BBC Midlands Today

The family of a Black Country man facing extradition over alleged terror offences is flying to Portugal where he is being detained. 

Father-of-four Paramjeet Singh Saini was arrested and detained while on holiday in Portugal. He is fighting extradition to India over his alleged involvement in the murder of a Sikh politician in 2009 and bomb attacks in India in 2010, which he denies.

He and his family had been earlier granted refugee status to stay in the UK until 2023.

His children say they're desperate to get him back home to Smethwick. 

Image source, Other

Walsall Advertiser

Improvements to Walsall Gala Baths are taking shape with work said to be "progressing to schedule" and on track for completion in two months, external.

Image source, Walsall Advertiser

Giles Latcham
BBC Midlands Today

We're now hearing from Jeremy Johnson QC, representing West Midlands Police. 

He says the Chief Constable has no "principled objection" to the resumption of the inquests, but he's questioning whether the Senior Coroner Louise Hunt has jurisdiction to hear them. So we're into quite detailed legal argument.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

If you are just catching up with Wednesday's news, here are the latest headlines:

- A hearing that could lead to the reopening of inquests into the deaths of 21 people killed in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings is under way

 - Junior doctors are on strike today in their continuing row over pay and working hours

- A woman has been charged with murder after a music shop owner's body was found in the boot of his car

BBC WM

There is going to be an internal investigation into claims a funeral home in Walsall stored coffins in a corridor. 

The Sun, external has pictures appearing to show three coffins with bodies inside, being stored near a bike and a Christmas tree. 

Midcounties Co-operative says coffins are moved from a chapel of rest to a corridor - but it says unrelated items should not be stored there. 

Mike Taylor
BBC WM

Our latest research suggests 951 outpatient appointments have been cancelled across Birmingham and the Black Country as a result of the junior doctors' strike which began at 08:00 today.

A further 18 inpatient operations and 46 other procedures such as scans have also been cancelled.

Today's action comes after another strike in January and after last-minute talks ended with no resolution.

Cannock Mercury

A Cannock man who stabbed a fellow motorist in the head and neck following a road rage incident on the M6 motorway has been sentenced to four years in jail, external.  

Image source, Cannock Mercury

Sutton Coldfield Local

The force has certainly been with resourceful Sutton Coldfield artist Paul Chancellor – who has used other people’s unwanted items to help build a replica of one of the world’s most famous droids, external.  

Image source, Sutton Coldfield Local

Giles Latcham
BBC Midlands Today

Ashley Underwood QC, representing the families of three of the victims, said it was "amazing" no full inquests had been held.

He called it "the most serious miscarriage of justice in living memory" and said the only reason inquests had not taken place was because of the convictions of the Birmingham Six which were later "set aside in spectacular fashion".

Mr Underwood said there was a "regrettable suspicion" that police officers had lied to get the six convicted and to cover up the identities of the real bombers - which they knew.

He raised claims that the police had an IRA informer who'd warned them of the bombing beforehand. He said they may have prosecuted the six knowing they were innocent in order to protect their "mole" and cover up the fact that they had prior knowledge of the bombings.

Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News

Paddy Hill said there had been "41 years of lies, lies, lies" as he arrived at the coroner's court for today's hearing.

Giles Latcham
BBC Midlands Today

Paddy Hill (pictured top left), one of the six men wrongfully convicted of the Birmingham Pub Bombings, has just arrived at the hearing in Solihull.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Dudley News

Plans for a ground-breaking £31m music college at The Waterfront could reignite the Black Country's "proud and diverse musical legacy". Here's today's frontpage, external.

Image source, Dudley News

Giles Latcham
BBC Midlands Today

The QC representing West Midlands Police has just given the hearing an update on the current state of police investigations into the bombings.

Jeremy Johnson said the police are pursuing three lines of inquiry which could lead to "potential new evidence".

Among these is the possibility of fresh forensic evidence which he said was now being pursued with the help of the army.

He added that the police are also looking at information about the bombings in a book published by a former member of the IRA and an account given to officers last August by a former fireman, Alan Hill.

Giles Latcham
BBC Midlands Today

Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine was among those killed in the Birmingham pub bombings, has led a campaign for a fresh inquiry.

"What sort of society are we living in if we don't fight for those who died?" she told reporters.

The bombings, in November 1974 destroyed two city centre pubs and were blamed on Irish republicans - although the IRA denied responsibility.

Opening proceedings, Senior Coroner, Louise Hunt, said the bombings were "a terrible atrocity resulting in the deaths of innocent people" but said the hearing would focus on legal argument about whether she should preside over reopened inquests.

Giles Latcham
BBC Midlands Today

A hearing has begun which could lead to the reopening of inquests into the deaths of 21 people in the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974.

Relatives of the dead are attending the hearing in Solihull where a solicitor representing some of them, Kevin Winters, will make submissions to the coroner.

He said that although it was likely to be a "difficult and emotional day" he was "quietly confident" the inquests would be reopened.

West Midlands Police say unemployed Zatoon Bibi, aged 36, of Roway Lane, Oldbury, is due to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court this morning charged with murdering Tanveer Iqbal.

A 43-year-old man who was also arrested on suspicion of murder has been bailed pending further inquiries, said the force.

Officers said they were continuing to investigate the death of 33-year-old Mr Iqbal, whose body was found in the boot of his car in Portland Road, Edgbaston, on Monday 1 February.

Image source, West Midlands Police

A woman has been charged with the murder of Smethwick music shop owner Tanveer Iqbal who was found in his car boot in Edgbaston.

Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News

Calls for a public inquiry into the pub bombings have fallen on deaf ears; which means that an inquest remains the best chance for the families to discover who was responsible for the attacks. 

Ordinarily a coroner's job is to determine how, where and when a person died, as well as their identity. In this case all of those facts are known, but the coroner can also investigate the circumstances of someone's death.

The victims' relatives are pinning their hopes on a resumption, and that it will be as far-reaching as the Hillsborough Inquest.

Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News

This could be the last chance, in their lifetimes, for campaigners to have evidence heard in public which was not available in 1974.

They'll hope that Birmingham's senior coroner Louise Hunt, will agree that the inquest should be reopened and that key witnesses, who the families believe can identify the bombers, will be called.

West Midlands Police says the investigation remains active, but there's not enough evidence for a fresh prosecution. 

Junior doctors are going on strike again from 08:00 this morning in their row over pay and working hours.

Ministers say nearly 3,000 operations have been postponed as just emergency care will be provided. 

Striking staff will be on the picket lines outside hospitals in Birmingham and the Black Country. There was an earlier strike in January.

Image source, PA