showers, more sunshine for northern ireland, perhaps the far north of england but in between a zone of much more low cloud, much more low than yesterday, cutesy rain and drizzle through much of the day. the weather front is weak and will get pulled apart as high pressure builds overnight into friday. it's going to drag down with the high—pressure some drier air and clearer skies. more sunshine on the web at a chilly start maybe some frost on the grass. otherwise a brighter day, more sunshine and temperatures where they should be at this time of year. things change again on saturday, you will notice the wind really starting to pick up, there will be more cloud, likely to be some showers too. all because of an area of low pressure running close to our shores. that will dive into europe and bring some wet and windy weather into much of europe this weekend, the position of this

high pressure behind that is crucial because it means for us on sunday we are going to get more of an orderly wind which will drag down some colder air across the uk, you will notice it feeling much more chilly especially in the wind which will be strongest in the eastern side, temperatures 131a in the south but struggling to eight or nine in the north weather maybe one or two showers, as the winds dropout overnight we could start quite frosty particularly in the countryside on monday morning. this is bbc world news. thailand continues five days of funeral ceremonies for its revered king, a year after his death. the rituals began with the king lighting candles in the grand palace in front of his father's coffin. later he will light the royal pyre to cremate his father. they have spent a year

building a crematorium beside bangkok's grand palace. this shows thousands of mourners on the streets of bangkok ahead of the procession and cremation. you can see live coverage beginning here in half an hour on bbc world news from midnight gmt. now it's time for hardtalk.