A cat and three kittens were overcome with smoke from a blaze in the kitchen of a bungalow.

BBC Radio Stoke

The former Stoke City manager Lou Macari says he's hunting for a bigger building to help more homeless people in Stoke-on-Trent.

Image source, Google

After seeing a news report about the number of homeless people in Britain, the 70-year-old opened a night shelter in 2016.

This week, the city council announced it had agreed a five-year extension to the lease of the Macari Centre in Hanley.

Mr Macari said: "The most important thing is the people who stay with us, so that's security for them for the 48 that are here and then probably we'll grow in numbers because we'll probably get a bigger place."

MPs have backed the government's EU withdrawal bill by 358 votes to 234, a majority of 124.

MPs are now voting on the so-called programnme motion - the government's timetable to pass the bill through its final stages.

After such a significant win over the Withdrawal Bill, it seems likely this will pass too.

You can follow live updates on this from BBC Politics.

BBC Radio Shropshire Sport

The New Saints have been awarded £5,425 by Uefa, with the money coming from fines on clubs which broke European spending rules.

Clubs can be fined or expelled from European competitions if their spending exceeds revenue from TV rights, gate receipts, competition prize money and sponsorship.

The team hosts Cardiff Met in the Welsh Premier League tonight and they could extend their lead at the top of the table to five points if they win.

The two teams just below them, Connah's Quay Nomads and Bala Town meet in one of tonight's other games.

Prosecutors say Salim Yousouffi has "an entrenched jihadi, Islamic extremist mindset".

While there are a lot of flood alerts around today, Dave Throup from the Environment Agency says river levels are over a meter lower in places than those we saw in October.

But the wet weather is continuing to cause problems and Herefordshire Council said the A417 between Bodenham and Hampton Court has been closed due to flooding.

Flash floods are also affecting the A443 at Abberley and Alvechurch Highway in Lydiate Ash is also closed.

Image source, Dave Throup

Warwickshire's fire service said it was called out to Ettington to rescue a woman who drove into a ford and is urging people not to risk driving through deep water.

A man's appeared in court this morning charged with terrorism offences.

Salim Youssufi was charged with four counts of possessing information "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".

The documents were found on his phone on 13 December after a police investigation, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

Mr Youssufi, 25, from Small Heath, Birmingham, was remanded in custody ahead of a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on 17 January.

The man was working at a Birmingham depot when he died, investigators say.

BBC Weather

There's still a chance of showers as we head into tonight but they should ease into the early hours as the cloud starts to break up. Low 3C (37F).

Image source, Old Salt

Tomorrow will be cloudy with the odd shower through the day. High 9C (48F).

Keep up-to-date with the latest forecast for your area by heading to the BBC Weather website.

BBC Politics

MPs are set to vote on the UK's Brexit bill today and in advance of that have been debating in the Commons.

It's fair to say Stone's veteran Conservative Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash is a happy man.

Image source, UK Parliament

He says this is a "watershed moment" for the country and Parliament, comparing it to the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the 1867 Reform Act - which gave many working men the vote for the first time - and the fight against Hitler in 1940.

The UK has shown it will no longer be "subjugated and shackled", he says.

Shropshire Star

Here are three of the stories on the Shropshire Star website today:

• New direct rail link to London, external
• Shropshire flood alerts remain, external
• Road in Newport open ahead of schedule, external

Specialist forensic officers have been seen entering a property in Birmingham as part of a police search this morning after "concerns were raised" for a woman.

West Midlands Police said officers received intelligence yesterday over a woman linked to an address in Newcombe Road, Handsworth.

"Searches of the address have been carried out and inquiries are on-going," a force spokesman said.

Eight forensic officers were seen going into the terraced property. Two marked police vans are also parked on the road.

We'll bring you more as we get it.

The county council hopes to establish a new fund to help rural communities get broadband.

West Midlands Railway is promising more staff and more carriages next year, external.

The company was criticised by two police and crime commissioners yesterday, who raised concerns about safety at crowded stations, but it said its services would be "bigger, better, more affordable" in future.

It said it was spending £700m on new trains which are due to go into service in 2020.

Speaking to the Worcester News, external, West Mercia PCC John Campion said: "Delayed or cancelled services at any time are going to cause problems, but the levels of problems in the region recently have been unacceptable."

West Midlands PCC David Jamieson went further, describing the state of the railways in the region as a matter of "public safety" and promised a public hearing if things didn't improve.

Staffing issues have led to the cancellation and delay of services this year and the company said it is investing an extra £13m in staff training and will recruit "over and above" the numbers it needs, to make sure it can cope better in future.

It also said it would spend £60m to improve stations on its routes and introduce a smart ticketing system, similar to the Oyster card.

Facebook

The winner of the 2019 series of MasterChef: The Professionals will "put Birmingham well and truly on the foodie map", according to tributes following his victory.

Stu Deeley, who is head chef at The Wilderness, beat Exose Grant Lopo-Ndinga, 22, from Manchester and Olivia Burt, 24, from Worcestershire in the BBC Two show.

Alex Claridge, owner of The Wilderness, said on Instagram, external the 28-year-old had "cemented our reputation as a serious place to eat" and admitted he was leaving the business to open a restaurant in the city's Jewellery Quarter in the spring.

On the BBC Midlands Facebook page, Theresa Thompson posted, external: "Brilliant, well done Stu, loved all three of you in the final but your food and presentation just stood out head and shoulders above."

Sue Nicholls added, external: "I’m sitting in Birmingham right now having watched you win Professional Masterchef and I have never yelled so loudly or celebrated so much when they’ve announced the winner."

Jean Round wrote:, external "Great final, what fabulous talent in all three. Stu, your family should be so proud, you’ve done Birmingham proud. Unassuming, dedicated, inventive and such a talent."

Jan Kellond typed, external: "A well deserved winner! Well done Stu. You will put Birmingham well and truly on the foodie map, adding to all the wonderful chefs and restaurants already in the city."

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

New bus routes, improved railway stations and banning cars from certain roads are part of plans to improve public transport in Stoke-on-Trent.

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

The city council's bidding for nearly £60m , externalfrom the government to carry out a range of changes aimed at tackling air pollution and congestion.

Its plans include revamping Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station and banning cars from the nearby Station Road and College Road.

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

It also wants to improve Longton and Longport railway stations and introduce cross-city bus routes.

The council's expecting a decision from the government on the funding "in the first part of next year".

Premiership side London Irish sign versatile back James Stokes from Championship club Coventry.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plans to build up to 3,000 homes, just off the M54 at Tong are now "very unlikely to happen", the leader of Shropshire Council has said.

Bradford Estates was putting the proposals forward, saying it would be "careful, sensitive and innovative", but people living in the area complained the green belt land was unsuitable for a development of this scale.

Image source, Google

Shropshire Council was considering including the principle of the development in its local plan, saying a number of Black Country authorities had shown an interest.

But leader Peter Nutting said: "We have been waiting for the Black Country authorities to come forward with their ideas for the site be it housing or business development, but they have not done so."

MasterChef: The Professionals champion Stu Deeley will open a new restaurant next spring.

BBC Weather Watchers

It's all looking pretty wet outside, with these among the photos sent in this morning by our local BBC Weather Watchers.

These are from Ken M in Lydbury North, Shropshire, Silverlady in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire and Step Counter in Bodenham, Herefordshire:

Image source, Ken M

Image source, Silverlady

Image source, Step Counter