A group of air-quality champions is to be recruited and trained in Birmingham.

Image source, Sustrans

Cycling charity Sustrans is to train 50 Brum Breathes Champions, external in a project aimed at raising awareness of issues around poor air quality.

It will be working with local people from voluntary community and faith groups in central Birmingham.

The project will start this month and run until July.

It's emerged today that the new high-speed HS2 rail link could cost £106bn, almost double the costs expected in 2015 and more than triple its original £32bn price tag.

Image source, WSP

But West Midlands' mayor Andy Street said he still expected the project to go ahead.

“The government will look at this and decide that this is the right thing to do for the country," he told the BBC.

"It's a moment of national leadership just as building the Victorian railways was, just as the Channel Tunnel was - so you actually have to take a big leap for these infrastructure projects and we never look back and regret them.

“So it will go ahead and we will be pleased that we did it,” he said.

Conservative mayor, Mr Street believes the new service will "drive the regeneration of our economies in Birmingham, in Manchester, in Leeds and other cities in the Midlands and the North.

“No government committed to levelling up around the country would possibly turn its back on that opportunity,” he added.

Phil Bowers
Journalist, BBC Radio Stoke

The death of a woman who was hit by a lorry has left a family "torn apart", they've said in a tribute.

Image source, Cheshire Police

Ann-Marrie Chesters died in hospital after the collision on the Haslington Bypass near Crewe on Tuesday, West Midlands Police said., external

Her family said the 37-year-old was "such a loveable person" and "very kind-hearted".

They've also thanked the driver of the lorry for "staying with Annie at her time of need and doing what he could for her".

Shrewsbury sign Josh Vela on a free transfer after the midfielder is released by Scottish Premiership side Hibernian.

BBC News Travel

Drivers are facing long delays on the M6 near Coleshill, Warwickshire, this evening after a crash.

Highways England said , externalthere's more than five miles of slow moving traffic approaching the scene southbound at J4 where vehicles were being held just after 17:15.

It will be a dry night with some clear spells with some areas of fog and low cloud and lows of -2C (28F).

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers/Liam Ball

Tomorrow will be another dry day.

You can find a detailed weather forecast for your area on the BBC Weather site.

A Grade II listed theatre's reopened after a £5m refurbishment scheme which overran last year and delayed a town's pantomime.

Image source, Tamworth Borough Council

Tamworth Assembly Rooms closed in February 2016 so the building could be regenerated and it was due to reopen at the end of November.

But the borough council said extra works were needed to safely finish off the work and postponed several shows - including the Aladdin pantomime - to this month.

The local authority said much of the building had been changed to make it more versatile and it'll be officially opened in the next few weeks., external

Hereford Times

The headlines on the Hereford Times include:

• Thieves strike in north Herefordshire town, external
• Primary school closed due to heating issues, external
• Artwork on display at self-build project for veterans, external

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Trees and bushes along the A50 in Stoke-on-Trent are being cut back from today to try and reduce anti-social behaviour.

Image source, Highways England

Highways England says the landscaping work will happen near to footbridges and paths around Normacot and Meir.

It says improving the look of the area will make it feel safer and it is spending £72,000 on the project.

Burton Albion sign winger Jamie Murphy on loan from Rangers for the rest of the season.

Police are investigating in the Sparkbrook area of Birmingham following an attack on Monday afternoon.

Campaigners against the HS2 high-speed rail project said there were still "massive problems" with the scheme which the Oakervee review "can't brush under the carpet".

The unpublished report ,leaked to the Financial Times, external, says there is "considerable risk" that estimated costs could rise by another 20%.

Penny Gaines, chair of Stop HS" said: "Rather than tinkering with the proposals, the government should pull the plug on the scheme and cancel HS2 in its entirety immediately.

"At the very least they should halt all HS2 enabling works immediately, pay for all the homes and businesses they have already taken and stop the huge environmental wrecking ball that it currently going on."

BBC Weather Watchers

The BBC Weather Watchers have been uploading some stunning images of today's clear skies.

These were taken in Birmingham by Timbo, Ludlow in Shropshire by Wonderlass and Stafford by Shaun.

Image source, Timbo

Image source, Wonderlass

Image source, Shaun

Wasps fly-half Jacob Umaga has been called up to the full England sqaud for the 2020 Six Nations championship

Image source, Getty Images

He's one of eight uncapped players named by Eddie Jones in his 34-man squad.

He was one of eight Wasps Academy players to be promoted to the senior squad ahead of the 2019/20 season.

England open their campaign against France on Sunday, 2 February.

"We wanted to bring some young players in because we need to keep building our depth so for those new players it is an exciting opportunity for them," Jones said.

A teenager has been seriously injured in a stabbing in Sparkbrook, Birmingham.

The 15-year-old boy was attacked just before 15:00, police said.

Officers are currently at the scene on Grantham Road at the junction with Webster Close.

Shropshire Star

A few of today's stories from the Shropshire Star:

• Support plea after dramatic rise in dementia cases in five years, external
• Vow to tackle rise in West Mercia knife offences over last 12 months, external
• Cash machine theft gang member has to pay back £200k, external

One man's been taken to hospital after the crash on the M6 southbound near Stafford, the ambulance service has confirmed.

It said its teams checked two people at the scene and took the man to the New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton.

His injuries aren't though to be life-threatening.

Pilot Alan Simpson, from Shropshire, died when his light aircraft crashed into a mountain in 2019.

All lanes on the M6 southbound near Stafford have reopened, Highways England's tweeted, external.

The collision took place between J14 and J13 and there are still delays of up to an hour in the area.

Image source, Highways England

It's set to stay dry but cold for the next few days.

The near-record high pressures seem to be responsible, with 1050.1 hPa the highest level since 1957, Dave Throup from the Environment Agency says.

In general high pressure means settled weather conditions, but that doesn't mean it's going to be warm.