live from singapore, this is bbc news. president trump orders 1,500 troops to the us—mexico border as part of a broad immigration crackdown. he's also threatening russia with high tariffs and sanctions if president putin does not end the war in ukraine soon. also making the headlines in asia: a historic day in thailand, as same—sex marriage becomes legal. our correspondent is at the mass wedding where hundred of lgbtq couples are saying "i do". and the countdown begins as an endangered plant, known as the "corpse flower", is about to bloom in australia.

hello and welcome to newsday. i'm steve lai. we begin in the united states, where donald trump is cracking down hard on immigration. he is sending 1,500 ground troops to its border with mexico, along with aircraft support, as part of a crackdown on what he calls "illegal aliens". according to a senior military official, these troops will not be involved in "law enforcement". instead, they'll be used to build physical barriers and other "border missions". meanwhile, all refugee travel to the us is also being suspended, following a separate order, one of several signed by trump in the first few days of his presidency. in an email to organisations involved in the program, the us state department said that "refugee arrivals to the us have been suspended until further notice". the processing of asylum claims has also been suspended. the us was meant to take in up to 125,000 refugees in 2025 under its refugee admissions program, but the state department now appears to have taken that program's website offline.

our state department correspondent tom bateman has more. what we now know is the agency thatis what we now know is the agency that is responsible for processing refugee applications has notified its officials overseas to tell them to stop and the planned travel by refugees who cleared to come to united states. that follows the executive order that was by president trump on monday which basically suspended the refugee and programme. this is something that allows and has allowed someone around hundred thousand refugees into the us per year and the effect of that executive order means that people who had already been vetted by the united states and is a pretty rigourous vetting process, who are overseas were fled to those countries fleeing

war and persecution that then gone through entire process of being registered as refugees by the united nations, vetted by the united nations, vetted by the us will now be unable to travel and any future applications will also be suspended as well and the processing of those so it means that around 1600 afghans, some of whom have helped the us military and also afghans who are relatives of us soldiers in many cases afghan americans who are active—duty soldiers, those people who have been expected very strewn to be able to travel to the us have been told that will not be able to do so, some of those people stranded in pakistan, for example and that whole process now for them closed and there are a number of other cases too. this has been met with a lot of criticism by refugee support groups and those volunteer organisations that help refugees in the united states,

the proper administration had said and says in the executive orders is doing this because it believes that the united states has been overwhelmed by migration and wants to put that funding into communities within the us, american communities, they say. so, already a big impact from the executive order on monday bureaucracy implementing it straightaway. many people who have been expecting to come here can now longer do so. as you've just heard in that report, more than 1,500 afghans are among those affected, who had been previously cleared to enter the us. under the biden administration, the us accepted more than 180,000 afghans into the us, many of whom had helped american forces and feared for their safety under the taliban. afghanevac is a coalition of veterans working with the us government to facilitate afghan resettlement. its chief, shawn vandiver has been working to understand and manage the consequences of mr trump's order.

the first thing is that it's more than 1500, we gained out that if there was for three months like this it was gonna be in the talking point ahead of time, it would be about 1500 - 2000 of time, it would be about 1500 — 2000 refugees but the truth is, more than 10,000 afghans are currently fully vetted and ready to travel, they can leave tomorrow from afghanistan and pakistan and those faults are all impacted so than 50,000 afghans in the full refugee pipeline and these are notjust afghans of the street, these are false to stood with us for 20 years worth, they are family of united states military service members, they are partner forces that stood beside us, people who for one reason that every single one of them is a person for one reason or another is at risk now due to the association with our admission. we've got to keep our word to them. we admission. we've got to keep our word to them.— admission. we've got to keep our word to them. we know that under trump. — our word to them. we know that under trump, they _ our word to them. we know that under trump, they are - our word to them. we know that under trump, they are in - our word to them. we know that under trump, they are in a - our word to them. we know that under trump, they are in a very| under trump, they are in a very

difficult situation but would not processed previous administration?- not processed previous administration? the truth is that they — administration? the truth is that they were. _ administration? the truth is that they were. there - administration? the truth is that they were. there was l administration? the truth is that they were. there was a i administration? the truth is i that they were. there was a lot of work that had to go into rebuilding the refugee programme and they did a great job of that. afghanevac worked hand—in—hand with the administrator to streamline the refugee programme while ensuring that the national security was prioritised. and they were cooking along, they were moving and there's two types of faults of afghans that come here. the siv programme which is untouched so far is not impacted by the succeeding orders and then refugees, they are really narrow and was brought nearly to a standstill during the last — first administration but we know that they figured out how important thatis they figured out how important that is now. and in the refugee programme which is less narrow but vetting is much more strict, it's the gold standard of legal immigration vetting that the entire world has.

whether this leave those were in afghanistan out as he was saying ready to go? are there lives in danger?— lives in danger? look, there lives in danger? look, there lives are _ lives in danger? look, there lives are under— lives in danger? look, there lives are under threat - lives in danger? look, there lives are under threat every| lives are under threat every day. many are in hiding and, look, it's kind of luck of the draw, the last administration got 193,000 afghans to our shores safely by the truth is, there's probably another hundred and 50 or 200,000 left stood with us, it will protect our national interest and we know that president trump values loyalty, we know he cares about making a deal so we are hoping that this was a mistake and he is willing to come to the negotiating table and make a deal to help these fall to prove the loyalty, the loyalty to was over and over and over again loyalty to was over and over and overagain and loyalty to was over and over and over again and that's why more than 800 americans including over 500 veterans and frontline civilians assigned our open letter before the drop administration took over saying that this would happen if they weren't careful. so, we are

hopeful that they will here i please and look, our military, ourfederal please and look, our military, our federal government doesn't have time to be focused on this, if it's really about america first, then data need to spend time focused on the sting that already works, thing thatis sting that already works, thing that is secure and fast and keeping our promises, the need to be focused on the borders and immigration like they said. but this legal immigration system which has the highest standard of security bedding, they should leave it alone and move on. in other news, trump has also urged russia's vladimir putin to make a deal to end the "ridiculous" ukraine war or face new tariffs and sanctions. in a social media post, he said he had a good relationship with his russian counterpart but if a deal was not made soon he would impose economic penalties. here's our north america editor sarah smith with the more. applause. donald trump has enormous ambitions that include ending the wars in the middle east and ukraine. my proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier.

that's what i want to be. he had claimed that on his first day in office he would end the ukraine war. 0bviously that didn't happen, but he is making clear he wants to see a peace deal asap, threatening that russia will pay a high price if they don't enter negotiations. he posted on social media... meeting mr trump in new york just after the election, ukrainian leader volodymyr zelensky said he thinks the new president could be decisive in ending the war, and he knows he really has no choice but to start negotiating. zelensky wants to make a deal. i don't know if putin does, he might not, i don't know. he should make a deal. i think he's destroying russia by not making a deal. president trump used to boast about his great relationship with vladimir putin and insists russia would not have invaded ukraine if he had still been in the white house. but now he seems to be rapidly losing patience. without american—supplied weapons, ukraine could not

continue theirfight. mr trump had said he would stop paying for ukraine's defence, but hasn't yet moved to cut their funding. he does think, though, america is paying too much compared to other nations. one thing i do feel, the european union should be paying a lot more than they're paying, because under biden, i mean, we're in there for $200 billion more. now, it affects them more than it affects us. we have an ocean in between, right? a little thing called an ocean. 0n america's southern border, donald trump has introduced strict new immigration laws that have banned refugees and asylum claimants from entering the us. last year, he said he would close the border. now he's sending 1,500 troops to stop what he calls "an invasion of aliens". and he's changed the law to make it easier to detain and deport illegal immigrants already in the united states. critics call his new policies harsh and unfair. he says he's simply keeping the promises that got him elected.

around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

you're live with bbc news. a bbc eye investigation has identified 59 people who were forcibly detained in psychiatric hospitals in china, many for lodging complaints against the chinese authorities. the practice, which some in china are calling �*being mentally illed', was made illegal a decade ago. however, the bbc has spoken to victims who say they were forced into psychiatric units by chinese police. 0ur correspondent nyima pratten reports. just over two years ago, she was a student in beijing. today, she is living in new zealand after being forced to flee china. zealand after being forced to flee china-— zealand after being forced to flee china. they forced me to take medicine _ flee china. they forced me to take medicine and _ flee china. they forced me to take medicine and then - flee china. they forced me to take medicine and then beat| flee china. they forced me to - take medicine and then beat me, they permit in the back and then they hurt me a lot. he

told us he _ then they hurt me a lot. he told us he was _ then they hurt me a lot. he told us he was detained at a psychiatric hospital by police after he protested against the government/ covid—19 after he protested against the government/covid—19lockdown. his medical records show he was hospitalised for two weeks. an prescribed antipsychotic drugs. ginger is not the only victim of what has been termed being mentally ill. not his real name, was forcibly detained for 45 days. after holding up a sign at a visual for the popular chinese politician. to

protect his identity, we've used artificial intelligence to alter his face and voice. now, he's taking the chinese police to court. she was involved in drafting china's mental health law and famous forfighting for famous for fighting for patients rights. famous forfighting for patients rights. she famous for fighting for patients rights. she believes an increased lack of accountability has made the problem worse.

two years after ginger�*s force hospitalisation, he is still living with the consequences. if i could go back to there, maybe i will not protest because my whole life was changed. because my whole life was changed-— because my whole life was chanced. , changed. the chinese embassy in the uk told _ changed. the chinese embassy in the uk told the _ changed. the chinese embassy in the uk told the bbc— changed. the chinese embassy in the uk told the bbc that - changed. the chinese embassy in the uk told the bbc that china i the uk told the bbc that china operates under the rule of law and that the law explicitly prohibits unlawful detention. you can watch the full investigation �*troublemakers: drugged, framed and detained' on the bbc world service youtube channel. to thailand now, where the long wait is finally over for lg btq couples. today, they will marry as same—sex marriage becomes legal in the country —

the first in south east asia. lgbtq couples now have the same rights as other couples to manage assets, inherit, adopt and take decisions about their partner's medical treatment. jonathan head is at siam paragon, a luxury mall in central bangkok, — where the mass weddings are being held. he joins us live now. tell us more about the significance of today. it’s significance of today. it's very significance - significance of today. it's very significance to - significance of today. it�*s very significance to the lgbtq community here, everybody has come to thailand knows that lgbtq people tend to be quite visible, you see a lot of trans people, it has a reputation as being a country that is very tolerant of easy place to be open but they haven't had legal rights and that's a big deal. today for the first time, many of them, this is acknowledgement that they are the same as everyone else, they got the same rights, is not complete, a few areas that still need to be improved by being able to marry really is — for some of these couples being together a long time, i got a

couple with me now, they've been together for 17 years, congratulations to both of you stop tell me about how you feel today. stop tell me about how you feel toda . �* , . , , today. i'm very excited because we come here _ today. i'm very excited because we come here as _ today. i'm very excited because we come here as a _ today. i'm very excited because we come here as a first - today. i'm very excited because we come here as a first couplel we come here as a first couple to lodges _ we come here as a first couple to lodges the lies and marriage.— to lodges the lies and marriage. to lodges the lies and marriaue. ., i, . marriage. you guys are the first? number— marriage. you guys are the first? number one? - marriage. you guys are the | first? number one? number marriage. you guys are the - first? number one? number one. we are surprised _ first? number one? number one. we are surprised because - first? number one? number one. we are surprised because in - first? number one? number one. we are surprised because in the l we are surprised because in the early— we are surprised because in the early morning we come together and the — early morning we come together and the first one is us. tell me why — and the first one is us. tell me why this _ and the first one is us. tell me why this is _ and the first one is us. tell me why this is so - and the first one is us. tell me why this is so important because you could be open about being same—sex lgbtq before but actually legal marriage, why does that — is that such a big step for you? does that - is that such a big step for you?— does that - is that such a big step for you? because for the healthy entire _ step for you? because for the healthy entire thailand, - step for you? because for the healthy entire thailand, if - step for you? because for the healthy entire thailand, if we | healthy entire thailand, if we have — healthy entire thailand, if we have each other, get married, we have — have each other, get married, we have to _ have each other, get married, we have to live of that and healthy _ we have to live of that and healthy for her that i have to sign — healthy for her that i have to sign a — healthy for her that i have to sign a health and everything for you _ sign a health and everything for ou. ., .~ ,

for you. you can make big decisions _ for you. you can make big decisions for _ for you. you can make big decisions for her. - for you. you can make big decisions for her. and - for you. you can make big decisions for her. and for| for you. you can make big i decisions for her. and for the preperty. _ decisions for her. and for the preperty. i — decisions for her. and for the preperty. i give _ decisions for her. and for the property, i give her— decisions for her. and for the property, i give her father . property, i give her father marriage is ok in thailand, if i marriage is ok in thailand, if i signed _ marriage is ok in thailand, if i signed marriage license here. you can— i signed marriage license here. you can have i signed marriage license here. you can h