The family of a man who was stabbed to death in Birmingham have paid tribute to him as a ‘strong pillar of the community’.

Two people have been jailed after a man was seen throwing a loaded gun from a car window as they were pursued by firearms officers.

A new economic report suggests that Birmingham will be one of the 10 UK cities to recover fastest from lockdown restrictions and Brexit uncertainties this year, with similarly strong economic news for the wider region.

Six men accused of murdering a young father outside a pub had intended to “give him a proper beating”, jurors were told.

Metro Bank, which has branches in Wolverhampton and at Brierley Hill, saw total deposits rise by two per cent in the first three months of this year.

More than 20,000 vulnerable patients in the Black Country and Staffordshire were not told to shield until months after lockdown began last year, figures reveal.

A partnership between a homeless charity and the NHS has helped offer the Covid-19 vaccine to vulnerable people.

Additional outdoor space has been found for nine venues in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

An outgoing Shropshire mayor has said more needs to be done to protect a town from the "traumatic" times experienced during severe flooding.

A youngster was left beaming from ear-to-ear after raising £500 and having eight inches cut off her hair for the Little Princess Trust.

A teenager with designs on the future has won a national competition devised as a lockdown project for schools across the country.

A group of former school friends have got together with tutors and three dimensional artists to design an app to make maths fun for primary school students.

Wolverhampton Profile

Hundreds of households in the Black Country and Staffordshire were assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness during winter, figures show.

A animal lover from Dudley is doing her bit to support pets in need this April.

A 10- year-old primary school student has bagged £1,000 for her school thanks to her winning idea.

The final piece in a massive jigsaw puzzle - with links to Shropshire and the West Midlands - has been slotted into place in Parliament.

An apprentice's success is being highlighted after she presented data at an international pharmaceutical conference.

The rollout of full fibre broadband across the West Midlands could support the creation of 85,000 new jobs for the region.

A Birmingham man suspected of operating an industrial-scale laboratory producing up to £10 million of amphetamines has been arrested.

Empty offices on a main gateway into Walsall town centre look set to be converted into new bedsits.

Seven further coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham.

A variant of coronavirus currently emerging in India could be a ‘significantly’ greater threat to young adults than any previous variant, Birmingham’s public health chief has warned.

Almost nine million second doses have been given since the start of April.

People aged 42 and over are being urged to book their Covid-19 vaccine – after the eligibility criteria was extended further.

The risk of convicted Stafford terrorist Usman Khan attending an event at Fishmongers’ Hall was not raised before he ran amok and stabbed two young people to death, an inquest has heard.

The Vax Live event will be hosted by Global Citizen next month.

Fire crews from across the Black Country were called to a significant blaze involving five terraced properties in Oldbury.

Some countries have started to destroy doses that expired before use.

The races will be held at Kempton Park with a total of 3,000 participants and up to 3,000 spectators at each one.

India’s death toll is set to pass 200,000 after a massive recent surge in Covid cases.

People aged 42 in England can now book their jab.

Scammers use the links to obtain personal details from the recipient, putting their finances at risk.

A Black Country primary school has been closed after a bomb threat was made this morning.

For people in the 70-74 age group, deaths have dropped by 99%.

Downing Street said Boris Johnson has been focused on protecting lives and livelihoods throughout the pandemic.

The Manchester-based business told investors on Tuesday its revenues jumped by 4.7% to £145.3 million for the three months to February 27.

But bosses at the package holiday firm said this summer is looking shaky as customers delay bookings until nearer the time.

The Professional Footballers’ Association has not been “asleep” on the issue of dementia in the game, according to its outgoing chief executive Gordon Taylor.

It comes amid fresh allegations that Boris Johnson told aides he would rather let coronavirus ‘rip’ than return to restrictions.

A hospital has received a special donation for its young patients.

An award scheme looking to find and recognise exceptional young citizens across Wolverhampton has been given the backing of local celebrities.

People in England can book their appointment through the national booking service.

A Birmingham medical centre which serves more than 2,500 patients gave a patient the wrong vaccine which was declared as a ‘significant event’, it has been revealed.

A derelict Oldbury shop in a “complete state of disrepair” could be transformed, under new plans lodged with council chiefs.

We are all going to die sometime and the worth of our days is measured by how we act – and we can still work together to save each other, writes journalist and Local Democracy Reporter George Makin.

Residents of Stourbridge can now get on their bike to enjoy what the town has to offer, as the West Midlands Cycle Hire Scheme has been launched.

Part of the first ever branch of the old Midland Bank that became its national headquarters is on the market for nearly £1.5 million.

Political editor Peter Madeley looks at the ongoing divisions surrounding Sandwell Council.

A popular city arts centre is preparing to host DJ sets, plays and live music at its new outdoor events area.

The chief executive of parent company Whitbread said a full recovery for the business is only possible with the resumption of largescale events.

The vaccine rollout has been extended for the second time in two days in England.

Families today told of their feeling of helplessness as the Covid crisis continues to escalate in India.

A charity has gained a funding boost thanks to the generosity of a church.

Hospital trusts in the Black Country and Staffordshire were caring for 81 coronavirus patients in hospital as latest figures show the numbers continue to fall.

Businesses have until Friday to apply for up to £10,000 to enable staff to undertake rapid Covid-19 testing, chiefs have warned.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights described the fines as ‘muddled ‘ and ‘unfair’.

A court has heard how Ryan Nicklin, one of six men accused of murdering the young father, is a "pleasant, reliable and hardworking" man.

A council's decision to refuse planning permission for 37 new homes on the edge of Eccleshall has been overturned by a planning inspector.

New jobs will be created when a new drive-thru restaurant opens in Wednesfield.

Kantar data shows that online supermarket sales growth has halved since the height of the pandemic, to 46%.

Dudley is the cheapest place to rent in the West Midlands, according to Paragon Bank’s new Rental Affordability Index for 2020.

The miner statue in Brownhills town centre has been decorated with a blue garland – in memory of a two-week-old baby killed when his pram was hit by a car.

Rail users on a busy Staffordshire line were faced with disruption after reports of animals on the line.

A spokesman said some terms of the contract ‘have not been respected’.

The move greatly expands on the Biden administration’s action last month to share about four million doses of the vaccine with Mexico and Canada.

The US vice president was making a virtual address to the UN.

During the 28-week deployment, ships from the Carrier Strike Group are expected to visit more than 40 countries.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said ‘I was in that room, I never heard language of that kind’.

Several countries, including the UK, have said they are sending help to the country.

The growth of fiction sales, to £688 million, was on the back of releases by Richard Osman and Charlie Mackesy.

Reports of mounting pressure on Boris Johnson lead many of Tuesday’s papers.

Whitbread said sales fell 71.5% in the past financial year as hotels closed under lockdown.

People who work shifts are more likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid-19, the study suggests.

Gas network Cadent will move into one of the biggest office and warehouse spaces built in Wolverhampton in recent years.

Labour leader visited ahead of next month's West Midlands mayoral elections, and accused the Tories of failing on apprenticeships

A family has hired a pet detective and sent huge banners up on a hot air balloon in an effort to find their beloved dogs which were stolen from their home.

Residents want council bosses to block plans to open a walkway over fears of attracting anti-social-behaviour.

We take an in-depth look a the situation in Labour-dominated Sandwell ahead of the 2021 elections in the borough.

A heritage railway has joined forces with boffins in Birmingham to work on a ground-breaking scheme to convert a diesel locomotive to run on hydrogen power.

Shrewsbury-based insurance brokerage 1st Choice Insurance has opened a new branch in Willenhall in the West Midlands.

The Prime Minister said coronavirus jabs would provide ‘pretty robust fortifications’ should there be another spike in infections going forward.

A new police blitz has begun to crack down on suspected car cruise organisers across the region.

The Prime Minister told reporters lockdowns had helped to get coronavirus cases under control.

One coronavirus death has been confirmed at one of the region's hospitals, in the latest figures.

Provisional figures show that 4,902 suicides were registered in England in 2020.

A jury has been sworn in to try a police officer who denies the murder and manslaughter of ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson.

Two Cambridge university graduates stabbed by homegrown jihadi Usman Khan at a prisoner education event each suffered deep, fatal knife wounds which sliced through major organs, a forensic pathologist said.

The managers of Fishmongers’ Hall were not warned that convicted terrorist Usman Khan would be attending a prisoner education event where he stabbed two people to death, an inquest jury has heard.

Shamal Hussein Majid abandoned his blind customer at the roadside after she was told to put the dog in the boot and pay an extra cleaning fee.

Sir Keir Starmer visited Sandwell College to launch the party’s Jobs Promise initiative.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after police were called to disorder in Wolverhampton which saw a man stabbed in the head.

Sir Keir Starmer said his plan to end years of chaos at Sandwell Council was working as he vowed to restore voters' trust in the Labour Party.

An MP has praised a pub in the Black Country for going "above and beyond" during the pandemic and helping those most in need.

An appeal for information has been launched after a bird hide was repeatedly vandalised at a nature reserve in Stafford.

Police have issued a fresh appeal for information about a woman was sexually assaulted in woodland by a man wearing a Covid mask and baseball cap.

Gyms, swimming pools and libraries are also among the places reopening on Monday.

The Government is ‘focused entirely’ on responding to the pandemic, the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group was told.

People in England can currently obtain lateral flow tests to screen themselves and their families twice a week.

Springboard has revealed that footfall across all UK shopping destinations in the week starting April 18 dipped by 3.4% against the previous week.