Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Live updates for Birmingham and the Black Country have finished for the day but we'll be back from 08:00 on Thursday with the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Summary
Updates on Wednesday 25 November
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Thursday
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 18:00
Chancellor offers more for 'devo max' plus super hospitalpublished at 17:53
Patrick Burns
Political editor, MidlandsChancellors love springing surprises, especially if they manage to shoot some of the opposition's foxes at the same time.
George Osborne will consider that he has scored not one but two direct hits - no cuts to working tax credits and no cuts to police budgets.
Image source, Getty ImagesIn the Midlands, building developments are severely hampered by a shortage of bricklayers.
One major local initiative which will receive a general welcome from all sides in politics will be Mr Osborne's confirmation that the long-awaited 670-bed super hospital in Sandwell was on the list of three new hospitals.
It will take over services currently provided by Birmingham City and Sandwell hospitals. Read my blog in full online.
Astle family welcomes FA head injury advicepublished at 17:42
The family of former West Bromwich Albion striker, Jeff Astle, who died in 2002 from a brain condition most commonly associated with boxers, are welcoming new guidelines from the Football Association.
Image source, PAThe FA has issued new safety-first guidelines on how to identify whether a player has been concussed following an injury and how soon they should be allowed to return.
The guidelines state that a player suspected of being concussed should be immediately removed from play or training and must not return to play that day.
Weather: Frost-free night aheadpublished at 17:31
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands TodayCloudy this evening with occasional outbreaks of lightrain at times.
Becoming drier later tonight with a few cloud breaks developing towards dawn. Frost-free with light winds - lows of 5C (41F).
Tomorrow will be a mostly dry and bright during the morning but with thickening cloud bringing some rain or drizzle through the afternoon.
Watch: Tour of New Cross Hospital departmentpublished at 17:26
A new department opened its doors to the public at 04:00 this morning. BBC Midlands Today takes a look around the new unit.
Watch: Tipton widower left with 'crash-like' head injuriespublished at 17:21
A man who badly beat an older man in a street, external is thought to have been responsible for an attack on a woman.
The 69-year-old victim from Tipton, West Midlands, was beaten so badly paramedics thought he had been hit by a car.
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End of youtube videoPolice think his attacker also robbed a 61-year-old woman of her handbag the same morning, Saturday, 7 November.
She was punched in the face twice and kicked as she lay on the ground before the attacker ran off.
'To me - to you': Chuckle Brothers switch on Christmas lights in Wolverhamptonpublished at 17:15
Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local LiveThe Chuckle Brothers are among some of the special guests in Wolverhampton tonight to switch on the city's Christmas lights.
The council says, external the stars of the Grand Theatre's panto, Peter Pan ,will be there, alongside TV stars Bing and Flop, Wolves players Dominic Iorfa and Kortney Hause and the big man himself - Santa.
Oh dear. Oh dear.
Watch: BBC News Channel live in Birminghampublished at 17:09
The BBC News Channel is looking closely at how the details may affect you from Birmingham's Grand Central. Watch live online now.
Latest headlines: George Osborne confirms funding for Smethwick hospital and Birmingham nightclub Gatecrasher license removedpublished at 17:01
Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local LiveThe top stories in the newsroom at the moment are:
- George Osborne confirms funding for a brand new 670-bed hospital in Smethwick
- Birmingham's biggest nightclub, Gatecrasher, has had its licence removed
- A shopping centre in Solihull has cancelled an outdoor event involving penguins following pressure from an animal rights group
Open University strike in Birminghampublished at 16:53
Open University staff in Birmingham have gone on strike for first time in the institution's history.
Union members joined a national dispute after the institution said it would press ahead with plans to close seven regional centres.
M6 northbound delayspublished at 16:44
BBC TravelOne lane is blocked on the M6 northbound between J6 A38(M) Aston Expressway and J7, A34 (Great Barr) because of an accident.
Congestion is reported to be tailing back to J5, A452 (Castle Bromwich).
BBC Music Awards: Faithless to performpublished at 16:34
The BBC Music Awards are coming to Birmingham in 15 days.
Faithless will be performing alongside James Bay, The Shires and Ellie Goulding, it's been announced.
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End of X postCharity event death victim namedpublished at 16:14
A man who died after suffering head injuries at an entertainment venue is named.
Inderjit Singh Dhariwal, 49, was hurt at Samsons Banqueting Suite in Rood End Road, Oldbury, at about 02:00 GMT on Sunday.
Two men are being held on suspicion of murder.
Crime reporting tool to launch in Walsallpublished at 16:02
A crime reporting tool that will make known criminals, external 'think twice' is being launched in Walsall.
Image source, Walsall AdvertiserWatch: 'My dream has come true' teenager with terminal cancer meets Malalapublished at 15:51
Anwar Ullah, 17, suffers from a rare form of lung cancer. Doctors say they can't do much more for him.
But he still has some unfinished business. Like meeting his hero, Malala Yousafzai. See what happened when they met.
Watch: Latest weather forecast for the West Midlandspublished at 15:38
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today WeatherMedia caption, Latest weather forecast for the West Midlands
Cardboard bed for homeless: 'Many offers of help' with projectpublished at 15:27
FacebookThe people behind the project which has created a cardboard bed to keep homeless people warm and dry in the winter say they've had "many offers of help" after it was featured across the BBC yesterday.
Our Own Future posted on Facebook:, external "Since it was on BBC News, the beds project has reached thousands of people and there have already been many offers of help. Please see the FAQs to find out what we do or don't need., external"
The beds are made from interlocking pieces of strong card, raising the person lying on it off the cold floor.
Latest headlines: Funding for hospital confirmed by chancellor & Birmingham nightclub has license revokedpublished at 15:00
Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local LiveThe top stories in the newsroom this afternoon include:
- George Osborne confirms funding for a brand new hospital in Smethwick
- Birmingham's biggest nightclub, Gatecrasher, which shut down over a stabbing and alleged brawl involving security staff, has had its licence taken away
- A shopping centre in Solihull has cancelled an outdoor event involving penguins following pressure from an animal rights group
Watch: Hospital sees 40,000+ patients a yearpublished at 14:43
A new £38m Urgent Care and Emergency Centre has opened at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital.
Chief executive, David Loughton, says the hospital is processing more than 40,000 patients a year.
Live penguin event cancelled after online petitionpublished at 14:30
A shopping centre in Solihull has axed a festive meet-the-penguins outdoor event after pressure from animal rights activists.
The Touchwood centre described the Penguin Encounter as "an educational event featuring endangered Humboldt birds".
The event had been run at the centre for the past three years but this year was the subject of a petition against the use of live penguins, started by an animal rights group.
The centre says the event had been "misunderstood" by the campaigners.
