world. i m laila harrak. the u.s. border with mexico remains calm, at least for now, a day after the title 42 immigration rule came to an end. russia tries to take out a u.s.-made patriot air defense system in ukraine, but the patriot system appears to have worked as it was intended. and the eurovision song contest final is just hours away. we ll have a eurovision historian what to expect as 26 acts prepare to represent their home nations. announcer: live from cnn center, this is cnn newsroom with laila harrak. good to be with you. u.s. cities along the border with mexico report fewer migrant crossings than expected on the first day since title 42 expired. the covid-era policy allowed authorities to swiftly expel most migrants. federal officials say there was no substantial increase overnight or an influx at midnight friday morning when title 42 expired. still, leaders of border cities are calling on the federal government and lawmakers to address the problems with th
eye-catching performance tonight. and also watch out for croatia. it s an anti-war song but also a rock opera, which is a genre that we haven t heard in eurovision so far even though eurovision has embraced so many musical genres. and, dean, eurovision is can you complete that sentence for me? eurovision is fun. eurovision is peace. eurovision is togetherness, and that s what s special about eurovision. for 67 years now, it has brought europeans together and increasingly fans from across the world. and this year those fans will get to vote in eurovision for the first time. there is a rest of the world vote that will carry the same weight as that of the participating country. i m a little jealous, dean. i wish i was there with you. i wish you a fabulous, fabulous day. thank you so much, dean, in liverpool there talking to us about eurovision.
the sun is hshining. such a friendly people here. the city is decked out, ready for eurovision in the colors of ukraine as well. in the colors of ukraine. for those not familiar, dean, with eurovision, tell us about the significance of the song contest, and why does it still attract millions of viewers each year? this is one of the world s longest-running television shows. it s been held annually since 1956. it brings together the countries of europe, plus australia and israel now, and they vie for the best song. and each country also gets to vote. so that also makes it europe s biggest election. now, what makes this year s eurovision stand out in your view? this year s eurovision is unique in the history of the contest because it s the first time that one country is staging the contest on behalf of another that is at war. so the bbc is hosting eurovision
solidarity with ukraine. dean, what makes an act uniquely eurovision? that s hard to say these days. these days the trend is towards authenticity, so songs in national languages, songs with national musical influences. 20 years ago, it wasn t like that. it was more of a euro pop song sung in english, something that was catchy, rather innocuous. these days, those, it s important to have a political or social message, something that audiences can relate to. eurovision does reflect and has historically reflected changes in culture, society, and politics in europe, and audiences want to see that more. otherwise, eurovision wouldn t be so special in the world of televised song contests. and australia is taking part. why is it in the competition? well, australia is in eurovision because australians have been able to watch eurovision since the 1980s. it has been broadcast on a very
broadcasters saying the event needs to stay non-political. among those performing will bes tvorchi, who hope their song, heart of steel, will bring ukraine the trophy again while keeping the war front and center. bookmakers peg laurene from sweden as the favorite. others to watch are finland, as is mama sc. the winning nation gets to host next year s eurovision. i d like to welcome from liverpool, where it s all happening, dean vutich, a historian. so good to see you, dean. europe s biggest show about to get under way. what s it like in liverpool? it s a fantastic atmosphere in liverpool.