Ben Godfrey
BBC Midlands Today

A 25-year-old man, charged with the murder of his grandmother, who was stabbed to death at her home has appeared in court.

A neighbour found 74-year-old Anne James collapsed with suspected knife injuries at her home in Walsall on Wednesday evening.

Appearing before magistrates, Greg Irvin of Walsall Wood was remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance on Wednesday at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

BBC Entertainment and Arts

The Stoke-on-Trent writer of a film starring a six-year-old deaf British girl which won an Oscar last night has thanked the Academy Awards for letting her put deafness "in front of a mainstream audience".

Rachel Shenton, a former Hollyoaks star, wrote The Silent Child, which tells the story of a girl who struggles to communicate, and stars Maisie Sly.

It was named best live action short film and Shenton used sign language in her acceptance speech.

Birmingham Live

Some of the main stories on the Birmingham Live website today are:

• Homeless heroes 'ordered to leave' New Street station as they helped rough sleeper, external
• Fury as platforms full of commuters left stranded by delayed and overcrowded trains, external
• Homes urged to avoid using water , externalunless it's absolutely "essential"

Tim Page
News Editor, BBC Shropshire

A woman's been arrested after two people suffered injuries in an attack at a house in Shrewsbury.

Image source, Google

West Mercia Police says officers were called at 21:35 yesterday to Harlescott Close and found a man in his 20s with an ear injury and a woman in her 20s with injuries to her face.

They've arrested a 23-year-old woman from Shrewsbury on suspicion of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Homes in the Ladywood, Harborne, Longbridge and Walker's Heath areas of Birmingham are still being affected by water supply problems.

Image source, Lindsey Bailey

Severn Trent said a thaw had led to burst water mains and leaks.

The company told customers it was "working to move water around our network in a different way to get everyone back on supply" but that it was "going to take some time".

The company has also been called to deal with a burst main on Westmorland Road in the Wyken area of Coventry, which has left local residents without water and heating.

BBC Sport

Worcester Warriors director of rugby says defeat to Leicester means they're still in a relegation battle.

Image source, Rex Features

The Tigers exacted revenge for Worcester's November win at Welford Road by scoring five tries in a 34-5 win at Sixways.

The defeat leaves 11th-placed Worcester still 12 points clear of bottom club London Irish - but now with just five games left.

There are still delays of about an hour on the M6 after a lorry fire.

Image source, Highways England

One lane remains closed after the incident within junction four.

A large recovery and clean-up operation is needed, said Highways England.

The M42 entry slip road is also closed.

Image source, Highways England

Image source, Highways England

The ruling conservatives at Warwickshire County Council are under fire for spending almost £14,000 on new furniture for the leader's office.

Image source, Google

The Labour opposition says it shows a lack of awareness of spending priorities.

Deputy leader Peter Butlin said cheap furniture and chairs wouldn't have made a good impression on those bringing jobs and investment to the county.

The Sentinel

The top stories on The Sentinel newspaper's website today include:

• Rachel Shenton's film The Silent Child wins at the Oscars, external
• Thousands more speeding D-Road drivers could be fined in camera plan, external
• Improvement plan for 'growing' city school where teachers have to eat lunch in their classroom, external

Three men, including one from Coventry, are due in court charged with manslaughter and arson with intent to endanger life after an explosion in Leicester left five dead.

Aram Kurd, 33 of Leicester, Hawkar Hassan, 32 of Coventry, and 37-year-old Arkan Ali, of Oldham, are due at Leicester Magistrates' Court, police said.

Three members of the same family died when the shop and flat were destroyed last Sunday.

Five people were also taken to hospital after the blast, one of whom suffered critical injuries.

Allen Cook
BBC News

You might think that all the snow's gone, but that's not the case for some rural areas.

Shropshire Council says, while most routes in the county are open, many minor ones are shut and the B4378 Much Wenlock to Shipton road, external's still closed due to "the height of unstable drifts".

Image source, Shropshire Council

While in Herefordshire, the council similarly says some minor roads are still tricky to drive on, including the B4220 at Acton Beauchamp, near Worcester, and the B4203 at Tedstone Wafre, near Bromyard., external

They add that they are also working to clear the B4224 which is blocked due to drifts near Bromsash, close to Ross on Wye.

Image source, Herefordshire Council

Allen Cook
BBC News

After all the disruption on Friday and into the weekend, council and transport services in Herefordshire and Worcestershire look to be getting back to normal:

BBC Sport

Andrew Pozzi, said the support of the Birmingham crowd helped him to win gold at the World Indoor Athletics championships.

The 25-year-old from Stratford-upon-Avon, edged ahead of American Jarrett Eaton in the final stride of the race, winning by one-hundredth of a second.

He shared team captain duties with Shelayna Oskan-Clarke at the event and his win arrived shortly after she claimed women's 800m bronze.

Pozzi's 7.46 seconds just edged out American Jarret Eaton (7.47).

Both Severn Trent and South Staffordshire Water say they are not sure how many customers are without water this morning.

It's after the recent weather caused many pipes to freeze.

Severn Trent says many of those in the Ladywood, Harborne, Longbridge and Walker's Heath areas of Birmingham are affected.

It said the thaw had engineers called out to an "unprecedented number of leaks".

South Staffordshire Water says bursts are being reported "minute by minute" and are cropping up everywhere across its patch.

The company has called on people not to use water for anything that's not essential.

A six-year-old boy whose parents are fighting for permission to treat his epilepsy with cannabis is back at home after being readmitted to hospital.

Alfie Dingley, from Kenilworth, was treated with intravenous steroids after experiencing a cluster of seizures.

Image source, Maggie Deacon/PA

It is the second time he has been readmitted since returning from the Netherlands where he was given cannabis oil, which is illegal in the UK.

Posting on the Alfie's Hope Facebook page, , externalhis parents, who are campaigning to lift the government ban on the medication, thanked those who had sent "supportive and kind messages".

"We have many wonderful people working tirelessly behind the scenes to get the trial for Alfie's medication in place urgently and I believe it'll happen very quickly. We are so grateful to all of them who are helping Alfie so much."

A 45-year-old man is wanted in connection with the disappearance of 17-year-old Jessica Roe, said Staffordshire Police., external

Officers believe the teenager from Cannock, got into a van with Stuart Lymer, from Uttoxeter, at Tesco in Heath Hayes at 13:00 on Friday 2 March.

Image source, Staffordshire Police

The van has since been found.

Det Insp Alan Lyford said: “We have genuine concerns for Jessica’s safety, particularly whilst she is in the company of Lymer.

"There is no suggestion that Jessica was forcibly taken, however we need to bring her home to ensure she is safe.”

A film starring a six-year-old deaf British girl and written by a Stoke-on-Trent actress, has won an Oscar.

Image source, Reuters

The Silent Child, which tells the story of a girl who struggles to communicate, was named best live action short film.

Image source, Reuters

It stars Maisie Sly, aged six, and Rachel Shenton from Stoke-on-Trent who played Mitzeee Minniver in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.

Rachel said she was inspired to write the film by her father, who went deaf after receiving treatment for chemotherapy when she was 12.

The film, shot in Stoke and Staffordshire was directed by Chris Overton - AKA Hollyoaks cage fighter Liam McAllister.

A number of schools are closed this morning due to heating problems or burst pipes, including:

• Callow End Primary in Worcestershire
• Galton Valley Primary in Smethwick
• Mesty Croft Academy in Wednesbury
• Temple Meadow Primary in Cradley heath
• Victoria Park Academy in Smethwick
• William Brookes School in Much Wenlock, Shropshire

BBC News Travel

Fire crews are at the scene of a "severe" crash on the A4103 Hereford to Worcester Road at Stifford's Bridge in Malvern.

Drivers are being advised to avoid the area.

Hundreds of people gathered at Coventry Cathedral on Sunday to pay their respects to former Coventry City player Cyrille Regis.

The former West Bromwich Albion striker, credited with inspiring a generation of black players, died on 14 January, aged 59.

Regis's widow Julia said: "Coventry was very close to his heart, dear to his heart.

"It's also a city where faith is important. And I think it's fitting we've got a service in the cathedral which honours his faith and the fundamental beliefs he had in life and in the city where he did achieve his biggest success in winning the FA Cup with Coventry in 1987."