Updates from Monday 22 July to Sunday 28 July
Click Related Stories to read updates from your part of the Midlands
Jessica Labhart
BBC News
The sun's good news for many businesses, especially if it lasts.
Florist Mel, based near Birmingham's New Street station says it bodes well for today's trade.
"It puts people in a better mood so they're more likely to pick up a bunch," he said.
"There's the graduations on at the moment too, so I'm selling quite a lot."
Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent
Sixteen prisons in England and Wales - including Birmingham and Onley, near Rugby - have been told their performances are of serious concern, the highest proportion since ratings began.
Image source, PAThe ratings - which come out once each year - were published by the Ministry of Justice.
The department also revealed a record number of assaults in prisons and a record number of assaults on prison staff in the 12 months to the end of March.
Self-harm incidents also increased - by 24% - to 57,968 incidents, an all-time high.
Separate data from the Office for National Statistics show that between 2008 and 2016, there were 462 suicide deaths in prison custody - the risk is 3.7 times higher than in the general population.
A Birmingham postbox is being repainted today, to celebrate England's men and women both winning the cricket world cup.
Royal Mail is transforming 15 post boxes around the country, in towns and cities where the two tournaments were played.
Image source, Royal MailPost box at Lord's
The post box on New Street will remain white, with a gold cricket bat, ball and stumps on it for three months.
After that, it will have a permanent a gold plaque.
Before the men's World Cup, a number of post boxes around the country were painted blue.
Some of the headlines on the Express and Star website today are:
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
Hospital staff working in Birmingham are to be given a cool treat today, with sprinkles on.
Ice cream vans will be visiting the Women's and Children's hospitals to help them keep cool, the NHS trust's boss has announced.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
A man was stabbed during a fight outside a pub in Walsall, police say.
He remains in hospital in a critical condition after the incident on Forge Road, Darlaston at about 23:15.
A 21-year-old arrested on suspicion of affray remains in custody, said West Midlands Police.
It's appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
Andy Giddings
BBC News
A farmer says this is his busiest time of the year and demand for British-grown soft fruit is continuing to grow.
Anthony Snell, from Ross-on-Wye, said strawberries are the biggest seller and demand is rising steadily by 5% each year, while demand for British-grown raspberries grew by 17% in the last year alone.
Demand for British blueberries rose by 14% last year, he said.
Mr Snell, said he had to expand his own operation and now has 150 acres covered by polytunnels.
He said production had to be carefully planned, so they have enough to meet demand during the busy summer months.
A man is in a serious condition after a crash involving a car and a scooter in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Emergency services were called to Southlands Avenue in Wolstanton yesterday afternoon at about 16:40.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceInspectors said Walsall Manor Hospital had made progress since inspectors' damning verdict in 2016.
Read MoreJessica Labhart
BBC News
Hundreds of students and their families are gathering for some sunny graduation ceremonies in Birmingham.
Victoria Square and the ICC seem to be popular places for a quick photo before the big day.
Wolves are preparing to return to European football this evening for the first time in almost 40 years.
Image source, Getty ImagesThey face Crusaders from Northern Ireland in the first leg of their second qualifying round tie.
Wolves are hosting European football for the first time in 39 years and manager Nuno Espirito Santo said he wants to make the club proud.
"I feel a lot of pride because I'm the manager of a fantastic group of players who want to improve," Nuno said.
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
This lucky rabbit, Peter, has been given an ice pack to snuggle up to as the temperatures rise at Hatton Country Park in Warwickshire.
Ice cubes and lollies are helping to keep animals cool.
Alpacas at the site have also been given a timely trim to help keep them comfortable.
Staff working at three Universal Credit centres are to be balloted for strike action in a dispute over staffing levels and workloads.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PSC) in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Stockport will vote on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action.
The union said workers at the contact centres were angry about their caseloads increasing while the number of staff was reduced, making it "impossible" for them to adequately support claimants.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: "Planned meetings with the union are ongoing and our priority is ensuring there is no disruption to our customers.
"Our front-line staff deliver vital support to around 20 million people across the country and we are committed to supporting them in their roles, including by monitoring staff levels and making sure their caseloads are manageable."
A man has been taken to hospital in a critical condition after paramedics were called to reports of an assault in Wednesbury last night.
Ambulance staff found the man, who sustained serious injuries, just before 11:15 on Wolverhampton Street, Darlaston.
Crews administered life support at the scene before he was taken to hospital for further emergency care, said the ambulance service.
Are gulls getting more aggressive? And what can be done to stop them?
Read MoreHere are three of the top stories from the Shropshire Star today:
BBC News Travel
Another fault with the signalling system, this time at Small Heath, means trains are having to run at reduced speed.
Alternative travel arrangements have been put in place, said National Rail.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Our BBC Weather Watchers are already out on a day that could see record-breaking temperatures in the UK.
Jeff has posted this scene saying it's already 21C (70F) in Sandon Staffordshire.
Image source, JeffThis is Peter Steggles's view in Longnor, Shropshire.
Image source, Peter StegglesAnd this sunny scene was taken by Janiejane13 in Hereford.
Image source, Janiejane13BBC News Travel
A fault with the signalling system between Birmingham Moor Street and Whitlocks End, Solihull, is causing rail delays.
Disruption is expected until 10:30 said National Rail.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
As Sajid Javid packs his things at the Home Office ready for the move to Treasury BBC News has been taking a look at what we should expect from new chancellor.
A former protégé of former chancellor George Osborne at the Treasury, he was a successful investment banker before he was elected as an MP for Bromsgrove in 2010
Image source, Getty ImagesNinder Johal from the West Midlands Growth Company has met Mr Javid several times.
He says he is "very approachable, very sharp, very shewd" with an interest in music (Mr Johal's background is in the music industry).
He told 5 Live's Wake Up to Money that Mr Javid had given the region £12bn to increase broadband speeds - "he definitely let loose of the purse strings when we needed it".
But, "one of the things he didn't do right" was take away the manufacturing advisory service in the area. He took it away when he was in the business department, Mr Johal said.
