Updates from Monday 6 January to Sunday 12 January
BBC News Travel
Two lanes are shut on the M40 in Warwickshire after a load of hay bales spilled across the motorway.
Highways England said, external it had happened on the northbound carriageway between J13 for Leamington Spa and J14 for Warwick.
Image source, Highways EnglandThere've been a lot of cloudy skies across the region by the look of the photos we've had from our local BBC Weather Watchers.
Here are three from users Step Counter in Bodenham, Herefordshire; Skye in Clee Hill, Shropshire; and Laura and Glenn in Delph, Dudley:
Image source, Step Counter
Image source, Skye
Image source, Laura and GlennFrom the Stratford Observer:
BBC Sport
Worcestershire seam bowler Pat Brown has withdrawn from the England one-day and Twenty20 legs of the South Africa tour because of a stress fracture in his lower back.
Image source, Getty ImagesBrown, 21, had a recurrence of symptoms while preparing to play for Melbourne Stars in Australia's Big Bash League, and scans showed a partial fracture.
He will not play for the rest of the winter and will return to Worcestershire to start rehabilitation.
Brown is yet to make his ODI debut for England but played four T20s in the series win over New Zealand in November.
BBC Shropshire
A man's appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of an 18-year-old man who was stabbed.
The victim was left with potentially life-changing injuries after the attack in St John Street, Wellington, Telford, on 27 December.
In addition to attempted murder, Yasar Mehmood, 33, of Windsor Road, Arleston, Telford, was charged with possession of an offensive weapon.
He appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on Monday morning and was remanded into custody to next appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court later this month.
Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Stoke City winger Thibaud Verlinden says he's confident he can help the team avoid relegation from the Championship after coming back from a loan at Bolton.
Image source, Getty ImagesManager Michael O'Neill recalled the 20-year-old last week and brought him on as a substitute in Saturday's FA Cup defeat at Brentford.
Stoke are currently 21st in the Championship, a point above the relegation places.
Quote MessageThat's why I came back from Bolton, to get my opportunities to play, to learn, to make mistakes. At League One, I felt I did OK so now I'm 20-years-old, I think this is a good step to play in the Championship. I'm going to make mistakes, I'm still learning but I'm looking forward to it."
Thibaud Verlinden, Stoke City winger
From the Shropshire Star:
The benefits of HS2 have been "hugely under-estimated" and should be built in its "entirety", according to a regional transport boss.
Maria Machancoses from Midland Connect, which works with local authorities and enterprise partnerships on the region's transport strategies, said Birmingham had seen a "huge transformation on the back of the announcement that HS2 is coming to the city".
Image source, WSPBut the deputy chairman of a panel reviewing the project said there was "overwhelming evidence" the costs of HS2 were "out of control" .
Lord Berkeley said the high-speed rail line linking London to northern England is likely to cost more than £108bn.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Machancoses described the project as a "national priority".
BBC Sport
Port Vale skipper Leon Legge says he wants people to know how to deal with epilepsy after speaking publicly about how it affects him.
Image source, Getty ImagesAs a result of the condition, the defender has ended up in hospital numerous times since being diagnosed in 2001 at the age of 16.
The 34-year-old is now an ambassador for Young Epilepsy, a charity which aims to create better futures for young people with the condition.
He said: "I want people to know about how to deal with epilepsy. I'm always open to talk about it and I often get asked by parents of children with epilepsy how I deal with it."
A shop worker was hit with a hammer and threatened with an axe during a robbery in Wolverhampton.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceThe masked robbers targeted the GMP store in Long Knowle Lane in Wednesfield.
The pair made off with cash and cigarettes after the attack on 17 December.
The shop worker was hit on the arm but wasn't seriously injured, said West Midlands Police.
Coventry Live
From Coventry Live:
Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
Tax is set to go up and 78 staff lose their jobs as Stoke-on-Trent City Council looks to save £9.2m in the next financial year., external
The proposals have come to light in the authority's budget plans under which five of the city's 14 children's homes would close.
The council wants to get more children into foster care and also plans to spend more on children's services which were rated inadequate in March.
The latest plans have emerged just three months after the council axed jobs to free up £5.5m to invest in the services.
The proposals - which will go before full council next month - include a tax rise of 3.99%, selling off Hanley Town Hall and building a new city centre multi-storey car park., external
A man accused of threatening to kill two MPs has appeared before magistrates.
It's alleged Rakeem Malik, 53, sent abusive letters to Labour members Jess Phillips and Rosie Cooper last year.
He's also accused of sending malicious communications to Theresa May while she was prime minister.
During a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates Court earlier, Mr Malik did not enter any pleas and was ordered to appear for a further hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on 3 February.
He is charged with three counts of making threats to kill West Lancashire MP Ms Cooper, with a fourth count relating to Birmingham Yardley MP Ms Phillips.
Farmers in five more counties can now apply to the government for amounts from £500 to £25k.
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Allen Cook
BBC News
Crews have been working to rescue a man who fell about 10m (32ft) down a well.
Image source, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue ServiceEmergency services were called to Knighton-on-Teme, between Kidderminster and Leominster, just before 09:00., external
A firefighter was winched down to the man's location in what the fire service called a "delicate" operation, fearing the area around the well could collapse.
The man was pulled up about two hours later, having suffered minor injuries.
From the Worcester News:
The FA and Port Vale are investigating a tweet sent by the League Two side's striker Tom Pope in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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BBC Business News
Aldi says that sales hit £1bn for the first time in the four weeks to Christmas Eve.
Image source, AldiThe German discount supermarket chain, which has its UK base in Atherstone, reports that compared to last year, total sales rose by 7.9%.
The figures are published as Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco and M&S prepare to release their Christmas finances throughout the week.
One thing to bear in mind - while Aldi's figures are good, growth is slower than in previous years and the company does not release like-for-like sales data which strips out the impact of new stores whereas the UK retailers do.
BBC News Travel
Two vehicles are involved in a crash that's closed one lane of the M6 at J4 in Warwickshire.
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Birmingham City Women sign former Sunderland midfielder Emma Kelly.
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