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Delegations from Stoke-on-Trent and Coventry are in Hull today, for one final attempt to impress the UK City of Culture judges.
They are competing against Swansea, Sunderland and Paisley for the honour in 2021 and a winner is due to be announced tomorrow evening.
Image source, @sot2021/@Coventry2021The cities will have 90 minutes to set out their bids and their potential impact.
James Bond
Sports Producer, BBC Shropshire
Shrewsbury Town are through to the last 16 of the EFL Trophy after a 2-1 win over Port Vale last night.
But the Shrewsbury manager Paul Hurst wasn't happy with the performance from his players, saying he was looking for "much, much better".
Vale led 1-0 thanks to a first-minute goal by Christian Montano, but Shrewsbury won the tie with goals from Louis Dodds and Lennell John-Lewis.
Hammerson, which owns Birmingham's Bullring and Grand Central, has made a recommended £3.4bn offer for Intu, which owns shopping centres in Hanley and Dudley, among others.
Worcestershire County Council is warning next year will be one of the most financially challenging it's faced
The authority says it needs to plug a gap of £33m in 2018-19, in order to meet the rising cost of caring for vulnerable children and adults and balance the books.
Image source, Worcestershire County CouncilPart of that will come from a rise in council tax of 4.94%, but Council Leader Simon Geraghty says there will still have to be millions of pounds of cuts, and debt will have to be paid off more slowly.
Plans to rearrange hospital services in Shrewsbury and Telford are facing another delay and may not be consulted on until the new year.
The review, known as Future Fit, has already been in the pipeline for more than three years and is waiting for the approval of NHS England before it can move on to the next phase.
David Evans from the Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group said the review body was hoping to get the go-ahead for consultation in the next few weeks.
But he said if that approval doesn't come before the end of this week, the consultation will be delayed until 2018.
The proposals being put forward involve downgrading Telford's accident and emergency department and moving specialist women and children's services to Shrewsbury, while moving planned surgery to Telford.
Newcastle Borough Council has elected a new leader.
Conservative Simon Tagg was voted into the role by councillors after Labour's Elizabeth Shenton resigned from her post at a meeting last night.
Image source, GoogleShe had faced pressure to go after a report showed failures at the council meant 1,500 people were unable to vote in last May's general election.
Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather
We're forecast some wet weather in parts of the West Midlands and colder weather is expected tomorrow, bringing a chance of snow.
Weather forecast for the West Midlands
A Birmingham man is one of two due before Westminster Magistrates' Court later, accused of terror offences.
Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, was arrested on 28 November and is accused of preparing acts of terrorism.
Also due before the court is Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman from north London.
The BBC understands the 20-year-old is alleged to have been involved in a plot to bomb the Downing Street security gates and then attack Prime Minister Theresa May with a knife.
Andy Giddings
BBC News
Welcome to our live service for Wednesday.
We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.
We love to hear from you so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external
The man's condition has deteriorated after having been attacked in his home two weeks ago, say police.
Read MoreWe'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 on Wednesday, but keep an eye out here for more updates before then.
BBC Sport
The Wasps director of rugby Dai Young's praised the "loyalty" of captain Joe Launchbury after he signed an undisclosed-length contract extension with the Premiership club.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe 26-year-old England lock follows the lead of international teammate Elliot Daly, while Tom Cruse, Ashley Johnson, Rob Miller and Alex Rieder have extended deals in recent weeks.
Launchbury has made 117 appearances since his Premiership debut against Leicester in 2011, playing a key role in the four-time Premiership champions' revitalisation since moving to the Midlands.
Quote MessageWe know a number of sides would have been keen for Joe to join them. It is a mark of his loyalty and belief in the squad we are assembling."
Dai Young, Wasps director of rugby
Andy Giddings
BBC News
The campaigns are drawing to a close for the cities competing to be crowned UK City of Culture for 2021 and both the Stoke-on-Trent and Coventry bid teams are heading off to Hull, where the winner will be announced.
They're up against Swansea, Paisley and Sunderland and the decision is due to be made public on the BBC's One Show on Thursday.
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Allen Cook
BBC News
A food bank is going to get £33,000 a year, external for the next six years from the local authority.
Image source, Telford and Wrekin CounciTelford and Wrekin Council's agreed the funding for Telford Crisis Support, saying it'll help towards its running costs until 2023.
The charity started the food bank in 2014 and the council says it's supported it since it began.
Gavin Kermack
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Council tax in Worcestershire is set to rise by almost 5% next year under , externalbudget plans announced by the county council this afternoon.
The increase amounts to an extra £57 a year for a band D property.
Image source, Worcestershire County CouncilThe council has today announced around £19m of new cuts and savings while admitting it will have to dip into its reserves to pay for an approximate £8m overspend accrued this year.
It's planning to reveal more details on the budget on Wednesday but says it wants to spend £10.5m on vulnerable children and young people.
In October, the council said it expected to have to make about £33m of cuts next year and another £27m by the end of the 2020/21 financial year.
Olivia Morley
Journalist, BBC WM
Organisers of the Wolverhampton Marathon say the event is to be scrapped after a fall in the number of entrants.
Fewer than 200 people signed up for this year's event - that's less than 10% of the spots available.
The marathon started in 1998 and organisers say it's raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities. , external
They say they'll now focus on shorter-distance events instead, boosting overall places by an extra 1,000 for a half-marathon, cycling race and a 10k.
BBC Sport
Shrewsbury Town chief executive Brian Caldwell says he reckons the club's FA Cup tie with Premier League side West Ham United could be a "great occasion" for the town as well as the club.
The match will see former Salopian players David Moyes and Joe Hart return to where they started their careers in English club football.
Shrewsbury currently stand second in League One, having been knocked off the top by successive defeats prior to Saturday's comfortable 2-0 second-round win over Morecambe, which set up their third-round tie.
Quote MessageIt's a good one to get Premier League opposition. Anything can happen. You look at every single round, there's always strange things happen. That's the magic of the cup.
Brian Caldwell, Shrewsbury Town chief executive
Liz Ellis
Presenter, BBC Radio Stoke
A Grade II listed building could be turned into the UK's first women's museum if proposed plans go ahead.
The Shire Hall in Stafford, which was built in the 1790s and was a former courthouse, shut earlier this year. , external
Several uses have been suggested for the site , externaland now Alison Tyson Craddock says she's applied to the county council to have it reopened as a museum all about women.
The authority says it's committed to breathing new life into the Shire Hall and is hoping begin the process of considering uses for the building soon.
Quote MessageWomen's history is really on point, it's really interesting and there's nothing other than the Glasgow Women's Library in the UK, there is not a dedicated museum to women's history."
Alison Tyson Craddock, Museum planner
BBC Shropshire
Revised plans for a biomass project south of Ellesmere, external are due to be discussed by Shropshire Council next week.
Image source, GoogleThe Tudor Griffiths group want to create a combined heat and power plant at its site off Wood Lane.
Concerns have been raised about noise levels, traffic and what will happen to ash which is produced.
The council's planning officials are recommending that the proposals are approved, subject to conditions.
BBC Business News
Electric black taxis have hit London's roads under plans to improve air quality but critics say their cost will put off drivers "going green".
Image source, LEVCThe £55,599 cab means drivers will have to pay £300 more a year in car tax.
Chris Gubbey, boss of manufacturer the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) insists the cab will "play a major role in helping to improve air quality".
The launch comes weeks ahead of rules requiring new cabs in the capital to be capable of emitting zero emissions.