West Brom boss Tony Pulis wants the future of Manchester City target Jonny Evans to be resolved so he can focus on strengthening his squad.

Mikey Burrows
BBC WM Sport

Let's start with transfer news as there is less than a week to go before the window closes:

• West Bromwich Albion have signed Scotland winger Oliver Burke from German club RB Leipzig on a five-year contract for a reported fee of £15m
• Wolves are thought to have rejected a £3m offer from Hull for striker Nouha Dicko.
• Villa are still chasing West Ham winger Robert Snodgrass
• New striker Sam Gallagher will make his Blues debut against Reading tomorrow
• The Birmingham Bears are at Surrey tonight in the quarter finals of the T20 Blast

Birmingham's long bin strike has been suspended but it does not mean the end of a bin bag backlog.

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

Yesterday, we featured a barge that had curiously been abandoned on the side of a road in Sandwell.

This morning I spoke to the council which says it is yet to hear from anyone claiming it's theirs - and that means it could soon be moved.

The boat was discovered on Vittoria Street in Smethwick.

Image source, Sandwell Highways

Some Twitter users haven't failed to see the funny side, external and have suggested other uses for it, including decoration for a roundabout and even the question "if no one claims it, can I have it?"

Another added: "I'm not entirely sure this is the sort of thing one might misplace."

Giles Latcham
BBC Midlands Today

A charity is urging schools to provide more training for staff to ensure they're able to help pupils who suffer severe allergic reactions.

An inquest jury ruled that neglect contributed to the death of nine-year-old Mohammad Ismaeel Ashraf who fell ill at school in Birmingham after eating lunch.

Staff were slow to give him emergency medication that could have helped save his life.

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

The Stoke City manager says he's confident midfielder Darren Fletcher will not be put off when they travel to his former club West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Image source, David Rogers/Getty Images

The 33-year-old joined the Potters on a free transfer in June, having made 97 appearances for the Baggies.

West Bromwich Albion sign Scotland winger Oliver Burke from German club RB Leipzig on a five-year contract for a reported fee of £15m.

A man was left in a road with serious leg injuries in Dudley last night, say police who were called to reports of someone being "knocked over" and gun shots.

The West Midlands force said the 36-year-old was hurt in Himley Road, with officers called just after 22:00. Specialist units were deployed.

The area has been cordoned off to allow a forensic search and police are investigating whether there are more victims.

A spokesperson said: "Gun crime is a high priority for us and we will be working round the clock to identify who is responsible."

Tamworth Herald

Fear is spreading across Harlaston as residents, external and area leaders are worried that they could lose their 'vital lifeline' bus service that connects them to Tamworth.

Daz Hale
BBC WM

Bin men have been cleaning up one almighty mess in Birmingham this morning after rubbish bags were left in the middle of a road.

Bags of waste on Winson Green Road last night stretched 200 yards to Aberdeen Street and among them were tyres, a mattress and broken glass.

It's much better now but things were very smelly for a time.

One man, who didn't want to be named, said he saw locals moving rubbish into the roads after cats and rats began ripping open bags that were uncollected amid the city's bin strikes - suspended last week after a summer-long dispute.

He said: "This is a response to our bins not being emptied. We don't have wheelie bins so everything is left out in black bags so they've been ripped open. Your seeing this but our bags look like this anyway as they are all ripped open."

A Birmingham road has been blocked off with a barricade of bin bags.

It's thought residents in Winson Green have done it in protest over uncollected rubbish, despite refuse workers going back to work last week following a summer of strike action.

The rubbish piles blocked off the junction of Winson Green Road and Aberdeen Street last night.

Yesterday, Birmingham City Council delayed a decision on a report which said the ground conceded to workers that ended the dispute was not financially viable for the authority.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

The sun's out already for much of the West Midlands - here's how the rest of Friday is looking.

You can keep yourself updated at any other time by getting the latest forecast for your area from the BBC Weather website.

Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live

Good morning from the BBC WM newsroom.

I'll be bringing you the latest news, sport, travel and weather updates for Birmingham and the Black Country between now and 18:00.

If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach us on Facebook , externalor tweet @BBCWM, external.

Jurors conclude that food was the cause of a schoolboy's fatal shock, but not which kind.

Sarah Papachristophorou is jailed for supplying a man with drugs and stealing money from him.

Thousands attend the funeral of Bishop Sydney Dunn, who formed a black Christian church in Birmingham.

That's it for our live updates today, but keep an eye out here for any breaking news throughout the evening.

We'll be back at 08:00 on Friday.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM

A report into terms and conditions of refuse workers in Birmingham, external stops short of saying a deal was done prematurely, but it certainly recommends there should be no movement whatsoever on the council’s original plans, which led to the strike in the first place.

Not what ACAS and Unite were saying last week, or what the binmen want to hear.

One refuse worker told that the mood is very downbeat among the teams following today’s deferral of this crucial vote – because he has no desire to go back on strike.

He believes taking industrial action again is almost inevitable with such potentially deep division between council officers and the promise of a resolution.

Birmingham City Council postponed the meeting which was due to decide the future of the bin service in the city earlier today.

Next Friday really is crunch time, the day when new contracts must be issued, and when senior councillors must decide whether they vote with officers risking more devastating strike action, or against them – and then have to face some other potentially serious consequences.

The leader, and much of the city, will be hoping they reach some kind of deal before then.

Stevenage sign 21-year-old defender Kevin Toner from Championship side Aston Villa on a season-long loan deal.

A documentary series on the work of the West Midlands Ambulance Service will be on TV tonight, featuring paramedics from Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Series two of Ambulance will look at all aspects of their work from the control rooms to the crews on the street.

Worcester operations manager, Andy Allsop, says we'll definitely get an insight into how they work.

The show is on BBC One at 21:00.