coming up is bbc news scaring people unnecessarily over rising covid cases, or showing too much enthusiasm for relaxing restrictions? when will that time the right to stop broadcasting the totals of new cases, hospitalisations and covid debts? —— covid debts? since we first became aware of covid—19 early last year, there has been a division between those who are alarmed at the spread of virus and favour strict measures to reduce it and others who think the risks are exaggerated and that we should learn to that with covid as the restrictions as possible. that split became more stark than ever this week as the prime minister announced plans to sweep away most of the limits on our behaviour on the 19th ofjuly, just as data showed new cases had risen to over 30,000 on a single day for the first

time since january. here is vicki young on wednesday. when cases go up, countries have locked down. not this time. ministers are taking the opposite approach in england, competent vaccines will protect more of us from the worst of this third wave. �* g ., , of us from the worst of this third wave. ~ g . , ., , wave. andrew james thought very surrisin: wave. andrew james thought very surprising infections _ wave. andrew james thought very surprising infections were - wave. andrew james thought very i surprising infections were unfounded e—mailing us to say that cases are now being reported as the highest since january, but testing is now much higher, so case rates are in fact much lower than injanuary. this is a far more positive outlook than you and other media outlets have reported. juliet asked... 0n the other side of the fence, said salary wrote recently... mcallen had one since test —— specific question... 0ther viewers

had contacted us about the practice of announcing our news bulletins the daily numbers of vaccinations, new cases, hospitalisations and deaths. from bbc news, we are on the hearing covid—19 death statistics. we have also heard compliments, including well, we are nowjoined by hugh pym, the bbc�*s health editor. thank you for coming on news watch. do you have a feeling that audiences are divided over this issue and how has it affected how you report the story? i it affected how you report the sto ? ~ , it affected how you report the sto ? ~' , ., it affected how you report the sto ? ~ , . �* story? i think they are divided. and i thank you — story? i think they are divided. and i thank you can _ story? i think they are divided. and i thank you can understand - story? i think they are divided. and i thank you can understand it, - story? i think they are divided. and i thank you can understand it, thisl i thank you can understand it, this pandemic has really taken its toll on people's everyday lives, their physical and mental health, people have lost loved ones. it's been an

extremely difficult time, so you are bound to have strongly held views. i think the letters and e—mails you have read out then itjust shows the different types of opinion we are having to deal with, which is entirely right. people's the use need to be expressed and we need to take them on board. we have tried to take them on board. we have tried to take a balanced approach. that isn't always straightforward. certainly you have got people whose businesses depend on opening up onjuly the 19th and who very, very strongly want to see more liberty and freedom for their customers and their businesses. there are others who are very concerned about what that might mean for the continued spread of infections, so it is a very, very big subject, and we had to do our best to navigate a course through that. 50 best to navigate a course through that, ,., best to navigate a course through that. ,, . . , ., , that. so some specific questions now. that. so some specific questions nova some _ that. so some specific questions now. some think _ that. so some specific questions now. some think the _ that. so some specific questions now. some think the bbc - that. so some specific questions now. some think the bbc as - that. so some specific questions l now. some think the bbc as being alarmist by focusing so much on the rise in cases when testing has also been going up. do they have a point? well, we show on major tv news

bulletins and in other places the case graph goes all the way back. and it does make clear that cases are still not back to where they were at the peak of reported cases in january. were at the peak of reported cases injanuary. it certainly is the case that there is more testing because of lateral flow testing. but if you take that out and you look at the more established pcr test, it is not hugely different now from what it was back at the peak in january and into february. of course, there is surge testing in different parts of the country where, for example, the delta variant has been more prevalent, and that will boost numbers. if you look at the survey done by the office of national statistics each week, that takes account of factors that could distort the daily numbers because it's a regular survey of 150,000 people, so some of them don't know they've got the virus, and that irons out some of these issues, and it shows a pretty consistent

increase in cases over the last few weeks. . , ., ., , weeks. equally, there are many viewers who _ weeks. equally, there are many viewers who think _ weeks. equally, there are many viewers who think the _ weeks. equally, there are many viewers who think the bbc - weeks. equally, there are many viewers who think the bbc as i weeks. equally, there are many- viewers who think the bbc as being irresponsible by going on so much of for and how they travel and reopening pubs and restaurants. well, again, it's an important constituency, businesses, travel agents, airlines, the hospitality sector whose livelihoods depend on this and to feel frustrated that they have been very, very seriously affected, and we need to reflect that side of the economy as well as the understandable desire of many people to be able to have a holiday, to free go somewhere with their families after maybe not going away at all over the last year or so. so i think there is an interest in that side of things can and i think we have a duty to report that. i don't think we are pushing an agenda there. we are reflecting that he is of many people out there wanting to know what is possible over the

summer holidays. there is huge interest in that.— summer holidays. there is huge interest in that. when it comes to the statistics _ interest in that. when it comes to the statistics that _ interest in that. when it comes to the statistics that are _ interest in that. when it comes to the statistics that are shown - interest in that. when it comes to the statistics that are shown on i interest in that. when it comes to l the statistics that are shown on the daily news bulletins, we now see the daily news bulletins, we now see the daily numbers of vaccinations. some people are concerned that the daily numbers of deaths aren't always being shown. i numbers of deaths aren't always being shown-— being shown. i think there is a balance between _ being shown. i think there is a balance between doing - being shown. i think there is a balance between doing a - being shown. i think there is a balance between doing a huge being shown. i think there is a - balance between doing a huge raft of statistics on a major news bulletin and not cutting it back so much that you are left with less information. we have had varying views on this, some people saying we don't want it every single night, others saying if you start removing some of that data, then you are actually not doing a service to the audience. so some nights, it varies a little bit, but generally speaking, we do report the daily report of death numbers and the case is and the vaccination numbers, and we are trying to be as consistent as possible so as not to leave people feeling that we are

holding anything back. indie leave people feeling that we are holding anything back.— leave people feeling that we are holding anything back. we know there has been a huge _ holding anything back. we know there has been a huge impact _ holding anything back. we know there has been a huge impact on _ holding anything back. we know there has been a huge impact on the - has been a huge impact on the treatment of other patients that, you know, illnesses such as cancer, theissues you know, illnesses such as cancer, the issues about hip replacements. should the bbc be focusing much more in the people's his treatments have been negatively impacted? emil"? been negatively impacted? every month, been negatively impacted? every month. the _ been negatively impacted? every month, the nhs _ been negatively impacted? every month, the nhs in _ been negatively impacted? every month, the nhs in england - been negatively impacted? er month, the nhs in england publishes performance statistics which make clear the extent that the backlog for routine treatment, also postponed cancer services. it's the same in scotland, wales or northern ireland to report at different times. so i think we are trying to reflect all of that care that was reflected by public pressure in hospitals and may well start up again because of the rising cases and the rise in hospital numbers. maybe we could do more, but i think it's a very important aspects of the overall story about covid, all the things that aren't happening. yes, we could do more, but i think we are doing our best to reflect that. hugh . m, doing our best to reflect that. hugh pym. thank— doing our best to reflect that. hugh pym. thank you _ doing our best to reflect that. hugh pym. thank you so _ doing our best to reflect that. hugh

pym, thank you so much. _ doing our best to reflect that. hugh pym, thank you so much. now, what were you doing on wednesday evening? those working on the bbc�*s news at ten where facing a challenge as the bulletin went on air, 27 million people were watching england's the pollard sinai itb as their euro semi final went into extra time. so would anyone be watching the news, and how to cover an ongoing story of great significance to some? though certainly not everyone. quite substantially was the answer with a long segment at the top of the show followed by two more appearances from allie foster at the stadium, when when harry kane scored thank you then's second goal and again at the end of the match neared its climax. , ., ., climax. ten minutes from the euro final. he identified _ climax. ten minutes from the euro final. he identified what _ climax. ten minutes from the euro final. he identified what he - final. he identified what he considered _ final. he identified what he considered a _ final. he identified what he considered a problem - final. he identified what he | considered a problem here, final. he identified what he - considered a problem here, familiar to news watch the race. hey, bbc news...

the match was still going on as newsnight plan on air, and hence, those interested in the buck presumably glued to the other side, but that didn't deter the programme from decking its studio in england flags. from decking its studio in england flats. ., from decking its studio in england flas. ., from decking its studio in england flats. ., ., flags. hello, good evening, thanks for “oininu flags. hello, good evening, thanks forjoining us- _ flags. hello, good evening, thanks forjoining us. it _ flags. hello, good evening, thanks forjoining us. it means— flags. hello, good evening, thanks forjoining us. it means a - flags. hello, good evening, thanks forjoining us. it means a lot - flags. hello, good evening, thanks forjoining us. it means a lot as - forjoining us. it means a lot as 1/2—hour ever felt longer. we don't want tojinx it, but england are in christ to make it to a final of a major subaltern events, the first time in 55 years, in case you need that spelling out, we can still do it, we can do that. hat that spelling out, we can still do it, we can do that.— it, we can do that. not everyone consider themselves _ it, we can do that. not everyone consider themselves part - it, we can do that. not everyone consider themselves part of - it, we can do that. not everyone consider themselves part of the | it, we can do that. not everyone i consider themselves part of the wii and that we can still do it, with janice alexander treating...

daniel had a more positive reaction. he e—mailed... the fans the bbc spoke to before wednesday's match probably would've agreed but that. here wednesday's match probably would've agreed but that-— agreed but that. here in sheffield from a local— agreed but that. here in sheffield from a local boy _ agreed but that. here in sheffield from a local boy at _ agreed but that. here in sheffield from a local boy at the _ agreed but that. here in sheffield from a local boy at the amount i agreed but that. here in sheffield i from a local boy at the amount harry mcguire from his headline news, the whole town wheeling him on. we alwa s whole town wheeling him on. we always do a community thing to because — always do a community thing to because harry is a local lad, we have _ because harry is a local lad, we have to — because harry is a local lad, we have to get _ because harry is a local lad, we have to get behind him. the}r because harry is a local lad, we have to get behind him. they hope it's coming — have to get behind him. they hope it's coming home, _ have to get behind him. they hope it's coming home, but _ have to get behind him. they hope it's coming home, but in _ have to get behind him. they hope it's coming home, but in derby, i have to get behind him. they hope | it's coming home, but in derby, it's coming together. piece by piece, two fans have been building a portrait of harry kane from 10,000 dice. doing their bit to stir the team on.

let's get the last word on this thanks for all your comments this week. if you want to share your opinions about what you see or hear on bbc news on tv, radio, online and social media, e—mail us below. you can also find us on twitter. do you have a look at our website for previous interviews. that's all from us, we will be back to hear your thoughts on the bbc news coverage again next week. bye—bye. hello. it's been a day for sky watchers today. some very big building clouds. not everybody�*s caught a heavy

downpour or thunderstorm, but there have been some around, particularly into parts of east anglia, even a funnel cloud in county durham today, a tornado that hasn't touched the ground. and where we have been seeing some of these torrential downpours, only slowly fading as we get into the night, an area of rain arriving towards southwest england and south wales in what is a mild and muggy night to come. now, the rain in the southwest, from an area of low pressure running quickly across southern parts during the first part of saturday. further showers and thunderstorms scattered about elsewhere, another area of low pressure coming at us from the west later on sunday. ahead of that, scattered showers and thunderstorms. let's look at both days this weekend and see what's on offer. a damp start in southern england, the rain pushing across south east england into parts eight east anglia before slowly clearing on saturday afternoon. a cloudier, cooler day here. elsewhere, there will be sunny spells after a mostly cloudy start, but you can see the very well scattered thundery downpours breaking out. they could be torrential slow moving in places, parts of wales,

the midlands, northern england. this time also to the west of the pennines scattered about in scotland too. the odd downpour can't be rolled out along with the sunny spells in northern ireland. a cooler feeling day in east anglia in the southeast. pleasant elsewhere if you get to see some sunny spells, a few will be around into the evening, as again, the thunderstorms will slowly fade. a lot of dry weather to begin on sunday, but the downpours flare up again particularly into northern england and scotland, and then cloud and showers or rain, starting to pile in from the west as we go on into the later stages of the day. outbreaks of rain into southwest england and parts of wales to end the afternoon. and temperatures in the high teens, low 20s, some warmth around where you get to see some sunshine. as for wimbledon this weekend, the rain only slowly clearing as we get on through saturday afternoon.

brighter to end the day, a lot of cloud on sunday. showers can't be ruled out, it looks like the bulk of sunday's wet weather around the london area, though, is going to hold off until we get into the evening. there is a certain big match happening at wembley, it may well be a damp start or end to that, hopefully not to damp spirits. and just a word of warning, overnight and into monday, with this area of low pressure close by, the potentialfor some areas to see some very heavy rain. we will keep you updated on that.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the taliban are rapidly retaking land across afghanistan as the us—led mission removes the last of its troops. if the taliban and push for a military solution, the outcome is likely to be a long war. police in haiti say 28 foreigners were involved in the president's assassination on wednesday, most of them colombians. coronavirus infections across the uk return to levels not seen sincejanuary — as more and more people are forced to self—isolate. the men's final is set at wimbledon — we'll have the latest on the action at the all england tennis club.