this is bbc news, the headlines: president biden�*s set to sign a $95 billion foreign aid package for ukraine, israel and taiwan today, after us lawmakers gave it final approval. it comes as israeli strikes intensify across gaza in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks. after more migrants die in the english channel, we ask how the british government's new plans might affect those trying to reach our shores. former labour minister and welfare campaigner frank field, an mp for a0 years, dies aged 81. and — low battery! tesla profits slump as the road gets rockier for the electric car industry. but a promise of new models recharges the share price.

let's return to the issue of small boats crossing the channel from france to england — and yesterday was another grim milestone as five people died trying to get across — hours after the british parliament passed legislation designed to deter such journeys. french officials say 112 people were on board the overcrowded vessel. a new law in britain aims to send people arriving on small boats to rwanda to have their asylum claims processed. the deaths in the channel are not an isolated incident. yesterday alone, there were reports of migrants dying in other parts of the world trying to reach another country by boat. we heard from the un's migration agency that at least 21 people died off the coast of djibouti. 23 are still missing on the so—called eastern migration route between the middle east and africa. on the same day, the tunisian coastguard said they retrieved the bodies of 19 migrants who had

been trying to reach italy. the un has called crossing the mediterranean the deadliest route for migrants, with 3,129 deaths and disappearances recorded in 2023. but it's notjust at sea — at least 8,565 people died on migration routes worldwide in 2023. let's speak to steve smith, the ceo and director of care 4 calais — a charity that provides aid to migrants in calais. i wonder if you could outline how many migrants your charity is seeing? many migrants your charity is seeinu ? ~ many migrants your charity is seein?~ , many migrants your charity is seeina? , seeing? well, we support asylum seekers both _ seeing? well, we support asylum seekers both on _ seeing? well, we support asylum seekers both on the _ seeing? well, we support asylum seekers both on the coast - seeing? well, we support asylum seekers both on the coast of - seeing? well, we support asylum l seekers both on the coast of france and here in the uk, so on a day—to—day basis, we are supporting in the region of 4000 asylum seekers in the region of 4000 asylum seekers in the region of 4000 asylum seekers in the uk, and the numbers vary on the french coast, probably around

2000, going up to 3000 4000 depending on the weather and what's going on the world. you depending on the weather and what's going on the world.— going on the world. you took to the miurants, going on the world. you took to the migrants, particularly _ going on the world. you took to the migrants, particularly the _ going on the world. you took to the migrants, particularly the ones - going on the world. you took to the migrants, particularly the ones in l migrants, particularly the ones in france and trying to get to the uk on those boats. why do they take the risk? �* . ., , on those boats. why do they take the risk? �* . . , , on those boats. why do they take the risk? �* u, , , ., on those boats. why do they take the risk? �* , , ., ., risk? because there is no other 0 tion. risk? because there is no other 0ption- if— risk? because there is no other option- if you _ risk? because there is no other option. if you close _ risk? because there is no other option. if you close off - risk? because there is no other option. if you close off all - risk? because there is no other option. if you close off all legal routes, individuals are forced down the only routes that remain open to them. and a lot of them want to come to the uk for all sorts of reasons, principal among one of the highest groups coming across are afghans who supported us in the war in afghanistan when the taliban came in at almost no notice, and they were forced to flee and mr flights out of kabul. what else can they do? if they stay in the country, they will be killed. i have spoken to several his relatives have been killed after they fled, and they are desperate to reach the country that they think will be a safe haven. mb?

reach the country that they think will be a safe haven.— reach the country that they think will be a safe haven. why do a lot ofthe will be a safe haven. why do a lot of the migrants _ will be a safe haven. why do a lot of the migrants who _ will be a safe haven. why do a lot of the migrants who are - will be a safe haven. why do a lot of the migrants who are in - will be a safe haven. why do a lot of the migrants who are in france i of the migrants who are in france not claim asylum in france rather than trying to come to the uk? it’s than trying to come to the uk? it's a common — than trying to come to the uk? it�*s a common question, and i understand why people ask that, but there are all sorts of reasons again. i have already mentioned one. that applies to both afghans, and it could translate to those from iraq as well. but there are other reasons. as a former big player on the international stage and the colonial power, we had influence everywhere. people see us as a bit of a shining light of humanitarian compassion and they are naturally therefore drawn to this country. in addition, english is one of the more widely spoken languages stop so if you're stuck in france and you don't speak french and you want to get a job, it's almost impossible. if you speak english, is better to come to the uk, added to which, again, because of our international impact over

centuries, many of them already have a community of family and friends in the uk. ~ , , the uk. the prime minister rishi sunak says _ the uk. the prime minister rishi sunak says the _ the uk. the prime minister rishi sunak says the rwanda - the uk. the prime minister rishi sunak says the rwanda bill - the uk. the prime minister rishi sunak says the rwanda bill will l the uk. the prime minister rishi. sunak says the rwanda bill will be the uk. the prime minister rishi i sunak says the rwanda bill will be a deterrent to those who want to cross illegally and not come via a legal route. do you think that is the case? i route. do you think that is the case? ., ., , , , case? i hate to say it, but this is complete _ case? i hate to say it, but this is complete nonsense. _ case? i hate to say it, but this is complete nonsense. rishi - case? i hate to say it, but this is complete nonsense. rishi sunak case? i hate to say it, but this is - complete nonsense. rishi sunak was a few months ago saying that he wanted all school children to study maths through to 18. here is the maths. we are looking at transferring may be 300 individuals to rwanda over the next 12 months. since january, we have had around 6000 come into the country. we have a backlog of around 30,000 plus, probably closer to 37,000, who have come in since the illegal migration act. 300 is not going to make a jot of difference. so from my point of view, this is merely a gimmick. it's showboating.

it's not going to make any difference, and if five deaths in the channel don't deter people, then what are the chances of being one of the less than 1% who might be selected to go to rwanda? you would think death would be the ultimate deterrent, but it's clearly not. steve smith from care 4 calais, thank you forjoining us. to northern ireland, where former democratic unionist party leader, sirjeffrey donaldson, is due in court, accused of historical sex offences. the 61—year—old was arrested at his home in march. he's said he will strenuously contest the charges, which include an allegation of rape. 0ur ireland correspondent jennifer 0'leary is outside newry magistrates�* court. what has happened and what are we expecting to happen today? in the last few minutes, _ expecting to happen today? in the last few minutes, sir— expecting to happen today? in the last few minutes, sirjeffrey - last few minutes, sirjeffrey donaldson arrived outside newry magistrates�* court, where he was met by his solicitor and faced an

intense media scrum as he made his way into the courthouse. this morning, he is due to be charged in relation to a number of historical sexual offences including rape. the details of those charges will become apparent later this morning. you might recall that the 61—year—old was last month arrested at his home. he faced questioning at antrim police station and was charged that they with those alleged sexual offences. the next day, the party that he led announced that his immediate departure as leader. he had not been seen in public since his sudden political departure. that sight of him this morning is the first time he has been seen for a number of weeks. he has previously indicated that he strenuously denies the charges. he will not be asked to formally enter a plea at this

morning�*s court appearance because it�*s his first. the pleas will come later court proceedings. for 0'leary. — later court proceedings. for o'leary, thank— later court proceedings. for o'leary, thank you. - let�*s get some of the day�*s other news now. the us government says allegations that israeli forces buried more than 300 palestinians in a mass grave at a medical complex in gaza are incredibly troubling. it said it was seeking the israeli government�*s response. earlier, israel�*s military rejected the palestinian accusation, calling it baseless and unfounded. it said its attack against hamas militants in the area was precise and targeted. hundreds of thousands of people took of thousands of peopll to the streets in the argentine capital buenos aires on tuesday to protest against budget cuts to public universities. it�*s the biggest protest yet against austerity measures brought in by president javier milei. he won elections last november vowing to slash public spending and reduce the budget

deficit to zero. italy has passed a controversial law allowing anti—abortion activists to be present in government—funded abortion clinics. pro—choice campaigners worry that it will add to the pressures on women who are considering a termination. before coming to power, italian prime minister giorgia meloni had promised not to touch abortion law. delegates from around the world are meeting in canada for a fourth round of talks aimed at reaching a binding global agreement to end plastics pollution. countries agreed in 2022 that a treaty to tackle the problem would be finalised by the end of this year. global plastic production has more than doubled this century to 460 million tonnes. police in sydney have arrested seven youths after a counter—terrorism operation — saying an attack could have been likely. officers said the raids were linked to the stabbing of a bishop at a church in the city last week. after the attack, riots led to several police officers being injured.

the media watchdog ofcom has strengthened its rules against broadcasters using politicians as newsreaders, news interviewers or reporters. it follows a decision last month which found that five episodes of gb news programmes hosted by serving tory mps — including the married couple philip davies and esther mcvey, and sirjacob rees—mogg — broke its rules. the watchdog says all broadcasters must maintain the highest standards ahead of the general election. tesla has revealed the biggest slump in earnings in more than a decade — as the road gets increasingly rocky for the electric car industry. tesla made profits of $1.1 billion in the first three months of the year. that�*s a fall of 55% on this time last year. revenues were 9% lower — and both numbers were worse than investors had been expecting. but tesla shares — which have taken a pounding this year —

jumped around 11% in after hours trade after the company promised quicker progress on new more affordable models. from new york, here�*s erin delmore. it�*s been a rocky road for tesla this year. higher interest rates are taking a bite out of consumers�* purchasing power and pushing big purchases out of reach. competition with china, especially rival electric vehicle maker byd, is heating up. sales have been falling and so has tesla�*s stock. it�*s down within 40% this year. the company has been cutting prices and announced lay—offs. and then on tuesday, the company reported its first quarter earnings, missing expectations on earnings and revenue, and the company is anticipating lower deliveries this year compared to 2023. but investors have one bright spot to look to. tesla announced it�*s speeding up the launch of a lower—priced vehicle. more affordable models could be a boon for cash—strapped us consumers and a hit in big competitive markets worldwide like china and india.

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

it�*s now ten years since the publication of a major report into deaths caused by asthma in the uk, which made several recommendations to save lives. since then, however, asthma has killed more than 12,000 people. that�*s a rise of nearly a quarter. our health correspondent sophie hutchinson has the details. warren was just ten years old when he died of asthma. he had been playing on a trampoline when he asked for his inhaler and, within minutes, he�*d stop breathing. his mum, belinda, said nothing could be done to save him. warren literally was absolutely fine the day that he had his asthma attack. he wasn�*t poorly. there was no underlying symptoms. his asthma attack came out of nowhere. yeah, it�*s just...

escalated to the point of no return and... and warren's asthma was very well controlled. he had it under control. he suffered all his life with asthma and it was something he knew how to deal with himself. ten years ago, a major review of asthma deaths found that two thirds were preventable, and made recommendations to save lives. but, since then, 12,000 people in the uk have died from asthma — a rise of almost a quarter. nearly 70% of people with asthma said they weren�*t receiving basic care, according to a recent survey. and 82% of patients admitted to hospital as an emergency didn�*t see a gp or asthma nurse within the 48 hours after discharge when they were most at risk of another serious attack. the department of health and social care has said it�*s

working to improve services for people with chronic conditions such as asthma and that it would be launching a major strategy to ensure care is centred around the patient. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. let�*s speak to belinda dowling, mother of warren dowling, who died from asthma. we had a bit about your son in that report. what sort of boy was warren? warren was such a cheeky little chappie. he loved life, love to help other people. bud chappie. he loved life, love to help other maple-— chappie. he loved life, love to help other people-— other people. and explain on that da what other people. and explain on that day what actually _ other people. and explain on that day what actually happened? - other people. and explain on that. day what actually happened? warren des had a perfectly _ day what actually happened? warren des had a perfectly normal _ day what actually happened? warren des had a perfectly normal day. - day what actually happened? warren des had a perfectly normal day. he l des had a perfectly normal day. he went to school, came home, had his dinner, watch some tv. went outside to play on the trampling with his two younger siblings. he came back

in. there was a short break before he came back into the front room and started to panic, saying he couldn�*t breathe. we realised his pumps were not working, so we phoned for an ambulance. but while waiting for the ambulance, he had stopped breathing and turned blue. dad did cpr until the first paramedics attended, but he just never came background. the first paramedics attended, but hejust never came background. they worked on him for over an hour at home and over an hour at the hospital, but he never came back round. you said in the report that warren�*s asthma was well controlled and he knew what to do? yeah, he had had asthma his whole life, so he knew when he needed them and how much he needed, it wasjust supervising him, really. irate supervising him, really. we mentioned _ supervising him, really. we mentioned the _ supervising him, really. we mentioned the statistics, the number of people are dying like your son from asthma has gone up rather than down, when it is preventable. it�*s down, when it is preventable. it's ve down, when it is preventable. it�*s

very preventable, but i don't think very preventable, but i don�*t think there is enough research into what can be done for asthmatics. you are diagnosed as asthmatic, you are given your inhalers, you are giving your reviews every six months to a year, and that�*s it, you are left to deal with it. but there must be more research that can be done into why people have asthma. do research that can be done into why people have asthma.— research that can be done into why people have asthma. do you think gps know enough — people have asthma. do you think gps know enough about _ people have asthma. do you think gps know enough about it, _ people have asthma. do you think gps know enough about it, the _ people have asthma. do you think gps know enough about it, the ones - people have asthma. do you think gps know enough about it, the ones on - know enough about it, the ones on the front line when you talk to them if you have a child who is struggling to breathe? i if you have a child who is struggling to breathe? i would say the know struggling to breathe? i would say they know enough. _ struggling to breathe? i would say they know enough. but _ struggling to breathe? i would say they know enough. but obviously, | struggling to breathe? i would say - they know enough. but obviously, the nhs is overstretched and there is more that needs to be done. when he was hospitalised, he never had a review or check a couple of days later with a doctor�*s surgery is recommended. later with a doctor's surgery is recommended.— later with a doctor's surgery is recommended. ~ , ., ~ , recommended. why do you think these recommendations _ recommended. why do you think these recommendations that _ recommended. why do you think these recommendations that were _ recommended. why do you think these recommendations that were made - recommended. why do you think these j recommendations that were made over a decade ago still haven�*t filtered through on the ground? i

a decade ago still haven't filtered through on the ground?— a decade ago still haven't filtered through on the ground? i don't even know how to — through on the ground? i don't even know how to answer. _ through on the ground? i don't even know how to answer. i _ through on the ground? i don't even know how to answer. i suppose - through on the ground? i don't even | know how to answer. i suppose there are not enough doctors, as the nhs is too stretched to do everything. what was the impact on both your family and warren�*s friends at school? family and warren's friends at school? ,., . ., , , ., , school? the impact has been really hard. school? the impact has been really hard- family _ school? the impact has been really hard. family life _ school? the impact has been really hard. family life isn't _ school? the impact has been really hard. family life isn't the _ school? the impact has been really hard. family life isn't the same. . school? the impact has been really| hard. family life isn't the same. we hard. family life isn�*t the same. we brought warren�*s little sister into the world only four months after losing warren. his friends still talk about him at school. his teacher has been amazing, he has just run for asthma uk for the london marathon. warren won�*t be forgotten. we will keep going and hopefully, we can bring these numbers down for asthma. belinda dowlin: , numbers down for asthma. belinda dowling, mother— numbers down for asthma. belinda dowling, mother of _ numbers down for asthma. belinda dowling, mother of warren, - numbers down for asthma. belinda dowling, mother of warren, thank| numbers down for asthma. belinda . dowling, mother of warren, thank you forjoining us. i�*m going to take younes live to some pictures out of shanghai in china. you will have seen that the

us secretary of state antony blinken has just arrived in shanghai. us secretary of state antony blinken hasjust arrived in shanghai. he is there on a two day visit to talk to officials, sorry, a three visit, where he is expected to warn against exporting components to help russia�*s war effort. washington says moscow uses chinese tools and microchips for weapons deployed against ukraine, something beijing has called groundless. mr blinken�*s visit, the camera is moving around because his plane hasjust arrived, is aimed at stabilising relations between the two countries. the talks will include how to avoid confrontation in the south china sea and the taiwan strait. you will remember that tension surged last year, when a chinese spy balloon was shot down over the us. of course, china and the us are the world�*s two

biggest economies, so they have to talk about that as well. this all comes after that bill was passed in the us overnight which allowed some money to go to taiwan. we have had some reaction to that as well, china saying that that us military support for taiwan only increased the risk of conflict along the strait. the foreign ministry spokesperson said in the last hour that they would like to emphasise that the united states and taiwan strengthening military ties will not bring about security for taiwan. rather, military ties will not bring about security fortaiwan. rather, it military ties will not bring about security for taiwan. rather, it will only increase tensions and the risk of conflict across the taiwan strait. that reaction from china to the news overnight that that money

for military aid has been approved. antony blinken isjust for military aid has been approved. antony blinken is just arriving for military aid has been approved. antony blinken isjust arriving in shanghai for those talks. we will keep you updated on bbc news. there are calls for food producers to be given greater support in adapting to the extreme weather caused by climate change. the agriculture and horticulture development board, which monitors crop yields and farming practices, says the price of staples such as bread, potatoes and oil could continue to rise. farming organisations say more funding needs to go into developing new farming methods. some farmers have already been adapting, as our rural affairs correspondent, lucy vladev, reports: with the wettest 18 months on record, it�*s been a battle against the elements for farmers to get food out of flooded fields and new crops into the ground.

so here we�*ve got 25 hectares of wetland that used to be arable land for food production. greg is one of many farmers facing challenges in the changing weather. there�*s a big part of me that all i want to do is produce food. butl... we are seriously struggling to find the viability in certain areas of the farm. with more regular flooding, he�*s turned some of his fields into floodplains for wildlife and moved crops elsewhere. we decided it wasn't viable to produce crops on. so, instead, we've decided to allow them to flood and stop draining them — stop physically going out and trying to drain them to produce food and instead creating a habitat. at nearby eric�*s farm, a different technique is being used to protect his cattle and crops. so we�*ve planted this hedge. it�*s 2,000 trees. it will help to slow the flow of water off the field. it will also provide a lot

of shelter for the cows, and they also like to eat hedges. so there are many, many benefits. and, as well as physical adaptations, eric is also looking at what he grows to be more resilient. so we�*ve got maybe 70 plants that we�*re growing. i totally understand why most farms will approach this with a "i�*ve got three crops. i know how to sell them. i�*ve got the machinery for them. it makes life simpler," but i think that there�*s the risk of that going wrong, given climate volatility is too great. it may feel far removed from the food that ends up on our plates. but extreme weather is already having an impact on basic ingredients, like oil and potatoes, with prices up and production down. and so the choices made on fields like this impact all of us. but adaptation isn�*tjust limited to how we grow and what we grow — science is also playing a role on a microscopic level. as we move along, there are little squares. each of these squares

is a different kind of wheat, and the skanalyzer is taking photographs as it moves along. and it�*s doing these 24/7. around 100 breeds of wheat are being tested here at rothamsted research centre, looking at building diversity within the plant itself. so we�*re trying to anticipate how the climate will change and therefore what wheat will need to look like. and then what we try and do is to breed different kinds of varieties, which will be more adaptable to those different conditions. it�*s so important notjust because food production is worth billions to the uk economy, but now agricultural groups are warning we�*re in a race to adapt to climate change or the consequences for ourfood production could be dire. it�*s prompted calls from the national farmers�* union for better support — something the government says they�*re already prioritising. i think we are seeing more and more challenges in terms of weather patterns and the impact of climate change. that�*s why the government is investing so much money in trying to mitigate the impact but also

futureproof us a bit — so investing in new technology. are we incentivising the right things, though? farmers are currently being paid for floodplains, but not food production, they say. well, no, i mean, we�*re doing both because, obviously, investing in new technology and the latest equipment helps them to produce food, but do that more efficiently, so we can actually produce more food from less land, which leaves some land available then for other the things that we want to do as a society. and striking that balance is vital for guiding what food production will look like in the future. lucy vladev, bbc news. next, i want to show you some pictures out of greece. skies over the south of the country including the capital athens turned orange on tuesday. it�*s after strong southerly winds carried dust from the sahara desert across the mediterranean sea, engulfing the acropolis and other famous landmarks.

the skies are predicted to clear today as the winds shift and move the dust, with temperatures dipping. let�*s find out what the weather is going to do in the uk. hello again. rather like the last few days, west is best in terms of temperatures today, but even here, temperatures are a bit lower than they have been. if you have an allergy to tree pollen, oak tree pollen is at its peak at the moment and the levels today england and also wales. we�*re still pulling in this northerly flow, the air coming straight down from the arctic, blowing in a lot of cloud and some showers along the east coast. but the wind really accentuating the cold feel to the day, and here we will see some showers on and off as we go through the course of the afternoon. a few showers getting in across south—west wales and also into south—west england, but a lot of dry weather. areas of cloud at times, but sunny spells.

and these are our temperatures, up to 13 degrees. but don�*t forget, it will feel cooler than these temperatures are suggesting because of the wind in the east. now, through this evening and overnight, we start dry. there�*ll be some clear spells. we�*ve also got a weather front moving southwards across scotland, getting into northern england by the end of the night with some showers, wintry on higher ground, and it�*s going to be cold wherever you are. a few showers in wales, the southwest, and also the southeast, certainly by the end of the night. this is the weather front that�*s moving southwards through the night and will continue to do so through the course of thursday. still bringing in some showers, and as we go through the morning, they�*re not going to be particularly heavy. but as they get into central southern england into the afternoon, you could catch the odd sharp one here and there. a lot of dry weather around, too, but there�*ll be some scattered showers and it�*s not going to be as windy, so it�*s not going to feel as bitter as it has done along the east coast. but temperatures still out towards the west, 11 to about 13 degrees. beyond that, we�*ve got an area of low pressure that brings showers into the south on friday.

but then another one brings rain up from the south, heading northwards during the course of sunday. now, with it, it�*s going to bring in some milder air. so you can see the first one. and here�*s the second area of low pressure moving north, butjust how far north it gets is still open to some question. so with it, it�*s notjust going to bring higher temperatures than we�*ve had, but also some rain. so as we go into the outlook period, it certainly does remain unsettled. there�*ll be rain, or indeed, there�*ll be some showers, but note how the temperature slowly rises.

live from london, this is bbc news. president biden�*s set to sign a $95 billion foreign aid package for ukraine, taiwan and israel today — after us lawmakers gave it final approval. it comes as israeli strikes intensify across gaza — in some of the heaviest shelling in weeks. america�*s top diplomat — secretary of state antony blinken has arrived in china — where he�*s expected to warn against providing military support for russia. after more migrants die in the english channel, we ask how the british government�*s new plans might affect those trying to reach our shores. former labour minister, then crossbench peer, and renowned campaignerfor welfare reform — frank field, has died at the age of 81.