Former Aston Villa player Ugo Ehiogu dies
JLR 'to stay in UK'
Harry Redknapp: Geranium killer
Birmingham's interest in 2022 Games bid
Updates from Friday 21 April 2017
Former Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu, who has died at the age of 44, scores for England in a friendly against Spain at Villa Park in 2001 during the second of four caps for his country.
Read MoreFor the past few months we've invited our readers to ask the questions they wanted answering about the places where they live.
Image source, GoogleAmong the latest is: “When is the top of the most iconic building in Birmingham – The Rotunda – going to be finished? What happened to the planned Lightbox?”
In the 1980s the top of the landmark featured a giant Coca-Cola neon sign. There was a plan to replace that with an LED "Lightbox" from about 2008, external when developer Urban Splash was looking after work on the building.
It was hoped local artists and school children would create artworks for feature which had some link to the city.
The current head leaseholder, The Bullring, said it was "working up options for the Rotunda building signage as part of a wider project" and it anticipated works would be completed in the next 12 months.
"The Lightbox is one of the options being considered but as of yet it is not confirmed."
The wife of the new Birmingham City boss has given an insight into life with the football manager.
Read MoreWarwickshire 70-0
Mark Church
BBC Radio London commentator
Under the lights the Warwickshire openers have made an encouraging start against the Surrey bowlers.
Ian Westwood (52) has just moved to his fifty and William Porterfield (16) is playing watchfully at the other end.
Jade Dernbach, playing his 100th first-class game, has created the one chance this morning but an edge from Westwood was dropped in the slips.
It is only a few months since the owner's other cat, Jess, died of the same thing.
Read MoreA Wolverhampton cat owner has lost a second pet to antifreeze poisoning in months, the RSPCA has revealed.
Image source, RSPCACorinne Dubberley, who lives in Bilston, Wolverhampton, lost her two-year-old cat Ollie on 13 April after her other cat Jess died in the same way in January.
She also believes there have been three others in the area who suffered the same fate in the past 16 days.
RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer Elaine Williams said: “At this stage we do not know if these were accidental incidents or deliberate but in the meantime we would ask everyone in the area to check where they keep their pesticides and chemicals and make sure they are secure and out of the way of cats."
Graham McGarry
BBC Radio Stoke Sport
The Stoke City boss Mark Hughes says the death of the former Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu is a "tragedy" and "shocking news".
Image source, Getty ImagesHe's died at the age of 44 after suffering a cardiac arrest at Tottenham's training centre on Thursday.
Ehiogu, who was Spurs' Under-23s coach, was capped four times by England.
The Stoke manager says he faced Ehiogu during his playing days.
Quote MessageHe was a big strong guy, a big athlete, and you knew when you went up against him it was always going to be a difficult game. That is why, when these things happen, it is even more shocking, because you remember them in their prime. It is a real shame."
Mark Hughes, Stoke City manager
This morning, we've been reporting on Jaguar Land Rover chief executive's assessment of the firm's future in a Brexit world.
JLR and Brexit was also discussed during last night's BBC One broadcast of a debate between the six candidates vying to become the West Midlands' "metro mayor".
During proceedings, candidates were asked whether Brexit could boost the region's economy - and how they would go about it.
Host, Midlands political editor Patrick Burns, referenced JLR specifically, asking Conservative candidate Andy Street whether he could make the government, amid Brexit negotiations, "deliver a tailor-made solution for JLR". Mr Street said he could.
You can find a list of the candidates here. And their perspectives on Brexit during the debate here and here.
British cities interested in hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games have been asked by the UK government to submit proposals for staging the event.
Read More
BBC WM Sport
Ugo Ehiogu, who has died aged 44 following a cardiac arrest, made more than 200 appearances for Aston Villa between 1991 and 2000 and then spent seven years at Middlesbrough.
Image source, Getty ImagesHe won the League Cup with Villa in 1994 and 1996, and also with Boro in 2004.
Current Villa manager Steve Bruce remembered playing against Ehiogu in the League Cup final in 1994, saying he was a "big, huge, Colossus of a man...a big, typical centre half...who took no nonsense".
Bruce said Ehiogu's death "put the game of football into perspective".
A man is making a trip to Belgium for the 100th anniversary of one of the bloodiest battles of World War One, following in the footsteps of his grandfather.
Mat Porton, from Barnt Green near Bromsgrove, will join more than 4,000 descendants of WW1 soldiers from across the UK who have been invited to special ceremonies marking 100 years since the Battle of Passchendaele.
His grandfather, Thomas Porton (pictured top right), of the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards, won the Military Medal for bravery during the battle.
Image source, Porton familyMat says his grandfather "never spoke of his time in the war, what he had to endure and how he managed to cope with it all".
Quote MessageMy own father had no more knowledge of what his dad had been through than I did. The pursuit of my grandfather’s story and getting to know about his life and war experience has been immensely satisfying and profoundly emotional at times."
Mat Porton
BBC Business News
Ralf Speth, the chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, is worried the company will not be able to attract top engineers after Britain leaves the European Union, due to tighter immigration controls.
Image source, Getty ImagesMr Speth said the company was proudly British but wanted free and fair trade with the rest of the European Union.
Devon boxer Tommy Langford will be fighting on the world stage for the first time tomorrow night.
The 27-year-old, from Bideford, moved to Birmingham to pursue a pro-career.
Tommy claimed the British Middleweight title back in November, and now he's preparing to put his unbeaten record on the line against the highly-rated Georgian, Avtandil Khurtsidze.
Former Aston Villa players have been remembering their former teammate Ugo Ehiogu after his sudden death at 44 following a cardiac arrest.
Paul McGrath played alongside Ugo in a defensive back three with England boss Gareth Southgate.
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There will be a minute's applause in memory of former Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu who has died aged 44.
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Tributes are being paid to Ugo Ehiogu, the former Aston Villa defender, who has died at the age of 44 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Tottenham Hotspur announced his death this morning, where he worked as Under-23 coach.
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Kevin Pashby
BBC WM
The chief executive of West Midlands car-maker Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed the firm will stay in the UK regardless of the outcome of exit negotiations with Brussels.
Image source, ReutersHe says the UK must allow what he calls elite people to still come to this country after it leaves the European Union.
Ralf Speth says not doing so could risk the company's "ability to innovate".
The firm employs about 35,000 people in the UK and exports 80% of what it manufactures.
BBC WM Sport
West Midlands Police has been working with Aston Villa and Birmingham City fans to try to stop any trouble flaring at this weekend's second city derby.
They've been meeting with supporters to try to cut arrests and violence ahead of this Sunday's 12:00 kick-off.
The match will be covered live on BBC WM 95.6FM.
Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather
A mostly dry day is in store with some sunny spells, but also the chance of light rain later with highs of 16C (61F).
You can find a detailed forecast for your area on the BBC Weather site., external
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Alex Homer
BBC Local Live
Welcome back to our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather updates on Friday.
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