and watch on iplayer. a number of viewers, though, have told us they don t believe a news channel is the right place for a phone in show. here are two of them. we now have the option of watching either a radio phone in programme which is simultaneously broadcast on radio five if we wanted to listen to it or switching to a competitor s news coverage. none of which hold a candle to the bbc s normal offering. so between nine and 11 am, every weekday morning is now a news desert. we ve also lost a number of excellent news presenters, the likes of anita mcveigh and martine croxall, who brought empathy and interest to their broadcasts. and whilst i know that the bbc in these straitened times have to save money, surely there are other ways in which this can be done without losing the fundamental quality of bbc news coverage. if i wanted to listen to a radio phone in or even participate, then i go to the radio and television news and bbc news is a particular medium which is important
while fighting in ukraine. and the blanket bog in scotland that is aiming to become a world heritage site. and coming up on the bbc news channel: the countdown is on for this weekends s six nations. scotland have named their tieam to face egland. we ll bring you the latest. good afternoon and welcome to the news at one. the bank of england has raised interest rates from 3.5 to 4% meaning they remain at their highest level since 2008. the increase could add nearly £50 a month to the average mortgage payment at a time when many people are already struggling with crippling energy and food bills. it will also have an impact on repayment charges on bank loans and credit cards but it is better news for savers, who should get a higher return. the bank of england says the increase should help to control rising prices reflected in the high rate of inflation. 0ur economics correspondent andy verity reports. in leeds like every where else, the cost of keeping up a mortgage is jumpi
hello. more than a thousand people have now died in pakistan, where floods have been described by the country s foreign minister as a catastrophe. bilawal butto zardari told the bbc the disaster was on a scale he has never seen before. pakistan s government has issued a fresh appeal for more international aid. heavy rains have caused flooding sincejune, overwhelming rivers. around one sixth of the population are said to have been affected with millions left homeless. officials in the southern province of sindh are warning that more floods and landslides are likely there, as waters come downstream. our correspondent pumza fihlani has the latest. local aid agencies in pakistan say they are doing what they can, but there simply aren t enough resources for everyone. as seen here within minutes, the food runs out. ..and the team is forced to leave quickly. the picture is the same around the country. translation: we left our homes in a hurry and couldn t gather- all our supplie