welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines.. a dramatic shift in us migration policy is just hours away, which could spark a surge of people to its border with mexico. pakistan's supreme court orders the release of the former prime minister, imran khan, saying his arrest was illegal as the conflict escalates, the uk is sending long—range cruise missiles to ukraine — to help with any counter—offensive. and the results of the second eurovision semifinal are in!

it's seven in the morning in singapore, midnight in london and 5pm in texas, where tens of thousands of people are massing on the border between mexico and the united states. they've been gathering there for weeks. and many of them are expected to try to cross the border into the us from friday. that's because a temporary law introduced by donald trump that meant illegal migrants could be removed quickly — expires overnight. title 42 made it easier for the us to send people back to mexico using the coronavirus pandemic as justification. but its looming expiration has triggered something of a rush to reach the border, with cities on both sides readying for an increase in attempted crossings once it lapses. a record number of migrants were recently apprehended

at the us—mexico border in a single day, fuelling fears over what will happen when this controversial immigration policy expires. the us homeland security secretary has issued a warning ahead of title 42's expiry. he's said: �*our borders are not open�*. i have said for months and months that the challenge at the border is and is going to be very difficult. and we have spoken repeatedly about the fact that that difficulty meet actually only increase at this time of transition. it is going to take a period of time for our approach to actually gain traction and show results. and i have been very clear about that. the fundamental reason, the fundamental reason, why we have a challenge as our border and we have had these challenges many times before. it's because we are working within the constraints of a broken, fundamentally broken, immigration system, and we are also operating

on resources that are far less then those that we need and that we requested. the white house has two years to plan for the end of title 42. we all knew the deadline. but the white house produce no plan, it missed the deadline, and bumbled into another crisis _ even president biden, who has only been to the border at one time in 50 years, says this, "there is going to be chaos for the while". mr president, my message is very simple, do not miss another deadline like you just missed on title 42. our country cannot afford it. the republicans will always act responsibly, and we also will always look for solutions. i spoke to our north america correspondent sophie long

who talked us through the mood and the atmosphere from the people she spoke to at that border. i'm in downtown el paso, just a stone's throw away from one of the several border crossings into this border city. and we're just by the church there, which has been a focal point for people who've been coming in over many months. when we've been here in the past, there have been hundreds of migrants on the streets where they're sleeping. sometimes there's buses here. they come to the church because more vulnerable people can take shelter there from the scorching sun or in the winter months the very cold nights. but this is a result, this quietness at the moment of the great efforts that have been made in anticipation of an influx of people coming across when title 42 restrictions are lifted. now, as you pointed out in your introduction, there has already been a surge in the numbers of

people coming across. in the numbers of customs and border patrol have said that they've encountered more than 10,000 people every day this week. i think when you speak to people on the mexican side of the border, many of whom have been waiting there for many months, some of them years, and when you speak to the people who've made it to this side as well, like i was doing a few moments ago, if you ask them if they're aware that any rules are changing, each and every one of them has said to me, "no, they don't know". and i think as we heard from alejandro mayorkas there, the secretary of state for homeland security, he can make a very clear statement that the border is closed and will remain closed when these restrictions are lifted. but those messages are not often heard here on the ground. what happens when there is a policy change along the us border or even a rumor of one, is a state of confusion. these people are not watching 2a hour news channels. all the information or misinformation they get is by word of mouth. so whenever this happens, we do see a spike of numbers and we've seen that in the past, and we're seeing it again now. yeah. sophie, as you point out, lots of confusion, misinformation as well. as i understand it, officials at the border have said

that the number of people could top 10,000 a day. that's the initial estimate when the law changes in a few hours' time as you were just reporting that. what are authorities and politicians saying on other side, either side of the aisle about this? well, yeah, those numbers have already topped 10,000. that's what we've been seeing coming in per day. or those are the encounters, as they call them, at the border that customs and border patrol are reporting this week. now, when title 42 restrictions are lifted tonight, a new set of rules and restrictions will come into play, known as title eight. now, that's a decades old code that governs immigration in the united states, and with that are enhanced measures and enhanced penalties. for example, if they find that someone has come into the united states unlawfully, not only will they be deported, but they will also be banned from trying again for five years. now, that has attracted some criticism from immigrant rights groups who say that, in effect, is even harsher than

some of the policies we saw under the trump administration. on the other side, when you speak to republicans like the republican governor of the state of texas, greg abbott, they will say that there are so many exceptions to the new rules, that it is in effect like laying out a welcome mat for illegal immigrants. so this is notjust a humanitarian situation that president biden is facing. it's also a political issue that he will need to deal with as he seeks re—election in that election looming next year. pakistan's supreme court has ordered the release of the former prime minister imran khan, saying his arrest on tuesday was illegal. these are pictures filmed by a bbc team at the court in islamabad as mr khan arrived at the supreme court earlier. there was tight security in islamabad, but no repeat of the violent clashes between the security forces and mr khan's supporters, which has left at least ten people dead.

in court, mr khan alleged that he had been beaten when he was taken away by paramilitary troops. there's been no immediate response from the security forces to his claim. our correspondent caroline davies was in court, and has the latest from islamabad. it's been a pretty spectacular day just at the point when we heard imran khan is looking likely to be in police custody for a further week, we knew many members, senior leaders of his party, the pti party, were also being arrested. we had seen in two days of unrest across the country but the big questions were, what's going happen next? of course this intervention by the supreme court who called imran khan to appear in front of them with about an hour notice. took a few hours to get imran khan to court. i was inside the court complex,we had all been waiting outside of one entrance when we suddenly heard he was going to be

appearing in another. media, we all ran through corridors and managed to see him for his first appearance in the course of two days. the first time we'd seen them since that arrest. he came through the corridors, didn't answer questions, and went straight into the courtroom where he appeared in front of three chief justices of the supreme court. who as you say then told him that the arrest against him that had happened on tuesday was, in their words, invalid and unlawful. that is connected to the fact, they say, that the process that was followed, the fact he was inside the court complex and had submitted themselves, in their words, to the justice process. he was trying to get his biometrics done at this particular point when he then was taken by the paratroopers as we're seeing some images from tuesday that have been circulating around the world. they say that he had his justice denied in that process of being arrested while he was inside the court complex and therefore that meant that his arrest was invalid. that means they are having to start the entire process again. they say tomorrow when he appears back in that court, the islamabad high court, and he will appear in front of thejudge again. in the meantime he is

currently under the supreme court's protection. he will remain within the police compound in islamabad. that is because, they say, even though he asked to be able to go home, they say for his security and protection he needs to stay within the police compound, although he will be allowed to have guests there. and staying with him as well. when mr khan appeared in front of the judiciary he was very defiant, he described the way they could be treated in his words as being like a terrorist. to the point where the judiciary were interrupting him and saying other people have been treated worse than you have, mr khan inside the justice system. he was very defiant, very angry about his treatment. after the case finished and he had been told he was able to stay within the police compound, he stayed with in court within the next 15 minutes taking questions from media as well. really quite a defiant performance by mr khan today.

let's take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk.... higher food prices, for longer. that's the warning from the bank of england as it raises interest rates for the 12th time in a row. rates rose from a.25% to 4.5% — the highest in almost 15 years. the bank has been rapidly raising rates to try to slow the sharp rise in the cost of living. the closure of the only nhs gender clinic for children in england and wales has been delayed to march 2024, a year later than first planned. based in the tavistock centre in london, it will be replaced by two regional hubs, but will continue providing care for roughly 1,000 children until then. there is currently thought to be a waiting list of several thousand. and for the first time ever in the uk, wind power has generated more energy than gas. in the first three months of this year, a third of the country's electric supply came from wind farms, according to research by imperial college london. the national grid said it's

been a record period for solar power, too. the united kingdom has become the first country to send longer—range missiles to ukraine as its forces prepare to launch a counter offensive against the russian invasion. the storm shadow missiles can travel more than 150 miles and will give ukrainian forces the ability to strike deep into russian—held territory.. a spokesperson for president putin says russia would take what he called an �*appropriate' military response. our correspondent hugo bachega reports from kyiv. ukraine is getting ready to attack. a counteroffensive is imminent. a major attempt to push back russia. kyiv says it still doesn't have everything it needs, but more help is on the way. the donation of these weapon

systems gives ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against russia's continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law. ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself against this. the use of storm shadow will allow ukraine to push back russian forces based within ukrainian sovereign territory. the uk is the first country to supply ukraine with longer range cruise missiles. they can hit targets at least 150 miles away. this is the kind of weapon ukraine has long said it needs to be able to destroy russian command centres, fuel and ammunition dumps, deep in enemy—controlled areas. they come with a promise. they can only be used within ukrainian territory. russia reacted even before the announcement. it said its military would respond appropriately. russian forces have been focused on seizing bakhmut in the east. a city that now lies in ruins.

there, the head of the mercenary wagner group said territory that had been captured was now being thrown away. the ukrainian counteroffensive will be decided by this man, president zelensky. if he delays the attack it gives time for russia to reinforce positions. if he rushes into it, his military could fail. are you ready for this counteroffensive? translation: mentally, we're ready. _ in terms of how motivated our military are, we're ready. in terms of enough personnel in our brigades, we're ready. in terms of equipment, we are expecting armoured vehicles. they arrive in batches. we can advance with what we've got and i think we can be successful but we will lose a lot of people. i think that is unacceptable. we need to wait. this counteroffensive is likely to be extremely challenging and deadly too, for a country that has already lost so many of its soldiers.

ukraine knows it needs to succeed to guarantee continued military support from the west so that this doesn't become another frozen conflict. hopes are high and ukraine is trying to manage expectations. it's surprised its allies in the past. it hopes to do it again. and redefine the war. hugo bachega, bbc news, kyiv. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. dairy farmer oliver neagle says his business is in serious trouble because his water supply was cut twice in three months. we couldn't clean milk and machinery properly, so that then causes all sorts of different diseases. last december, hisjersey cows got so thirsty he had to call in hampshire fire and rescue.

and in february, the water troughs ran dry again. the knock on impact has been severe. oliver says he's had to cull 18 sick cows. others are no longer producing milk. in a statement, southern water said, "it understood the enormous impact this has had". "it said a number of compensation payments have been paid to oliver's landlord and efforts are under way to have those payments released directly to the family". the big question is whether the money will be enough to put oliver's finances back on an even keel. you're live with bbc news on sunday, voters in south east asia's second—largest economy , thailand , will go to the polls in what's being billed as a generation—defining election. and while the country's tourism sector continues to fuel its growth, forecasts for 2023 have been revised downwards because of global economic headwinds. this report from our south east asia correspondent, jonathan head.

this is the party which has won every election, held in recent times in thailand, but which just as often has been deposed from power by military coups or questionable court verdicts. once again, pheu thai is being led by a member of the shinawatra clan. this time, it's the turn of paetongtarn , the 36 year old daughter of former prime minister thaksin shinawatra. campaigning hard into the last stages of her pregnancy. all the polls point to another poor thai victory, yet it pheu thai victory, yet it could still be blocked from forming a government. the people want to see like a better politics, better, you know, solution for the country, not just the coup d'etat. they're thinking for the policy to help their lives. are you prepared for the possibility that some method will be used to stop you? i have high hopes that something like that is not

going to happen again. the shinawatra family's election winning juggernaut has been a feature of thai politics since the start of the 21st century. no other party has been able to match its well marketed policies, its extensive regional networks, and the appeal that it's making, strongly at this election, that it's the best alternative to conservative military rule. but there's now a new kid on the block, which is exciting voters with a more radical pitch. this is kate, a first time candidate for the move forward party. it's youthful, progressive and ambitious. "this election isn't just about getting rid of military rulers", she tells the crowd at a market outside bangkok. "it's about deciding what kind of society you want your children to live in". kate isn't a politician. she's an activist. this is her during the mass protests three years ago, which called for reform of both thailand's military and its monarchy. as a result, she has 28

criminal charges against her. yet her stand and that of her party has been gaining popularity. it has struck a chord not just with young people, with a lot of thais who kind of known it all along, that thailand needs to change. and the change is really not about having another coup, because that's the change backwards. it's about reforming the military, the monarchy, for a democratic future with better economic performance. no one illustrates the changing attitudes in thailand better than this hard pedaling candidate. rukchanok srinork says she used to believe that military leaders were best for the country. but now she too has joined move forward and its call to get the military out of politics for good. the outcome of this election will tell us how many other thais agree with her. jonathan head, bbc news, bangkok.

for more on this, i'm joined now by termsak chalermpalanupap, who is a visiting fellow at the thailand studies programme of the iseas — yusof ishak institute. programme of the iseas — it's programme of the iseas — wonderful to get you on the it's wonderful to get you on the programme. in the first instance i don't know how much of my colleagues report you were able to listen into their but could you identify some key issues that voters will be mulling as they head to the polls this weekend? i mulling as they head to the polls this weekend?- polls this weekend? i think it's a common _ polls this weekend? i think it's a common fact - polls this weekend? i think it's a common fact that - polls this weekend? i think it's a common fact that the majority of thai voters are upset and unhappy with the status quo and they want change, especially change in government leadership and therefore all polls indicate that the two opposition parties will win. together they may even have a majority in the house of representatives, more than 250 mps. but this is this 2—stage election. after the

general election mps and others have to come together in a joint session to select a prime minister and that is where it would be more complicated. 50. would be more complicated. so, talk us through _ would be more complicated. so, talk us through some of those complications in terms of who the next prime minister for thailand will be, and what are the factors that go into making that decision?— that decision? well, most citizens arm _ that decision? well, most citizens arm pro _ that decision? well, most - citizens arm pro astonishment and conservative. most were selected by the military regimes that in early 2019. but most of them would not vote for either candidate from the party which is expected to win the

largest number of houses or the second opposition party moving forward. so, there will be a deadlock if they cannot get enough votes from the senate. because the two opposition parties may not have up to 376 votes to win their premiership because it's a joint session of the 500 mp5 because it's a joint session of the 500 mps and it 200 and 58 senators. ~ ., ., , ., ., senators. what does that mean for the current _ senators. what does that mean for the current administration l for the current administration in terms of chances for the current prime minister to actually do well? his current prime minister to actually do well?- current prime minister to actually do well? his unit the pheu thai — actually do well? his unit the pheu thai party _ actually do well? his unit the pheu thai party is _ actually do well? his unit the pheu thai party is want - actually do well? his unit the pheu thai party is want unity| pheu thai party is want unity in order to remain in power but thatis in order to remain in power but that is not going well. we are with you to see how his and other government parties will be beaten on sunday. but still,

there is a possibility that they might want to form a minority coalition and with the help of the majority of senators they will be able to win the premiership but that would be very awkward because the opposition will control the majority in the lower house. and that is a very bad stalemate for thailand. indeed, complicated _ stalemate for thailand. indeed, complicated political— stalemate for thailand. indeed, complicated political times - stalemate for thailand. indeed, complicated political times as i complicated political times as i had. my termsak chalermpalanupap thank you for joining us on the programme. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines.... the warring parties in sudan have signed a deal to help the civilian population. the agreement includes commitments to allow civilians to flee the conflict zone it also guarantees the safety of humanitarian workers. the two sides have been unable to reach a peace deal,

but us representatives at the talks said they hoped this agreement would create momentum. now if you've seen much bbc content recently, you'll know there's something called the eurovision song contest going on. the second semi—final finished just a short while ago. colin paterson has more. fans flocking to the second eurovision semifinal. there are 16 countries competing for the final ten places in saturday's contest, and there are a lot of belgians. they will definitely go to the finals and will end up second. that's a confident and very specific prediction. absolutely. music. experts said this was by far the weaker of the two semis, but belgium's gustav did indeed prove to be particularly popular in the arena.

greece's victor is only 16, but his khaki clothes brought back memories of steve irwin. # god, you're such a good writer. # oh, it's not me. # it's edgar. austria's tia and selena sang about the ghost of the gothic writer edgar allan poe. ...and the royalty rates writers receive from streaming services. # promise me it's gonna. while the frontman of australia's entry, voyager, daniel estrin, combines being a rock god with his dayjob as an immigration lawyer. # promise me it's gonna be all right. the last act through to the grand final... and when it came to the results, which included the votes of people in the uk. ..slovenia! meaning it was farewell to romania, san marino, georgia, iceland, greece and denmark.

now to the real business, the final on saturday. colin paterson, bbc news, liverpool. hello there. over the past few days, we've seen lots of rainbows. there's been some very heavy rain and lots of thunder and lightning. and on thursday, we had some funnel clouds coming down from the base of the cloud. that rotating cylinder of air, if it hit the ground, it would have been a tornado. if it hit the ground, funnel clouds not unusual at this time of the year. don't think we're going to see any, though, over the next few days because low pressure is going to take the heavy showers into central southern parts of europe. high pressure building across the uk. but we're seeing an east or northeasterly breeze coming in that's dragging in all the cloud from off the north sea. so grey start for many central and eastern parts of the uk. that finger of rain moves down briefly to affect east anglia, the southeast, maybe the east midlands, before arriving in dorset. ahead of that, one or

two showers for wales in the southwest. for many western parts of the uk, it's going to be dry with some lengthy spells of sunshine. and warm as well, temperatures 18, 19 degrees. where we keep the cloud, though, for eastern parts of england, much cooler, 13 or 14 nearer the mark and a cool breeze blowing in as well. that breeze will blow in more cloud overnight, particularly across central and eastern england on saturday morning. but it should burn back towards some of those north sea coasts, with sunshine developing more widely. and it's going to be warm in that sunshine and light winds as well. temperatures are going to be higher on saturday, probably peaking at 20 or 21 celsius in quite a few places. second half of the weekend sees some changes because the high pressure releases its grip, and this weather front will move down from the northwest. that will bring some rain into scotland and northern ireland and eventually a bit of that rain will move over the irish sea into far western parts of england and wales. ahead of that we'll see some sunny spells, and barring one or two light showers, it may well be dry. and it's going to be quite warm across the eastern side of england and through the midlands, temperatures

again, 20 or 21 celsius. but over towards the northwest, things are turning much cooler nearer 15 or 16 degrees in that rain. that rain then pushes its way down across the country overnight. and then following on from that early next week, we have more of a northwesterly breeze and that's going to bring in some cooler air as well. so the peak of the temperatures looks like being over the weekend. after that, things are cooling down. there'll be some sunshine around into next week. we can see just how low those temperatures are going to be. there will be some showers, but not the heavy ones that we've seen of late.

thais prepare to head to the polls in an election coming at a pivotal time for the polarised south east asian country. new york city passes a law banning weight discrimination in housing and hiring. hello and welcome to asia business report. i'm karishma vaswani. we start the programme in thailand where this weekend tens of millions of voters are heading to the polls to cast their vote in the general election. nearly 70 political parties are contesting the election. the front runner is paetongtarn shinawatra — she's the leader of the country's largest opposition party and