Coventry and Warwickshire, along with the wider West Midlands region, would be set to benefit from a successful bid for Birmingham to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

It was announced this morning that Birmingham has pipped Liverpool to the post to be named the preferred English candidate - although it'll still have to compete with cities abroad to win the privilege.

Image source, Wasps

Under Birmingham's plans, Coventry's Ricoh indoor arena, home to Wasps Netball, would host the sport, with Leamington Spa's Victoria Park serving as the Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls venue.

Stratford Observer

County councillors will take an extra month to consider the public’s views on the proposal to close up to 27 of Warwickshire’s 39 children’s centres. , external

The charges against Kailash Chander were brought in July following a police inquiry into the crash, which saw a double-decker hit the side of Sainsbury's in Trinity Street, Coventry.

Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service

Pedestrian Dora Hancox, a former foster carer from Nuneaton, and passenger Rowan Fitzgerald, a pupil at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School in Leamington Spa, both died at the scene.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Bus company Midland Red (South) Limited, charged with two offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act, will next appear at Coventry Magistrates on 14 September.

A bus driver has appeared in court accused of killing a pedestrian and a seven-year-old passenger in a Coventry city centre crash in which a double decker bus went into a supermarket.

Kailash Chander, 79, a former mayor of Leamington Spa, is alleged to have caused the deaths of Rowan Fitzgerald and 76-year-old Dora Hancox by dangerous driving.

He also faces two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Bus operator Midland Red (South) Ltd has been charged with two health and safety offences.

He appeared at Coventry Magistrates Court which referred the case to Warwick Crown Court where he'll next appear on 6 October.

The crash happened in October 2015.

The childhood home of William Shakespeare is to go under the hammer, 170 years since it was saved for the public by the UK's oldest conservation charity.

Well, sort of...

In the nineteenth century, the building was bought at auction for the sum of £3,000 by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which wanted to safeguard the property amid rumours of a dismantling for shipping abroad.

On 16 September, 170 years after the hammer was brought down, there's a re-enactment of the auction in Stratford-upon-Avon to launch new exhibition Saving Shakespeare's Birthplace., external

Image source, Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust

The property was threatened with decay after the then-resident butcher's wife died in 1847 and heritage group Shakespeare Birthplace Trust was formed, backed by Charles Dickens.

Following the auction, an arrangement was formalised by an Act of Parliament in 1891 to safeguard the Bard's home and archive collection.

Image source, Shakeapeare's Birthplace Trust

Nuneaton News

Nuneaton's army barracks could sensationally lose two cherished regiments, external who have a special place in the heart of the borough.

BBC News Travel

One lane remains closed on the M42 southbound after an oil spillage between junctions four and 3a.

An earlier broken-down lorry has been recovered, but heavy congestion in the area is being reported.

Chanise Evans
BBC Online

A teenage girl who at the age of five received a kidney donation from her father has won dozens of medals at the Transplant Games.

Hollie Simpson, from Coventry, now has three kidneys - but the one from her father Malcolm is the only one keeping her alive.

Since her operation she has picked up 43 medals in a range of sporting events.

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

The Coventry Blaze beat French side Gothiques D'Amiens 5-4 in their latest pre-season match at the Skydome.

It ended 5-4 in overtime - with Ben Lake scoring the winner for Danny Stewart's side.

Every new Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) vehicle line launched from 2020 will be electric or hybrid, the company has announced.

Image source, Nick Dimbleby/Jaguar Land Rover

The Coventry-based carmaker said the first of the new models would be a fully-electric vehicle. The Jaguar I-Pace rolls off the production line in 2018.

The firm, Britain's biggest carmaker, is owned by India's Tata.

More than 30,000 reports of crimes are not being recorded by West Midlands Police, a watchdog has said.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services said 83.8% of reported offences were recorded, but at least 38,800 each year were not.

Deputy Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe, from West Midlands Police said the force broadly accepted the data underpinning the report but disputed the 38,000 figure.

"A significant number of these incidents were recorded on our systems but just not classified correctly," she said.

Sara Blizzard
BBC Weather

After a bright start, with the odd light shower, it will turn cloudy this afternoon with outbreaks of rain and top temperatures of 19C (66F).

Vanessa Pearce
BBC Local Live

We'll be bringing you the latest news, sport, travel and weather for Coventry and Warwickshire between now and 18:00.

If you'd like to get in touch with the BBC Local Live team, you can do so by emailing us, tweeting @BBCCovWarks, external, or visiting our Facebook page, external.

Craig Overton and Jack Leach take nine wickets to help Somerset build a lead over Warwickshire on day two at Edgbaston.

We'll be back with regular updates of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 on Thursday.

Keep an eye out for here for breaking news.

Rugby Advertiser

The Clock Towers shopping centre in Rugby is set to be renamed and unveiled in a celebratory weekend after almost 18 months, external of refurbishment and redevelopment.

A man in his 20s is being quizzed on suspicion of attempted murder after a man and a woman were found with serious head injuries.

Police were called to Jardine Crescent, Tile Hill, at 00:40 today.

A statement from West Midlands Police said: “A woman in her 40s and a 50-year-old man were taken to hospital with serious head injuries, where they remain in a critical condition.

“A man aged 20 has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

"At this stage we are not are looking for anyone else and believe the parties were known to each other."

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

It's been a mainly dry, sunny day today for most of us but that's unlikely to continue in the next 24-hours - here's the next few hours forecast.

You can also stay updated with the latest weather for your area by going to the BBC Weather website.

Leamington Courier

A frustrated mother hit out at the ‘crazy’ price of her son’s Stagecoach bus pass before he started at Leamington College, external this week.

Four of Wasps Netball’s Superleague players have re-signed for the club, and are hoping to defend their title in the 2018 season.

Image source, Wasps Netball

Amy Flanagan, George Fisher, Josie Huckle and Sophia Candappa have all re-joined the team which play at the Ricoh Arena.