That reduces the risks, of severely ill patients from dying corona virus. Trials show that dexamethasone, a cheap and widely available steroid, reduced deaths by a third among patients on a ventilator. After weeks of protests President Trump has signed an executive order to reform policing in the us. It includes banning chokeholds unless an officers life is at risk and creating a database to trace officers with complaints against them. Critics say the reforms dont go far enough. A campaign by the Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford has persuaded the uk government to give more than a million english children vouchers for free meals this summer. The government reversed its policy after rashford called on ministers to show their humanity. Now on bbc news, hardtalk. Both come to hardtalk. I am stephen sackur. It is not prompted a united collaborative response and unilateral institutions that have defined are era look increasingly fragile. Spains foreign minister, has europe come to terms with increasingly defined by american and chinese nationalism. Foreign minister arancha gonzalez. Welcome to heart talk. Welcome to be with you. Is your country ready to declare that your National Emergency is over . We will be ending state of alarm in spain on the 21st ofjune. But i do not think we can claim victory against covid i9 until we have a vaccine or a treatment, we have a vaccine or a treatment, we have to remain vigilant. So, we will into the harsh measures we took to control covid i9 in spain, but we will keep everyone on the alert to make sure that we can open spaces forfreedom, for make sure that we can open spaces for freedom, for free circulation, for freedom, for free circulation, for peoples contacts and we will keep covid i9 under control. For peoples contacts and we will keep covid19 under control. With the Spanish Central Bank predicting that your country could contract between nine and ii in 2020, would
it be fairto between nine and ii in 2020, would it be fair to say that your primary concern right now has prep switched from the Public Health crisis, which is easing, to a National Economic crisis which is very deep . Indeed, but i would say that this is not the spanish economic crisis. This is a worldwide crisis and it does not matter how good your economy was at the beginning of the crisis, we for example in spain were growing a vast average, we are creating jobs, we we re average, we are creating jobs, we were making much reforms but we have all been impacted by this crisis and this is what we call a systemic shock. It is love different ramifications depending on the country, but we are all being hit ha rd country, but we are all being hit hard and this is why when spain thinks the wisest decision would be to work in concert and co operate to exit this crisis as soon as we can. Beginning to rush things little bit,
the government will open borders to eu travel onjuly one and suddenly 24 eu travel onjuly one and suddenly 2a hours ago, you said no, you will do it byjune 2i. 2a hours ago, you said no, you will do it byjune 21. It seems that your travel sector is taking priority over everything else. You are so desperate to get the economy moving. This is incorrect. We have always said well look at the data and the preparedness of our region to face a second wave. This is what is driving the decisions in spain. Other European UnionMember States have decided to open gradually on the ist ofjune and some others on the 15th ofjune and some others on the 15th ofjune and we decided to take a little bit longer, one week longer but make sure that we do this and that we open the country on the economy and gradually, depending on the state of affairs in spain. We need to make sure that we tell our citizens that we can open and safety
for themselves and for anybody else coming to spain, who want to know is a country that was open but is safe. It looks like there some anomalous situations with the United Kingdom wherebyjune 21, you and spain are saying that all british visitors are welcome to comment that will not be quarantine or restrictions. And yet, at the same time the British Government the same from anybody at spain since they left are going to two weeks of quarantine and the irony here is that the british right now, the Coronavirus Infection rate and death toll is much higher than that in spain. So, it looks entirely anomalous. Are you happy to live with a situation where the brits and post quarantines on travellers in spain . We are not letting people come and checked unchecked into the country. People will be open the
borders on the 21st ofjune, we will still have control of the borders. We will still be checking citizens temperatures. And we will be asking every person entering the country to register and to give us a contact where we can be in touch and case the declare that they have the symptoms of the virus. There will be inability to trace the context of this person and there will be hygiene measures from entry to exit and it is not like were going back to our old norms, we have introduced measures to make sure that we guarantee safety and health for the citizens stop by one point, on the mandatory quarantine that spanish visitors to the uk will have to experience, doesnt seem to you that it is not right and it is not fair
that this be the situation for spaniards entering britain but for those entering spain, theres no quarantine. All of these measures that we are all adapting to the circumstances, will be checking with the uk will be doing and we will be in dialogue with the uk to see whether or not we should be introducing reciprocity as they have different measures than the rest of the European Union. But, for the members of the European Union, we have decided that the best way is to do it but the quarantine measures. We will have them under this 22nd of june and after that we will remove them. Should the uk want to keep them. Should the uk want to keep them beyond that date for reasons that deal with their own view of health, then we will respect this, but we will probably reciprocate. In other words, all of this is a moving target that we have to keep on
adjusting and the most important ingredient being is that we respect what scientists are telling us and to act accordingly. But you will probably reciprocate if the uk government does not change its current two week quarantine rule and youll probably reciprocate and impose that on people from the uk coming to your country . That is an option if you think that this is necessary to guarantee that health and safety of those britons coming into spain but the situation is very fluid, so rather than speculating, but we would like to do is probably engaged in a dialogue with the uk authorities to make sure that we both take the measures that best correspond to the Health Situation which is a bit better in the uk than it is in vain that spain, but by the time you open the borders of leave the situation will be better. The ramifications of this crisis for
spain, the nation state. We have seen spain, the nation state. We have seen that it is impacted different parts of spain and the cattle lands appeared to have concluded that the coronavirus has yet again, in their view, showing the need for an independent cattle and state, there stated they wouldve handled the epidemic in a much more efficient way than the Madrid National government did. Do you feel that yet again, the integrated nature of the spanish nation has come under threat here . That is a very interesting comment but i would say that micro three, since 1981, free to run their health care. They have independent management of their health care system. It simply is not true. And that been running their health care system, ca pa ble to
that been running their health care system, capable to purchase their products, capable to purchase their medicines, contact the personnel, organise their hospital and the best way possible and when they cannot do that, the spanish government, including the army, has been present to support them. In spain, we have a decentralised system of governance. Region in spain, the 17 regions have autonomy over the management of the health care systems. And this is not changed with the pandemic, the only thing we have done is ensure that the central, the ministry for health and the Central Government could co ordinate better, the actions of the different regions, but the regions have remained free to manage covid 19 and the best possible. Regions have remained free to manage covid 19 and the best possiblem the past, you have negotiated with cata la ns the past, you have negotiated with catalans leaders to get past the impasse that we have seen for so long between catala ns,
impasse that we have seen for so long between catalans, politics and madrids politics. There is no sign of any meaningful negotiation resuming and the catalans say that it will not happen until you release the nine Political Prisoners that have been imprisoned on charges of sedition. Is there any likelihood that your government will release his people and engage in meaningful negotiation . In spain, regarding the of justice, it is negotiation . In spain, regarding the ofjustice, it is notjust them to tell them what to do. They are independent, like in a democracy, they decide for themselves. On the dialogue, it is true that for covid 19, there was already a dialogue between the Central Government and catalonia, the only differences covid 19 change the priority. It wouldve been a priority, it was no longer a priority, it was no longer a priority in march because the National Priority in spain, like
universe the world was all energy, all hands on deck to address the coronavirus. But the Prime Minister has already indicated that he is open to re engage in a dialogue with the catalans open to re engage in a dialogue with the catala ns in open to re engage in a dialogue with the catalans in order to advance whatever issues need to be discussed and we would do this liberated to do this before covid 19, calmly, openly and democratically, which is the basis of our nation. But he will not go anywhere unless those nine individuals that catalans and sister Political Prisoners are freed. Individuals that catalans and sister Political Prisoners are freedlj strongly refute the fact that they are Political Prisoners in spain. We are Political Prisoners in spain. We are in the 21st century, they are not Political Prisoners, but i would
also like to remind you and through you, all of the viewers that in spain, thejustice you, all of the viewers that in spain, the Justice System you, all of the viewers that in spain, theJustice System is you, all of the viewers that in spain, the Justice System is an independentJustice System. You have made that point but let us move away from the National Scene to the european scene. You worked for the european scene. You worked for the European Commission and you are a strong advocate of a strong eu, and integrated eu which you respect that the coronavirus issue was a disaster for the European Union with the signal lack of solidarity . The European Union has very few competences in the area of health. So it is true that at the beginning of this pandemic, which is a Health Crisis at the end of the day, there was some hesitation on the Eu Institution site, but did not last long because we soon realised what was a Health Crisis posed a threat to the three fundamental ingredients
of the European Union. One was the movement of people, circulation within the eu, and it was a threat to the internal market at the beginning of covid 19, number of countries decided to take measures to restrict circulation of medicines or protective equipment within the eu, something that should not be donein eu, something that should not be done in the third threat and it is a fundamental one, was the threat to the economic and fundamental union. This is why after this, the response that the european institutions have given to covid 19 have been swift, they have been robust and we are not yet there and that there is missing pa rt yet there and that there is missing part that we are still trying to construct. But i would say that in europe, we learn the lessons from 2008 and this time around, we have been better prepared to face this pandemic. This is a very positive
spin because we have seen the commission, with a proposal to find on the financial market, more than submission 50 billion euros of borrowed money to pump into this countries worst affected by coronavirus and that would include spain but there is no information on this Recovery Fund at all. Business was to be a part of the next eu budget and it will require the unanimous agreement for 27 Member States and it is clear that at least four of them are simply not prepared to a cce pt four of them are simply not prepared to accept it because they see it as an unacceptable form of debt neutralisation. It is true that we still have work to do on two fundamental pieces for the medium of the european economy, one is the budget for the next seven years in the other one is the Recovery Funded in this fundamental ingredient, not just for spain or italy, france or greece, this is also fundamental
ingredients for austria, the netherlands, denmark or sweden, because what is at stake here is the solidity of the European Union and this is the market that belongs to all the europeans and this is the market that we need to leverage to have a rapid exit from the crisis. We understand that you and madrid are eager to make this happen because you will benefit from it. This would keep the rich earth of the eu be able to avoid new borrowings to get yourselves out of the mess that youre currently and in the northern nations do not want to do it. That is the reality. |j will question that assertion because the sun like the beneficiaries of this Recovery Fund in eu budget would only be spain, france or italy or greece. For every euro that is invested in the European Union, it gets double the benefit and the
internal market than a spaniard or an italian. We should be doing the right account. We should be running the right account. We should be explaining to our citizens that this common investment is as much as import intoa common investment is as much as import into a spaniard as it is to a dutch. Because of the end of the day is the we will all be, irrespective of where we are sitting, whether were sitting in the north or in the south, suffer the consequences of a slow recovery. They said that this has to be about loans rather than neutralisation of debt and as you know, you said that a few weeks ago, this has to happen urgently because it still has not happened and its going to be knocked to the next Leaders Summit and the snow sign of agreement on this. So, youre in big
trouble. I do not think, i would not agree with your characterisation. But we are trying to do now is build the consensus. Building consensus in europe is long, ourjewish arduous and studious. We need a big plan and three months later we are discussing this plan. As i do not spend too much time arguing and we have to spend much more time doing. Building the consensus that will get us to have a recovery instrument to help us citizens. This people alike. This is stuck in an impasse in this negotiation between the eu in the United Kingdom on what
a trade deal might look like we are currently in a transition period and it is now clear that there is no extension of transition so it will end at the end of 2020 and looking at the words of the chief eu negotiator and Boris Johnson on at the words of the chief eu negotiator and borisjohnson on his team, it looks like theres going to be no negotiating trade deal. Looks like the uk may formally end its relationship with a return to wto trade rules in its relations with the eu. That would be a disasterfor the eu. That would be a disasterfor the eu. That would be a disasterfor the eu economy at a time where youre a condom is very vulnerable. How worried are you . We are at a time of incredible turmoil. We are going to a turmoil in the last thing you want is to add this. Your
responsibility our collective responsibility our collective responsibility is to add stability to the global economy. And we at this by negotiating by negotiating the terms outside of the European Union with the eu. This is how the message is pretty simple. Sit down and start negotiating. It is a message that we in spain, as part of the eu, barney a was giving this to the eu, barney a was giving this to the uk and the uk will not ask for an extension of this deadline if this is the case, let us simply sit quickly and start negotiating. Let us quickly and start negotiating. Let us make sure we add it stability to our economies to not add more volatility. This suave responsible negotiators to. Michael gove said that he thought the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on the
european economy would focus european economy would focus european mines and making the concessions necessary to get a deal. Is he correct . And negotiation is here between two. It takes two to tango and what we need is a disposition on the uk side and have a clear sense of moving those negotiations forward. Before we end on geopolitics, how did you feel about the relationship between what was your strongest partner, the United States of america. We have donald trump us plus administration withdrawing from the World Health Organisation and in the last few days, weve had the United States talking about encouraging new sanctions on officials from the International Criminal court, calling get corrupt. You are the foreign minister of spain, how worried are you about the deteriorating relationship between Donald Trumps whitehouse and the
European Union . We value the transatlantic relationship a lot. We value this historic link to the United States. We value the interests that bind us. But we also know, that this relationship requires today, a bit of updating and that sense of purpose. In any relation, you have to understand why you are together, what is it that binds you to the other side for the long time, we have been running without really asking ourselves what sense does this relationship have . What is the purpose of being in this transatlantic relationship . And if i may, sitting here in spain, i would say that we need to reinvent, it that binds you to the other side for the long time, we have been running without really asking ourselves what sense does this relationship have . What is the purpose of being in this transatlantic relationship . And if i may, sitting here in spain, i would say that we need to reinvent, is to
be bringing democracy when it was about fighting totalitarianism. I think we have to bring it to this new level that is the 21st century andi new level that is the 21st century and i would say to re humanize globalisation should be the sense of purpose to be put into this transatlantic relationship and it would take the two of us to invest and to nurture this relationship. If we wa nted and to nurture this relationship. If we wanted to work. We are almost out of time, what do you as foreign minister of spain, make of the United States leaving the who and putting sanctions on the criminal court . We value multilateralism and we think it is better to engage in multilateral organisations and reformed them from within, rather than leave seats empty that others will occupy in the future. So, engage, participate, reform, but have a seat at the table. And what we see here is frankly, the looming cold war between the United States and china. Both of them pursuing economic protection of a different sort or other, both of them interested in nationalist politics
right now and the European Union, with its economy, does not appear to be in very good shape to adapt to this new world, bipolar world of us china tensions and cold war. It is the European Union going to do . The eu to regain a bit of strategic autonomy. The eu needs to be stronger in order to have a say in International Matters in order to weigh and in this geopolitical world and this is why weapons of the next weeks the recovery package for the European Union is very important. If youre ends this crisis strong, robust, it will have a say in shaping this much more fractured geopolitical world. If we dont, and we do not invest in a stronger europe, including a stronger recovery package to exit this crisis, then we willjust simply not
be up to shaping tomorrows wrote and that is what we have to do. We have to end it now. Arancha gonzalez. Thank you forjoining me. Always a pleasure. Hello there. Expect a stormy spell of weather over the next few days. Not just for the uk, across much of central and eastern europe. Weve seen some sharp, thundering downpours. We start off quite promising but then showers are likely to develop in the uk as we go through the day. After a sunny start, afternoon thunderstorms could be an issue and because we have light winds, it could be slow moving. So, localised flooding not out of the question. We could start off with low cloud, mist and fog. That burns its way back to the east coast where it may well linger, but elsewhere, lovely spells of sunshine but as the heat builds, the showers will arrive. They should be few and far between across scotland and Northern Ireland. The most frequent ones through wednesday will be across england and wales. Through the afternoon, you can see just a brighter colour denoting the intensity of those showers. Slow moving, a lot of heavy rain and some hail and thunder and lightning. It will be quite warm and humid out there. Temperature is likely 22 degrees, 72 fahrenheit. The showers will continue for a while through the early evening, hopefully starting to ease away before during the night, we could see more persistent rain pushing in from east anglia through northern england. As we go through the day on thursday, rain to the north of england, then thats going to be replaced by some pretty intense thundery downpours across england and wales. In the space of two or three, we could see a couple of inches of rain. So, weather warnings have been issued by the met office, certainly worth bearing in mind if youre going out and about. Slightly quieter day in scottland 17 to 22 degrees the high. As we go into friday, england and wales will see the quietest of the weather. Fewer showers around, but more frequent showers unlikely through Northern Ireland and scotland. Some of these will be heavy and thundery. 17 23d as the high. We could do with some slightly quieter weathers. We may well get it between england and wales for the start of the weekend as High Pressure builds, but this area of low pressure could spoil the story a little bit further north and west. Theres a chance this weekend of more rain, but its drier elsewhere with the heat set to build across england and wales as we gointo next week. Take care. A very warm welcome to bbc news. My names mike embley, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. Clashes high in the himalayas, on the india china border, leave 20 indian soldiers dead. After weeks of rising tension, both sides have deployed thousands of extra troops. The Trump Administration takes legal action to prevent the publication of a memoir by the president s former National Security advisor, john bolton. A breakthrough for patients seriously ill with covid 19 a steroid drug which is cheap and already widely available. We return to wuhan, the chinese city where the pandemic started, to see what lessons have been learned. China is determined that this place will not be remembered for a cover up that put Global Health at risk, but rather as the cornerstone of