Rebecca Wood
BBC Midlands Today

We'll be looking further into the draft budget put forward by Birmingham City Council including plans for 1,200 job losses, cuts to adult social care and the closures of seven leisure centres.

And we've been to Dudley Magistrates Court, where a West Midlands police officer has appeared, charged with rape.

More on these stories and others on the Midlands Today at 13:30.

Stourbridge News

Hurst Lane near Merry Hill shopping centre has been closed after a serious road crash, external.  

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here are the stories we're reporting in the BBC WM newsroom:

- Another 1,200 jobs could be cut at Birmingham City Council in the next year

- A passenger suffered a fractured skull when she was hit by a brick thrown through the window of a bus in Birmingham

 - Kenny Jackett is the best man to be managing Wolves at the moment, says the club's former winger Steve Froggatt

A total of 34 emergency services will spend more than £100m to purchase replacement vehicles for police and fire services, external across England.

The project is being led by West Midlands Police and will see more than 3,000 vans and cars bought, of which 248 will be based with the force.

It's estimated that the deal will see the force spend around £8m, while saving around £1m.

Express and Star

A  new shelter for homeless young people has been opened by a Walsall FC star, external, with owners declaring they want to "make a difference".

Image source, Express & Star

In September last year, then leader of Birmingham City Council Sir Albert Bore said a further 6,000 jobs would be cut at Birmingham City Council in the next four years - which includes the 1,200 expected to go in the next year.

By 2018, this will mean the council's workforce will be about a third of the size it was in 2010 - with just 7,000 full-time staff.

He said the cuts equated to double the number of workers who lost jobs at the Longbridge car plant in 2005.

Paul Franks
Presenter, BBC WM

The former Wolves winger Steve Froggatt says no-one could come in and do a better job at Molineux than Kenny Jackett is doing at the moment.

Image source, Getty Images

Jackett has come under fire from fans, particularly on social media, for recent results and performances, but Froggy told me on last night's West Midlands Football Phone-In that he shouldn't be fired.  

Chris Blakemore
BBC WM

Robert Alden, leader of the Conservative group on Birmingham City Council, has criticised the authority's draft budget savings for "slashing front line services while failing to modernise services quickly enough".

He said the budget highlighted the "legacy" of former council leader Sir Albert Bore.

Birmingham City winger Demarai Gray could move in January with two Premier League clubs interested in the 19-year-old, according to the Daily Mirror, external.

Check out the rest of today's football gossip.

Image source, Empics

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here is a recap of our big stories after that breaking news about Birmingham City Council:

- Another 1,200 jobs could be cut at Birmingham City Council in the next year

- A passenger suffered a fractured skull when she was hit by a brick thrown through the window of a bus in Birmingham

 - Paul Dickov is reportedly the latest man to apply to fill the vacant hot seat at Walsall

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

Birmingham City Council needs to save £90m over the next financial year and £250m over the next four years.

On top of the 1,200 job losses, school crossing patrols could be phased out and parking charges could also be brought in at any free council car parks.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

We've just found out that another 1,200 jobs could go at Birmingham City Council.

At the moment 12,400 people work for the council but the plan is that 1,200 of those jobs will go between 2016-2017 as it needs to save £90m.

It would mean that 11,200 people would be employed by the Council; five years ago it was 20,000. 

Teachers at a school linked to the Trojan Horse affair renamed Easter eggs "chocolate eggs" to remove the link to Christianity, a former employee claims.

Image source, Google

Hilary Owens, a former teaching assistant at Adderley Primary School in Birmingham - who is claiming unfair dismissal alongside three other former staff - told an employment tribunal they were rebranded "chocolate eggs".

Another former staff member said Muslim pupils were put on lists to stop them going on Easter basket-making classes.

Steve Hermon
Journalist, BBC WM

Paul Dickov is reportedly the latest person to apply for the vacant job at Walsall. 

The bookies have also slashed the odds on former Saddlers striker David Kelly taking on the role, but Scunthorpe - where he's Assistant to Mark Robins - are not thought to have received an approach.

Image source, Empics

Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition asking the Home Secretary to hand a father a tourist visa so he can attend his baby son's funeral in the West Midlands.

Katy Kouasseu, formerly of Aldridge, says it's her husband's right as a parent to attend Friday's service in Walsall for their son George - who died in October.

Image source, Katy Kouasseu

Charly Kouasseu - who's from Cameron - was deported from the UK after being sentenced to 14 months in prison in 2008.

A passenger received a fractured skull when she was hit by a brick thrown through the window of the number 18 bus in Birmingham - in the sixth similar incident in the past 18 months according to police.

Jo Brandon, 41, was "covered in blood and crying hysterically" after she was hurt in Northfield in Birmingham.

Image source, Stuart Oddy

Her partner, Stuart Oddy, claimed Ley Hill was a "blackspot" for such attacks and called for the route to be changed.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here are the top stories in the BBC WM newsroom on Wednesday:

- A passenger suffered a fractured skull when she was hit by a brick thrown through the window of a bus in Birmingham

 - Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Home Secretary to hand a father a tourist visa so he can attend his son's funeral in the West Midlands

- Paul Dickov is reportedly the latest man to apply to fill the vacant hot seat at Walsall

After a cold start, find out what is in store for us the remainder of Wednesday.

BBC Travel

There is queuing traffic on the A4123 New Birmingham Road southbound in Tividale between the Tower Road junction and Birchley Island, drivers are warned.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

I'm back in the BBC WM newsroom bringing you Wednesday's news, sport, travel and weather updates.

Comment on our stories and share your pictures of Birmingham and the Black Country over email or tweet @bbcwm, external.