Case and what the jury will need to decide. Russia and china agree to tighten military ties and deepen their Economic Partnership after talks in beijing. What will washingtons response to that be . And police in slovakia have charged a man with the Attempted Murder of the Prime Minister, robert fico. The Prime Minister remains in a serious but stable condition. Good evening. Michael cohen once said he would take a bullet for donald trump. The prosection is hoping that in this case he is their silver bullet, but he has faced a withering day of Cross Examination as trumps lawyers worked hard this afternoon to demolish his credibility. Questioned the notion that Michael Cohen is a reformed man interested in justice. Putting to him the many lies he had told in defence of his former employer. He testified he lied out of loyalty and to protect the former presient when he was his personal counsel. At the heart of the case is a payment trump made to cohen in 2016 a reimbursement, say the prosecution, for a 130,000 payoff to the former Adult Film StarStormy Daniels. They allege trump bought her silence to prevent damaging headlines ahead of the election and then orchestrated a scheme to falsify the records. The crime is that theyre doing this case. This was a case that wasnt going to be done and then when i announced i was running, they could have done it seven years ago. It could have been brought seven years ago. But they wanted it right smack in the middle of elections. These are very dishonest people that we are dealing with. But outside, it is like fort knox. You cant get within three blocks of this place. And it is a shame what theyre doing, what theyre doing in terms of suppression, and election interference, there has never been anything like that. The polls are through the roof. You may have noticed the republican Congressman Matt Gates over the former president s right shoulder. North america Correspondentjohn Sudworth joins us from new york. Lots of questions ahead of this evidence about how Michael Cohen would stand up on the Cross Examination, how do you think he did and how did the fair . The examination, how do you think he did and how did the fair . And how did the fair . The evidence we have heard and how did the fair . The evidence we have heard today and how did the fair . The evidence we have heard today has and how did the fair . The evidence| we have heard today has once again been all about trying to undermine Michael Cohens integrity in front of the jury. To some extent, they have a fair wind behind them. The prosecution did much of thatjob for them. It really hinges on the alternate views of Michael Cohens character and his motivations. He is crucial, as you say, because he is the man able to tie donald trump directly to knowledge that those payments were improperly disguised as legal fees as an attempt to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels. In the silence of Stormy Daniels. In the defence today we hurt them hammer away at the idea that he is a liar and motivated by the idea of range in simply not want to trust. The prosecutions case seems to be based on the idea that, yes, Michael Cohen himself went to jail in 2018 for many of these actions, but that is precisely the point. His criminality and his lying was all Donein Criminality and his lying was all done in the service of donald trump, to protect donald trump. In the end it will be down to which of the two versions thejury it will be down to which of the two versions the jury is swayed by. But dont forget, in terms of landing those blows on Michael Cohens integrity, the defence only need one juror. In new york criminal trials you need a unanimous verdict to convict. I you need a unanimous verdict to convict. ,. , a, you need a unanimous verdict to convict. ,. , convict. I mentioned that matt gaetz was there. Convict. I mentioned that matt gaetz was there a convict. I mentioned that matt gaetz was there. A number convict. I mentioned that matt gaetz was there. A number of convict. I mentioned that matt gaetz. Was there. A number of congressional figures from the so called Freedom Caucus there to support the president s case today. It is it a badge of loyalty to be there alongside the former president . Yes. Alongside the former president . Yes, clearl it alongside the former president . Yes, clearly it is alongside the former president . Yes, clearly it is. There alongside the former president . Yes, clearly it is. There are alongside the former president . 1 1 clearly it is. There are no shortage of candidates willing to come here to new york and to show that loyalty. Sometimes you need to stand back a little and reflect again on just how remarkable what we are seeing here is. This is the first ever criminal prosecution of a former president. It is a case that undoubtably has major implications for the election this year and arguably, therefore, for the future of american democracy. At the heart of american democracy. At the heart of it all, you have donald trump, a man, himself accused in 2021 of having try to improperly hang onto power, turning the accusation on its head. Suggesting that this trial itself is corrupt with no evidence to substantiate that claim of course. In the middle of all of that you have this entourage, groups of republican politicians turning up here to lend their support, to sit in the courtroom with him. In such numbers that actually it is beginning to affect the scheduling of business in congress. 0nce beginning to affect the scheduling of business in congress. Once again you want to say, you could not make it up. Although, in american politics, that phrase began to lose its meaning a good few years ago. Indeed so. 0utside its meaning a good few years ago. Indeed so. Outside of the new york courthouse for that, thank you. So what have we learnt so far in this trial . Lets go back and look at the key prosecution witnesses in this case and the evidence they have given. First up was the Tabloid Publisher the national enquirer� s david pecker, who told the jury there was a secret plan with donald trump to suppress negative stories about the former president an agreement among friends, he said. The former trump aide hope hicks testified about the panic within trumps inner circle after the access Hollywood Tape became publicjust weeks before the election. The Stormy Daniels story, she said, would have compounded the damage. Keith davidson, the lawyer who brokered a Hush Money Deal to the Adult Film StarStormy Daniels, said the payment was designed to keep her quiet about the alleged Sexual Excounter with the former president in 2006. And then there was Stormy Daniels herself. Its her allegations about that encounter that are at the heart of the trial. She testified for more than seven hours across two days, providing salacious details about the affair. But it is not the affair its the payment to hide the affair and whether it was made to conceal the story from the voting public and later covered up as a Legal Expense in the business records. A misdemeanor that becomes a felony, if there is evidence of a Campaign Finance violation. Lets cross over to new york and speak to shira a scheindlin, former United States districtjudge. Lovely to have you back on the programme. Isuppose lovely to have you back on the programme. I suppose what we learn through three days of Michael Cohens testimony is that he is here to own his lies, admit to them and express contrition. The big question is, will thejury express contrition. The big question is, will the jury believe express contrition. The big question is, will thejury believe him. H0 is, will the ury believe him. No one can is, willthejury believe him. I157 one can answer that question because we are not the jurors and we are not sitting in the courtroom, day in and day out, watching the witnesses, watching the examinations and we dont know what those jurors have brought to this trial. What they think of each and every witness. It is very hard to say what the jury feels. We can only tell you in a sense of what we think has been happening but it is very hard to say what a particularjuror or for that matter 12 will think of the case. Donald trumps strongest defence to these charges is that there is insufficient evidence that he knew his people were false and following the bigness business records. What problems does the defence have and sticking to that line . The what problems does the defence have and sticking to that line . And sticking to that line . The first roblem is and sticking to that line . The first problem is that and sticking to that line . The first problem is that the and sticking to that line . The first problem is that the jury and sticking to that line . The first problem is that the jury just and sticking to that line . The first| problem is that the jury just might problem is that the juryjust might believe Michael Cohen. If they believe Michael Cohen. If they believe Michael Cohen. If they believe Michael Cohen, it is over. Michael cohen has given testimony, if believed, that trump very well new what the payments were for. But there is also circumstantial evidence that he knew after the access Hollywood Tape that any bombshell or revelation from these women would be the end of it. So he was very worried and upset and that is what hope hicks testified to, that the whole campaign was in crisis at that point. So we can try the inference that he very well knew that there was going to be an effort to suppress that story, those stories, the two women. And that he knew the effort would involve payments made and that he would be reimbursing those payments down the road particularly when Michael Cohen himself laid out the money. This evidence. Himself laid out the money. This evidence. We himself laid out the money. This evidence, we presume, will be over later this afternoon and then there is a big outstanding question. First of all, well donald trump himself testified what she has set outside of court he would be very happy to do and then, whether they would be any witnesses at all for the defence. I wonder howjuries look at that. If there is the bold claim from the defence that the state has not provided evidence beyond reasonable doubt and they dont provide a witness, how do courts tend to react . Provide a witness, how do courts tend to react . Before i answer that auestion i tend to react . Before i answer that question i think tend to react . Before i answer that question i think you tend to react . Before i answer that question i think you missed tend to react . Before i answer that question i think you missed one tend to react . Before i answer that. Question i think you missed one very important step. After the Cross Examination of Michael Cohen is finished, the people have the right to do what is called redirect its emanation and that could be significant they could spend a lot of time rehabilitating him and giving him a chance to explain to them all of the things that he said to before and reiterate them and to impress the jury once again and that is the last thing the jury may hear. There can be recross but in the and people will get the last word. So i think that will be significant that after the defence can finish its pummeling of him, the people have a chance to rehabilitate. Under other question, thejudge will chance to rehabilitate. Under other question, the judge will charge, everyjudge charges a jury it says the defence has no verdict to produce prove anything and see you cannot infer anything from the fact that dont choose to call witnesses. It is the peoples burden to prove its case and either they have or have not beyond a reasonable doubt. So i thinkjurors do listen hard to thejudges doubt. So i thinkjurors do listen hard to the judges charge. When they sit in thatjury room, i dont think they will say gee, they didnt put on any evidence because the court says they have no burden to do so. So even if the peoples case holds up on its own or not. Either. Holds up on its own or not. Either. ,. ,. , either. Once we have had the closing ara uments either. Once we have had the closing arguments to either. Once we have had the closing arguments to the either. Once we have had the closing arguments to the jury either. Once we have had the closing arguments to the jury from either. Once we have had the closing arguments to the jury from the arguments to the jury from the prosecution and defence, they go out, they make their decision, what happens . Lets presume a contact. You skip this step again. After the summations thejudge you skip this step again. After the summations the judge will give the charge. That is a critical point in the trial. When the judge explains the trial. When the judge explains the law to the jury, explains their job to thejury. The law to the jury, explains their job to the jury. These days, judges often give thejury job to the jury. These days, judges often give the Jury A Paper Copy of the charge that they can refer back to as the deliberate. So the summations are not the last word. The charge is and the jury will follow that. So getting to your question. Lets assume for the moment that there is a conviction. The next step will be, what is the sentence going to be. Now, we note here that the court could impose a sentence of incarceration, but i dont think the court will do it. Because this is a first defence of a person who is 77 years old and if he was anyone else named john doe, we never sentence a first offender of that age group to jail when we have a choice of probationary sentence. So i think it would look very improper to send him to jail, even if convicted of these felonies. I need to go back and watch law and order so i get all of the steps right will stop i am missing big important chunks but youve put us right. Thank you for coming onto the programme and i appreciate that. Around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. Lets take a look at some of the other stories in the headlines. A five year old boy has died after falling from a block of flats in east london. Emergency services were called at around six oclock this morning the boy died at the scene. Police say the death is being treated as unexpected but not suspicious, and say they are working to � establish the full circumstances. Tens of thousands of People Living in south devon have been told not to drink tap water without boiling it first after the outbreak of a waterborne disease. Around 16,000 homes and businesses in the brixham area are affected. Theyve been warned the outbreak of Crypto Sporidium could last for at least a week. Teenagers may be able to qualify to drive trains under new proposals aimed at tackling a shortage of drivers. The government is asking for views on reducing the minimum age from 20 to 18, in a consultation running untiljune. The measures have been prompted over concerns of the number of drivers set to retire in the next five years. You are watching bbc news. As the chinese leader xi jinping welcomed the russian president Vladimir Putin to china on a two day state visit to the country. The rest of the day was watching. Just days after putin was sworn in for a fifth term in office. The two have met 43 times so far. Bear in mind Thatjoe Biden has met putin just once as president and has met xi a handful of times, which reaffirms that if anyone can reign in putin, it must be xi. There is pressure from washington. They want beijing to stop supporting russias war in ukraine, with the threat of more sanctions to come. Since the full scale invasion in 2022, trade between china and russia has surged last year trade between the two countries was up more than 64 on 2021 china has become russias key supplier of cars, clothing and many other products. In return, china has continued to grow its imports of russian oil and Liquified Natural Gas a sector which accounts for almost half the russian governments annual revenues. But it is the supply of the dual use items, those with both commercial and military application, which most concerns the United States. Over 300 Million Dollars of trade that is being used to produce munitions, tanks and missiles. Speaking to the bbc in april the us Secretary Of StateAntony Blinken said they are watching what china supplies. 70 of the Machine Tools that russia is getting from abroad coming from china, 90 of the microelectronics. So for china, if it wants to have better relations not only with us but with countries in europe, it cant do that while at the same time helping to fuel the biggest threat to European Security since the end of the cold war. Weve taken action already against chinese entities that are engaged in this. And what i made clear today is that if china wont act, we will. Joining me now is rorry daniels, Managing Director of the Asia Society Policy institute, which fo