Tom Burridge
Transport correspondent, BBC News

If you’ve followed all the latest chapters of the HS2 drama then an estimate of £106bn for the entire project isn’t surprising.

Image source, Getty Images

But the fact that it’s in yet another leaked draft of the government’s review, makes it part of the official narrative.

Even when you consider how high-tech and complex the project is, that’s a lot of public money.

It's about the same as the entire economy of Kuwait.

Those opposed to HS2 feel a perfect storm is brewing; Conservative MPs (including ones newly elected in constituencies in the north of England) are pressing the PM to reconsider, the government’s spending watchdog will soon publish a critical report and Boris Johnson’s transport adviser, Andrew Gilligan is at the very least sceptical about the scheme.

You can read more analysis on this story here.

Drivers are being warned it could take a while before the M6 returns to normal on the southbound side near Stafford.

On its website, Highways England says it expects to clear the area between J14 and J13 from about 17:00 to 17:15 and for "normal" traffic conditions to return by 18:15.

Currently, it estimates there are delays of 90 minutes in the area.

Image source, Highways England

Two people are being treated by medics after the crash on the M6 near Stafford.

The ambulance service says it has two ambulances, a paramedic officer and the air ambulance on the scene.

BBC News Travel

One lane's reopened on the M6 southbound between J14 and J13, near Stafford.

Highways England said, external one lane remains shut, but traffic is being allowed past in the other two lanes.

Image source, Highways England

A lorry, two vans and two cars have been involved in the crash on the M6 southbound near Stafford, according to traffic firm Inrix.

The collision's happened near Stafford between junctions 14 and 13:

Image source, Highways England

BBC News Travel

Two lanes are now shut on the M6 southbound near Stafford after a crash, Highways England's said., external

It adds there are already delays of an hour heading towards the area affecting seven miles of traffic., external

BBC News Travel

Traffic's being delayed this lunchtime on the M6 near Stafford after several vehicles have reportedly been involved in a crash.

Highways England said , externalall lanes "have been affected" between J14 and J13 southbound.

The ambulance service said it was called just before 13:00 and had sent several paramedics by road along with the air ambulance.

Campaigners say smart motorways shouldn’t open without technology that detects broken-down vehicles.

Image source, Google

The government is about to release the results of a review into their safety.

Hundreds of miles of motorways in England have been made "smart", external, which means the hard shoulder may be used as a running lane.

It’s claimed nine people have been killed after hard shoulders had been removed from carriageways including eight-year-old Dev Naran struck on the M6 Birmingham's spaghetti junction.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “Any death on our roads is one too many, which is why the Secretary of State commissioned an urgent piece of work to gather the facts about smart motorway safety."

Aston Villa are hoping to complete a £10m deal for Genk striker Mbwana Samatta as manager Dean Smith moves to strengthen his attacking options.

Coventry Observer

Headlines on the Coventry Observer website include:

• Pensioner, 71, jailed for horrific images, external
• Speeding driver told to expect jail sentence, external
• Paedophile jailed for abusing girl, 11, external

Matt Sandoz
Stoke City commentator, BBC Radio Stoke

Stoke City aren't expecting to have skipper Ryan Shawcross available for tonight's game away at West Bromwich Albion.

He's been out since picking up an injury at Fulham over Christmas.

Image source, Stoke City

However, new signing midfielder Jordan Thompson (pictured) could figure as The Potters look to put daylight between them and the relegation places in the Championship.

Stoke are currently a point above Barnsley, but a win could move them four points clear.

BBC News Travel

A road's blocked in Shropshire after a crash involving a van and a bus.

The collision happened just after 10:30 on the A49 in Craven Arms, West Mercia Police said, external.

The ambulance service said the man driving the van was discharged at the scene.

A woman, in her 30s, who was a passenger on the bus, was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Christian Barnett

Fears coffins could leak into a city's water have been raised as part of "major concerns" over burying people on land at a cemetery.

Image source, Getty Images

Proposals have been lodged to give retrospective planning permission to use part of Worcester Muslim Cemetery in John Comyn Drive as burial land.

But a decision on the plans has been delayed by the city council over the concerns from the Environment Agency about the site's proximity to Barbourne Brook.

The agency said it was worried about potential water pollution and safety risks and wants alternative locations to be found.

The council said it was currently in discussions with the Environment Agency over the objection.

BBC Business News

Property group Intu, which owns shopping centres such as Merry Hill and the Potteries, has said it is looking to raise extra money to bolster its finances.

Image source, Reuters

Reports at the weekend suggested the company - which has debts of £5bn - could seek to raise up to £1bn.

Reponding to this speculation, Intu has released a statement saying it "continues to make progress in its strategy to fix the balance sheet".

BBC Weather Watchers

An unusually high pressure reading was recorded early Monday morning when the barometer reached 1050.5 millibars (at sea level). This is the highest recorded since 1957.

The clear conditions led to a frosty start for some including these BBC Weather Watchers.

These images were taken in Dudley by Laura and Glen, Coventry by Kingfisher Whisperer and Bromyard, Herefordshire by Mrs Baggins.

Image source, Laura and Glen

Image source, Kingfisher Whisperer

Image source, Mrs Baggins

A cyclist has been seriously injured after being hit by a car in Coventry.

He was struck on Tamworth Road shortly before 06:30, said the ambulance service.

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition, it added.

A leaked review of the HS2 high-speed rail project recommends pausing the second phase of the project while experts look at whether conventional lines could help link Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds instead.

The first segment of project between London and Birmingham is due to open at the end of 2026, with the second phase to Leeds and Manchester expected to be completed by 2032-33.

Trains on the London to Birmingham route would be 400m-long (1,300ft) with up to 1,100 seats. They would run as many as 14 times per hour in each direction.

The Department for Transport says the project will cut Birmingham to London journey times from one hour 21 minutes to 52 minutes.

Once the second phase is complete, Manchester to London journeys would take one hour seven minutes (down from two hours seven minutes), and Birmingham to Leeds would take 49 minutes (down from two hours).

The government hopes its creation will free up capacity on overcrowded commuter routes.

Stoke-on-Trent Live

These are from the Stoke-on-Trent Live website today:

• High street closed due to building fire, external
• Robber's one-finger salute as he's jailed for stealing man-bag at Starbucks, external
• Crackdown on yobs targeting A50 motorists through Stoke-on-Trent, external

BBC Shropshire

A report into a plane crash in which a Shropshire farmer died says the light aircraft was flying too low in bad weather when it hit a snow-covered mountain in Canada.

Image source, Family handout

Alan Simpson, 72, from Prees, was one of two pilots in it when it crashed in the Labrador region during "poor weather" in May.

The other pilot, from Belgium, hired to bring the plane over from North America to the UK, was injured.

The report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, external says the pilots, in their route plan, said they weren't going to fly over 2,000ft despite the highest peak in the area being 3,300ft high.

It adds they planned to fly over it or around it but didn't in bad weather conditions and hit the mountain without warning.

One man is charged with setting off a flare and another with assaulting a steward, police say.