:00:00. > :00:07.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: A terrorist
:00:08. > :00:11.carrying a bomb on a Birmingham bus ` the racist fanatic who's admitted
:00:12. > :00:19.he had a hatred of anyone who wasn't white.
:00:20. > :00:24.It is such a pity that he has wasted his whole life for some personal
:00:25. > :00:26.hatred that he had. We'll be asking what chance our security forces have
:00:27. > :00:28.against terrorist fanatics working in isolation.
:00:29. > :00:31.Also tonight, growing concern over two children still missing after
:00:32. > :00:35.being taken by their father on Friday.
:00:36. > :00:38.Flying high ` a record number of businesses invest in Birmingham with
:00:39. > :00:41.the promise of thousands of new jobs.
:00:42. > :00:47.The moment an assistant referee was hit by a flare at Villa Park ` two
:00:48. > :00:51.men are under arrest. And we're whipping up a storm this
:00:52. > :00:54.week with the whole works ` strong winds, heavy rain and showers. But
:00:55. > :01:05.there's good news too ` I'll tell you all about it later.
:01:06. > :01:13.Good evening. Tonight, the background to a campaign of racist
:01:14. > :01:17.terror. This is Pavlo Lapshyn, a fanatic with a hatred of anyone not
:01:18. > :01:22.white. He's from Ukraine, a country with a strong right wing nationalist
:01:23. > :01:26.movement. But Lapshyn acted alone when he travelled to Birmingham on
:01:27. > :01:29.April the 24th. Within five days, he'd murdered this defenceless man
:01:30. > :01:35.and went on to plant three homemade bombs at mosques. His aim was to
:01:36. > :01:38.kill and maim worshippers, but the terror attacks ended when Lapshyn
:01:39. > :01:42.was arrested on the 18th of July. Ben Godfrey has the story of an
:01:43. > :01:49.extremist described by police as calm, calculated and committed.
:01:50. > :01:54.Pavlo Lapshyn was a man so filled with hate, he was prepared to kill
:01:55. > :01:57.those who didn't have white skin. His first victim was a gentle
:01:58. > :02:08.pensioner, going about his daily tasks. Our father was a lovely kind
:02:09. > :02:12.man who left prayers for the last time on the 29th of April. He did
:02:13. > :02:18.not do anything to deserve this, other than being a Moslem. ``
:02:19. > :02:21.Moslem. 82`year`old Mohammed Saleem lived for his religion and his
:02:22. > :02:25.family. On April the 29th, Lapshin stabbed him in the back as he left
:02:26. > :02:29.Green Lane mosque. From the first moment, his relatives were convinced
:02:30. > :02:32.it was a racist attack ` and they were right. Their frustration with
:02:33. > :02:38.West Midlands Police was clear. As time has gone on, the more
:02:39. > :02:45.information we have given them, it has been received... I just feel, it
:02:46. > :02:50.is a hassle. It was driven by right`wing motivation. At the time I
:02:51. > :02:55.do not have a criticism of the investigation. I don't think they
:02:56. > :02:58.could have done more. So why was he here? Lapshyn won a
:02:59. > :03:03.student placement at this software company in Small Heath. He tried to
:03:04. > :03:06.fit in and lived in a flat on site. On June 21st, a small homemade
:03:07. > :03:10.device exploded near Aisha mosque in Walsall. Lapshyn intended to cause
:03:11. > :03:13.mass casualties, but failed. On 28th June, the Ukrainian's terror theme
:03:14. > :03:20.continued ` another Friday, Muslims attending prayers. This time, it's
:03:21. > :03:27.Wolverhampton Central mosque. A device goes off. Fortunately, no
:03:28. > :03:33.one's hurt. Initial police searches failed to spot a bomb had gone off.
:03:34. > :03:38.The local community did pull together. Because we were not
:03:39. > :03:43.certain who the perpetrator was, there was a big sense of relief once
:03:44. > :03:46.it came out and became apparent that this gentleman is not from the
:03:47. > :03:49.United Kingdom. A fortnight later, it's now abundantly clear that
:03:50. > :03:56.police are hunting a terrorist. A large nail bomb explodes outside
:03:57. > :04:03.Tipton Central mosque. This was Lapshyn's largest bomb. It weighed
:04:04. > :04:07.600 grams and it was aimed at the female entrants to the mosque. Had
:04:08. > :04:11.it been detonated by his mobile phone and an hour later, this car
:04:12. > :04:17.park would have been full and there could have been up to 200
:04:18. > :04:21.casualties. The nails travelling `` travel up to 70 metres. Windows were
:04:22. > :04:24.smashed. Lapshyn caught a bus, clutching a bag or a child's lunch
:04:25. > :04:28.box, carrying unstable devices which could have gone off at any time. He
:04:29. > :04:36.was eventually caught by ordinary bobbies doing routine checks in
:04:37. > :04:41.Small Heath. We tracked him painstakingly on CCTV in his flat.
:04:42. > :04:46.We found further chemicals and things to make bombs. Community
:04:47. > :04:50.tensions were heightened. Lapshyn was charged with the mosque bombings
:04:51. > :04:56.and the murder of Mohammed Saleem, on the same day as an English
:04:57. > :05:00.Defence League rally in Birmingham. You've got a far more right wing
:05:01. > :05:03.organisation now coming forward and therefore there are going to be more
:05:04. > :05:12.consequences of that. The community is apprehensive. We're told that
:05:13. > :05:15.Lapshyn, the son of a college professor, was a lone wolf with no
:05:16. > :05:19.links to extremist factions and no links to the Midlands. A man so off
:05:20. > :05:22.the radar, early witness appeals proved fruitless. Lapshyn was the
:05:23. > :05:29.unknown entity ` the nightmare of the security services.
:05:30. > :05:32.He will be sentenced later this week. With us now is Imran Arwan,
:05:33. > :05:35.senior lecturer in criminology at Birmingham City University. Good
:05:36. > :05:42.evening to you. It's not the first lone wolf case ` how common are
:05:43. > :05:49.they? There are a number of cases similar to this. Timothy McVeigh,
:05:50. > :05:56.for example. David Copeland, in Britain, in 1999 add a string of
:05:57. > :06:03.bomb plots. And the Boston bomber. Indeed, the two brothers from Russia
:06:04. > :06:09.but were very much Long Wolf extremists. It is so random. It must
:06:10. > :06:14.be well nigh impossible on the police to keep an eye on these
:06:15. > :06:18.people? Of course. It is an extremely enormous task the police
:06:19. > :06:21.have to deal with. It is much more difficult for them in terms of
:06:22. > :06:25.trying to review and try to ascertain who is doing what, because
:06:26. > :06:32.many of these people will use, for example, the internet, to try to
:06:33. > :06:38.gather material. It is a difficult job for law enforcement agencies.
:06:39. > :06:43.The murder of Mohammed Saleem was never really associated with terror,
:06:44. > :06:49.was it? No. That is an important point. When it initially happened it
:06:50. > :06:54.was discussed as a hate crime. I think for many people, including
:06:55. > :06:59.myself as a criminologist, it was clear that it had the traits of an
:07:00. > :07:02.act of terrorism. Perhaps it should have been much more clear that the
:07:03. > :07:07.police were dealing with an act of terrorism as opposed to a hate
:07:08. > :07:15.crime. How does anybody become so radicalised? Looking at the evidence
:07:16. > :07:21.from this person, this individual, he said he targeted Mohammed Saleem
:07:22. > :07:26.because he was not white, in effect. I think there is a more deeply
:07:27. > :07:33.embedded hate and racial tension within individuals like this. They
:07:34. > :07:38.get a limited, isolated, and they self radicalised. They use the
:07:39. > :07:48.internet. They find bomb`making materials and it is an extremely
:07:49. > :07:51.complex web of the suite. `` deceit. Coming up later in the programme,
:07:52. > :07:55.fewer firefighters, fewer fire engines ` a warning that lives could
:07:56. > :07:58.be lost if five million pounds is cut from a fire service's budget.
:07:59. > :08:02.Police have released CCTV pictures of the man they believe is holding
:08:03. > :08:04.two young children. Two and a half year old Na'llah Khan and her
:08:05. > :08:08.ten`month`old brother Sulailman Khan were taken from a hotel in Stoke on
:08:09. > :08:11.Trent by their father, Saleem Tahir. Liz Copper's outside the hotel for
:08:12. > :08:22.us this evening. Liz, what's the latest on the police investigation?
:08:23. > :08:27.Well, it was here that the police investigation began on Friday night.
:08:28. > :08:31.It began when the children's father escaped with them down a fire
:08:32. > :08:35.escape. We heard today how it was very likely it was planned. Police
:08:36. > :08:41.have released pictures as the search intensifies. CCTV pictures showing
:08:42. > :08:43.the father and grandmother who, just hours earlier, had snatched two
:08:44. > :08:46.young children from their mother. Na'llah Khan, who's two and her ten
:08:47. > :08:49.month`old brother, Sulailman, were taken by their father, Saleem Tahir,
:08:50. > :08:54.on Friday afternoon. The children were taken from a room at this hotel
:08:55. > :08:57.in Hanley. The manager has described how, on the previous day, Saleem
:08:58. > :09:05.Tahir's mother, Denise Smith`Sellers had checked into the hotel. During
:09:06. > :09:11.the time that she was here that even, her son visited on numerous
:09:12. > :09:19.occasions. He went up to her room, where it would appear he used that
:09:20. > :09:23.opportunity to check out the Hotel, the various entrances and exits. The
:09:24. > :09:26.children were seen here in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham at around
:09:27. > :09:29.eight o'clock on Friday evening. Meanwhile, back in Hanley, the alarm
:09:30. > :09:42.had been raised by their distraught mother. Clearly distressed. Somewhat
:09:43. > :09:45.hysterical. They were trying with some difficulty to explain what had
:09:46. > :09:47.happened because of their state of mind at that point. Police are
:09:48. > :09:51.hoping these pictures will prompt witnesses to come forward and that
:09:52. > :09:57.these two young children will be found safe and well.
:09:58. > :10:00.This is an investigation that now involves several police force areas.
:10:01. > :10:05.In addition to the pictures that have been released tonight, there
:10:06. > :10:12.are also CCTV pictures taken from the security system at the hotel. I
:10:13. > :10:14.understand they are of good quality. Police are interviewing witnesses
:10:15. > :10:22.and they are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Thank you.
:10:23. > :10:26.The hospital regulator, Monitor, has asked for an extra 40 days to sort
:10:27. > :10:30.out the plan for the future of Stafford Hospital. The final report
:10:31. > :10:33.into the hospital was due to be given to the Government tomorrow.
:10:34. > :10:36.But Monitor's requested more time to work on finances. It believes this
:10:37. > :10:40.won't slow down the final decision on the hospital which is due to be
:10:41. > :10:44.agreed by the end of the year. The company which owns Alton Towers
:10:45. > :10:46.and Warwick Castle, is to float on the London stock market. Merlin
:10:47. > :10:49.Entertainments is believed to be worth around ?3 billion and is
:10:50. > :10:52.Europe's leading visitor attraction operator. The company says the
:10:53. > :10:56.public offer of shares will enable it to pay down debt and plan for
:10:57. > :10:59.developments. More than 40 companies have chosen
:11:00. > :11:03.to invest in Birmingham in just the last year. That's the highest figure
:11:04. > :11:06.recorded in the last two decades. Deutsche Bank alone is bringing up
:11:07. > :11:12.to a thousand jobs, choosing the second city over London. And, as
:11:13. > :11:16.Peter Plisner has been finding out, other companies are doing the same.
:11:17. > :11:19.His report contains some flashing images Flying high above Birmingham
:11:20. > :11:22.` it's a modern city that appears to be taking off and pulling more
:11:23. > :11:25.investment and companies away from London.
:11:26. > :11:31.Flying high above Birmingham, the modern city that appears to be
:11:32. > :11:35.taking off. It is pulling more companies away from London. Deutsche
:11:36. > :11:38.Bank is the latest ` it's now setting up what will be one of
:11:39. > :11:41.Europe's largest trading floors to deal in stocks and shares. The
:11:42. > :11:45.bank's investing millions of pounds in a new HQ at Birmingham's Brindley
:11:46. > :11:52.Place. Once this building's complete next year, the bank will recruit up
:11:53. > :11:59.to a thousand new staff. We have looked at a number of cities in the
:12:00. > :12:04.UK. Growth in Birmingham was organic in the beginning. We felt it worked
:12:05. > :12:09.very well. It is proven it works. We are going on the same trajectory.
:12:10. > :12:15.Developments like Brindley Place have helped to put Birmingham on the
:12:16. > :12:20.global map. This development have hoped it to range `` raise its game,
:12:21. > :12:25.making it a more attractive location for companies wanting to relocate
:12:26. > :12:28.and potential investors. And that's meant rising levels of interest in
:12:29. > :12:34.the city. In 2010, there were just 19 foreign investment projects in
:12:35. > :12:37.the city. A year later, it was up to 27. But last year, it rose even
:12:38. > :12:40.further with 41 separate projects. And one of them heralded the arrival
:12:41. > :12:43.of the online clothing retailer, ASOS. It's related it's IT
:12:44. > :12:48.department to the city and it's already expanding. The technical and
:12:49. > :12:53.creative side of Birmingham is fantastic. We have recruited some
:12:54. > :12:57.strong individuals. We are really strong `` pleased with the quality
:12:58. > :13:00.of people in Birmingham. Success has partly come through better marketing
:13:01. > :13:05.of the city, with promotional videos portraying a young, modern and
:13:06. > :13:09.fashionable live and work. I think it is a huge vote of confidence in
:13:10. > :13:12.the city generally. But it is a reminder that these are fragile
:13:13. > :13:16.economic times and people are making choices not just for today, but for
:13:17. > :13:19.tomorrow. With investment in the city at a record high, that
:13:20. > :13:27.ultimately means more new jobs and more job security for those already
:13:28. > :13:33.working here. It is approaching 70 minutes to
:13:34. > :13:36.seven. `` 17. This is our top story tonight: A terrorist carrying a bomb
:13:37. > :13:40.on a bus ` the racist fanatic who's admitted he had a hatred of anyone
:13:41. > :13:42.who wasn't white. Shefali will be along shortly with your detailed
:13:43. > :13:44.weather forecast. Also in tonight's programme,
:13:45. > :13:47.combating cancer ` why a pilot project in Staffordshire could point
:13:48. > :13:50.the way forward. And after a match official found
:13:51. > :13:52.himself in the firing line at Villa Park, what can be done to kick out
:13:53. > :14:00.the hooligans? The Fire Brigades Union in Hereford
:14:01. > :14:05.and Worcester says cuts of ?4.7 million over the next three years
:14:06. > :14:08.could cost lives. The proposals have also angered five local MPs `
:14:09. > :14:17.they've written a joint letter to the fire authority chairman. Joanne
:14:18. > :14:21.Writtle has been looking at the cuts in more detail, and she joins us now
:14:22. > :14:27.from Droitwich Fire Station. Just how much concern is this causing,
:14:28. > :14:33.Joanne? Well, the unions, for example, say these cuts would have a
:14:34. > :14:39.devastating effect. MPs say these cuts are unacceptable. They want the
:14:40. > :14:42.fire authority to reconsider. The chief fire officer says the
:14:43. > :14:49.proposals are in their early stages, and there is a big public
:14:50. > :14:53.consultation on the way. Tackling fires and emergencies in
:14:54. > :15:01.Hereford and Worcester day in, day out, but now fighting against nearly
:15:02. > :15:07.?5 million of proposed cuts. And a consideration of losing 120 full and
:15:08. > :15:13.part`time firefighters, closing four stations and losing up to ten fire
:15:14. > :15:16.engines. Unions are worried. After these cuts have gone through, people
:15:17. > :15:23.will die in the future would not have died before. Another concern is
:15:24. > :15:27.that the chief senior managers are happy with these cuts. In public
:15:28. > :15:29.they are saying that, but in private they know we will struggle. They
:15:30. > :15:41.will be less resilience in the service. In 2007, 35 fire engines
:15:42. > :15:45.were sent out during the floods. If the cuts go through, it would leave
:15:46. > :15:53.less than 35 to cope in a similar situation. No fire station acts as
:15:54. > :15:57.an island. With West Midlands just up the road, we are in and out of
:15:58. > :16:03.West Midlands every single day. The amount of fire engines we have here
:16:04. > :16:07.are not just the ones we would use. MPs across Hereford and Worcester
:16:08. > :16:12.have urged the fire authority to rethink the plans. The two counties
:16:13. > :16:17.get a lot less than some other parts of the country. We hope the fire
:16:18. > :16:19.authority will look once again as rupture and Warwickshire and CF
:16:20. > :16:26.there are not some areas of efficiency that they could find by
:16:27. > :16:31.working together. The MP 's suggestion about back`office staff,
:16:32. > :16:34.we have already taken ?2 million out of back`office staff. We are looking
:16:35. > :16:38.at all sorts of issues to make sure we can do the best we can with
:16:39. > :16:44.funding. I have two spent every pound wisely. Members of the public
:16:45. > :16:47.have set up an online petition against the budget cuts. It public
:16:48. > :16:54.consultation will go on until January.
:16:55. > :16:58.The chief fire officer, Mark Yates, told me earlier that he is quite
:16:59. > :17:03.pleased there is some political pressure going on. He feels they get
:17:04. > :17:09.a raw deal. That is because, per head of population here, they get
:17:10. > :17:15.?14 per head of central government grants. That compares nationally to
:17:16. > :17:20.an average of ?20 per head. With that in mind, MPs have written to
:17:21. > :17:24.Eric Pickles basically asking for a better ground. The unions say this
:17:25. > :17:29.is too little, too late and this should have been done a long time
:17:30. > :17:34.ago. This public consultation will carry on until January. In February,
:17:35. > :17:40.the fire authority will decide what to do.
:17:41. > :17:45.Health now, and how about this for an advertisement? "Wanted: Someone
:17:46. > :17:48.to run a billion pounds worth of contracts over ten years. The job:
:17:49. > :17:51.To provide seamless cancer and end`of`life care to over a million
:17:52. > :17:54.people in Staffordshire. The aim: Changing the way the NHS works and
:17:55. > :18:00.preventing patients getting lost in the system. Here's Michele Paduano.
:18:01. > :18:04.Marie Clubb is trying to sell her home and her piano. Without her
:18:05. > :18:07.husband, Angus, it's empty. Angus had an aggressive form of throat
:18:08. > :18:11.cancer. And although Marie, from Newcastle Under Lyme, can't fault
:18:12. > :18:19.his treatment, his death was far from peaceful. It is frightening,
:18:20. > :18:24.absolutely frightening. And that is the memory of God. I've got nothing
:18:25. > :18:29.else. I can't remember the good times we have had along the way. We
:18:30. > :18:33.have laughed, we have cried during his treatment. I cannot recall any
:18:34. > :18:39.of it. The only thing I see are the last few hours of him struggling for
:18:40. > :18:42.life. And that is what I need to see changed. Today at Stoke City's
:18:43. > :18:45.Britannia Stadium, the local NHS outlined to Marie and others an
:18:46. > :18:53.ambitious plan for a contract to coordinate all cancer care across
:18:54. > :18:57.Staffordshire for ten years. This is significant. This has national
:18:58. > :19:01.applicability. If we can make it work here, that is an opportunity
:19:02. > :19:05.for others to follow nationally. And it allows us to transform services
:19:06. > :19:08.at a time when money is tight. The audience was shown this ` how many
:19:09. > :19:11.people a breast cancer patient comes into contact with. Macmillan Cancer
:19:12. > :19:14.Support will fund a coordinated approach and has chosen
:19:15. > :19:17.Staffordshire If it works, more people will live better with cancer
:19:18. > :19:20.` and the families of those who don't will witness a more dignified
:19:21. > :19:23.and peaceful death. It is partly chemistry and partly circumstance.
:19:24. > :19:26.And our desire to find a new way of working with partner organisations,
:19:27. > :19:30.because we don't believe we can continue, the country can't
:19:31. > :19:35.continue, to manage the health service the way it is. A bit like
:19:36. > :19:43.Stoke City, there is a feeling that cancer services could be doing
:19:44. > :19:49.better. We don't know if a cancer survivor can be brought into... If
:19:50. > :19:54.it works, more people will live better with cancer. The families of
:19:55. > :19:57.those who do not, will witness a more dignified and peaceful death.
:19:58. > :20:00.And, tonight, Inside Out West Midlands features the story of
:20:01. > :20:02.13`year`old Tom Williams, who's been helping his mum Susan deal with
:20:03. > :20:14.cancer. Onto sport now, and first, a
:20:15. > :20:17.seriously troubling incident at Villa Park. Former Premier League
:20:18. > :20:20.referee Vic Callow has recommended a two`year ban from football for the
:20:21. > :20:23.fans involved in a flare throwing incident at Villa Park yesterday.
:20:24. > :20:26.The smoke flare was thrown from the Tottenham Hotspur supporters and
:20:27. > :20:28.struck assistant referee David Bryan. Two men arrested at
:20:29. > :20:31.yesterday's game were released on police bail this morning.
:20:32. > :20:34.No smoke without fire? Not always. The smoke billowing around Villa
:20:35. > :20:37.Park yesterday came from a flare. It had been thrown from the Tottenham
:20:38. > :20:41.Hotspur supporters and struck assistant referee David Bryan on the
:20:42. > :20:47.back of the net. He was clearly shocked but continued to run the
:20:48. > :20:50.line. Former Premier League referee Vic Callow said the incident would
:20:51. > :20:53.have been alarming, as assistant referees have their back to the
:20:54. > :20:59.crowd and have no warning of problems.
:21:00. > :21:09.Not acceptable. For the safety of the officials primarily. But also,
:21:10. > :21:14.it causes trouble. You think a ban is likely? I think so. Perhaps two
:21:15. > :21:18.years or something. Ban them from football. That will make people
:21:19. > :21:21.realise they will suffer if they do this. And it wasn't the only
:21:22. > :21:24.incident this weekend. Hull City supporters celebrated their
:21:25. > :21:27.equaliser at Everton with a flare on Saturday. The Football Association
:21:28. > :21:29.have released a statement which says they're investigating the matter,
:21:30. > :21:32.which they described as unacceptable. They're awaiting the
:21:33. > :21:34.officials report and will speak to both clubs. The flare incident
:21:35. > :21:40.overshadowed another fine performance from Spurs and England
:21:41. > :21:44.winger Andros Townsend. His opening goal was the cue for the flare being
:21:45. > :21:48.thrown. Christian Benteke returned for Villa as a substitute, but
:21:49. > :21:53.headed over. And Tottenham completed a 2`0 victory when Roberto Soldado
:21:54. > :21:56.struck in the second half. In fact, none of the Midlands three Premier
:21:57. > :22:00.League sides managed to score at the weekend. Stoke City and West
:22:01. > :22:03.Bromwich Albion drew 0`0, although referee Howard Webb missed giving a
:22:04. > :22:08.penalty ` Charlie Adam stepping on Josef's Mulumbu's foot. And Stephane
:22:09. > :22:10.Sessegnon showed later that maybe a penalty was the only way our sides
:22:11. > :22:25.would score this weekend. Last week, we brought you news of
:22:26. > :22:28.the BBC's plans for the upcoming centenary of World War One. We
:22:29. > :22:30.featured the diary of Private Benjamin Gordon Williams from
:22:31. > :22:34.Birmingham, whose ultimate fate was a mystery to historians. Well, I'm
:22:35. > :22:37.delighted to say it's a mystery no longer, thanks to one of our
:22:38. > :22:39.viewers. Here's Bob Hockenhull. At his home near Sutton Coldfield,
:22:40. > :22:45.88`year`old Caleb Williams fondly remembers a father who saw action in
:22:46. > :22:48.World War One. He recognised extracts from his dad's wartime
:22:49. > :23:02.diaries featured in a Midlands Today report last week. It was a sort of
:23:03. > :23:09.deep down shock that there was Father's name being mentioned, and
:23:10. > :23:12.he died in 1965. Private Benjamin Gordon Williams' diaries are kept at
:23:13. > :23:23.the University of Birmingham's Cadbury research library. To have a
:23:24. > :23:33.relative get in touch with you to give you more material, different
:23:34. > :23:38.details, is really exciting. Caleb says his father was attached to the
:23:39. > :23:40.YMCA during the War. He served as a Field Liaison Officer in the
:23:41. > :23:44.Dardanelles, supplying food and shelter to the allies. The onslaught
:23:45. > :23:49.` an attempt to open up a new front to Germany through Turkey saw heavy
:23:50. > :23:53.casualties. It was a complete disaster. That is why we don't hear
:23:54. > :23:57.much about the Dardanelles campaign in history. Caleb's mother, Dora,
:23:58. > :24:02.was also sent to the Dardanelles to nurse casualties. The pair had met
:24:03. > :24:06.at a picnic on the Lickey Hills near Birmingham in 1910. But it would be
:24:07. > :24:11.1923 before they would marry as both took years to recover from malaria
:24:12. > :24:19.contracted in Turkey. They've finished the war physically in a
:24:20. > :24:23.dreadful state. They went on to live long and fulfilling lives, now
:24:24. > :24:35.fondly remembered by their only son. Isn't that remarkable? What an
:24:36. > :24:39.utterly dismal day it has been. The rain has already taken its toll on
:24:40. > :24:44.some parts of the region. Namely the south`west, where the environment
:24:45. > :24:48.agency has issued a flood alert for some heavy rain and also some
:24:49. > :24:53.possibility of flooding, which is something you have to be prepared
:24:54. > :24:55.for. But I think the Met office is probably going to issue a weather
:24:56. > :25:00.warning for more heavy rain this week. There is plenty of it around.
:25:01. > :25:10.It is basically going to be a wet and windy this week. Also mile for
:25:11. > :25:13.this time the year. `` mild. If we look at the pressure chart for the
:25:14. > :25:21.next couple of days, we can see where this rain is coming from. It
:25:22. > :25:24.is pushing up from the south`west. Some torrential downpours and even
:25:25. > :25:31.some thunder. There will also be some lightning. The isobars packed
:25:32. > :25:37.together indicating where the struggle winds hour. We have got the
:25:38. > :25:40.rain easing for a time before we get heavy downpours appearing in the
:25:41. > :25:45.West. The west of the region will bear the brunt of this. As it moves
:25:46. > :25:53.eastwards, it will ease slightly. All in all it would be a wet night.
:25:54. > :25:57.Temperatures down to 14 or 15. A minimum of 13. Slightly lower than
:25:58. > :26:00.today's values. A wet and windy night ahead. And a wet spell of
:26:01. > :26:06.weather through the morning tomorrow. Heavy rain will be cutting
:26:07. > :26:11.across central parts. On either side of that it should be fairly OK. It
:26:12. > :26:17.will be a fairly wet morning and a dryer afternoon. A lot of sunshine
:26:18. > :26:22.developing through the latter part of the day. This will send
:26:23. > :26:28.temperatures up to 16 or 17 Celsius. Windy from a southerly direction.
:26:29. > :26:31.More heavy rain from the south tomorrow night. The heaviest of the
:26:32. > :26:39.bursts will be around the South West. Those will develop later and
:26:40. > :26:46.spread north. To end the night tomorrow night, it is going to be
:26:47. > :26:47.much drier. Temperatures dropping to 13 Celsius. Heavy showers on
:26:48. > :26:54.Wednesday and Thursday. Tonight's headlines from the BBC:
:26:55. > :26:57.French and Chinese companies win the contract to build Britain's newest
:26:58. > :27:00.nuclear power station ` the first in a generation.
:27:01. > :27:03.The young blonde girl discovered in a Roma community in Greece ` a
:27:04. > :27:06.couple appear in court accused of abducting her.
:27:07. > :27:10.The moment a right wing terrorist carried a bomb onto a bus in
:27:11. > :27:15.Birmingham ` he's admitted a hatred of people who aren't white.
:27:16. > :27:19.That was the Midlands Today. I'll be back at ten o'clock with more on the
:27:20. > :27:21.background to those bombing attacks on mosques in the Midlands. Have a
:27:22. > :27:26.great evening. Goodbye.