Summary

  • Updates from Monday 9 August to Sunday 15 August

  1. Bournemouth end Blues' unbeaten startpublished at 23:01 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Dominic Solanke and Jaidon Anthony end Birmingham City's unbeaten start as Bournemouth maintain their amazing record at St Andrew's.

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  2. High Court legal challenge over noxious quarry gaspublished at 19:36 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    The family of a boy with breathing difficulties who live near the landfill has brought the case.

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  3. Police officer and son's deaths were murder-suicidepublished at 19:16 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Three-year-old Harrison Louden was found dead alongside his father at their home on Friday.

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  4. PC guilty of causing death by careless drivingpublished at 18:03 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Jamie Holloway was driving at speeds of up to 110mph before he hit David Shaw's car, the trial heard.

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  5. Cheaper, faster Covid test could be used at airportspublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    A new potentially cheaper and quicker Covid test could be rolled out at airports in three months, researchers have said.

    University of Birmingham - generic

    The University of Birmingham said it had developed a test, using the exponential amplification reaction (EXPAR) method, that was as sensitive as a PCR test but could give results in a few minutes without the need for a laboratory.

    PCR tests typically cost about £65, but some private clinics charge about £200. Health Secretary Sajid Javid has acknowledged the cost of PCR testing could be "a barrier" to people wanting to travel and said people needed to be protected from "exploitative practices".

    The Department of Health has said the cost of NHS Test and Trace tests for international arrivals would be reduced - from £88 to £68 for travellers coming from green list countries, or those arriving from amber list countries who are fully vaccinated.

    Tim Dafforn, professor of biotechnology at the university's School of Biosciences, said: "The test works with existing instrumentation, meaning that it could conceivably be deployed in [airports]... in three to six months with some commercial backing."

  6. Plasma donor meets children helped by donationspublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    A donor from Coventry meets a family from Nottingham whose children who were saved by plasma.

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  7. Councils in England pledge to take Afghan refugeespublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    The UK has agreed to take in up to 20,000 refugees over the next few years, including 5,000 this year.

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  8. Police probe racist abuse of Coventry playerpublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Coventry City confirm a police investigation into an allegation of racist abuse aimed at a Sky Blues player in Tuesday's win at Blackpool.

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  9. Stadium tribute planned for fan who died after matchpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Coventry City is set to pay tribute to one of its fans who died days after suffering a cardiac arrest at one of its matches.

    Paul Jones, widely known as Rex, suffered the cardiac arrest at the Sky Blues' home game against Nottingham Forest on 8 August.

    He died on 15 August, the club said.

    Fans make their way to the Coventry Building Society Arena before the Sky Bet Championship match between Coventry City and Nottingham Forest at The Coventry Building Society Arena on August 8, 2021Image source, Getty Images

    In a statement, the club said: "Our thoughts and condolences are with Paul’s family and friends at this very sad time, and the support of the entire Sky Blue family is with them.

    "We understand that fans are planning a minute’s applause in Paul’s memory on Saturday, and the club will be supporting this 12th-minute tribute by Paul’s fellow supporters."

  10. School transport contract cut over DBS checkspublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Birmingham City Council has just two weeks to find a new provider before the new term.

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  11. Three stabbed in disorder involving 'up to 12 men'published at 14:27 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    The men suffer serious injuries in the violence outside Birmingham's Spearmint Rhino club.

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  12. Wolves striker on playing again following skull fracturepublished at 14:14 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    BBC Sport

    Wolves striker Raul Jimenez says he "feels like a player again" after making his Premier League return nine months after fracturing his skull.

    Raul JimenezImage source, Getty Images

    The 30-year-old played the full 90 minutes in Wolves' opening-day defeat to Leicester.

    It was the first competitive match he has been involved in since he sustained the traumatic injury against Arsenal.

    "I always thought that after my recovery I would be back to do what I love to do," said Jimenez.

    "I never thought about finishing my career. There was a chance of that, but I was always confident I was going to return."

  13. Three men stabbed in Birmingham disorderpublished at 13:47 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Three men have suffered serious stab wounds after disorder in Birmingham early this morning, police have said.

    West Midlands Police said it happened at about 03:00 in Hagley Road and involved up to 12 men.

    Police car

    Shortly afterwards, two men attended the city's Queen Elizabeth Hospital with stab injuries, while another later turned up at City Hospital, also with a stab wound. None of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening.

    Witnesses should contact police on 101.

  14. 'You can't come back if you ain't got a medal'published at 13:36 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    The three boxers from the West Midlands have fond memories of their time in Tokyo and medal wins.

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  15. Drive-through for pacemaker patientspublished at 13:23 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Patients with pacemakers can now get a check-up at a drive-through clinic at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

    Pacemaker patients need to have their devices checked at least once a year, but due to Covid-19 restrictions, it has been difficult for the cardiology team to see patients face-to-face.

    The hospital trust said the drive-through meant the medical team could see more patients, while freeing up capacity in the hospital itself for other cardio-pulmonary treatments.

    Cardiac Physiologists going through checks with patient, Mr AdlingtonImage source, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

    Becky Macdonald, from the trust, said: “Some patients are still reluctant to come into a hospital clinic due to anxieties around Covid-19, some may struggle with mobility, and some simply find parking difficult and stressful.

    “If everything is fine then it gives the patient the peace of mind they need and they won’t need to hear from us until their next appointment.”

  16. Twin's gun law anger after family shooting deathspublished at 13:05 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Rob Needham is thought to have killed partner Kelly Fitzgibbons and their daughters, then himself.

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  17. Rap star Lady Leshurr on 'slowing down'published at 12:34 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    The 32-year-old says life sometimes feels like a running machine at the gym with no stop button.

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  18. The 'pure devastation and guilt' of British-Afghanspublished at 11:51 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Manish Pandey
    Newsbeat reporter

    The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan may be happening more than 3,600 miles away from the UK, but it feels much closer to home for British-Afghans.

    Before coming to the UK as an asylum seeker, 24-year-old Parwiz Karimi was born and grew up in Afghanistan.

    Parwiz KarimiImage source, Parwiz Karimi

    His childhood memories include being confronted by Taliban members who would cross into his village with their weapons, with his grandmother telling him and his siblings to "run to the mountains" to find safety.

    As he tries to keep track of the fast-moving situation in his home country, Parwiz, now living in Wolverhampton, is feeling guilty and worried about his many family members who still live there.

    "I'm here sitting in my house peacefully studying. And they're struggling to find food," he tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

    "There is so much I can do here but at the same time, there's nothing I can do for them."

    You can read more of his story here on the BBC website.

  19. 'We were continuously in and out of hospital'published at 11:34 British Summer Time 18 August 2021

    Rebecca Currie says her five-year-old son's health has suffered by living next to the landfill site.

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