BBC young reporters from The Westwood Academy

Violet, from The Westwood Academy in Coventry, was interviewed by BBC Midlands Today for the lunchtime bulletin.

"I didn't get nervous because I knew I would be able to answer the questions," said the 13-year-old.

"It's been a really fun day and I've learned what it's like to be a journalist. I never knew that before."

Allen Cook
BBC News

Drivers using a stretch of the M5 in the West Midlands are facing yet more months of roadworks before repairs are completed.

Repairs and waterproofing to Oldbury Viaduct between junctions 1 and 2 have been under way since April 2017, reducing the number of lanes.

Highways England admitted last summer that the works were running six months behind schedule and hoped to have it finished by this spring., external

But now, a report by Sandwell Borough Council says it's set to finish this autumn., external

The West Midlands Ambulance Service says it faces a number of challenges in getting to patients in rural areas.

Figures released this morning show they face longer waits than those in towns and cities, with patients in towns like Kington in Herefordshire having an average wait of 19 minutes and those in Broadway in Worcestershire 17 minutes.

WMAS director Mark Docherty said: "Clearly it is more difficult to get to rural areas, for a whole variety of reasons. They're spread out, there are relatively small populations, the roads are not necessarily fast roads that go into these villages."

But he went on to say that the rural isolation was also a reason many people chose to live in these areas in the first place.

Dudley's current bus station looks set to be demolished to make way for a new £18m bus and tram interchange.

Image source, Dudley Borough Council

Outline planning permission's been granted by the local council, external so it can make way for a two-storey, glass-fronted replacement.

Transport for West Midlands is behind the proposals which will also see two vacant shop buildings demolished along with a former photography studio and a warehouse.

The council says there will now have to be a full planning application submitted before work can start.

BBC Business News

The boss of Aston Martin Lagonda has delivered a passionate defence of the company's strategy amid signs some city investors are losing faith.

Andy Palmer said the Gaydon-based firm would prove the sceptics wrong, as he stressed the luxury car maker's long-term plans and importance to UK manufacturing.

Image source, AFP

Aston Martin's shares slumped last week as the UK's only quoted car maker posted its first results since going public.

It comes as Aston rolled out its latest products at the Geneva Motor Show.

Staffordshire Live

The Staffordshire Live website has these headlines today:

• Part of A5 closed as air ambulance called to crash involving coach and cyclist, external
• Town centre pub put up for sale as empty Dorothy Perkins shop to become a bar, external
• Woman drove into bin man after a row over traffic queue, external

The father of a three-year-old boy has been found guilty of a plot to spray him with sulphuric acid.

The boy suffered burns to his face and arms in the attack at the Home Bargains store in Worcester in July last year.

Image source, SWNS

BBC Midlands Today

The world’s best badminton players will compete in Birmingham over the next few days.

The All England Championships began in 1899 and is still one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport.

Image source, Getty Images

The opening day of the tournament sees 80 games played across all disciplines.

British athletes will bid to become the first All England winners since mixed doubles pairing Nathan Roberts and Gail Emms in 2005.

The championships will be broadcast live on the BBC Sport app, Connected TV and on the BBC Sport website.

BBC young reporters from The Westwood Academy

We interviewed a group of four homes-schooled children who performed The Dinner Party during a radio play workshop as part of BBC Young Reporter day.

Image source, BBC Young Reporters James and Eleanor

Tyler, aged 11, said: "I enjoyed learning about how a radio play was made."

Olivia, aged 11, added: "Not all noises can be made in the studio. Sometimes you have to go out and do it in different ways."

The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Shropshire Council, Roger Evans, has accused the local authority of taxing parents to send their children to school, after councillors agreed to consult on plans to charge more for school transport.

The Conservative-run authority is proposing charging those on the lowest incomes more for their travel cards, to help save £700,000 from the budget.

The move will only affect future students, not those already in education, and a final decision will be made in May.

Another arrest has been made by detectives investigating the murder of 18-year-old Hazrat Umar in Birmingham on 25 February.

The 16-year-old boy from Birmingham was arrested on suspicion of murder this morning in connection with the fatal stabbing in Norwood Road.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Another 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has already been charged with Hazrat’s murder and is currently in custody.

BBC Weather Watchers

The dark clouds have rolled in across the West Midlands this morning, as far as the photos from our local BBC Weather Watchers show.

These two are from users Rileyhev in Hereford and Ken M in Lydbury North, Shropshire:

Image source, Rileyhev

Image source, Ken M

Worcester News

Here are three stories from the Worcester News today:

• Grammar school to merge with girls school, external

• Man who tried to murder girlfriend 'could spend life in prison', external

• Police find drugs hidden in bushes, external

A man's been arrested after a woman's body was found this morning in Sandwell., external

Image source, Google

Police say they made the discovery on Beacon View Road in the Charlemont Farm area of West Bromwich.

Officers are treating her death as unexplained and the 51-year-old man they've arrested is still in custody.

The victim suffered 35% full thickness burns to his body and needs daily hospital care.

BBC Young Reporter

Hi! We're students from The Westwood Academy, in Coventry, and we will be reporting on the Young Reporters event at BBC Birmingham.

Our names are Violet, Ella, Joe and Sam and we're in year eight.

We're interested in finding out about all the different activities taking place here today and look forward to reporting throughout the day.

BBC News Travel

The A5 in Cannock has reopened after a serious crash this morning., external

Police said a cyclist was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a collision with a coach between Longford Island and Church Bridge Island.

Stoke City's Saido Berahino is to face a trial on one count of drink-driving after he pleaded not guilty to the offence this morning.

Image source, Getty Images

The 25-year-old, of Old Penkridge Road, Cannock, Staffordshire, was arrested in Bedford Square, central London, last month.

His lawyer told Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court that the footballer had been threatened by armed robbers and several items taken just before his arrest.

The judge granted him unconditional bail and set a trial date for 15 May.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

A chef who police say poured four litres of boiling hot oil over a co-worker's head at a Chinese takeaway has been jailed for nine years.

Image source, Cheshire Police

Sihung Hung Hoang pleaded guilty to the attack at Beijing City Takeaway on Mill Street, Congleton, Cheshire, last July.

Cheshire Police says the burns to his victim were so bad, he had to be placed in an induced coma for four weeks, external, came close to dying and still needs daily hospital treatment.

Hoang, 57, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court yesterday.

More than two million people have watched a video on Facebook of Nikisha Watson dancing in her kitchen.