that critics say pushes the country closer to russia. these are the live pictures from tbilisi as police confront hundreds of protesters outside the parliament. i'm rayhan demytrie life in tbilisi, where dramatic scenes have been unfolding between the protesters, who want a european future for their country. our other main headlines... intense battles around kharkiv as ukraine struggles to hold back a major russian incursion near its second biggest city. but the us secretary of state says more military aid is on its way during a surprise visit to ukraine. and donald trump's criminal hush money trial resumes with trump's lawyer michael cohen testifying for a second day.

hello, and welcome to today's verified life. a tense stand—off has developed outside the parliament in the georgian capital of tbilisi after mps approved a controversial goal which would force civil society groups and media organisations to declare foreign funding. scuffles broke out in the chamber, while outside the protesters tried to break through barriers. security forces for slumber, hundreds of most rioters converged on parliament from several directions in an attempt to her to the protesters. they were met with anti—russian champs, critics say the new law is modelled on a russian one designed to stifle

democracy. —— they were met with anti—russian chants. these are the live pictures from tbilisi, we have cameras in several different parts of the capital around the parliament. the president has said she will veto the legislation but the prime minister's georgian dream party has sufficient support to force the new law through. many of the protesters are young, they say the future of georgia is at stake, with aspirations tojoin the georgia is at stake, with aspirations to join the eu or move closer to russia. let's go live to our correspondent rayhan demytrie, who is in tbilisi. just bring viewers, if they are just joining us, up to speed about what has happened over the last few hours? in has happened over the last few hours? . , ., ., ., ., hours? in the last half an hour or so, the hours? in the last half an hour or so. the police — hours? in the last half an hour or so, the police that _ hours? in the last half an hour or so, the police that was _ hours? in the last half an hour or so, the police that was standing l so, the police that was standing here were pushed back. perhaps they

got an order to move away, and that the protesters that were on this side of the street chanted and by clapping they once again took over this part of the street right outside parliament. i have also noticed there is a new graffiti that appeared on the government building which reads in georgian something which reads in georgian something which means "this country is ours." the protesters standing here now believe they are fighting for their country's european future. a couple of hours ago inside the parliament building mps from the governing georgian dream party pass this controversial law on the transparency of foreign funding which protesters have called the russian law because of the similarities with the legislation that exists in russia and which has been used in rafferty —— in a rush

to stifle dissent and critical voices. the protesters are standing here because they do not want the same thing to happen in the country. they are proud of the democracy they have in georgia and want to keep it this way, but more than that, they are really concerned that this law was passed in the interest of russia, they call it the russian law and have referred to by government as the russian government. of course, the georgian dream party which ruled this country denies it and are saying they have introduced this law to ensure transparency of non—governmental organisations, but we have heard in the past how the government accuse these non—governmental organisations of receiving funds from the west and fomenting unrest in georgia. basically even before this law passed there has been a serious campaign of intimidation against opponents of this law. people were

waking up outside their homes, their apartment blocks, two posters glued to the walls saying you are a foreign agent, you are a hater of the church, and this intimidation campaign has been going on for several days up to today. today is tuesday the 14th of may when the georgian government, despite these mass protests, passed this law. let's turn the camera to the side where we see protesters have turned their attention, they are booing towards one of the streets,. you can see lots of the protesters have european flags draped around their shoulders. that is what we have seen happening here so far.

there are lots of european flags. people believe the struggle is for georgia's european future. they think they're government introduced this law not in the interests of their country but in the interests of their northern neighbour, russia. i hope you can still hear me, in terms of where does this actually 90, terms of where does this actually go, we have seen protests like this for weeks now and yet we have seen what happened in parliament today. watch it to those protesters hope will change in the coming days? —— what do those protesters hope? everything they have tried so far has not worked.— has not worked. they had been protesting. _ has not worked. they had been protesting. they _ has not worked. they had been protesting, they have - has not worked. they had been protesting, they have been - protesting, they have been exercising their right to protest against a law which they believe is... right now they believe this is an existential moment for their

country, somehow the government by introducing this law is changing this country's foreign policy, because by targeting non—governmental organisations that receive funding mainly from the eu and the united states and these are the partners of georgia, so these people believe that by criticising ngos and targeting ngos that receive funding from western countries they are upsetting by western partners. in the last couple of days we had a number of senior european politicians visiting tbilisi and they are still here now as i understand, but these politicians could not get high—level meetings with the representatives of the georgian government. the speaker of the georgian parliament has said that it

the georgian parliament has said thatitis the georgian parliament has said that it is not the right time, it is a difficult time for our country, i don't have time to meet you. that is seen by those who oppose the law as some kind of message that the government is refusing to have a dialogue with the eu. at the government of course denies it, claiming it is being done in the interest of the country. they say they passed this law to defend georgia's sovereignty because they believe that somehow these non—governmental organisations that are funded from the west are trying to foment unrest in this country. but we can talk, and in the last hour we have spoken live to so many protesters here, many of them young people, genocide, 18 years old and older, of course. —— many of them, young people, gen z. they say this

is a very important struggle, they cannot give up this country's democracy because it would mean going back to russia and this is what nobody here wants to happen. they are talking about the struggle that this small country in the south caucasus has been going through over the decades and suffering from its northern neighbour russia. we are talking about the war in 2008, the occupation georgian territory, 20% of this territory is occupied by russia. the majority of georgians, you will walk into pelissie and see lots of ukrainian flags and they stand with ukraine —— you will walk in tbilisi. they say this is part of the same struggle from their old imperial master, and somehow they leave that what is happening now in

georgia is part of that scenario, which is why they do not want to see it happening, they want to make sure this country moves forward and it moves west. this country moves forward and it moves west-— this country moves forward and it moves west. , ., , , moves west. rayhan demytrie, we will be that therefore _ moves west. rayhan demytrie, we will be that therefore now _ moves west. rayhan demytrie, we will be that therefore now and _ moves west. rayhan demytrie, we will be that therefore now and talk - moves west. rayhan demytrie, we will be that therefore now and talk again i be that therefore now and talk again through the course of the programme. thank you for describing what is happening in tbilisi. we will return to that story in a moment or two but before we go to our next guest i want to take you to kyiv and show the pictures that they are, in the next few moments we expect to see and hearfrom antony next few moments we expect to see and hear from antony blinken, next few moments we expect to see and hearfrom antony blinken, who is making that surprise visit to ukraine today. he has already said the american military aid and weapons are on their way, which will be welcome news to president zelensky, but those meetings have gone on through the course of this morning and you can see the microphones, the flags, the press all set up, we expect comments in

the next little while so as soon as they start we will return to that story, an important story, ukraine, given the russian offensive going on around kharkiv. we will be keeping an eye, as soon as it starts we will return to kyiv. let's return to georgia as promised. let's speak to rachel denber, the deputy director for europe and central asia at human rights watch. thank you for being with us, what are your headline thoughts as you watch those scenes from tbilisi? fiur watch those scenes from tbilisi? our headhne watch those scenes from tbilisi? oi" headline thoughts are watch those scenes from tbilisi? qij' headline thoughts are that this law tramples on rights, it is a terrible direction for georgia to take but at the same time everything that the georgian dream party and its supporters had said about this law make very clear it has nothing to do with transparency, as they claim, and everything to do with

stigmatising, demonising and attempting to intimidate non—governmental organisations, media outlets and activists, to stifle their critics. tell media outlets and activists, to stifle their critics.— media outlets and activists, to stifle their critics. tell me how? peo - le stifle their critics. tell me how? people might — stifle their critics. tell me how? people might have _ stifle their critics. tell me how? people might have heard - stifle their critics. tell me how? people might have heard about| stifle their critics. tell me how? . people might have heard about this bill but not know how it works. what bill but not know how it works. what are the dangers _ bill but not know how it works. what are the dangers from _ bill but not know how it works. twist are the dangers from it? the bill but not know how it works. twat are the dangers from it? the bill says anyone who gets more than 20% or more foreign funding has to register on a register of organisations and individuals who are serving foreign interests, which is a very stigmatising label. there are many other obligations that go with that. there is nothing wrong with that. there is nothing wrong with transparency but there is something wrong with creating a special status, and this is something the european court of human rights has maintained, for groups that receive foreign funding. that interferes with the right to

get funding and operate an ngo. also it is pretty clear from everything the government has said and done in recent days that this is not about transparency but about shutting down critics who they don't like a hedge of the october elections. as rayhan said a couple of moments ago there was the obviously orchestrated campaign of harassing phone calls against activists to their children, we know someone who is ten—year—old child got a threatening phone call, really offensive posters with photographs of activists, ngo leaders, they say traitor, enemy of the church, enemy of georgia. it is all quite orchestrated and it is obvious it is not about transparency, it is stigmatising and demonising critics. what transparency, it is stigmatising and demonising critics.— transparency, it is stigmatising and demonising critics. what should the international _ demonising critics. what should the international community _ demonising critics. what should the international community do? - demonising critics. what should the international community do? only l international community do? only last week the us said they were

deeply troubled by this bill, the eu, similar words. what do you think they should do? the georgians already say in terms of the government that the georgian people support this. it was 84 votes for this, 30 against. what should the international community do in response to that? i international community do in response to that?— response to that? i think it is really important _ response to that? i think it is really important for - response to that? i think it is really important for the - really important for the international community and everyone to challenge the georgian government when they say the georgian society supporters. the georgian dream party supporters. the georgian dream party supporters but i think it is delusional to say the georgian public support is what the government are trying to do —— the georgian dream party supports this. they need to continue to make clear, the international community, what consequences there will be for georgia's long—term future. the georgian government is saying and doing very different things, on the one hand it is obviously trying to turn away from its path to eu

membership by adopting this law. the eu has said this law could derail the membership pass. at the same time, eu membership is extremely important to the georgian public. polling data showed the overwhelming majority of georgians, up to 90%, support and want georgia's entry into the eu so if this law will scupper that it will put the government on a serious path of tension with the public. but this law is about stigmatising government critics and pushing these critics out of the way before the october elections, the october parliamentary elections. they want to make sure the most effective at organising election monitoring, the ones most effective at making sure there is transparency in the vote and the harshest critics of the government, the organisations that try to make

sure all the pillars about the vote for a free and fair vote, whether it is election monitoring, media monitoring, making sure there are robust —— there is robust public coverage of the key issues, the government once these organisations out of the way and to make sure that they are weak and do not have an organisational base any more. irate they are weak and do not have an organisational base any more. we had to be that bad, _ organisational base any more. we had to be that bad, but _ organisational base any more. we had to be that bad, but thank _ organisational base any more. we had to be that bad, but thank you - organisational base any more. we had to be that bad, but thank you for- to be that bad, but thank you for joining us live on the programme, racher denber. let's speak to maka dzenladze who covers the caucasus for bbc monitoring in tbilisi. as we have heard over the last couple of islands, many people in georgia to view this as a crossroads moment? it georgia to view this as a crossroads moment? , ~ ., , georgia to view this as a crossroads moment? , a, , ., , moment? it is, matthew, it is really an existential— moment? it is, matthew, it is really an existential moment _ moment? it is, matthew, it is really an existential moment for _ moment? it is, matthew, it is really an existential moment for the - an existential moment for the country. many georgians have been asking whether the georgian government is pivoting away from the

west and towards russia after the parliament pushed through the highly contentious law on foreign influence that requires media outlets and ngos that requires media outlets and ngos that get more than 5% of their funding from abroad to register as organisations representing the interest of a foreign power. we see there is a strong public backlash against the law and protests continue, the protesters say they will not accept the law. we have also seen a heavy police presence outside parliament, this is the main venuein outside parliament, this is the main venue in central tbilisi, large protests have been taking place for weeks now. we have also seen some unconfirmed reports that protesters have been arrested because police

said that the protests have turned violent. a said that the protests have turned violent. , ., ., ., violent. maka dzenladze, we have to leave it there. _ violent. maka dzenladze, we have to leave it there, thank _ violent. maka dzenladze, we have to leave it there, thank you _ violent. maka dzenladze, we have to leave it there, thank you very - violent. maka dzenladze, we have to leave it there, thank you very much l leave it there, thank you very much for that analysis. let me take you to live pictures back in kyiv, sorry, tbilisi first of all, those pictures on the screen, because those protesters are still in big, big numbers, as are the security forces. we will continue to monitor that. head to the website, there is so much background information making sense of why we are seeing this level of protest at this hour. i mentioned kyiv, let me take you there, we are waiting for the us secretary of state antony blinken to give the latest comments after his surprise visit to ukraine. you can just see the officials and journalists taking their seats, i don't think it looks like we are too

farfrom the start don't think it looks like we are too far from the start of that trip but a surprise visit to kyiv and he has said that us munitions are on its way to ukraine. they have been desperate for those for many months. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

you are live with bbc news. we expect to hear from the us secretary of state live in kyiv, antony blinken. he has met president zelensky on a surprise visit to ukraine. we are not that far away from his latest comments. his trip comes at a time when urgently—needed western weapons are starting to get through to the battlefield. of course, we have that russian push towards ukraine's second city. as we continue to watch those pictures,

let me bring in live mark kimmitt. he served under george w bush from august 2008 to january 2009. how critical a moment is this for ukraine? the secretary of state comes there with that crucial news that american military support is now on its way. that american military support is now on its way-— now on its way. firstly, i think it is important _ now on its way. firstly, i think it is important to _ now on its way. firstly, i think it is important to note _ now on its way. firstly, i think it is important to note that - now on its way. firstly, i think it i is important to note that american equipment has been arriving, some was pre—positioned in europe, sam has been brought in already through aircraft and has been brought in already through aircraftand air has been brought in already through aircraft and air lift, but the equipment will be critical because, candidly, there is a russian offensive going on right now around kharkiv. the question is whether the american equipment will be too little, too late, and i expect that it is one of the issues that secretary blinken will be talking about. in

secretary blinken will be talking about. , ., ., , about. in terms of the military su ort, about. in terms of the military sopport. the — about. in terms of the military support, the extra _ about. in terms of the military support, the extra military - about. in terms of the military - support, the extra military support, it is said there will be long—range, precision guided missiles, much more ammunition for the howitzers, apparently they get through a 18,000 shells a month. what do you think it's the most important in terms of what ukraine currently needs to fend off russia? , , ~ off russia? firstly i think the number 18,000 _ off russia? firstly i think the number 18,000 a _ off russia? firstly i think the number 18,000 a month - off russia? firstly i think the number 18,000 a month is l number 18,000 a month is understated. we have seen some days when the russians have fired 10,000 runs a day. the issue will be less about the equipment coming in such as the attack guns and more on how they can be used. it is very clear russia has figured out that we will not allow them to fire into russia, so what is russia doing now? they are using stand—off bombs like the glide bombs, firing them from inside russia with impunity. until it gets to the point where the weapons

systems we are providing can be used to their full effect, systems we are providing can be used to theirfull effect, i systems we are providing can be used to their full effect, i tend to believe this will merely prolong the war and not increase the chance of victory in the least. i war and not increase the chance of victory in the least.— war and not increase the chance of victory in the least. i hope to come back to that _ victory in the least. i hope to come back to that issue _ victory in the least. i hope to come back to that issue of _ victory in the least. i hope to come back to that issue of glide - victory in the least. i hope to come back to that issue of glide bombs l victory in the least. i hope to come | back to that issue of glide bombs in a moment, but the former nato deputy supreme commanderfor a moment, but the former nato deputy supreme commander for europe was talking to the bbc earlier and said there needs to be a fundamental shift with ukraine, from ukraine being given notjust enough to defend itself but enough to actually defeat russia. do you think that basic level of thinking from the international community is what is required? international community is what is reuuired? ., , �* , ,, required? candidly, i'm surprised it has taken this _ required? candidly, i'm surprised it has taken this long _ required? candidly, i'm surprised it has taken this long for _ required? candidly, i'm surprised it has taken this long for them - required? candidly, i'm surprised it has taken this long for them to - required? candidly, i'm surprised it has taken this long for them to say| has taken this long for them to say that. but term was used two years ago, just enough to fight, not enough to win. it would have been far more important to give them what they needed to win two years ago, but now with ukraine on the back

seat there is a question about whether there is enough, even if you gave them everything they wanted, to win. now the russian economy is back up win. now the russian economy is back up to form a military production and the number of personnel they can draw on is far more significant —— is back up to its former military production. there is an election coming up in the usa soon. i mentioned glide bombs, lots of people will perhaps not be familiar with that term. they have become familiar with all sorts of new bits of weaponry, but explain the particular threat from those. the ulide particular threat from those. the glide bombs _ particular threat from those. iia: glide bombs are fundamentally stand—off weapons that can be dropped by an aircraft from as far as 20 or 30 kilometres inside the russian border. they are very hard to detect. because they are bombs and not missiles they do not have much of a signature to be picked up by anti—aircraft radar is all to be

knocked down by anti—aircraft missiles. as a result it is somewhat of a stealth way to get weapons fired into places like kharkiv without being able to go against the fighters that are dropping them, so thatis fighters that are dropping them, so that is one of the major issues that needs to be dealt with. it can be dealt with if we expand the rules of engagement and the use of the equipment we are providing. really interestinu. equipment we are providing. really interesting. mark _ equipment we are providing. really interesting. mark kimmitt, - equipment we are providing. really interesting. mark kimmitt, thank you for that, interesting. mark kimmitt, thank you forthat, i interesting. mark kimmitt, thank you for that, i know you will stay with us because we are waiting to hear from antony blinken, so thanks for your patience. you will listen into the us secretary of state when that starts and we will carry those comments live on the programme. you are watching bbc news, it has been a really busy couple of hours watching the events in georgia and in ukraine. let's turn to a story developing in the last little while.

king charles iii has revealed his first official portrait of himself since his coronation. the portrait byjonathan yeo was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then prince of wales' 50 years as a member of the drapers' company in 2022. the piece shows the king wearing his uniform of the welsh guards. and this is the moment the portrait was unveiled a short while ago at buckingham palace. you can see the scale of it — the portayal of the king standing out for its size. as well as the dramatic colours. with me is our royal correspondent, sean coughlan. i saw isawa i saw a picture of that a little while before i came into the studio, it is incredibly eye—catching and dramatic? it it is incredibly eye-catching and dramatic? , , ~ dramatic? it is very red, i think ou can dramatic? it is very red, i think you can say _ dramatic? it is very red, i think you can say with _ dramatic? it is very red, i think you can say with confidence! it| dramatic? it is very red, i think i you can say with confidence! it is dramatic? it is very red, i think . you can say with confidence! it is a striking mixture of ancient and modern, you see king charles in the military welsh guards uniform but in a very modern background, as if his

face is emerging from a great big bath of red tomato soup. he is reaching forward. also on his shoulder as a butterfly, which is meant to be a symbol of rebirth and metamorphosis. king charles was shown the painting, talked about how butterflies would land on his shoulders, he was quite taken by that little detail. it is the transition in his own life, when the painting was begun, when the first sitting took place, he was prince of wales. this has been over several years. the last setting was before christmas when he was obviously king. it was before his cancer diagnosis. he has moved through a big change in his own life in the course of this painting in completed.— course of this painting in comleted. , . completed. there it is in centre screen, completed. there it is in centre screen. we _ completed. there it is in centre screen, we saw _ completed. there it is in centre screen, we saw the _ completed. there it is in centre screen, we saw the unveiling i completed. there it is in centrej screen, we saw the unveiling at buckingham palace. what did he make of it and tell me more about the person who did the portrait? he:

seemed to like it and he was obviously very polite. the painter, jonathan yeo, talked about an unusual situation, jonathan yeo, talked about an unusualsituation, in jonathan yeo, talked about an unusual situation, in the course of his work somebody became king, which does not happen every day. that he has painted other famous does not happen every day. that he has painted otherfamous people like tony blair and is used to doing things. people will be struck by the sheer vividness, the scarlets quality, and it merges lots of traditional detail. he has a sword, military uniform, all of that sort of thing. i think this is the first official painted portrait since the coronation. we have had official photographs hung up in town halls, courts and hospitals but this is the first artistic impression of the king. i think initially it will go into a gallery and it will go into the drapers' hold, because they

commissioned it. but in the short term it will be available to be seen by the public. term it will be available to be seen by the public— by the public. thank you for taking us throu~h by the public. thank you for taking us through that, _ by the public. thank you for taking us through that, stay _ by the public. thank you for taking us through that, stay with - by the public. thank you for taking us through that, stay with us - by the public. thank you for taking us through that, stay with us on i by the public. thank you for taking | us through that, stay with us on the programme were in about one hour we will speak to another artist who was commissioned and actually carried out a portrait of queen elizabeth, just to take us through what that is like, the process of being chosen, having the sittings, due a royal portrait. that interview in about one hour today on verified life. let's return to the developing events in france. two french prison officers have been killed and three others wounded when gunmen ambushed the van in which they were transporting a convicted felon at a motorway toll station. it happened near rouen. two vehicles were used to ram the prison vehicle, but it's not known how many attackers were involved. president macron said everything was being done to find those involved, with hundreds of police officers deployed in the hunt. the escaped prisoner

was being returned to jail after a court hearing in a nearby city. the french president said it was an attack against the the french president said it was an attack against the justice the french president said it was an attack against the justice system. everything will be done to find the individuals responsible for this despicable crime. protocols have now been triggered and we will spare no effort, _ been triggered and we will spare no effort, no _ been triggered and we will spare no effort, no means to track them down. we will— effort, no means to track them down. we will find _ effort, no means to track them down. we will find them and i tell you this, _ we will find them and i tell you this, they— we will find them and i tell you this, they will pay. we owe it to the victims _ this, they will pay. we owe it to the victims-— this, they will pay. we owe it to the victims. that was the french prime minister _ the victims. that was the french prime minister a _ the victims. that was the french prime minister a little _ the victims. that was the french prime minister a little bit - the victims. that was the french | prime minister a little bit earlier. i will be taking to the french journalist who gave me the latest from paris. brute journalist who gave me the latest from paris-— from paris. we know that this happened _ from paris. we know that this happened shortly _ from paris. we know that this happened shortly after- from paris. we know that this happened shortly after 11am l from paris. we know that this i happened shortly after 11am this morning paris time. it was very

obviously