Midlands Live: Breaking news and local stories

Summary

Updates from Monday 17 to Sunday 23 August

Live Reporting

A-level row in pictures: Students protest 'huge injustice'published at 10:56 British Summer Time 17 August 2020
Pressure is mounting on ministers to resolve the exam grades crisis.
They face calls to delay the results, change the grading algorithm or use the grades estimated by teachers, after complaints of unfair A-level results.
Students protested in Coventry's Broadgate on Sunday saying they had faced a "huge injustice".
Image source, Alan Van Wijgerden
Image source, Alan Van Wijgerden
One of the event organisers, Yaqoub Imran from Sidney Stringer Academy, said due to the downgrading of marks he had missed out on a scholarship to the University of Birmingham.
Students across Coventry and the whole country have faced a "huge injustice" he said.
"I want the government and Ofqual to acknowledge their mistake and have the courage to make a change."
Image source, Alan Van Wijgerden
Image source, Alan Van Wijgerden
Image source, Alan Van Wijgerden
In England, 280,000 A-level results were downgraded from teachers' assessments on Thursday, almost 40% of the total. In Wales, 42% of A-level results predicted by teachers were lowered by the exam watchdog.
The government has defended the approach it used to determine grades.
Around the web: Teenage boy stabbedpublished at 10:32 British Summer Time 17 August 2020
Birmingham Live
Some of today's Birmingham Live headlines:
- Teenage boy stabbed next to chip shop, external
- Family flee home after 'arsonists torch car in 3am attack', external
- Booze bottles, corks, litters car park after illegal rave in city centre, external
A-level grades row: MP backs student demonstrationpublished at 09:52 British Summer Time 17 August 2020
A Coventry MP says this year's A-level results were decided by a "rigged algorithm".
It comes after almost 40% of A-level grades awarded on Thursday in England were lower than teachers' predictions.
Image source, Zarah Sultana MP
Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, is calling on the government to use teachers' assessments for marks after protests by students in Coventry on Sunday.
The government has defended the approach it used to determine grades.
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Hundreds of illegal rave-goers dispersed by policepublished at 09:27 British Summer Time 17 August 2020
West Midlands Police says it "will not tolerate" large public gatherings which risk increasing the spread of coronavirus.
Hundreds of people attending large gatherings including raves and street parties were dispersed by police over the weekend.
The parties come as the weekly rate of coronavirus infections in Birmingham more than doubled, rising from 13.8 per 100,000 people to 28.1, with 321 new cases.
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The black women in tech coding the futurepublished at 09:05 British Summer Time 17 August 2020
Cath Mackie
BBC News
A unique "boot camp" has been set up to train black women to become software developers.
The aim is to increase digital skills and help create a more diverse workforce in technology, a traditionally male-dominated industry.
It has been put together by two start-ups run by black women in the West Midlands: NIYO Enterprise and Coding Black Females.
Media caption,
The black women in tech coding the future
A cloudy, rainy day in storepublished at 08:46 British Summer Time 17 August 2020
BBC Weather
It will be a cloudy day with showers and the chance of thunderstorms.
The rain may be heavy at times with highs of 22°C (72°F).
Image source, Littleacorns/Weather Watchers
Coronavirus: 'People cannot afford to drop their guard'published at 08:27 British Summer Time 17 August 2020
BBC Radio WM
Rising rates of coronavirus infections in Birmingham has lead to warnings that people "cannot afford to drop their guard".
Weekly numbers of infection rates have risen from 13.8 cases per 100,000 people to 28.1.
The latest figures, for the seven days to August 11 show a rise of 321 new infections.
Live updates for the West Midlandspublished at 08:05 British Summer Time 17 August 2020
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
Welcome to our live service for Monday.
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, external and Facebook., external