The Shropshire rower Kelda Wood has said she rowed the Atlantic ocean "to reach and inspire young people" and that this motivation kept her going during difficult times.

She has become the first adaptive rower to achieve the feat and speaking afterwards to the race organisers, she said: "I've absolutely hated some moments of it".

Image source, Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge

Kelda also said she'd been fighting against the wind for the last five days, as she approached Antigua, and said she thought about the young people who had written to her.

A father must wait years to discover if his children have a cancer gene that led to his wife's death.

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

A father says he will have to face a "tough" decision whether to test his children for genetic stomach cancer after his wife died of the condition.

Raj Singh Rainu's Nim, 34, from Leamington Spa, died in September after being diagnosed with aggressive stomach cancer in January 2018.

Their three children, aged nine, five and three, have a 50-50 chance of inheriting the "cancer gene", he said.

However, they cannot be tested until they are at least 16 years old.

Mr Rainu, 35, has launched a campaign to encourage more people to ask about being tested for genetic cancers before it is too late.

BBC Sport

Birmingham's Dan Evans progressed to the second round of the Oracle Challenger Series at Indian Wells after knocking out American Maxime Cressy.

Image source, Getty Images

Evans, who missed out on his first ATP title at the Delray Beach Open on Sunday, won 6-4 7-5 in California.

The 28-year-old has climbed to 105 in the world after returning last April from a one-year ban for testing positive for cocaine.

The low sun's being blamed for starting a fire in a shop front in Birmingham.

Image source, West Midlands Fire Service

West Midlands Fire Service says the sunshine was powerful enough yesterday and at the right angle, refracted through the window, to start a blaze in a rotten window sill in the Highgate area. , external

Firefighters say people should keep mirrors or glassware away from direct sunlight., external

Birmingham Live

The Birmingham Live website's covering these stories this morning:

• Police given extra 'stop and search' powers in city centre after boy, 16, stabbed, external
• The 10 worst places for air pollution in Birmingham and West Midlands, external
• Two arrested after massive police chase on the M6, external

BBC WM

A Ryanair passenger who was filmed launching a tirade at an elderly woman on a flight is facing prosecution in Spain.

Image source, David Lawrence

David Mesher, from Birmingham, was on a flight from Barcelona to Stansted on 19 October when he was filmed insulting Delsie Gayle.

Previously, he told ITV's Good Morning Britain he was "not a racist person by any means" and it was "just a fit of temper at the time".

Earlier this week, Essex Police said, as the exchange took place in Spain, the Crown Prosecution Service advised it had no jurisdiction to charge Mr Mesher.

But a spokeswoman for Barcelona City Hall said the public prosecutor had opened criminal proceedings for the case, after it presented a complaint to them.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson

Street lights are set to be dimmed and charges for green waste increased as Birmingham City Council approves its budget., external

The 4.99% increase in council tax was passed, equating to an extra £65 a year for a Band D property.

The Labour-run local authority's making £46m of cuts in the 12 months from April, rising to £85m over the next four years.

Among the other proposals are increases to bulky waste fees and cutting fly-tipping enforcement resources while 1,000 jobs are expected to be lost, although it's not been fully revealed where they'll go.

The council has seen 12,000 posts go (48%) go since 2010.

Councillors did, however, backtrack, after a public consultation, on plans to bring in charges for dealing with rats and cutting funding for crossing patrols.

BBC News UK

More than 3,000 violent patients in England were barred from seeing their GP in 2018, figures obtained by the BBC have revealed.

The individuals were subject to the Special Allocation Scheme, a register for violent or abusive patients.

Figures for 2017 showed the Birmingham and Solihull clinical commissioning group area had more banned patients than anywhere else in England.

Patients subject to the scheme receive medical treatment at designated GP practices, where additional security measures are in place.

NHS England said staff should be able to carry out their work without fear.

BBC Midlands Today

An inquest is due to begin today looking into the death of a woman who died after contracting Legionnaires' disease at a hotel.

Image source, Google

Elaine Brown, 69, from Liverpool, died in the summer of 2017 after staying at The Feathers Hotel in Ludlow.

Her death came a few months after another hotel guest caught the disease.

The inquest is expected to last three days.

Express and Star

Here are a few of the early headlines from the Express and Star:

• Oldbury multi-million retail park plan scrapped, external
• Tories launch challenge to Wolverhampton Westside scheme, external
• Dudley council tax payers facing £50 hike in bills, external

BBC Shropshire

A para-rower from Shropshire has become the first adaptive rower to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo.

Kelda Woods, from Shrewsbury, was crushed by a bale of hay weighing more than a tonne, putting an end to her career, working with horses.

Twelve years on, she's rowed from Tenerife to Antigua with organisers saying she crossed the finish line this morning, completing it in just under 77 days., external

BBC Sport

Wolves turned in a disappointing performance in their defeat at Huddersfield Town as their recent slump continued.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Mounie scored the winner in the 91st minute for the home side as the visitors failed to have a shot on target and played little of their slick, attacking football.

Wolves are still in the top eight in the Premier League but this defeat followed back-to-back draws in the league.

BBC News Travel

Two lanes have been shut on the M6 northbound this morning in Staffordshire., external

Image source, Highways England

Highways England says it's taken the action between J11 and J11A, near Cannock, to rehang a barrier after a crash last night involving a lorry:, external

Image source, Highways England

BBC Sport

In the Championship, Connor Mahoney scored one goal and created the other as Birmingham beat Bristol City to move to within three points of the Robins in the play-off places.

Image source, Getty Images

The Blues, who have had a hearing over their breach of spending rules delayed until mid-March as speculation about a potential points penalty persists, move up to eighth in the table with their 12th league win of the season.

Also last night, in League One, Shrewsbury moved five points clear of the League One relegation zone with a 2-0 win against play-off contenders Doncaster.

BBC Midlands Today

Bin workers in Birmingham, who were due to strike today, have suspended their industrial action for a day.

More than 300 workers started a series of walkouts over claims of "secret payments" made to GMB staff after a dispute in 2017.

Their union Unite, has put its latest planned walkout on hold in order to have more talks with the local authority.

Birmingham City Council said it welcomed the suspension and that it was in everyone's interests to end the row before Thursday, to avoid it going to court.

BBC Midlands Today

A 16-year-old boy is in hospital after being stabbed in the leg in Birmingham city centre., external

Image source, Google

Police say they were called to a shop in Bull Street yesterday evening and cordoned off the area.

It's the latest stabbing in Birmingham which has included three fatal ones in the last two weeks.

Office for National Statistics figures , externalshow West Midlands Police saw a 72% rise in knife crime between April 2013 and the year ending March 2018.

Alex Hamilton
BBC Weather

A chilly and sunny start to Wednesday in the West Midlands - here's how the rest of the day's looking:

You can get an up-to-date forecast for your part of the West Midlands at any other time by going to the BBC Weather website.

Allen Cook
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 , externaland Facebook, external.

More than 3,000 violent patients in England were barred in 2018 from seeing their local GP.