The family of a man who died after being stabbed in Birmingham have paid tribute to him – as police charge a man with murder.

Non-essential shops, zoos, hair salons and campsites are among those reopening their doors on Monday – as lockdown continues to ease.

Both England and Wales take big steps towards easing lockdown restrictions on Monday.

A council is taking action against people falsely posing as rough sleepers in a Black Country town.

An 18-year-old woman remains in hospital in a serious condition a week after being shot in the chest in Wolverhampton.

After 30 years in the planning, the West Midlands Metro extension is finally taking shape.

A woman died after falling into a pond in her garden, an inquest heard.

The RSPCA is seeing an influx of rabbits and other small pets coming into the charity’s care as their owners can no longer look after them.

For some people, their dream holiday is lying on a beach in the Caribbean, for others it might be a trip to one of world's hip and happening capital cities.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was one of the first national figures to pay tribute to the duke – the longest-serving consort in British history.

Premier League sides in action this weekend will sport black armbands and hold a minute's silence in memory of the Duke of Edinburgh - as professional sport as a whole honours His Royal Highness.

Buckingham Palace said Philip died peacefully at Windsor Castle

The plans, codenamed Operation Forth Bridge, will have been changed because of the Covid-19 crisis.

We take a look back at moments captured by our photographers on the occasions Prince Philip visited the West Midlands and Staffordshire over the years.

Tributes from the Black Country and Staffordshire have poured in after The Duke of Edinburgh died peacefully at Windsor Castle at the age of 99.

Villa have confirmed plans to expand Villa Park despite suffering a financial loss of £99.2million during the pandemic-hit 2019-20 season.

Debenhams is to briefly reopen 97 of its stores in a final fire sale before shutting for good.

The Kent variant is now so prevalent in many European countries that there is currently no advantage for other variants.

No new coronavirus deaths have been confirmed at hospital trusts in the region, in the latest figures released by the NHS.

One in 20 local areas have recorded a week-on-week rise in rates.

A health boss has moved to reassure residents that a change in how healthcare is organised in the Black Country will not mean the closure of a GP surgery.

See the latest figures for coronavirus cases and deaths in your area.

A new exotic meat burger restaurant is due to open in Walsall, creating new jobs.

A proposal to extend an Oldbury Sikh temple and place a huge new dome on the top of it has been given the go-ahead.

He started off as a young bicycle-riding envoy and has now infiltrated the police with a key role in the latest series of hit TV show Line of Duty.

Britain's first new Frasers department store opens in Wolverhampton on Monday, replacing the venerable Beatties store which closed last year.

A two-week-old boy whose pram was hit by a car on Easter Sunday died from multiple trauma, an inquest has heard.

A first-time mother who battled coronavirus while she was pregnant has been finally allowed to return home.

The US, Israel and the Caribbean are among the areas where people could return to the UK without needing to self-isolate.

The plan was announced in a report by the Government’s Global Travel Taskforce.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop26) will take place in Glasgow in November.

Philip, who was born a prince of Greece and Denmark, dedicated his life to royal duty.

Philip and the Queen were married for more than 70 years.

Elizabeth and Philip, married for more than 70 years, witnessed the changing world from a shared standpoint.

Philip was born in the 1920s and lived well into the 21st century.

Prince Philip was married to the Queen for more than 70 years.

Funeral plans – codenamed Forth Bridge – will be put into action.

A man who died after the quad bike he was riding crashed into a fence in Cannock has been named as Adrian Wright.

His comments came just days after Downing Street published a document urging people ‘not to book summer holidays abroad until the picture is clearer’.

Travel industry figures say costly Covid tests will price many people out of taking holidays.

Property values in March were 6.5% higher than the same month last year, the Halifax said.

She said it was an emotional reunion with her children.

The Health Secretary said the Prime Minister was looking ‘absolutely fantastic, and has clearly lost quite a lot of weight in the last few months’.

A murderer from the Black Country who stabbed a hillwalker in a random attack "just for the sake of killing somebody" has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years.

An estimated five million pints of cask beer had to be poured away because of the coronavirus crisis.

Leading doctors and practicing Muslims have said there is "no reason" why Ramadan should stop anyone getting their Covid-19 vaccination.

West Midlands Police has welcomed a new furry recruit – who will play a different role to the traditional police dog.

Travel firms have criticised measures to force holidaymakers returning from low-risk destinations to take an ‘unnecessary’ Covid-19 test.

An inquest has been opened into the death of a 19-year-old man who was stabbed in Great Barr.

Delays are expected for drivers this morning due to a closure on the M5.

People in Bridgnorth have woken up to disruption with their water supply.

Police are searching for a woman who has gone missing from her property in Dudley.

Frasers is planning to reopen vast swathes of its estate from Monday.

People in England can have two rapid coronavirus tests per week from Friday, which can produce results in around half an hour.

It was a chance meeting at a Shropshire beauty spot which led to the death of a Staffordshire grandfather at the hands of at Stourbridge man.

It was a chance meeting at a Shropshire beauty spot which led to the death of a Staffordshire grandfather at the hands of at Stourbridge man.

A Harry Potter mad couple have conjured up their own cafe shrine to JK Rowling’s magical world.

Two property landlords who say they are owed thousands of pounds by collapsed estate agent Homepoint say they were never even informed that the company was going into liquidation.

West Midlands Police headquarters could face closure under plans for a review of the force's controversial estates programme.

It was a day a city saluted the heroes of the Blitz.

An outdoor education centre is to reopen its doors after a long-term deal was agreed with a new tenant.

Four businesses in the region have been named in a league table which ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits over their last three years – largely before Covid-19 struck.

The National Education Union president accused the minister of repeating a ‘lie’ that exams are the best form of assessment.

Free parking will remain in Dudley Council-owned car parking – in a bid to boost footfall for traders preparing to reopen their businesses next week.

A man has died after the quad bike he was riding crashed into a fence in Cannock despite the best efforts of nearby residents to save him.

Two-week-old Ciaran Leigh Morris died on Easter Sunday after his pram was hit by a car in Brownhills High Street.

Three men have been sentenced after driving at double the speed limit in Burntwood.

Volunteers have painted around 150,000 pink and red hearts along the Thames Embankment in memory of those who have died with coronavirus.

The First Minister said she will have ‘no hesitation’ about the jab, amid fears of a link to rare blood clots.

Over 50s are being urged to book their Covid jabs before Monday with a shortage of vaccines expected during April.

Demand for average, boring office space, especially in London, is likely to fall away, say recruiters.

The McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands is all set to open its doors on Monday and welcome its first customers, who will have dozens of shops to look at.

England and Wales lockdown rules currently in place as UK Government prepares to reintroduce the ‘rule of six’ and Wales scraps 'stay local'.

Controversial plans to build two crematoriums on the outskirts of Wolverhampton have been given the green light by the Secretary of State.

One coronavirus death has been confirmed at a hospital trust in the region.

Professor Anthony Harnden, of the JCVI, urged people not to lose confidence in the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, describing it as ‘a great vaccine’.

The Met Office said temperatures are expected to be in mid-single figures for much of the UK on Monday.

The Health Secretary said vaccines were clearly breaking the link between Covid cases and deaths.

A Tui aircraft took off from Birmingham Airport more than a tonne heavier than declared – because of a mix up over girl and women passengers.

People living and working in the Greets Green, Lyng and Newton areas of West Bromwich are warned to be extra cautious as Covid-19 rates rise sharply once again.

One of the world's most dangerous bird species has returned to Dudley Zoo and Castle – after a 14 year absence.

A Staffordshire town’s annual music festival will not go ahead in July – but there are hopes it will make a return later in the year.

More than 220 homes could finally be built on disused West Bromwich land that has been hit by anti-social behaviour.

More than a third of all Covid-19 deaths have taken place since the start of 2021.

A former owner of a Black Country butchers has admitted eight food hygiene offences.

The first 150 customers inside a Cannock designer outlet's new Starbucks store will received a free gift bag.

A cinema chain has admitted failures in health and safety after a father died after his neck became trapped in an electronic footrest at Birmingham's Star City.

A total of 379 Covid-19 deaths in the 80 and over age group occurred in England and Wales in the week ending March 19.

Staffordshire County Council will move from its Stafford town centre chamber to a church to host a face to face session next month as local authorities look to return to physical meetings once more.

A murder investigation is under way after a man was stabbed following reports of a dispute.

A six month-old baby was found unsecured in the back of a car on the M6 as the driver used his phone at the wheel.

Senior Cannock Chase councillors have given the district’s new designer shopping outlet the thumbs up after taking a tour ahead of its opening to shoppers next week.

Housebuilders have been boosted by large infrastructure projects and the stamp duty holiday for some homes.

The report also says travel restrictions made it difficult for people to access food banks and cheaper shops.

The team said research monitoring immune responses beyond six months are ongoing.

Solicitor Neil Astles died on Sunday after getting the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 17.

It comes after more than £2 billion was handed back to the state in business rates relief from other essential retailers.

A row has erupted over the use of a community centre - with a woodworking group set to be replaced by a new pupil referral unit.

A bid to convert a disused Wednesbury pub into an Islamic tuition centre has been rejected due to the traffic “mayhem” it would cause.

The frantic fight for PPE in the early days of Covid has been revealed by a hospital boss, who likened his staff to “squirrels”.