♪ ♪ narrator: funding for presentation of this program is provided by.. the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum-kovler foundation. pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you, thank you. woman: and now, "bbc world news".

china's president extends a hand and a peace plan to his dear friend vladimir putin. it's the first time the two have met in's russia's invasion of ukraine. a survival guide for humanity. the united nations releases a major new report on climate change. legal speculation, security concerns, and political mudslinging. how the drama surrounding donald trump's potential indictment is gathering steam. as millions around the world celebrate the persianew year, the bbc speaks to the u.s. secretary of state about washington's relationship with iran. ♪ welcome to world news america in the u.k. on pbs and around the globe.

we start in moscow, where president vladimir putin has been playing host to one of his most important remaining allies, china's president xi jinping. it's the chinese leaders first visit to russia since russia invaded raine last year. visioning still maintains that its position in the war is neutral and has come up with a plan for peace talks between these lives -- the sides. put in bama, who was accused o war crimes by international prosecutors, said he was looking forward to discussing the plan. steve rosenberg sent this report from moscow. steve: just three days ago, vladimir putin was named a war crime suspe by the international criminal court. that didn't stop china's president from flying in and shaking his hand. putin and xi have met many times but never before has russia's president been under such

pressure. his war in ukraine not going out all according to plan. xi jinping called vladimir putin's dear friend, his strategic partner. the kremlin leader said they would discuss china's peace initiative. but there is no detailed chinese plan to end the war in ukraine. what moscow would like from beijing is legal aid to help win. beijing has been reluctant to provide that, to prevent secondary sanctions against chinese companies, but it has been supplying dual use technology like semiconductor chips that the russian military can use. the kremlin also wants to expand trade with china. with russia under heavy international sanctions, economic ties with beijing are proving a lifeline. if you burn bridges with the west, as vladimir putin has,

what do you do then? you look east. that's what the kremlin lear has done. recent events have accelerated russia's dependency on china. putin and xi may speak about mutually beneficial cooperation but beijing looks increasingly like the seedier partner. moscow hasn't just partnered with beijing. last week russia held joint naval exercises with china and iran. there are signs the kremlin is looking to forge an anti-western alliance. >> [translated] putin is building his own bloc. he doesn't trust the west. he is looking for allies and trying to make russia a fortress with india, china, latin america, and africa. putin bama is building his own anti-western world. steve: now with xi jinping here,

russia can claim it is not isolated, that moscow has powerful allies who view the world through a similar lens, that it does not need the west if it has friends in the east. experience shows china always puts china first. david: steve rosenberg reporting. for more on president xi's visit to moscow, i am speaking with bonnie glaser, china expert at the german marshall fund in washington, d.c. the white house spokesman john kirby said today the united states would be watching these talks in moscow very closely, as he put it. what is it watching for in particular? is it watching for a push for peace talks as far as ukraine is concerned, or is it watching for the possible arming of russia by china? bonnie: i think the united states is watching for both things. it is looking for the intention

of xi jinping and vladimir putin in developing their bilateral relationship. where are they heading next? how are they going to cooperate to counter u.s. influence around the world? it is also interested in whether xi jinping is eager to play some mediating role in the conflict in ukraine, and if so is xi jinping ready to hold a phone call with ukrainian president zelenskyy? u.s. officials have said china is actually creeping up to the redline that would constitute systemic, legal assistance to russia. we have not seen the evidence, but it appears the chinese are providing dual use equipment. david: if they are creeping up to that redline, what's holding them bac bonnie: i think beijing does not

want to rupture its relationship with europe. it doesn't want to push europe farther into the arms of the united states. another factor is china doesn't want its companies sanctioned by the united states because that would harm china economically. david: president xi's visit comes days after china helped mediate a rapprochement between saudi arabia and iran. is this a sign of china's desire to acquire greater global influence and perhaps mark the expansion of some anti-western alliance? bonnie: i have no doubt china wants to play a bigger role in the world in the sense it wants to be seen as a peacemaker. we want to portray the united states on the side of war and destabilizing various regions in the world.

i would caution against concluding that because china was successful in mediating the agreement between saudi arabia and iran that it is keen to play a similar role between russia and ukraine. unless there is an agreement to be had, i think china is playing with saudi arabia and iran and that was rather opportunistic. those countries signaled political will to improve their relationship and china facilitated. i don't think the same exists between russia and ukraine. i do't think either side is looking for off ramps. david: thank you for joining us. bonnie: thank you for having me. david: a survival guide for humanity. that's how the united nations chief antonio guterres hailed a major new report on climate change. the report by the intergovernmental panel on climate change sets out the deadly risk posed by a warming

planet, from heat waves, flooding, and rising sea levels. it warns that by the next decade the world is likely to breach a key target to keep global warming to one point five celsius, above preindustrial levels. it says this could be addressed if rapid cuts to carbon emissions are made, and it calls for a big increase in clean energy and new technology that can remove carbon from the atmosphere. the report is seen as the most comprehensive assessment of climate change so far and will form the basis for future climate discussions, as our climate editor justin rowland explains. justin: storms, floods, heat waves. all these weather extremes are likely to intensify as the world continues to warm. u.n. scientists warned today. their report was published at a u.n. conference in a swiss town.

>> a document released here today draws together eight years of work and will be crucial, the basis for future global negotiations on climate for probably the next decade. the key message, says the u.n. chief, is that all is not quite yet lost. >> this response is a clarion call to fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. in short, our world needs climate action on all fronts. everything, everywhere, all at once. >> the glaciers in the mountains above where the scientists are meeting lost 6% of their volume last year alone, evidence of the impact climate change is already having. at this weather station in the alps, they have been collecting climate records for decades. today we got the strongest warning yet that in the next few

years we are likely to bust through the 1.5 degrees boundary that avoids the worst impacts of global warming. >> the future really is in our hands. we will in all probability reach 1.5 degrees early next decade, but after that it really is our choice. that's why the rest of this decade is key. justin: the report says the decisions we make now will determine our climate future for thousands of years to come. just look how animal species are affected as temperatures rise. the darker the color, the more species face dangerous heat and the more likely we are to lose them. there is some good news. the kasatkina, low carbon technologies, electric vehicles, and solar and wind power has already fallen rapidly. that will help because only a

maive effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions can slow the global temperature rise, scientists say. >> it is those with political power and decion power in the big companies of this world who need to stop subsidizing fossil fuels, to stop everything to burn fossil fuels as fast as possible. justin: the high alps show how climate change is already reshaping our world. there is still a window to keep it within manageable limits, today's report says, but it warns that without dramatic global action, that window will soon slam shut. justin rowland, bbc news, interlochen. david: let's turn to the global financial markets, which have reacted nervously to sunday nights emergency take over of the swiss bank credit suisse. the bank was bought by rival ubs after regulators worked

around-the-clock to security takeover. along with the collapse of two smaller american banks, the problems confronting credit suisse had sparked fears over the global financial system, leading six central banks, including the u.s. federal reserve and bank of england, to announce new measures to keep cash flowing. joining us now is our new york business reporter, michelle. given switzerland's reputation as a safe banking -- safe haven as far as banking is concerned, how much of a shock was it that ubs is coming to the rescue of credit suisse? michelle: we all started paying attention when silicon valley bank in america began to fail. that was considered a regional american bank but it wasn't considered too big to fail, a term that came to prominence in the 2008 financial crisis. that changed with credit suisse.

when it came under pressure, the calculations across the board from regulators and central banks to investo, there was a sense that this is a bank that is too important systemically, too important and vital. it is considered the 13th most important institution in the world. it could not be allowed to fail. you saw the shotgun marriage hastily arranged by swiss authorities, and it was vital to maintain stability in the global financial system. david: if nothing else, this serves to underline the possibility of some sort of contagion hasn't gone away and we are not out of the woods yet. michelle: yeah. the stock market in america, there was a bit of a relief rally. it was guarded optimism. you saw the major three indexes all close higher. the exception to that was first

republic bank. shares tumbled more than 40%, on top of staggering losses last week. this is a bank that remains deeply under pressure. there are reports that the ceo of j.p. morgan's leading efforts to stabilize the bank. we are not out of the woods yet. that will be the concern at the federal reserve. it has the interest rate policy-setting meeting that begins tomorrow and concludes wednesday. many people wondering how the turmoil in the banking sector will affect its fight against inflation and its interest rate policy. david: many thanks for joining us. lower manhattan finds itself the center of the political and legal universe this week. security has been beefed up following speculation over the weekend that donald trump could soon be indicted. the former president has fueled a lot of that discussion, saying he expects to be charged on tuesday, although there has so

far been no evidence that the new york distri attorney is planning to follow such a timetable. joining me now from outside the courthouse in manhattan is the bbc's netta topic. what are you hearing about the likelihood of charges being brought against the former president. >> despite what donald trump has said on social media, any decision rests with whether the grand jury decides to move forward and if they district attorney himself, alvin bragg, decides he will charge the former president. what i can say is all the signals we have gotten is this is wrapping up, this investigation. the time for the district attorney to make a decision is coming up soon. how he will decide is anyone's guess. there have been reports in u.s. media speculating it could be as early as the next few days.

when you look at how this would all play out, the world's media has already descended on lower manhattan because this would be an unprecedented moment for the country in legal and political terms. you would have the first time a former president haskin -- has been convicted of a crime. formally booked, fingerprinted, having his mug shot taken. i don't think anyone expects he would be slammed with handcuffs or forced too a perp walk. through the process, he would have his secret service detail. you see here in new york the nypd preparing for possible protests, preparing for the possible big moment in new york. david: many thanks. joining me for more is sarah kristof, a former assistant u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york.

many thanks for joining us here. unorthodox presidential behavior though it is, some would say paying money -- hush money to a born star, is not illegal in new york. so what is potentially illegal here? >> the payments themselves are not the illegality. the manhattan district attorney's office has been investigating this case for many years. the word is they intend to put together a case related to the falsification of records related to that payment, just a misdemeanor under new york state law. they are looking to see if they can elevate the conduct to a felony under new york law. it's an ambitious case, based on conduct that the public has known about for many years.

the district attorney has resurrected this investigation and seems very aggressively pursuing it. david: donald trump is the bject of criminal inquiries in other parts of the united states relating to other things, such as election interference, allegations, and possible mishandling of classified documents. this seems a strange case to bring first, does it not? sarah: there are very different authorities handling all these investigations. the central investigation, as many think of it, has been run out of his department of justice. that investigation has many tentacles, including the january 6 events and the investigation related to the mishandling of classified material. this case is more localized.

it appears the manhattan district attorney does indicate he is going to be going first here. i think that won't necessarily derail these other cases in any way, but they are being conducted by independent bodies. the witnesses are largely independent as well. it certainly could have effects politically from this prosecution to go first, if it does go forward. david: you know the legal system in new york very well. how much of a strain would be placed upon it by putting a former president on trial? sarah: i actually don't think it would be much different than any other case that is before the courts here. the courts in new york are used to handling matters involving celebrities, involving politicians.

both the federal and state courts routinely deal with those things. we even have celebrities often end up on juries or in jury pools at least. the authorities here are well prepared to deal with that and to put in place security measures and other things to address those issues. david: we will be watching events closely. sarah krissoff, many thanks for joining us. the northern ireland democratic unionist party says it will vote against the u.k. governments new brexit framework when it comes before mp's for the first time this week. the party leader sir jeffrey donaldson says there are ongoing concerns about the legislation. a spokesperson for british prime minister rishi sunak says he is ready to provide reassurance to the dup. millions around the world are

celebrating a festival that marks the persian new year and the official beginning of spring. in the u.s., pres. biden: and first lady jill biden hosted a reception at the white house praising young iranian women for their courage. bachmann sat down with the u.s. secretary of state antony blinken to talk about how the recent unrest in iran has affected its relationship with the u.s. five years after donald trump abandoned the nuclear deal with iran. tragically, at what should be a time of hope and renewal for all iranians, they are faced with a regime that continues to take terrible repressive actions against its own people, including in the wake of mahsa amini's death. we have taken a number of issues

to show our solidarity, to include sanctioning many individuals. we have taken steps to do the best we can to ensure the technology iranians need to make sure they can communicate with one another as well as be connected to the outside world is there. we have also rallied countries around the world to stand against the treatment of the iranian people. having said that, there are limits to what we or anyone else can do. >> can you talk about the nuclear file? there is a clear sign you moved on from jcpoa to something else. what is that? sec. blinken: we made a good-faith effort to see if we could return to mutual compliance with the jcpoa, months worki on that. an offer was on the table by the european union with the support of the united states, european partners, china and russia, that

i ran it rejected -- that iran rejected at the end of last summer. we have seen what happened in the streets in the wake of mahsa amini's killing, we have seen what iran has been doing supporting russia with drones ainst ukraine. the jcpoa has not been on the front burner of our concerns. >> where does that leave you? sec. blinken: it leaves everyone in a challenging place because with the withdrawal of the uned states by the previous administration from the jcpoa, that created an opening for iran to gallop forward with its nuclear program and that is what has been happening. we are clear that we will not allow iran to get a nuclear weapon. we continue to believe diplomacy is the most effective way to prevent that. to have diplomacy, you have to have another party willing to engage in a pragmatic way. to date that has not been the

case for iran. david: u.s. secretary of state antony blinken. before we go, the white house hosted the cast of ted lasso today. >> while it is easier said than done, we shouldn't be afraid to ask for help ourselves. david: president biden invited jason sudeikis and his classmates to discuss mental health. it is a subject the show has addressed directly. in the most recent season, the lead character seeks out therapy toddress anxiety and the collapse of his marriage. before the meeting, president biden tweeted a picture of a believe sign taped to the oval office an amasho ted's -- an narrator: funding for presentation of this program is provided by.. the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum-kovler foundation. pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs.

and by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you, thank you. ♪ ♪ narrator: you're watching pbs. ♪♪ announcer: usa today calls it, "arguably the best bargain in streaming." that's because the free pbs video app lets you watch the best of pbs anytime, anywhere. simply download the pbs video app on your mobile or streaming device.

amna: good evening and welcome. i'm amna nawaz. geoff: and i'm geoff bennett. on the “newshour” tonight, scientists at the u.n. issue a stark warning about climate change, saying it's now or never for taking the drastic steps needed to prevent catastrophe. amna: former president trump faces a potential grand jury indictment on charges stemming from a hush money payment to a porn star. geoff: and, 20 years later, american marines and their families reflect on the invasion of iraq and its lingering impact on their lives. >> i had to find it within me and start making the hard choices of facing myself, finding help, doing whatever i had to do to get healthy again. ♪