risks are others who think the risks are exaggerated and that we should learn to live with covid with as few restrictions as possible. that split became more stark as a prime minister plans to sweep away most of the limits on our behaviour on the 19th ofjuly. new cases rose to 30,000 in a single date. when cases go up, countries have locked down. not this time. ministers are taking the opposite approach in england, confident vaccines will protect more of us from the worst of this third way. andrew james thought fears were unfounded e—mailing us to say cases are now being reported as the highest since january... another asked...

under the other side of the fence, one right... —— writes. 0ther viewers have contacted us about the practice of announcing on news bulletins the daily numbers of vaccinations, new cases, hospitalisations and deaths. but we have also had compliments including this... we are nowjoined by hugh pym,

the bbc health editor. do you have a sense that audiences are divided and how far has that affected how you report the story now? l affected how you report the story now?— story now? i think they are divided and _ story now? i think they are divided and you _ story now? i think they are divided and you can - story now? i think they are - divided and you can understand it because this pandemic has really taken it because this pandemic has really ta ken its toll it because this pandemic has really taken its toll on people's every day lives, their physical and mental health, people have lost loved ones. it has been an extremely difficult time and you are bound to have strongly held views and i think the letters and e—mails you read outjust shows the different types of opinions we are having to deal with which is entirely right. people's views need to be expressed and we need to take them on board and we try to take a balanced approach and that is not always straightforward. certainly, you have people whose businesses depend on businesses opening up onjuly i9 and who strongly want to see more liberty and freedom for the customers and

businesses. there are others concerned about what that might mean for the continued spread of infections so it is a very big subject and we have to do our best to navigate a course through that.— through that. some viewers think the — through that. some viewers think the sac— through that. some viewers think the bbc is _ through that. some viewers think the bbc is being - through that. some viewers i think the bbc is being alarmist by focusing so much on the rising cases when testing has also been going up. do they have a point? we also been going up. do they have a point?— also been going up. do they have a point? we show a ma'or tv news bulletins d have a point? we show a ma'or tv news bulletins the i have a point? we show a ma'or tv news bulletins the case b tv news bulletins the case graaf that goes all the way back and it makes it clear that cases are still not back to where they were at the peak in january. —— graph. 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 that usually different to the peak injanuary and into february. there is surge testing in different parts of the country where for example

the country where for example the delta variant has been more prevalent. a survey done by the office for national statistics each week, that takes account of factors that could distort the daily numbers because it is a regular survey of 150,000 people, some of whom do not know they have the virus. it shows a pretty consistent increase in cases over the last few weeks. increase in cases over the last few weeks— increase in cases over the last few weeke— increase in cases over the last few weeks. equally, the review is to think _ few weeks. equally, the review is to think the _ few weeks. equally, the review is to think the bbc _ few weeks. equally, the review is to think the bbc is _ few weeks. equally, the review is to think the bbc is being - is to think the bbc is being irresponsible about foreign holiday travels and reopening pubs and restaurants.- holiday travels and reopening pubs and restaurants. again, it is an important _ pubs and restaurants. again, it is an important constituency. l is an important constituency. businesses, travel agents, airlines, not to mention the hospitality set whose livelihoods depend on this and feel frustrated that they have been seriously affect 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 and be free to go somewhere with their families after maybe not going away at all over the last year. there is an interest in that side of things and we have a duty to report that. i do not think we are pushing an agenda. we are reflecting the views of many people out there wanting to know what is possible over the summer holidays. there is huge interest. ~ , ., interest. when it comes to statistics. _ interest. when it comes to statistics, we _ interest. when it comes to statistics, we are - interest. when it comes to statistics, we are seeing . interest. when it comes to i statistics, we are seeing the daily number of vaccinations. some people are concerned that the daily number of deaths are not being shown always. i the daily number of deaths are not being shown always. i think there is a _ not being shown always. i think there is a balance _ not being shown always. i think there is a balance between - there is a balance between doing a huge raft of statistics on a major news bulletin when you only have a certain amount of time and not cutting it back so much that, actually, you are left with less information. we have had varying views on this. some people think we do not want it every single night,

others think if you start removing some of that data, not doing a service to the audience. so some nights it varies a little bit but generally speaking we do report the daily reported death numbers and the cases and the vaccination numbers. i think we're trying to be as consistent as possible so as not to leave people feeling we are holding anything back. we know that _ are holding anything back. we know that has been a huge impact on the treatment of other patients with illnesses such as cancer, the issue about hip replacement. should the bbc focusing on people whose treatments have been enacted? every month, the nhs in england publishers statistics which makes clear the extent of the backlog. northern ireland reported a different times. trying to reflect that care. it

may start up again with the race in hospital numbers. maybe we can do more but i think it's his very important aspect of overall story about covid, all the things that are not happening. maybe, yes, we could do more but we are doing our best to reflect that.— do more but we are doing our best to reflect that. thank you so much- _ now, what were you doing on wednesday evening? those working under the bbc news at 10pm was facing a challenge. 27 million people were watching england's footballers on itv as the euro semi—final went to m. along segment at the top of the show, following by different

throwbacks.— show, following by different throwbacks. , ., throwbacks. ten minutes from the euro final. _ throwbacks. ten minutes from the euro final. one _ throwbacks. ten minutes from the euro final. one viewer- the euro final. one viewer identified _ the euro final. one viewer identified a _ the euro final. one viewer identified a problem - the euro final. one viewer. identified a problem familiar to news viewers... the match was still going on as newsnight went to and enhance those interested in football presumably glued to the other side but that did not deter the programme from decking it's a studio in england flags.- studio in england flags. thank ou for studio in england flags. thank you forioining _ studio in england flags. thank you forjoining us, _ studio in england flags. thank you forjoining us, it _ studio in england flags. thank you forjoining us, it means i studio in england flags. thank you forjoining us, it means a | you forjoining us, it means a lot. we do not want to jinx you forjoining us, it means a lot. we do not want tojinx it but england on course to make it to a final of a major

tournament, the first time for 55 years. we can still do it. we can do it.— we can do it. not everyone considered _ we can do it. not everyone considered themselves - we can do it. not everyone | considered themselves part we can do it. not everyone i considered themselves part of the we. 0ne tweeting... 0ne one had a more positive reaction... the fans of the bbc spoke to before the match would probably have agreed with that. sheffield, local boy harry

maguire is a headline news. the whole town egging him on. we alwa s whole town egging him on. we always do _ whole town egging him on. we always do a community thing and because — always do a community thing and because harry is a local lad, we have _ because harry is a local lad, we have to get behind it. they ho -e it we have to get behind it. they hope it is _ we have to get behind it. they hope it is coming _ we have to get behind it. they hope it is coming home - we have to get behind it. tia: hope it is coming home but in derby it is coming together. piece by piece, fans building a portrait of hurricane from 10,000 days. doing their bit to spur them on. the 10,000 days. doing their bit to spur them om— spur them on. the last word to wheel- -- _ spur them on. the last word to wheel- -- -- — spur them on. the last word to wheel... -- will— spur them on. the last word to wheel... -- will add _ spur them on. the last word to wheel... -- will add words. --| wheel... —— will add words. —— will edwards. thank you for all your comment this week. if you want to share your opinions on what you see or hear on bbc news, on tv, radio, online or social media, you can contact us at...

that is all from us, we will be back to hear your thoughts again next week. goodbye. hello there. it's looking unsettled this weekend as well, but it's not going to be raining all the time everywhere. there will be some places staying dry, but the general theme this weekend is for sunny spells and for scattered showers to develop. again, these will be heavy and thundery, and slow—moving as winds will be light. if you look at the pressure chart for saturday, we've got this weather front across the south, bringing an area of more persistent rain to southern counties. it will continue its journey eastwards through the morning through the channel islands, southern and south—eastern counties of england, then clear away in the afternoon. elsewhere, after a dry start, we'll see those showers developing a little bit further westwards this time, affecting wales, west midlands, north—west england and scotland. again, it will be heavy, slow—moving torrential downpours which could lead to localised flooding. those temperatures range

from 19—21 degrees. now, those showers will fade away during saturday evening, and then, overnight, most places will be dry, but rain will start to push into the far west later on, those temperatures in double figures. it's going to be another mild and muggy night for most of us. now, for sunday, a new area of low pressure starts to push in off the atlantic, affecting northern and western areas. it looks like some eastern parts may stay dry altogether with some hazy spells of sunshine. so, most of the heavy showers on sunday will be across more northern parts of the uk, but wales, northern ireland, the southwest of england will start to see areas of more persistent rain moving in. in the east, with that sunshine, we could see 22—23 celsius, and again, it's going to feel quite humid. so, for wimbledon this weekend, saturday, the early rain will clear away to leave something a bit drier into the afternoon. sunday, mainly dry, but i still can't rule out the odd shower there. and for wembley on sunday, certainly it's a dry start, but into the evening, we start to see some of that rain in the west pushing its way eastwards. that's because this area of low pressure will be working its way southwards and eastwards across the country.

by monday, this is the position it'll be in. it's going to bring a very unsettled day. most northern and western areas will see sunny spells, some heavy showers. it's england and wales which will see the cloudiest skies and areas of heavy, maybe even thundery rain affecting central and southern areas, which could lead to some issues. the temperatures not quite as high —19—20 celsius will be the high. the heavy, thundery showers clearing away from the south and east on tuesday and wednesday. by the mid—latter part of the week, high pressure wants to build in, so it'll start turning sunnier, drier, and warmer.

this is bbc news. i'm rich preston. our top stories: following the assassination of haiti's president — and the unrest that followed — the country's senate nominates an interim successor. the taliban are rapidly retaking land across afghanistan as the us—led mission withdraws the last of its troops. if the taliban push for a military solution, the outcome is likely to be a long war. california braces itself for a weekend of record—setting temperatures, as the heat continues to rise on the west coast. and — a comeback on wheels — mark cavendish equals the record of stage wins in the tour de france.