Unemployment has fallen in the West Midlands to 169,000 in the three months to April.

Jaguar Land Rover is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle based on its new Land Rover Defender, with testing scheduled to begin this year.

A Kidderminster business which has established itself as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of steel wheels for the off-highway and mobile crane industry has received the Royal seal of approval.

Boris Johnson is facing a Conservative backbench rebellion after he announced a delay to the final lifting of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in England.

The move to delay lockdown has come as a huge setback to many businesses which had pinned their hopes on a full summer reopening to recoup some of the losses of the past year.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died at a house in the Black Country.

Trams are back up and running across the West Midlands - but with a reduced service while some of the fleet are repaired.

A councillor in Wolverhampton has defected to the Conservatives one month after being re-elected as a Labour candidate.

An online radio service which seeks to champion local creative arts, culture and music, has been launched by Black Country Radio.

The arrival of Bruno Lage at Wolves left a farm shop with a dilemma as the special sausage they sold was named after his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo.

A memorial bench in Wolverhampton dedicated to First World War soldiers has been desecrated with Nazi symbols.

Log cabins, hotel bedrooms and suites and a health club are all planned for a Grade II listed manor house which dates back to the 16th century.

Waiting times for glaucoma patients have been drastically cut after a Black Country NHS trust streamlined services.

A Black Country MP will be running in this year's London Marathon to raise money for a mental health charity.

A Wolverhampton singer songwriter has released his own football song to mark the Euros.

Shropshire-based Bradford Estates has partnered with wildlife charity Cuan Wildlife Rescue to allow more animals and wildlife to be released back into their natural habitats.

Experts feared going ahead with Step 4 on June 21 could lead to hospital admissions on the scale of the first wave of Covid-19.

Protection against the Delta variant is highest among those who have had both jabs.

All West Midlands Metro trams are still out of service three days after a fault was identified.

A stopwatch used in the 1974 World Cup Final by legendary Wolverhampton referee Jack Taylor has sold for more than £4,000 at auction.

What has changed following Boris Johnson’s announcement, what will stay the same and why?

After weeks of scorching sunshine the warm spell is set to come to an end with thunderstorm warnings issued.

Boris Johnson had set four tests that had to be met in order to proceed to the next stage of the road map out of lockdown.

Experts suggest even a short delay to the next step would result in a significant drop in the number of people being admitted to hospital.

A police helicopter and dogs have been used in a bid to track down a vulnerable young man in the Black Country.

Unvaccinated people have twice the risk of hospital admission with the Delta variant as the Alpha variant.

The move has been met with fury by some Tory MPs, with a vote this month expected to lead to a possible Conservative backbench rebellion.

Smoke has been billowing out from Cannock's landfill site after a lorry caught fire.

Jurors have heard six weeks of evidence about the ex-Premier League star’s death in August 2016.

One more coronavirus death has been confirmed in the Black Country.

A man and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with wounding after a delivery driver was seriously injured trying to stop thieves stealing his van.

The head of a Staffordshire school has apologised after six teenage girls were criticised about the length of their skirts and other pupils left lessons in protest.

Express & Star readers have given mixed reactions to plans lockdown easing will be delayed by four weeks.

A 19-year-old has been taken to hospital with potentially life-changing injuries after a car hit a tree.

Thrill-seekers are being challenged to take on a 220 metre-long zip wire alongside the region's new super hospital – all for charity.

What a talented bunch you are! We knew that the West Midlands was full of great, creative photographers but we’ve been amazed at the quality of the images you have sent to Star Witness.

A man thrown out of a car was among three passengers injured when the Mercedes they were in overturned and smashed into a bus stop.

A woman has had to be cut from a car after a crash in Oldbury.

An e-scooter rider is still fighting for his life following surgery after a crash with a car in Wolverhampton.

A Black Country council has warned residents to be wary of cold-calling rogue traders.

More areas of the country outside the North West are recording an increase in rates.

The Prime Minister is expected to tell the nation that the road map easing earmarked for June 21 in England will be delayed for four weeks to July 19.

An event has been held in Wolverhampton to help bring the community together in memory of former MP Jo Cox.

A machine used to increase oxygen levels in a Black Country park's lakes has been moved after a goose's leg was reportedly "shredded" by the device.

A new coffee shop and bar is set to open its doors in a city centre.

A short stretch of the M6 will be shut for an entire weekend as giant bridge beams are lifted into place as part of a project to improve traffic flow through the Black Country.

The PM is expected to say the final lifting of social-distancing rules in England is being delayed to July 19.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson officially opened a £4.2 million extension to a school and said it would benefit generations of local youngsters.

Two people have been seriously injured after an e-scooter and a car crashed in Wolverhampton on Saturday afternoon.

Police, paramedics and the air ambulance have been called to Wolverhampton this afternoon following a "serious collision" near New Cross Hospital.

There are fewer hospital staff vacancies in Birmingham now than at the start of the pandemic, it has been revealed.

A 12-year-old schoolboy has been called up to an elite junior hockey squad hunting for spoils at an international three-day festival in Nottingham.

Facilities for pharmacy students at the University of Wolverhampton will undergo a £3 million refurbishment over the summer, chiefs have said.

Charity supporters tee-ed off to success as they played 50 holes of golf to mark the golden anniversary of The Good Shepherd Charity in Wolverhampton.

Police have praised residents to following the Government's Covid guidelines - as the number of fines issued have dropped since restrictions started to ease.

Mechanical and electrical services contractors Dodd Group is creating two new apprenticeships in Wolverhampton.

A "splashpad" has been closed in a Kidderminster park amid incidents of "aggressive and threatening behaviour".

Aldi is preparing to bring further investment and regeneration to Sutton Coldfield.

Cases, infections and hospital numbers are rising, while just under a half of adults are still not fully vaccinated.

A homeowner has been fined by police after breaking Covid rules with a 40-person party in Rowley Regis.

West Midlands businesses have seen the sharpest upturn in new orders in the history of NatWest's regional business activity index.

Customers might have been forgiven for thinking they had been invaded when a group of First World War re-enactors turned up at Sainsbury's store in Cannock.

A man arrested in Sandwell on suspicion of murder after another man was found dead in a house has been bailed while investigations continue.

More than 1,200 drivers have been caught speeding across Staffordshire as part of a week-long crackdown by police.

Falling rents and surges in house prices have helped to reverse the trend seen in recent years, although rental costs are increasing strongly again.

Neospace will offer 78 tech-led private offices, 20 co-working flexi-pods and nine meeting rooms for companies tackling hybrid working post-Covid.

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

The expected delay to England’s unlocking and the Three Lions’ success are splashed across the papers.

More than 1.7 million patients across the region could be affected by controversial plans to share GP surgery data.

Motorists will have to pay to drive into the centre of Birmingham from Monday when the city's Clean Air Zone charges start.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited New Era’s Staffordshire hub to see the support provided to adults and children affected by domestic abuse.

Former PM Gordon Brown said the G7 summit would ‘go down as a missed opportunity’ due to the lack of a plan to deliver 11 billion vaccine doses.

More than £21,000 was raised for Acorns Children's Hospice after one of the charity shops was broken into by burglars.

Sunshine, singing and St George's Crosses are always a sure sign an international tournament is under way.

Boris Johnson admitted there was more work to be done and persuading wealthy nations to stump up extra cash on the issue would not be easy.

A new £5 million Screen School aimed at boosting skills in the digital arts and media industries is to be launched at the University of Wolverhampton.

Large queues for Covid vaccines have formed in Wolverhampton after leaflets were sent out inviting people to receive their jab.

Later in the week, thunderstorms look set to hit parts of England and Wales.

ITV has issued an apology after a reporter was filmed swearing and threatening to '****ing bang out' a man during a foul-mouthed rant.

An ITV News reporter has been caught on camera launching a foul-mouthed rant on a man who was "being an idiot" as he filmed in Birmingham.