The Prime Minister said recent events in Afghanistan had only strengthened people’s belief in freedom and democracy.

A businessman convicted of "cold-bloodedly" murdering two men to avoid paying a £400,000 debt has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years.

There are more than 50 areas in the country where patients are more likely to receive quicker hospital treatment than in the Black Country, new figures have shown.

Two men accused of attacking a man who later died behaved like sharks attacking prey, a jury has heard.

Just before leaving for their trip to New York in September 2001 Keith Cattell and his wife Orleana learned they had been given an upgrade.

It is fitting that the war in Afghanistan has come to an end just before the 20th anniversary of 9/11. That deeply disturbing event precipitated the War on Terror, in which Blair and Bush were joined arm in arm.

An annual Christmas toy appeal is expanding its reach to help more children than ever to get a present.

Just before leaving for their trip to New York in September 2001 Keith Cattell and his wife Orleana learned they had been given an upgrade.

A man from Staffordshire is aiming to complete 70 triathlons in 70 days to break a world record and help raise money for charity.

Nineteen people from across the Midlands have been commissioned as lay ministers by the Bishop of Lichfield at a special service.

Former West Midlands Police Pc Declan Jones committed the offences on streets deserted due to lockdown.

A delivery driver suffered multiple fractures when he tried to stop a thief from fleeing with his van in Wolverhampton.

A Black Country NHS trust has confirmed the appointment of its new chief executive.

The first government headquarters outside London has opened its doors with a pledge to "bring decision making to the heart of the West Midlands".

The mother of a disabled girl, who says the Government "abandoned" them during the pandemic, is backing calls for a full investigation of the impact of lockdown on the disabled and their carers in next year's Covid inquiry.

A charity football match is to be held in memory of a teenager who died following a road collision in Rushall.

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall will hold a traditional fete to celebrate a year of community efforts and its reopening to the public for shows this weekend.

Three men have been arrested after a 22-year-old man was shot in the leg.

Regeneration of Stafford town centre is moving forward this month with the demolition of the former magistrates’ court – and senior councillors have said residents and visitors will see the area transformed within the next two years.

The family of a 28-year-old man who died after a collision with a coach have paid tribute to their 'gentle giant with a heart of gold'.

Anonymous trolls sent abusive emails to Walsall Council leader Mike Bird when the authority pledged to help Afghan refugees.

Hundreds of residents desperate to get on the property ladder have bid to land one of just 100 homes under a Wolverhampton initiative.

Social workers in Dudley have received a variety of compliments to their services during the coronavirus pandemic.

An affectionate journey through the music and life of film and stage icon Dame Julie Andrews will be performed in Lichfield on Sunday (September 19).

Back garden bungalow plans have been passed in two Burntwood streets despite objections from the town council.

A major fibre optic build programme is set to get underway in a number of towns across Staffordshire – years ahead of its expected arrival.

Long-serving former councillors who left the Cannock chamber this year have been honoured with new civic titles.

Families from across the West Midlands are invited to a special event at Lichfield Cathedral on Saturday (September 18) to consider together the impact of modern slavery and how to keep children safe.

A ukulele-playing sibling duo are playing at a concert in South Staffordshire next week to raise money for a hospice.

Developers have been urged to work with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council to help create a centre which is sustainable for the next 50 years.

Merry Hill has welcomed the annual return of Halloween House which claims to be the largest Halloween store in Europe.

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert was at the forefront of the development of a Covid-19 vaccine.

A mystery shopping exercise found passengers were given information that risked them being turned away from their flights.

Members of a Black Country crime gang have been locked up for a combined total of more than 20 years after £300,000 worth of cars, cash and jewellery were stolen.

An alleged murderer accused of beating up a man who later died in hospital was intoxicated and remembered little about what happened, a court heard.

A surge in Covid cases in Cannock has prompted a warning for people to take precautions.

Simon Silwood was convicted by a district judge at Walsall Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The Wolverhampton-based Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company is creating 200 new jobs with changes to its logistics network.

A day of celebration of the Black Country will see the return of a popular music and comedy festival.

Wolverhampton saw the sharpest increase in new business creation in the West Midlands in the first six months of this year.

Hardy workers at a convenience store will be taking a bath with a difference in aid of an emergency service run by volunteers.

The Ladder for Black Country is taking part in a conference aiming to encourage youngsters to take up apprenticeships and training.

A partnership with a Staffordshire charity to donate recycled goods from the county council’s household waste recycling centres is set to continue until 2023.

Four in five local areas have recorded a week-on-week rise in rates.

The JCVI is meeting on Thursday, with a decision on who should get a third booster shot expected in the coming days.

The budget airline said an unsolicited all-share offer from an unnamed suitor undervalued the company.

The supermarket is at the centre of a bidding battle between two US private equity firms.

Two people were arrested after a man was left unconscious in an attack in Stafford.

Five boys arrested after a teenager was robbed at knifepoint at the Merry Hill shopping centre have been released on bail.

Health and care staff could be required to have both Covid and flu vaccines to protect patients from infection, serious illness or death.

The UK Home Care Association believes that persuasion will be more effective than compulsion for increasing uptake without losing staff.

A further 13 coronavirus deaths have been confirmed in the region's hospitals – in the latest figures released by NHS England.

Wolves boss Bruno Lage has called on people to come forward and receive their Covid-19 vaccine to allow life to return back "to normal".

A car spun out of control and crashed through gardens in Wolverhampton causing "complete carnage".

The SNP’s shadow Commons leader Pete Wishart warned there was an ‘increased risk’ from Covid in the chamber.

Simon Silwood is alleged to have racially abused midfielder Romaine Sawyers on social media in January.

More than 112,000 fines were issued in July for non-payment of the Clean Air Zone charge – with less than half of these paid so far.

An industrial unit in Burntwood can be demolished to make way for seven new homes after plans were passed by just one vote.

A children’s nursery in a residential area can double its capacity to meet demand from families – but youngsters will not be allowed to play outside until 8.30am.

An Aston Villa season ticket from one of the most successful years in the club's history is going up for auction.

A car driver has died after a crash involving a coach in Staffordshire.

A man has been charged after a 41-year-old was stabbed in a supermarket car park.

The line-up for a major new music festival in Wolverhampton has been announced after the event was postponed due to Covid-19.

A derelict pub which has been shut for seven years and become a magnet for anti-social behaviour has been sold ahead of an auction.

‘Anti-vaxxers’ have branded efforts by Walsall Council to get people jabbed against Covid-19 as a “farce” and “waste of public money”.

A pub frequented by West Bromwich Albion fans and at risk of collapse fans has been ordered to close until building works make it safe to enter.

Residents and community groups now have a second chance to bid for a slice of a £2million council fund created to help people celebrate the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Terrified witnesses have recalled running from their lives to escape a huge industrial fire, as crews continue to tackle the blaze nearly 24 hours after it broke out.

Community groups across Walsall with good ideas to help reduce crime are being urged to submit bids for a £16,000 slice of grant funding.

A former magistrates court is to be bulldozed as part of a town centre regeneration project.

A graphic designer has been jailed for more than five years for terrorising six women in an online abuse campaign.

An annual awards ceremony celebrating the importance of tourism and highlight the "jewels" in the West Midlands has officially launched.

The British Chambers of Commerce has slashed its forecast for third-quarter growth to 2.8% from 3.5% previously.

The chain is also creating 2,000 jobs.

A new school building in Oldbury has opened for pupils after a decade of campaigning for its expansion.

An MP has called on the Government to "cut through the hysteria and get on with it" over the roll-out of official vaccine passports.

A woman was targeted by a thief posing as a door-to-door salesman who convinced her to hand over her bank card and pin number.

Care minister Helen Whately said she could not believe the Education Secretary was racist.