wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a thing. this is the way. xfinity internet. made for streaming. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program

is provided by... woman: a law partner rediscovers her grandmother's artistry and creates a trust to keep the craft alive. a raymond james financial advisor gets to know you, your passions and the way you enrich your community. life well planned. man: cunard is a proud supporter of public television. on a voyage with cunard, the world awaits. a world of flavor. diverse destinations. and immersive experiences. a world of leisure... and british style. all with cunard's "white-star" service. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news"

. >> there is literally no branch. of government that michael cohen has not lied to. you lied to investigators. lied to the judge who sentenced him. he committed these lies for his own benefit. two the defense continues their attack against michael cohen because he is the star witness. one on which the outcome of this trial hinges because he is the only one who directly ties donald trump to the business falsification alleged scheme. >> does not appear the defense attorneys are doing an effective job of destroying his credibility. the facts about his past including his convictions have already been brought out under direct examination. ♪

>> michael cohen turns for a third day of testimony at the donald trump trial in new york. he has faced a day of tough questioning from trump's lawyers who worked several different angles to attack michael cohen's credibility. . we will assess the prosecution's 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 should what will whington's response to that be? police in slovakia have charged a man with the attempted murder of the prime minister. the prime minister remains in a serious but stable condition. michael cohen once said he would take a bullet for donald trump should procution is hoping in this case he is there silver bullet. he has faced a withering day of cross-examination as trump's lawyers work hard this afternoon

to demolish his credibility. they have questioned the notion michael cohen is a reformed man interested in justice putting to him the many lies he has told in defense of his former employer were to make money. he has testified he lied out of loyalty and to protect the former president when he was his personal counsel. the heart of this case is a payment donald trump made to cohen in 2016. reimbursement say the prosecution for a 130 thousand dollar payoff to the former adult film star stormy daniels. they alledge trump bought her silence to prevent damaging headlines ahead of the election and orchestrated a scheme to falsify the records. >> the crime is they are doing this case. this is a case that was not going to be done and when i announced i was running they could have done it seven years ago. they wanted it right in the middle of the election. these are very dishonest people we are dealing with outside is

like fort knox. you cannot get within three blocks of this place if you're new york civilian. what they are doing in terms of suppression and election interference, there is been anything like that. holes are through the roof. >> you may have noticed republican congressman matt gaetz over the former president's right shoulder. let's bring in our north america correspondent joining us from new york. he has been watching the trial. lots of questions ahead of this evidence about how michael cohen would stand up under cross-examination. how do you think he did? how do you think the defense has fared? >> the evidence we have heard today has once again been all about trying to undermine michael cohen's integrity in front of the jury. to some extent, they have a fair wind behind them. the prosecution did much of that

job for them. it really hinges on the alternate views of michael cohen's character and his motivations. he is crucial as you say because he is the man that is able to tide donald trump directly to knowledge those payments were improperly despite -- improperly disguised as legal fees in attempt to buy stormy daniels silence. the defense we have heard hammer away at this idea he was a liar, he was motivated by revenge and he is not for trust. the prosecution's case seems to be based on the idea 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 done in the service of donald trump to protect donald trump. in the end it will be down to which of those two versions the jury is swayed by.

don't forget in terms of wending those blows on michael cowans -- of lending those blows on michael cowans integrity, the defense -- in your criminal trials you need a unanimous verdict to convict. >> i mentioned matt gaetz was there. a number of congressional figures fromhe so-called freedom caucus to support the residence case today. is it badge of loyalty to be there alongside the former president? >> yes, clearly it is. there are no shortage of candidates willing to come here to new york and show that loyalty. sometimes you need to stand back a little and reflect on how remarkable what we rca here is. this this is the first

prosecution of a former president. a case that has major ramifications for the election and arguably for the future of american democracy. at the heart of the tall, -- of it all, you have donald trump, a man himself accused in 2021 of having tried to improperly hang onto power. turning the accusation on its head suggesting this trial itself is corrupt with no evidence to substantiate that claim. in the middle of that, you had the entourage. these groups of republican politicians turning up here to lend their support to sit in the courtroom with him. in such numbers that it is beginning to affect the scheduling of business i congress. you sort of 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. outside the courthouse in new

york. what have we learned so far in this trial? let's go back and look at the key prosecution witnesses. the evidence they have given. publisher.as the tabloid the national enquirer's david pecker who told the jury there was a plan to suppress stories about the former president. an agreement among friends the former trump aide hope hicks testified about the panic within trump's inner circle after the access hollywood tape became public 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 star stormy daniels said the payment was designed to keep her quiet about the alleged sexual encounter with the former president in 2006. then there was stormy daniels herself. it is her obligations about the 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. it is not the affair. it is the payment to hide the affair and whether it was made to conceal the story from the voting public and 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 to what's speak to the former united states district judge. it is lovely to have you back on the program. i suppose what we have learned through three days of michael cowans testimony is he is here to own his lies, admit to his lies and expressed contrition to the big question is will the ju believe him? >> no one can answer that question because we are not jurors and we are not sitting in the courtroom day in and day out watching the west is, watching the examinations and we don't know what those jurors have brought to this trial. what they think of each and every witness. it is hard to say what the jury

feels. we can only tell you what we think has been happening but it is hard to say what a particular juror or 12 jurors will think of the case. report donald trump strongest defense as there is insufficient evidence he knew his people were falsifying the business records. what problems those the defense have in sticking to that line? >> the first problem of course is the jury just my believe michael cohen. if they believe michael cohen, it is over. michael cohen has given testimony. that trump very well knew what the payments before. there is circumstantial evidence he knew after the access hollywood tape then you revelation from these women would be the end of it. he was upset. that is what hope hicks testified to. at the whole campaign was in isis.

we can draw the inference he very well knew 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 he would be reimbursing those payments down the road. particularly when michael cohen cohen laid out the money. daca this evidence we presume will be over later this afternoon. there is an outstanding question. first of all, will donald trump himself testify which he has said outside court he would be happy to do and then i guess whether there would be any witnesses for the defense. i wonder how juries look at that. there is the bold claim from the defense that the state has not provided evidence beyond a reasonable doubt and they don't provide a witness. how do courts tend to react to that? >> just before answer that question, i think you missed one important step. after the cross-examination of michael cohen is finished, the

people have the right to do what is called redirect examination and that could be significant. they could spend a lot of time rehabilitating him, giving him a chance to explain to them all of the things he said before, to reiterate them and to impress the jury once again. that is the last jury may hear. there can be recross but in the end of the people will get the last word. that is going to be significant after the defense finishes pummeling him, the people have a chance to rehabilitate him. the judge will charge -- every judge charges a jury and says the defense has no burden to prove anything. you can't infer anything from the fact they don't choose to call any witnesses. it is the people's burden to prove its case and they either have or they have not beyond a reasonable doubt. i think jurors do listen very hard to the judges charge and when they sit in the jury room, i don't think they're going to say but they did not put on any

evidence because the court tells them they have no burden to do that. either the people's case holds up on its own or not. >> what are we talking about here? once we have had the closing arguments to the jury from the prosecution and defense, they go out, they make their decision. what happens? let's presume they convict. >> you skipped a step again ted after the summations, the judge will give the charge and that is a critical point in the trial when the judge explains the law to the jury, explains their job to the jury. in these days the judges give the jury a paper copy of the charge so they can refer back to it as they deliberate. summations are not the last word. the charge is and the jury will follow that. let's assume for the moment there is a conviction. the next step will be what is the sentence going to be. we know the court could impose a sentence of incarceration.

i don't think the court will do it because this is a first offense of a person who is 77 years old and a few was anybody else named john doe, we never sentence a first offender of that age group to jail when we have a choice of probationary sentence. i think it would look very improper to send him to jail even if convicted of these felonies. >> need to go back and watch law and order so i get all the steps right shoul big important chunks but you have put us right. nike for coming on the program tonight. >> my pleasure. >> around the world and across the u.k., you are watching bbc news. for of u.k. viewers with us, take a look at the stories today. a five-year-old boy has died after falling from a block of flats in east london. emergency services recalled 6:00 this morning. the boy died at the scene. police say the death is being treated as unexpected but not

suspicious. and they 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 after the outbreak of a waterborne disease. around 1000 homes and businesses in the brixham area are affected. they have been warned the outbreak of cryptosporidium could last at least a week. teenagers may be able to qualify to drive trains under new puzzles aimed at tackling a shortage of drivers. the government is asking for views on reducing the minimum age from 20 to 18 in consultation running until june. 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 today on a two a

state visit to the country, the rest of the world was watching. just days after tin was sworn in for a fifth term in office, the two have met 43 times. joe biden has met putin just once as president and has met xi jinping and full of times and reaffirms if anyone can rein in put must be president xi. there is president -- -- there is precedent from washington. since the full-scale invasion in 2022, trade between china and russia has surged. last year trade between the countries was up more than 64%. 20 -- china has become russia's key supplier of cars, clothing and many other products. in return china has continued to grow its imports of russian oil and liquefied natural gas. but it is the supply of the dual use items, those with commercial and military application which most concerns the united states.

over $300 million of trade that is being used to produce munitions, tanks and missiles. speaking to the bbc in april, the u.s. secretary of state antony blinken said they are watching what china supplies. >> 70% of machine tools russia is getting from abroad coming from china. 90% of microelectronics. for china if it wants to have better relations not only with us but with countries in europe, it cannot do that while at the same time helping to fuel the biggest threat to european security since the end of the cold war. we have taken action already against chinese entities engaged in this. what a made clear today as if china won't act, we will. >> joining me to discuss is roy daniels, managing director of the asia society policy is that it which focuses on a range of issues affecting the asia-pacific region. it all looks very cozy. we have warm handshakes. they are inspecting the troops together. signing agreements.

is it a partnership without limits? >> that is an interesting question. i think there are definitely limits on any partnership in international relationship but it -- in international relationship but it is growing across different sectors of the economy. the security realm and society. it seems like a partnership that is deepening and has not yet reached a limit. >> top of the mind i would suggest for president putin is reassurance from president xi that china support for the industrial base in russia will continue in light of the clip we played from secretary blinken. how will china view that? >> how will china view the u.s. reaction? >> the threat of more sanction. >> i think china sees this very much in the lens of protecting and insulating its own economy. it definitely sees u.s. and

global and western financial sanctions and restrictions on the russia's economy for its invasion of ukraine as indicative of western power being used against the legitimate interests of other states and countries. there are numerous references throughout the joint statement that was issued today by russia and china and also in the media availability of about russia and china's position that financial instruments should not be used against them and that their increasing relationship and trade is part of an effort to insulate themselves from the threat of economic and other force from western countries. particularly from western alliances. >> president putin has also -- as often talked about restoring the soviet union but it seems to me from what we have just said out, they are the jr. partner in this relationship. i wonder how that is viewed at

home in russia. >> am not sure how it is viewed in russia but i will say there were points that suggested there was puback against this idea this relationship is transactional or opportunistic. in the joint statement, they said it is not a transactional or commercial relationship but it is strategic and much deeper. perhaps president putin did want that language included to assuage fears inside russia they are being taken advantage of in this relationship. as you say, it is obvious to everyone in the world one partner is much stronger than the other. >> they both want to stand against american can -- american control in the indo pacific region but it seems to me china has always put stability at the heart of what it does. whereas the russians have sowed instability and chaos to gain

the influence they want. if there is more instability, how does china start to see this war in ukraine? >> i'm not sure how china would see greater instability arising from the war in ukraine beyond the lens through which it has already seen it which is that it is the interaction between a hostile western forces in jeanette russian interests. i will say china does and has long prioritized stability within russia and before that the soviet union. from china's perspective, what happened to the fall of the soviet union and what is happening to russia now in terms of pressure by the west magnifies fears has about its own system and its own ability to pursue a one-party state or authoritarian system in modern globalized economy. dark i was listening to some of the american commentary this morning about this visit and one of the things that alarms the

pentagon is this idea president putin is going to put a nuclear weapon into space which would threaten everyone's communications. the american communication satellites but also those of the chinese. you can see a scenario where the americans would say to the chinese, hang on a second. we both have an interest in reining in president putin. i wonder if that is one chink for the americans they might seek to exploit. >> has come up between american and chinese officials. not a new concern. i will note in the joint statement which is incredibly comprehensive, there was also pushback against the u.s. use of space as a defense area. particularly for missile defense technology that the u.s. is putting into space including missile targeting technology. i think that space is certainly an area where we need greater dialogue about what the

intentions of each country is. when they do put those systems into place. i believe the u.s. has offered ample opportunities to have that dialogue with china. opportunities that have yet to be taken up by the chinese side. >> t you for coming onto the program. the labor leader kier starmer has set out the actions he would take if he becomes next prime minister. including a new border security command to tackle trafficking gangs and more investment in the nhs and education. conservatives, the plans and other relaunch of previously announced policies. are political editor reports. >> flashing red. the morning commute in prayerfully in exit today. -- in essex today. the commuters from of the pple who want to run the year is out. they were holding -- they were heading for a film studio of all places promises, pamphlets and pledges no shortage of razzmatazz.

this stuff does not happen by cident. here starmer minus a jacket and tie, sleeves rolled up. >> they enable us to look at the public in the eye and say this is our down payment on change. these are the first shoots of the change that you deserve to see. first steps that are ready to go fully, stood and fully funded. >> making promises on schools, borders, antisocial behavior, security, energy, the economy and extra 40,000 appointments in the nhs in england every week. >> one card, six steps, in your hand. a plan to change the country to thank you so much. >> labor are remarkably good at losing general elections. do you find yourself getting nervous you might throw it all away? >> we are never going to be complacent about the coming general election.

>> was this a lunch menu for a summer election that has not happened? >> we are going to be ready for an election whenever it comes. we would have been ready in may have the prime minister have the bottle to: then. >> is this like and alike -- is this like an anxiety dream for you? >> it is kind of a relief it is not me. >> it is not him now. it is this man. you want 40,000 more appointments a week in the nhs in england. can you be specific by when? >> >> we can start on the straightaway. without getting ahead of ourselves i do know we have to be ready and that is why we are having discussions with nhs staff on how we can up. this model. we can do that swiftly. >> pretty swiftly is quite vague. is it not really a promise if you can actually put a timeframe on it? >> yes it is. from day one, minute one, will be working to deliver it as quickly as possible.

>> here is some more evidence and election is not far off. dark at been a lot -- i've done a lot of things in this job of being here is more on the intimidating end. >> the prime minister's been his lunchtime on loose women. >> i am focused on that election. we have been through a lot. i do think actually the things we are doing are starting to make a difference. who can deliver a secure future for you and your family. >> telus and come back when the election is. >> there will be plenty more appointments on tv sets and film sets. an industry of political persuasion before polling day wonders along. >> that is it for the moment. we are going to go to a short break. on the others of this break, we are going to be with a id coded. a weekly deep dive into everything artificial intelligence. hope you stay with us for that. we will be right back.

announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james. cunard is a proud supporter of public television. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blumovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: get the free pbs app now and stream the best of pbs.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program