Four people, including two children, have been taken to hospital, after a collision involving two cars.

Image source, Google

The accident happened during Wednesday evening on Lichfield Road close to the junction with Lewis Grove, Wolverhampton.

Two boys were taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital, one with significant injuries, said the ambulance service.

Two women were taken to hospital after being treated for less serious injuries.

The stadium is home to Wasps rugby team and will see football club Coventry City return soon.

Hassan Ghafar, 22, from Birmingham, was found with stab wounds to the neck, police say.

Muhammed Khubaib also denied a charge of dangerous driving and is due to stand trial next year.

Markets are getting back to business following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Image source, Stratford District Council

Some, including this one in Oswestry, have already reopened for trade.

In Stratford-upon-Avon, the Rother Street market opens tomorrow, followed by the Urban Mix market on Saturday.

The Waterside Upmarket will open on Sunday featuring a range of street food, said the district council.

The council added it was "thrilled" to be welcoming traders back.

A father and his partner are set to stand trial accused of murdering his six-year-old son.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, of Solihull, died in hospital on 17 June after he was found injured at his home in Cranmore Road, Shirley.

Arthur's father, Thomas Hughes, 27, and his partner Emma Tustin, 31, of the same address, both denied murder at Birmingham Crown Court at a previous hearing in January.

The trial date has been fixed for 5 October.

Coventry City face a vital game in their Championship relegation battle tonight.

Image source, Coventry City Football Club

The Sky Blues take on Rotherham who are just one place below them in the table.

If Coventry lose this evening they will drop into the relegation places on goal difference.

Birmingham Live

Some of the Birmingham Live headlines today include:

• Police probe links between two shootings and stabbing in six-hour crime explosion, external
• Man shot dead near City Hospital named, external
• Two boys rushed to hospital after Wolverhampton crash leaves six hurt, external

People in parts of Smethwick are being urged to get tested for coronavirus after a case of the South Africa variant was detected.

Image source, Reuters

Sandwell Council published a list of postcodes in Smethwick and Cape Hill where people should get tested - regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not.

The affected postcodes are predominantly B66 as well as some in B67, around the Victoria Park area.

A testing unit is open behind the Smethwick Council House which will be open daily for walk-ins between 09:00 and 15:45 BST.

BBC Sport

British number one Dan Evans will face Novak Djokovic in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters after easing past Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets.

Image source, Getty Images

The Birmingham player who sealed his first tour-level win on clay in four years on Tuesday, beat the Polish 13th seed 6-4 6-1.

"I am a bit more comfortable with the gap playing on clay than last year," Evans, 30, told Amazon Prime Sport.

"It has been a bit easier to move, I have been accepting it a bit more and enjoying it."

You can follow live scores for the 11:20 match on the BBC Sport website.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

CCTV cameras could be made mandatory in Coventry taxis and private hire vehicles.

Image source, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Stricter new rules are being considered by the city council with councillors told CCTV cameras could "provide a safer environment" for drivers and passengers.

It is one of a string of changes under consideration for the authority's Statement of Licensing Policy to reflect updated standards published by the government last July.

Other changes include more routine DBS checks for drivers; the faster notification of offences, an arrest or charge; and new cross-boundary enforcement action. Councils could take action against drivers who are licenced by another authority when they cross into their boundary.

Final changes would need to be approved by the council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee after consultation.

Express and Star

The Express and Star has these headlines this morning:

• Taxi driver leaves firm after blue bow for baby Ciaran removed in Brownhills, external
• Collapsed estate agent liquidators pursue 83-year-old landlord for cancellation fee, external
• Hopes of returning to campus dashed for Wolverhampton university students, external

BBC Weather Watchers

We've had some lovely photos come in from our BBC Weather Watchers of this morning's sunrise.

These three are from users Trench1968 in Shrawardine, Shropshire, Fraser in Kenilworth, Warwickshire and Moose on the Loose in Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire:

Image source, Trench1968

Image source, Fraser

Image source, Moose on the Loose

The election was due to take place in 2020 but postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Relive Thursday's Championship action as Coventry pick up a vital win at Rotherham to move six points above the drop zone.

Parts of Coventry city centre were lit up last night in support of a baby girl with an aggressive form of leukaemia.

Image source, Coventry City Council

Earlier this week eight-month-old Azaylia Diamond Cain was admitted to hospital for a platelet transfusion after her parents were told her leukemia was too rare and aggressive to be treated.

In a post on Instagram, external, her parents, ex-Coventry City player Ashley Cain and partner Safiyya Vorajee from Nuneaton, said she was receiving oxygen at home after "struggling a little bit."

Image source, Ashley Cain

The city's Whittle Arches and Greyfriars Green were lit in orange to raise awareness of acute myeloid leukaemia, the city council said.

Warwickshire want to host a tournament at Edgbaston to "reflect the communities" in Birmingham, says chief executive Stuart Cain.

Detectives look to see if three violent attacks within several hours in Birmingham are linked.

BBC Radio WM

Extra police patrols including armed officers are being carried out in parts of Birmingham after three people were shot and a teenager stabbed within a seven hour period.

Image source, PA Media

A man died and another was seriously hurt in a shooting on Western Road at about 17:30 on Tuesday.

At 19:00 a teenager was stabbed in Burbury Park, Lozells and at 23:40 police were called after a 16-year-old boy was shot in the arm on St Vincent Street.

West Midlands Police said, external it is keeping an open mind over whether any of the three cases are linked.

BBC Weather

A dry and mainly sunny day with some cloudy patches expected this afternoon. High: 11C/52F.

Image source, BBC Weather Watcher Wendles

Those patches of cloud will mainly clear this evening leaving a dry night with long, clear spells. There could be some patches of mist or fog by dawn. Low: -1C/30F.

You can stay up-to-date on the weather for your area by going to the BBC Weather website.