Mike Taylor
BBC WM

it's the big speedway derby at Perry Barr tonight - Birmingham against Cradley.

Follow live coverage of the derby tonight on the BBC Sport website.

Twenty one people died and more than 200 injured when two bombs exploded in the heart of Birmingham on 21 November 1974.

Here's a timeline of events:

• 1974An inquest opens days after the bombings but closes without hearing evidence
• 1975 Paddy Hill, Gerry Hunter, Johnny Walker, Hugh Callaghan, Richard McIlkenny and Billy Power, known as the Birmingham Six, are jailed for life for the murder of 21 people
• 14 March 1991 The Birmingham Six are released after 17 years behind bars after their convictions are quashed
• 1994Police say there is insufficient evidence for any prosecutions after re-investigating the case
• 1994 A 75-year embargo is put on the files relating to the West Midlands Police investigation, preventing documents to be released to the public
• 2012 A petition is started by a sister of one of the victims calling for a public inquiry into the bombings
• 2014 Chief Constable for the West Midlands, Chris Sims, reassures the victims' families that the investigation remains open
• April 2014 Mr Sims says there will be no new inquiry, after evidence is re-examined
• October 2015 Families of three people killed in the bombings make an application to the senior coroner to resume the inquests
• June 2016: Inquests into the deaths of 21 people in the Birmingham pub bombings are to be reopened, 42 years on. A coroner says there is "a wealth of evidence that still has not been heard."
• September 2016The government refuses a request to pay for the legal fees of victims families
• May 2017 Lawyers acting for eight families of victims say they have been offered legal aid funding

Image source, Getty Images

Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today

Wolf fever is gripping Wolverhampton in what's called the biggest display of public art ever seen in their city.

Thirty sculptures of wolves can be found on a four mile trail across the city, external, showcasing the designs of amateur artists, schoolchildren and local organisations.

You can also see more on this story on BBC Midlands Today at 18:30.

Download the map or find them on your phone., external

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

A firm of solicitors representing some of the victims families involved in the Birmingham pub bombings say "today is a sad day".

In a statement, the firm says "another form of investigation, such as a statutory inquiry" may be needed to seek the justice the families want.

Full hearings are due to take place in September.

Express and Star

New signing Jay Rodriguez is ready to tackle the daunting hills of Austria, external after being warned by the rest of the Albion squad.

Allen Cook
BBC Local Live

A blind veteran who lost four World War Two medals at a motorway service station in Staffordshire is going to get a set of replacement ones.

Alfred Barlow, 95, of Stockport, Greater Manchester, was returning from a pilgrimage to Normandy, France, on 8 June when he noticed they were missing.

Image source, Blind Veterans UK

He was at Norton Canes Services, near Walsall on the M6 Toll.

Among others, actor Hugh Grant offered a reward for their safe return.

Mr Barlow will be given the replacement medals at a ceremony today at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

Bromsgrove Advertiser

A handwritten sign warning drivers to slow down has been pitched on a roadside where a cyclist was killed, external.

BBC Sport

Warwickshire have recovered from a shaky start as they attempt to build a big second innings total for Middlesex to chase at Edgbaston.

Earlier, the two sides scored exactly the same in their first innings and Warwickshire lost four wickets for just 85 runs when they went back out to bat.

But, they've now reached 136-4, thanks to a half century from captain Jonathan Trott.

The coroner leading the Birmingham pub bombing inquests has given his reasons as to why he will not allow the naming of suspects., external

"It is firmly decided in law that there is a marked distinction between a criminal investigation and an inquest," he said.

"And there are good reasons for it."

A criminal investigation "seeks to identify suspects (who are believed to be guilty) and bring them to justice through the process of arrest, prosecution and trial in a criminal court".

An inquest (21 inquests in this case), "seeks only to answer the four statutory questions."

The questions:, external

• Who was deceased?
• When did they die?
• Where did they die?
• How did they die?

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

The man charged with leading the inquest into the Birmingham pub bombings says it would be "unlawful" to name any of the suspects of the 1974 bombings.

Sir Peter Thornton QC said to do so would be taking on the role of a proxy criminal trial.

Image source, Getty Images

In a 15-page ruling he said, external: "The approach would inevitably be piecemeal and incomplete, mostly reliant upon persons named in books and the press, mostly by journalists."

He ruled out considering the reactions of the emergency services on the night but said evidence could be heard on the issue that police may have been tipped off twice about the possibility of a bomb attack, in the run up to the blasts.

The coroner was asked to consider four issues for consideration on the question of scope:

• Forewarning - whether West Midlands Police (WMP) or other state agency had prior knowledge that a bomb attack would take place on or around 21 November 1974, and whether further steps could or should have been taken to prevent the bombings that did occur
• Agent/informant - whether WMP or any other state agency were engaged in concealing the actions of agents or informants who were responsible for the bombings, or whether there was other state involvement or collusion to enable the bombings on 21 November 1974 to take place
• Emergency response - the response of the emergency services to the bombings, its adequacy or otherwise, and whether any failings caused or contributed to the deaths that resulted from the bombings
• The perpetrator - the identities of those who planned, planted, procured and authorized the bombs used on 21 November 1974

Julie Hambleton, whose older sister Maxine died in the pub bombings, is disheartened by the ruling.

"We may as well not bother having an inquest" if the issue of suspects could not be examined, she said.

Lisa Wright
Journalist, BBC News Online

Sir Peter Thornton QC, who has led the pre-inquest hearings, rules the inquests must comply with the law, focus on the four statutory questions of who died, how, when and where they came by their death and be realistic about the availability of relevant evidence 43 years on.

Sima Kotecha
Midlands Correspondent, BBC News

A coroner has ruled the identities of those suspected to be behind the Birmingham pub bombings will not be discussed at the forthcoming inquest.

Sir Peter Thornton QC said: "The identity of perpetrators is not a question that an inquest is charged with answering."

The families of the 21 people killed in explosions at two city centre pubs in 1974 have argued the inquests cannot take place without naming the main suspects.

Their lawyers have said discussing potential perpetrators "is central to the case".

Giles Latcham
BBC Midlands Today

Coroner Sir Peter Thornton QC, who will be leading the Birmingham pub bombings inquest, rules out naming suspects.

The families of the victims I have spoken to are dismayed.

A West Midlands MEP has announced he is standing to become the next leader of UKIP.

Bill Etheridge has called himself the party's "libertarian candidate", and is aiming to succeed Paul Nuttall, who quit as leader after poor results in the general election.

The deadline for candidates is the end of July, with former leader Nigel Farage ruling himself out.

Birmingham Mail

We will settle for nothing less than a fair, transparent inquest.

In light of the most recent horrific events that have taken place at Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge, Grenfell Towers and Finsbury Park Mosque, on behalf of Justice4the21, we share the pain, grief and sorrow of all those caught up in them., external

Mikey Burrows
BBC WM Sport

Villa's chief executive Keith Wyness says they need to sell players this summer to help balance the clubs finances.

He said there will be money to spend on new players, even after signing John Terry this week.

Image source, Getty Images

The families of those who died in the Birmingham pub bombings' will hear the coroner's decision on the scope of the inquest which was re-opened last year.

One of Britain's most senior coroners, Peter Thornton QC, has led the inquests into the deaths of 21 people in 1974 after two bombs exploded in the city centre.

A decision on scope, and whether the suspected perpetrators can be named, is expected to be published at 14:00.

After a lengthy campaign by victims' families, Birmingham coroner Louise Hunt ruled in June last year the inquests would be reopened.

BBC Sport

It's been a terrific morning for Warwickshire in day three of their match with Middlesex, after the visitors had looked to be on top overnight.

Image source, Getty Images

Resuming on 302-6, in reply to the Bears first innings of 334, the away side were bowled out for exactly the same score.

Middlesex lost wickets steadily through the morning with Rikki Clarke (pictured) denying them a lead as he had Tim Murtagh caught behind for 10 at Edgbaston for figures of 3-61.