Summary

  • Updates on Monday 13 June 2016

  • News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Tuesday

  1. Mid Wales 'should forge Midlands links'published at 11:20 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Close economic links should be forged between mid and west Wales and the West Midlands, according to Wales' economy secretary.

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  2. Midlands to be hotter than Hawaiipublished at 10:35 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Yep you read that right - according to BBC Weather it will be hotter in the Midlands than Hawaii, Jamaica and the Maldives.

    But wait - it'll start cooling down tomorrow so don't cancel your holiday just yet.

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  3. 'I feel quite angry' says ex MEP over expenses court casepublished at 09:10 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Adrian Goldberg
    Presenter, BBC WM

    A former UKIP MEP for the West Midlands says she hasn't worked since losing her seat two years ago because she was accused of expenses fraud. 

    It took four years to bring the case to court and Nikki Sinclaire was cleared of the charges last week.

    Nikki Sinclaire
    Quote Message

    I feel quite angry that two years of my professional life has been stolen and seemingly there is no way that I can have any redress about that and that is not fair

    Nikki Sinclaire, Former UKIP MEP

  4. Top tips for dealing with the summer sunshinepublished at 08:52 British Summer Time 19 July 2016

    Temperatures across the West Midlands are expected to soar to 33C (91F) today, prompting warnings from health bodies urging people to take care in the sun. 

    The hot weather began over the weekend and is expected to continue tomorrow. 

    Summer sunshine in the West Midlands
    Quote Message

    The heat can kill particularly for older people, young children and babies. What we're saying is when you go out wear your hat, your sunglasses, loose clothing, sun screen and take some water.

    Dr Lola Abudu, Public Health West Midlands

  5. Man waved fake faeces in family's facepublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 18 July 2016

    Police hunt a man who waved plastic faeces in the face of a young child and her grandmother in a reportedly racially motivated incident.

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  6. On Midlands Today at 18:30: Are farmers anxious about Brexit?published at 17:55 British Summer Time 18 July 2016

    David Gregory-Kumar
    Science correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

    More than 1,000 farmers from the Midlands have headed to the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show this week, their first chance to gather in numbers since Britain voted to leave the EU.  

    People at the Royal Welsh show

    I've been speaking to them to gauge what the mood is like among farmers.

    You can see my report on Midlands Today from 18:30 on BBC One.

  7. Call to be careful with water consumptionpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 18 July 2016

    Water restrictions are not on the cards during the hot weather, say Severn Trent, but the company is encouraging customers to be careful with consumption.

    Severn Trent say they've been able to balance out supplies by moving water across the region, helped by last month's rainfall, which filled local reservoirs back up to healthy levels.

    Severn TrentImage source, Google
  8. Weather: Stand by for a warm and muggy nightpublished at 15:10 British Summer Time 18 July 2016

    BBC Weather

    It looks like it's going to be a difficult night for sleeping - warm and muggy.

    What are your tips for sleeping in a heatwave? If you want, check out this article from a couple of years ago when our colleagues looked at tips to tackle the issue.

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  9. Severe weather could bring flash flooding: Met Officepublished at 13:45 British Summer Time 18 July 2016

    BBC Weather

    The Met Office says hot weather could bring severe thunderstorms to the West Midlands on Tuesday and Wednesday., external

    It says there's a risk of flash flooding, frequent lightning, hail and strong winds, with disruption to power also possible. 

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  10. On Midlands Today this lunchtime: Call for tests after baby deathpublished at 13:08 British Summer Time 18 July 2016

    Joanne Malin
    BBC Midlands Today

    The parents of a baby girl from the West Midlands who died from an infection contracted during birth want all mothers to be tested for the bug.

    Family with Pippa GriffithsImage source, KAYLEIGH & COLIN GRIFFITHS

    Pippa Griffiths was just a day old when she fell ill with a Group B Strep infection - the biggest cause of meningitis in newborns. 

    The NHS currently doesn't offer routine testing for the bacteria - we'll have more on BBC One from 13:30 in Midlands Today.

  11. Weather warning for later in the weekpublished at 12:53 British Summer Time 18 July 2016

    It was too good to last.

    The Met Office says we're due a couple of days of July weather, before the rain returns.

    Enjoy it while you can.

    Rain mapImage source, The Met Office
  12. A day to get the suncream onpublished at 09:08 British Summer Time 18 July 2016

    Very high UV levels across the Midlands today. Pollen levels remain high too across the region. 

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  13. West Midlands MEP announces he is running for leadership of UKIPpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge announces he is running for UKIP party leadership

  14. UKIP MEPs vie to replace Farage as leaderpublished at 13:19 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Bill Etheridge becomes the third UKIP MEP to join the race to succeed Nigel Farage as party leader.

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  15. Brexit: One month on from the insurrectionpublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 15 July 2016

    Nearly one month on from that epic referendum result, I've been sounding out opinions in the part of Britain which voted more enthusiastically than anywhere else for the UK to leave the EU.

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  16. West Midlands UKIP MEP launches party leadership bidpublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 15 July 2016
    Breaking

    Rob Mayor
    Political Reporter, WM

    MEP Bill Etheridge announces he is to stand as leader of UKIP.

    The leadership race was sparked by the resignation of Nigel Farage, who quit following the EU referendum vote.  

    Many of UKIP's best-known faces have been blocked from contesting the leadership after the Eurosceptic party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) said all candidates must have been a member for at least five years.  

    Bill Etheridge
  17. Travel: M5 to stay shut northbound 'for some time'published at 18:26 British Summer Time 14 July 2016

    Police say the M5 northbound is likely to remain shut between J3 and J2 "for some time".

    Highways England duty operations manager Martin Stott said its staff were working hard to support the emergency services and thanked drivers for their patience.

    The condition of a motorcyclist who hit the crash barrier is not yet known.

    Delays northbound now stretch from J4 for Bromsgrove and southbound from M6 J8.

    M5 trafficImage source, Highways England
  18. Worcester Wolves snap up forward Hufforpublished at 18:05 British Summer Time 14 July 2016

    Former Glasgow and Cheshire forward Danny Huffor becomes Worcester Wolves' fourth new signing in three days.

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  19. Tongue signs new Worcestershire dealpublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 14 July 2016

    Worcestershire's teenage paceman Josh Tongue signs a new three-year contract at Worcestershire.

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  20. Third murder charge after stabbingpublished at 21:53 British Summer Time 13 July 2016

    Police investigating the alleged murder of Cardiff man Lynford Brewster charge a third man.

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