and an economy worth £120 billion, inheriting powers currently held in westminster. oversight of the region's transport, housing and economic development. a good idea? we gave each candidate ten seconds to explain why the west midlands needs a mayor. we need to take back control of the west midlands from london. we've been run directly by london politicians for a0 years, and they have let us down. people here voted against having a mayor, it's really clear from the campaign so far, they don't want an mayor at all still. the reason we're having one is the government says to have more money, we have to have one. we need a west midlands mayor as a champion and advocate, as a social entrepreneur, to deliver the self—made place. and as a consensus builder. that person's got to speak up for us in london, and around the world. and that person's also got to deal with the issues that can only be dealt with on a regional basis. to fight the cuts that we constantly get from westminster, and also to keep control and open up the secret combined authority. well, i don't think we need a mayor. i'm standing against the mayor.

we need plenty of extra democracy, we need a new system, but not a mayor. birmingham's most famous mayor, liberaljoseph chamberlain, ran the city at the height of its municipal greatness. he controlled the supply of water, electricity, gas. he controlled the police service and the fire service, and for some, the new metro—mayor is a welcome return of power to the west midlands. as well as birmingham, the mayor's constituency includes coventry and walsall, dudley and sandwell, solihull and wolverhampton. so what do the passengers on the wolverhampton tram think? the worry is that the smaller conurbations around the west midlands won't get as much as everywhere else. as long as it's a fair crack for everybody then, yeah, go for it. i think it's yet another layer of very expensive bureaucracy, when in essence the country is controlled by central government. they hold the main purse strings. i don't know anything about it, to be honest.

have you not been hearing anything about it? no. i watch a lot of reality programmes. i've not listened to the normal news! watched over by chamberlain's ghost, the regeneration of birmingham's city centre symbolises what a metro—mayor should do for the region. get it right, and more control may be granted. get it wrong, and the most radical devolution of english power in a generation may turn to rubble. mark easton, bbc news, the west midlands. a new photograph of princess charlotte has been released by the duke and duchess of cambridge to mark her second birthday tomorrow. the picture of the toddler was taken earlier this month by her mother at their home on the sandringham estate in norfolk. the royal couple said they're "delighted" to share the photo to mark their daughter's special day. i'm back with the late news at 10.30 now on bbc one, it's time

for the news where you are. goodbye. hello, i'm will perry, with the latest from the bbc sport centre. only one place to start this bank holiday monday, and mark selby has shown real character to not only get back into his world snooker championship final againstjohn higgins, but now lead by 13—11. it has been a magnificent afternoon. at one point, john higgins yesterday was 10—4 up. he is now 13—11 down, so was 10—4 up. he is now 13—11 down, so be winning six of the seven sessions available on offer this afternoon. in the final ten years ago,john afternoon. in the final ten years ago, john higgins won the championship and finished at 12.50 4am. we could be heading for something like that tonight. it is the first 18, best of 35. selby is

looking to become the fourth player to defend his title behind steve davis, stephen hendry and ronnie 0'sullivan. can he do it? this is the place where it is to happen. it will be happening in the next 15 minutes. with the premier league title run in a two horse race between leaders chelsea and second placed tottenham, attention turns to the race for champions league qualification. tonight, liverpool can move three points clear in third place — ahead of both of the manchester sides — with a win at watford. united and city dropped points yesterday. jose mourinho's side were held to a 1—1 draw at home to swansea. city had to rely on a late equaliser from gabrieljesus to rescue a point at struggling middlesbrough. liverpool bossjurgen klopp says the battle for the other two champions league spots will be fascinating. yes, it would be nice if we could have ten points more and fight with chelsea for the title. but that is not for us at this moment, so we have to fight for what we can fight for, and that is a champions league

spot. it is really interesting. is there more pressure? no, it's a pressure you create by your performances. england all—rounder ben stokes has hit a half century on his return from injury for rising pune supergiant in the indian premier league. stokes had missed the last two matches with a shoulder injury but has been leading his side chase of gujarat lions. he's 73 not out...good news for england with he's 82 not out...good news for england with the champions trophy a month away. earlier in the ipl, stokes' england team matejos buttler struck a quickfire 33 as his side mumbai indians beat royal challengers bangalore to go top of the table. while back on these shores, england captainjoe root could only make 21 for yorkshire in the roses match against lancashire. yorkshire won easily, though — with england spinner adil rashid taking two wickets and the winning catch. former world champion tyson fury is

currently without a boxing licence. he has indicated that he would like to fightjoshua. there could also be a rematch with klitschko or you —— a reunification fight. i want to start planning how i am going to improve. in my next fight is, people are going to be watching. cool, i have done my learning now. they can't keep saying, he is still learning. i have got to get better. so i will go back to the gym and find out where my weaknesses are and just improve on them. a first great britain lions rugby league tour in more than a decade could take place in 2019. england, scotland, wales and ireland have played as individual nations since 2007, when the lions played a series against new zealand. nigel wood, chair of the rugby league international federation, has told the bbc there could be a tour to the southern hemisphere scheduled between this year's world cup in australia and the 2021

tournament in england. that's all for now, we'll have more sport for you at 7.45. now on the news that labour and the lib dems have seized on a report that claims thatjean—claude juncker told theresa may that he was ten times more sceptical about brexit after dining at downing street last week. they say it shows the uk is heading for a disastrous exit from the eu, but the prime minister has dismissed it as brussels gossip. he reports of those disagreements between theresa may and jean—claude juncker, the european commission president, appeared in a german newspaper. we can talk now to the journalist who wrote that story. he joins us from germany. according to

ms may, you are publishing brussels gossip. i would hardly be surprised if she confirmed the report, although you should note that she hasn't denied any of the facts we are putting. in addition, the eu commission has confirmed my reporting. numerous colleagues have been asking them for confirmation. and i see they have confirmed it. so the problem here maybe that the dinner went badly because there was a misunderstanding between the interlocutors. in that respect, it shouldn't come as a surprise that theresa may walked away with a different understanding or impression from that dinner. 0bviously, that was the case for jean—claude juncker as well. 0bviously, that was the case for

jean-claude juncker as well. why did your sources feel they had to leak this to you now? one would have to ask them. i think it conveys a sense of frustration. there has been this dinner. juncker conveyed his frustration when he left. i think he felt that he didn't manage to get his message across to theresa may. that is why after that meeting, he called the german chancellor angela merkel and told her how disastrous disses and that theresa may is living in different galaxy where she is harbouring many illusions, which is harbouring many illusions, which is why our chancellor afterwards went to the bundestag, where she was due to deliver a speech, and said that some in britain are harbouring illusions. she was referring to

theresa may. the negotiations don't really start in the uk until post—general election, as you know. and this very public lobbying that we are now seeing and this very public lobbying that we are now seeing from the 27 and jean—claude juncker appears to come across as almost undermining this mrs may. it is not meant to undermine her. eu officials have been telling the british government for weeks that they are in favour of early elections because they think otherwise, these elections that were due in 2020 would hang as a sort of dom accies over the negotiations —— sword of damocles. however, they thought it should be done before she notifies, because now the clock is ticking. it is a race against time. negotiations need to be terminated

next year to allow institutions to agree on any treaty that will be worked out. any indication as to why ms may has described the talks as constructive, and when jean—claude juncker went back to the summit was held over the weekend, he also said that they had been constructive? do you understand why he would turn around and we would now have a very different account of this meeting? in your report, it says that brexit cannot be a success. how do you understand this? well, constructive isa understand this? well, constructive is a neutral way of describing any talks you have had. you can translate that, at least from the european side, as saying it has been constructive in the sense that we have said what we think about these negotiations. we have made clear our position and we hope the british

government now has a better understanding of the complexity. so it isa understanding of the complexity. so it is a fairly neutral way. in all the years i have been in this business, to say that talks have been constructive as a way of saying almost anything. and what is the german people's take on this? well, i realised today that the interest in this story is much bigger in britain than in germany. clearly, everybody here has followed events, but for the british government, this is the most important topic for the next two years, and rightly so, whereas for us, it is just one among many. people in germany are more concerned with the french elections next weekend, who is going to win that. brexit is not the number one

issue in germany right now, and i don't think it will be in the time to come. thomas gutschker, thank you. let's catch up with the weather. the bank holiday brought warmth across england and parts of scotland. you may have had a heavy shower, perhaps with a rumble of thunder. that will fade away this evening. the second half of the night is looking dry. variable cloud and clear spells. some spots could be close to freezing by dawn. elsewhere, it is a single figure temperature night. we start tomorrow dry, but we will get showers in parts of eastern england initially, which will drift westwards during the day. later in the day, parts of southern england could catch a heavy shower. looking mainly dry in north—west england. quite cool down

the eastern side of the uk with the breeze coming in off the sea still around on tuesday evening. the warmest weather will be in the west. the same applies on wednesday. the lion's share of the some will be in scotla nd lion's share of the some will be in scotland and northern ireland, and you may catch the odd shower in the south—east. hello and welcome to one hundred days plus. violence in paris where police clash with protestors during may day demonstrations. 0ne police officer is set on fire and badly burned just six days before france picks it's next president. in a first, japan's largest warship has been deployed to protect a us naval vessel. as tension rises with north korea donald trump says he would consider meeting with kim jung un. the us government will stay open for business — it shouldn't be remarkable but it is.

to get there mr trump had to give up on some key campaign promises. and. these are the faces of war. a new exhibition focuses on american soldiers who've fought in iraq and afghanistan.