Live updates from Monday 17 June to Sunday 23 June
Click related stories to read updates from your area
BBC News Travel
Two lanes of the M6 are shut in Staffordshire after a crash.
Highways England said the collision had happened on the southbound side between J13, near Stafford, and J12, for Gailey., external
Image source, Highways England
Twitter
Last night's Tory leadership debate is the talk of social media this morning, with some Midlands figures giving their views.
Former Confederation of British Industry director-general Lord Digby Jones, who has backed Sajid Javid, tweeted to say, external his man "won last night", saying he was "connecting the Tories with everyone, not just the privileged. Business needs Sajid; he understands us".
Meanwhile, singer Carol Decker asked the important question, after seeing the way the candidates were seated during the BBC TV debate:
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The 15-year-old was held captive for for six hours and attacked by three teenagers.
Read More
BBC News Travel
No trains are running on the railway line between Leamington Spa and Coventry because of a points failure, Chiltern Railway has tweeted., external
It said the track would remain closed "until further notice".
Hazel Morgan
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke
Reports of a group of teenagers making homophobic comments at the Stoke-on-Trent Pride event at the weekend are being investigated by police., external
Staffordshire Police said they were told the group was verbally abusive to another group on Saturday and a teenager was also punched and kicked.
The force is treating it as a hate crime.
BBC WM
There's been shock and anger from Birmingham City fans after the club sacked manager Garry Monk.
Image source, PAIn a statement, Blues said the board of directors believed the move would be "in the long-term interests of the club".
They added that they were also "hopeful that over time the team can adopt a fresh and modern footballing philosophy".
Fans calling BBC WM after the decision said they didn't understand the sacking and several threatened to give back their season tickets.
Quote MessageThe thing that really worries me now is that managers looking at that scenario will think 'do I want to work under an owner that's willing to do these things, will my relationship go the same way, will I be able to bring in the philosophy that he wants?'"
Darren Carter, Former Birmingham City midfielder
Wellington's new mayor is going above an beyond to promote the town - by getting a tattoo of its crest.
Image source, Wellington Town CouncilIt will be the first inking for Councillor Anthony Lowe, 66, who will get it done today after an offer of a free one from a new tattoo business.
BBC Sport
Warwickshire's game with Yorkshire in Division One of the County Championship looks to be evenly balanced heading into day three.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Bears bowled the home side out for 259 and appeared to be on course for a first innings lead as Dom Sibley (67) and Rob Yates (49) put on 101 for the second wicket.
But they then collapsed from 139-1 to close on 192-5, 67 runs behind.
In Division Two, Worcestershire had moved their game to Kidderminster after flooding at New Road but they couldn't escape the rain on day one against Sussex.
It wiped out the final session and a half, just as the visitors were fighting back to 185-6, having lost three quick wickets to Wayne Parnell.
You can follow both games on BBC local radio commentary or via the BBC Cricket website.
Stoke-on-Trent Live
The Stoke-on-Trent Live website's covering these stories today:
BBC Sport
Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams is due to make her singles debut at the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham today.
Image source, Getty ImagesPlay had to be suspended yesterday at the Edgbaston Priory Club due to rain, delaying her opener against Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
She has already appeared in the doubles tournament and lost earlier this week., external
Today's action will also feature Ashleigh Barty playing Donna Vekic and, this afternoon, British number one Johanna Konta in her second round match.
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
A woman who fled the Soviet Union as a teenager says it has been cathartic to write books about her experience for modern-day refugee children.
During national Refugee Week, external, Julia Fuxman has been recalling what it is like to be forced to leave your home.
She went to the United States with her family in the early 1990s and lived there for 15 years before moving to Rugby, Warwickshire.
From there, she now sends her books to refugee camps around the world.
Read more on her story of fleeing Moscow and what inspired her to write here on the BBC website.
Doodles by celebrities including Boris Johnson, Theresa May, Claudia Winkleman and Vic Reeves will be auctioned for charity this week.
Image source, The Mockingbird Trust/BBCMr Johnson drew drew one of London's buses while Mrs May drew something with which she is often associated - a leopard-print shoe.
The sketches are to be auctioned for The Anna Wilkinson Mockingbird Trust.
The charity - which organises trips for young West Midlands people who have been diagnosed with cancer - said it had been "overwhelmed" by the response.
A free exhibition and auction will take place on Friday in Worcester.
BBC Midlands Today
More than 20,000 cricket fans are expected to descend on Birmingham this morning as Edgbaston hosts the first of its five World Cup matches.
Image source, AFP/Getty ImagesToday's game will see unbeaten New Zealand play South Africa, who are chasing their second win of the tournament.
Among the other matches the ground will host will be one of the tournament's semi-finals and it will then in August host the first Ashes Test against Australia.
BBC News England
Contracts signed by England's 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks are set to be auctioned today.
Image source, Richard Winterton AuctioneersThe Sheffield-born stopper, who played for Stoke City and Leicester City, died in February aged 81.
Banks, regarded as one of the world's greatest goalkeepers, was best known for his wonder save from Pele during the 1970 World Cup against Brazil.
Documents from when he played for the Foxes and The Potters are expected to sell for about £5,000 in June.
The items are due to be auctioned at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, Lichfield, today.
Allen Cook
BBC News
Two flood warnings remain in place in Shropshire but water levels are starting to fall, the Environment Agency's said.
Image source, BingoswestryThe warnings cover the River Vyrnwy at Melverley, external and Maesbrook, external, south of Oswestry.
There are also dozens of flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible mainly in Birmingham and the Black Country, Staffordshire and Warwickshire., external
Local Democracy Reporting Service
George Makin
Doctors in Sandwell and west Birmingham are deciding this week whether to back the biggest reorganisation in primary care in the region since 2011.
GPs are being asked to choose between three options which could radically change how services like surgeries, dentists and pharmacists are governed.
They are being encouraged to break away and join new clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for Birmingham and the Black Country.
NHS England (NHSE) is backing a plan for the areas outside of Sandwell to be transferred to Birmingham and Solihull CCG.
But the proposals face strong opposition from the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospital Trust which says the changes could impact on the Midland Metropolitan Hospital, delayed after the collapse of Carrillion.
The results of the vote will then be considered when a final decision is taken by Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG at its board meeting next week.
The Express and Star's headlines today include:
BBC Politics
Brexit and Islamophobia dominated the second TV debate faced by the Conservative Party leadership contenders.
The five remaining candidates met for the Our Next Prime Minister debate on BBC One, during which they answered questions from members of the public.
Afterwards, we found out what viewers made of the answers and they included:
- Owen Reed, 19 and from Bedworth, was a Conservative and has now joined the Brexit Party and gave his view on the candidates views on the Brexit deadline of 31 October
- Robert Dugmore, 63, from Birmingham, explained why he found the debate "profoundly depressing"
You can read more on their views and many others here on the BBC website.
Rich Davis
BBC Weather presenter
Any overnight rain should soon clear away and we're set for a dry, sunny day:
Rich Davis
You can get a latest forecast for your area at any other time by heading 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
