A college in Birmingham will remain closed until after half term after a student was attacked nearby.

A 16-year-old boy was critically injured in a fight involving several teenagers on Belgrave Road at about 16:00 on Wednesday, said West Midlands Police.

In a statement, Joseph Chamberlain College confirmed the incident happened outside the college, and that their "thoughts are with the student who was attacked and his family".

The boy was taken to hospital in a critical condition, police said, external, and is believed to have suffered stab wounds to the chest.

Two men, aged 18 and 19, suffered cuts to their hands.

West Midlands Police said a 16-year-old boy was arrested nearby, but have not said what he was arrested on suspicion of.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

After a cold start it should be a dry find day with a good deal of sunshine and highs of 12C (54F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Thursday.

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

Jason Hickman, 47, died from a fractured skull and traumatic head injury.

Wigan Athletic and Stoke City share a tame Championship goalless draw at the DW Stadium.

Neal Maupay's injury-time winner for Brentford ruins former Bees boss Dean Smith's first return to Griffin Park with Aston Villa.

Det Con Norman Stephens resigned from Warwickshire Police in November, the force says.

Up to 20 patients and staff were moved because of the blaze on Monday night.

Two other teenagers suffered cuts to their hands in the brawl in Birmingham.

Andy Giddings
BBC News

We'll be back with the news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow.

Birmingham boss Garry Monk is only concerned about winning games, not whether they get penalised for financial breaches.

The north Shropshire MP Owen Paterson has suggested that Westminster should temporarily impose direct-rule in Northern Ireland, two years after its national assembly was suspended.

The former Northern Ireland Secretary was speaking after it emerged that Stormont politicians have been paid £12m, despite having little to do.

The current Northern Ireland secretary, Karen Bradley, said she shared his exasperation, but her priority remained getting the parties to agree to a resumption.

And she said that ideally decisions affecting Northern Ireland should be made locally.

BBC Radio Stoke

Work to demolish the old bus station and East West shopping centre in Hanley has got under way today.

An events arena could be built on the site of the old bus station in Hanley, if the city council's plans are given the go-ahead.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council bought the site last year after plans for a retail development fell through.

Hereford Times

These are among the headlines in the Hereford Times today:

• Lack of reply from MP angers councillors, external
• Lidl returns with new plan, external
• Pensioner died after fall down stairs, external

Allen Cook
BBC News

Two teenagers have appeared before magistrates today charged with a string of robberies and burglaries in which some homeowners were threatened with machetes and hammers.

Image source, Google

Police say the crimes happened across the West Midlands, from Solihull to Dudley, from 3 February until last weekend., external

The force says, in all the cases, victims were targeted for their expensive cars.

Two males, aged 18 and 16, arrested in Stratford-upon-Avon, were jointly charged with three robberies, four burglaries, two attempted robberies and one count of car theft.

The older teen was also charged with three other burglaries from last year and both were remanded into custody today, to appear at Birmingham Crown Court next month.

Two men deny murder after the fatal stabbing of Daniel Fitzjohn in Northampton in June 2018.

Five-year-old Oscar Saxelby-Lee has leukaemia and is relying on the "kindness of a stranger".

Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin

A scheme to use £650,000 of taxpayers' money to overhaul a town hall bar , externalhas been criticised as a waste of cash.

Image source, Google

Labour-controlled Dudley Borough Council is planning to use the funds to renovate the Dudley Town Hall bar.

But Conservative councillors have questioned whether it could be better spent on other services as the authority struggles with cuts to government funding.

However, the council says it will pay for itself in increased takings.

Cardinal John Henry Newman is set to become the first English saint since the Reformation.

A fire at a mental health centre in Tamworth was started deliberately, an investigation has concluded.

Firefighters were called to the George Bryan Centre on Monday evening and 20 people had to be evacuated.

Image source, PA

A man was arrested on suspicion of arson following the fire and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the matter was now in the hands of the police.