In the papers: Partner 'destroyed' by man's murderpublished at 15:26 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
A few of the stories making the headlines on the Shropshire Star website:
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In the papers: Partner 'destroyed' by man's murderpublished at 15:26 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
Armed officers in Walsallpublished at 15:14 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
Armed police officers are on Darlaston Road in Walsall, which remains closed to traffic.
West Midlands Police said officers were responding to reports of a car, believed to be stolen, which was being driven at speed.
The road is closed between Coventry Road and Reservoir Place.
Image source, John KennettMan stabbed in back stable in hospitalpublished at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
A man who was stabbed in the back by an unknown offender in Halesowen last night is in a stable condition.
The man was walking along Beech Avenue at about 21:00 when the attack happened, police say.
The 21-year-old didn't see his attacker or the weapon, the force said.
Hospital's new ward opens just before Christmaspublished at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
A new 24-bed hospital ward has opened just in time for Christmas.
Image source, Wye Valley NHS TrustWye Valley NHS Trust secured £3.6m from NHS England in September for the modular ward next to the emergency department at Hereford County Hospital.
At the time, bosses said the aim was to use it when the A&E unit was busy over the winter,, external to stop staff using areas normally used by patients having routine surgery.
This morning, the trust tweeted that it was ready, external and the first patients would be moved in today.
Police incident closes roadpublished at 14:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
Darlaston Road in Walsall is closed in both directions due to a police incident.
The road is closed heading underneath the motorway bridge, between Coventry Road and Reservoir Place.
Buses are being diverted away from the area.
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End of twitter postMan charged over second wife deathpublished at 14:19 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
Gurpreet Singh is charged with murdering one wife and soliciting the murder of another.
Read MoreAriana Grande adds second city datepublished at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
An extra Birmingham date has been added to Ariana Grande's world tour.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Sweetener tour will be Grande's first since 2017's Dangerous Woman Tour, which was interrupted by a suicide bomb attack on her concert in Manchester, which killed 22 fans.
She'll play Birmingham Arena on 14 and 15 September.
Your photos: Sun struggles to appear on cloudy solsticepublished at 13:54 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
The cloudy start to the winter solstice looks to have continued across the West Midlands.
Today is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and we're reflecting the photos taken so far by our BBC Weather Watchers.
These three are from Di's Walk in Rushall, Walsall, Mr Twister in Leek, Staffordshire and Stefftheneph in Hereford:
Image source, Di's Walk
Image source, Mr Twister
Image source, SteffthenephIn the papers: Rapist forced woman into prostitutionpublished at 13:42 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
These are some of the Coventry Observer headlines today:
- Rapist forced woman into prostitution after threatening to kill her children, external
- Council tax scheme could bring vacant houses back into use, external
- Businessman ordered to pay back nearly £70,000 in drug money, external
Council to hold extraordinary meeting over care failingspublished at 13:30 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
Vicky Breakwell
BBC Hereford and WorcesterAn extraordinary council meeting will be held in public in Herefordshire next month to discuss how two girls in care were failed on a "serious and serial basis".
Image source, GoogleEarlier this month, a High Court judge criticised Herefordshire Council for the "woeful" care for the half-sisters.
In a second case, Mr Justice Keehan said twins were put up for adoption separately based on "erroneous" information.
Council bosses have apologised and insist immediate actions have been taken.
But, following a briefing in secret yesterday, the authority says it'll hold an extraordinary full council meeting on the issues on 18 January.
Banker who murdered woman with pestle jailedpublished at 13:18 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
BBC News EnglandA banker who bludgeoned a woman to death with a pestle has been jailed.
Zahid Naseem, 48, killed Christina Abbotts, who was born in Stourbridge, at a flat in Crawley, West Sussex, in May, after paying for her services as a high-class escort.
Image source, Family handoutJudge Christine Laing said Ms Abbotts would have experienced "unimaginable terror" during the attack, which was of "extraordinary ferocity".
Naseem was convicted of murder after a trial at Lewes Crown Court and jailed for life with a minimum of 19 years.
Jurors heard Ms Abbotts had suffered more than 13 wounds to her head and 20 other injuries.
MG Rover creditors get more money backpublished at 13:09 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
BBC Business NewsUnsecured creditors of MG Rover will get a little bit more money back after liquidator PwC managed to recover some more funds from an overseas group company.
The Longbridge-based car firm went into administration in 2005.
Image source, Getty ImagesMatthew Hammond, PwC Midlands region chairman, said: "The MG Rover collapse was a significant event for a number of reasons – first and foremost for the many employees and families it impacted.
"The size and complexity of the liquidation has been challenging, but we have now returned over 16p in the pound to creditors, which is pleasing compared to the 5p that was estimated at the start."
It takes the total amount of funds distributed to creditors to more than £130m, PwC added.
In the papers: Housing plan gets council approvalpublished at 12:57 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
The Worcester News has these stories today:
Croatia keeper Kalinic agrees Villa movepublished at 12:44 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
Croatia goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic agrees to join Championship side Aston Villa in the January transfer window.
Read MoreKiller's lawyer criticises MP for jail sentence tweetspublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
A lawyer representing a killer who was jailed for his girlfriend's manslaughter has criticised the Labour MP Harriet Harman for taking to Twitter to call for a review of the prison sentence., external
Image source, Family handoutMulti-millionaire John Broadhurst was sent to prison earlier this month for less than four years for killing Natalie Connolly (pictured) after engaging in "rough sex" at their home in Kinver.
This week, Ms Harman, Labour's former minister for women, called for a review of the sentence on Twitter and the attorney general said he was already looking at the case.
Ms Harman called it the "50 Shades of Grey defence", but she admitted she had not been in court.
However she said she had spoken to Ms Connolly's family and read reports of the case - but Broadhurst's lawyer says she could have kept her comments off social media.
Quote MessageTo take to Twitter and make accusations and to give an opinion based on facts which were wholly incorrect, we think is just unhelpful."
Stephen Vullo QC, Defence lawyer for John Broadhurst
Flooding fears after heavy rainpublished at 12:23 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
Allen Cook
BBC NewsRoads and farmland around Shrewsbury , externaland Leominster, external could flood over the next few hours, the Environment Agency is warning.
Image source, GoogleThere's been enough rainfall in both areas for it to issue flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.
The alerts are for the Severn Vyrnwy Confluence, near Crew Green, and the River Lugg, south of Leominster.
In both cases, the agency says it's expecting more rain tomorrow and for river levels to stay high.
Stabbed man remains in serious conditionpublished at 12:13 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
A man remains in hospital in a serious condition after being stabbed in the chest and stomach in Wolverhampton on Thursday.
Image source, GoogleOfficers were called to a property in Pirbright Close at about 07:20 where the man was being treated for stab wounds.
Enquiries are ongoing to trace the person responsible, said West Midlands Police.
Two questioned over 'fox cub hunting' videopublished at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
Radio 4 PMTwo members of a fox hunt have been questioned by police on suspicion of illegal hunting, the BBC can reveal.
Media caption, Police question pair over 'fox cub hunting' video
Video footage from the League Against Cruel Sports allegedly shows members of the Meynell and South Staffordshire Hunt involved in cub hunting - which trains hounds to hunt foxes.
The hunting of wild mammals with dogs is illegal in England, Wales, and Scotland.
The hunt said it was "assisting the police with their enquiries".
Investigators from the League Against Cruel Sports secretly filmed the Meynell and South Staffordshire Hunt in October.
In the papers: Drunk 'attacked supermarket staff'published at 11:51 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
These stories are being covered today by the Hereford Times:
Cash worth £100k found under car matpublished at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 21 December 2018
A stash of £50 notes, totalling £100,000, has been recovered from under a driver's mat after the vehicle was stopped by motorway police in the West Midlands.
Image source, Central Motorway Police GroupThe driver was arrested at the scene.
"Someone may not be receiving any presents this Xmas," officers tweeted, external.
