The leader of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward said he "could not be prouder" of the city, after its successful bid to host the Commonweath Games.

"It's huge news for the city" he said.

Vicky Breakwell
BBC Hereford and Worcester

The family of a Worcestershire man who took his own life last Christmas say they hope to raise thousands of pounds to help raise awareness of mental health issues in the coming year.

Image source, The Nathan Tomkins Trust

Nathan Tomkins from Earls Croome was 22 when he died on Christmas Eve last year.

His family have set up a charitable trust in his name and say they're now offering grants of up to £1,000 to clubs and groups in south Worcestershire to , externalraise the level of awareness and support "for mental health illnesses".

Allen Cook
BBC News

A group of cyclists headed up to a high spot in Shropshire to try and welcome the winter solstice in.

Image source, Paul Rogers

They tell us this year's solstice ride saw them head up to the top of Bury Ditches, between Clun and Bishop's Castle, with the hope of being there for when the sun came up.

However, like most of the rest of us, cloud was what awaited them. Despite that, Paul Rogers from the group says it was still "great fun".

Channel 4 relocating out of London would give a "clear benefit to the country", Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has told MPs.

Image source, Channel 4

Sites have been proposed in Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull and Dudley to house the broadcaster.

Ms Bradley said the government was "still in discussions" about a move, but said as a publicly owned broadcaster Channel 4 was expected to deliver "public benefits above and beyond commercial benefits".

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) estimates a move could boost the region's economy by £5bn over 10 years.

After Coventry's UK City of Culture 2021 win, Birmingham winning the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Financial Times correspondent Andrew Bounds said the capture of Channel 4 would be the ultimate "hat trick for the West Midlands", external.

Aaron Johnston, 39, died when a cooling pipe burst at an industrial estate in Birmingham.

Express and Star

The Express and Star has these stories on its website today:

• Drug dealer rumbled by ringing mobile phone, external
• Kerry Cast 'had been assaulted' before mystery death, inquest hears, external
• Christmas getaway begins but 'frantic Friday' to bring worst delays, external

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Two people have suffered potentially serious injuries in the crash on the M6 in Cheshire today.

North West Ambulance Service says crews were called to junction 19 on the northbound side at about 11:30.

They say five people have been hurt, two of them seriously.

Highways England says the crash involved a car and a truck and that the collision's led to delays of three hours., external

Allen Cook
BBC News

Two men who died in a multi-car crash in Birmingham have been described, external as "happy and loving" and "kind and gentle" men.

Tauqeer Hussain, 26, and Mohammed Fahsha, 30, were among six people killed in the crash in Edgbaston in the early hours of Sunday.

Image source, West Midlands Police

They were in an Audi when it was in a collision with a taxi on Lee Bank Middleway, near the city centre.

Today, Mr Hussain's family says he was "loved by so many" and he would go "above and beyond for his family and friends".

While Mr Fahsha's family described him as "a loyal man that was loved by many".

Allen Cook
BBC News

Homeless man Aaron Barley was being helped by the Wilkinson family, his trial heard, before he murdered mother Tracey Wilkinson and her 13-year-old son Pierce.

Barley also tried to kill Mr Wilkinson at the family home in Stourbridge, by stabbing him six times.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Birmingham Crown Court heard the family had given Barley food, friendship and shelter over the year.

In October, he was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years but today at the Court of Appeal that was increased to a minimum term of 34 years and 178 days.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The family of a man who died following an explosion at a metals plant say he was "greatly loved, external".

Today, police have named the victim as Aaron Johnston, 39, from Sutton Coldfield.

Image source, West Midlands Police

He died at Timet UK, on Witton Industrial Estate in Holford Road, Birmingham last week after a cooling pipe burst.

The Health and Safety Executive is carrying out a full inquiry.

Mr Johnston's family said he was a "devoted husband, loving father and a loyal son and brother".

Vicky Breakwell
BBC Hereford and Worcester

Image source, Herefordshire Council

Removing a trailer full of thousands of litres of waste oil in Herefordshire is going to cost the council about £20,000., external

Image source, Herefordshire Council

The local authority says it was parked up in a layby in Much Birch in October and turned out to contain about 24,000 litres of oil.

The council's now trying to find out who dumped it but says the taxpayer's going to have to foot the bill for now.

BBC News Travel

There are two hour delays , externalon the M6 northbound in Cheshire this afternoon after a crash between a lorry and a car., external

Highways England says two lanes are shut along with the exit slip road at junction 19 with traffic already backed up past junction 18.

Allen Cook
BBC News

For train passengers, the start of the Christmas getaway will be marked by strike action.

Image source, PA

Rail, Maritime and Transport union and Transport Salaried Staffs Association members on Virgin Trains West Coast are due to strike on 22 December over pay and staffing.

The train operator has offered passengers booked for tomorrow the chance to travel earlier , externalbut admits services are likelier to be busier than normal and it'll run an amended timetable, external.

The court heard 66-year-old Paul Edmunds supplied guns and ammunition used in three killings.

Lucy King
News Editor, BBC Radio Stoke

Cannock Chase is being touted as a potential venue to host a sport during the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

It comes after Birmingham was confirmed today as the host city for the event.

Staffordshire County Council says it believes Cannock Chase could stage the mountain biking contest, if it's picked as one of the optional sports for the games.

Even if the sport isn't selected, the authority says it still expected the county to benefit from the increase in visitors for the games.

It's in writing.

Joanne Gallacher
Political reporter, BBC Shropshire

Shropshire Council is expected to exchange contracts with the owners of Shrewsbury's two main shopping centres today.

Image source, Flickr

They're buying the Darwin and Pride Hill and will take over the running of the Riverside centre too.

The sale, rumoured to be about £60m, will be completed by the end of January.

The Conservative-run authority says it wants to revamp the centres and bring in more money for essential services which have seen cuts from central government.

Robbers threatened staff with crowbars in a Leamington Spa store, before tying them up and making off with self-service cash boxes police say., external

The three targeted Sainsbury's on Rugby Road, Cubbington at about 06:00 this morning.

Image source, Google

Officers say nobody was hurt during the incident but it was "very upsetting for the staff and customers".

Warwickshire Police are keen to talk to a dog walker who was in the area around the time of the incident.

BBC Weather Watchers

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, when the north pole is tilted furthest from the sun.

However there is not much sign of the sun in this morning's photos from our BBC Weather Watchers.

These two images are from users Videoman in Leek and Wub in Market Drayton:

Image source, Videoman

Image source, Wub

A rogue firearms dealer has been jailed at Birmingham Crown Court for 30 years for supplying illegal handguns and homemade bullets linked to more than 100 crime scenes, including murders in Birmingham.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Paul Edmunds, of Hardwicke, Gloucestershire, also supplied ammunition used in an attempt to shoot down a police helicopter in the 2011 riots.

The registered gun dealer was found guilty in November of conspiracy to supply firearms and ammunition and smuggling banned handguns into the UK.

Jailing "cavalier" Edmunds, Judge Richard Bond told the pensioner: "You ran roughshod over your legal responsibilities as a registered firearms dealer."