David Shearer will succeed Jan Åstrand at the North West group... read more

Armed cops were called to Chelmsley Wood, Brierley Hill and Coventry... read more

A passenger who flew into a rage after he was denied a bacon roll by a flight attendant had been fined more than £200. Ronald James, 68, left a cabin crew member in tears before demanding to see the captain during a flight from Palma to Exeter in April, a court heard. He became angry on the flight when he wanted a bacon sandwich for his granddaughter but was told there was no food available, Exeter Magistrates' Court was told. Mr James told the court that they were eventually offered some beef burgers but that they were very "poor quality" and "dried out." The court heard that Mr James became extremely agitated and refused to sit down when customers were told to prepare for landing in Exeter. Mr James was fined £115 after he admitted to one count of behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner. He had to pay £100 to two victims in compensation and was ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 along with prosecution charges of £85.... read more

In the bizarre incident, the driver of a white Range Rover appears to block another car from potential gunshots... read more

David Warner will play his first match in Australia since being banned for ball tampering in an unlikely locale this weekend.... read more

Dozens of people from across the town said the noise has become a nuisance... read more

Tens of thousands of Ryanair customers have had their summer holiday fights cancelled after a cabin crew strike forced the airline to ground up to 600 planes. The Irish airline has cancelled hundreds of flights to and from Spain, Portugal and Belgium on Wednesday and Thursday next week. The walkout, over pay and working conditions, coincides with the first week of the UK summer holiday which is one of the busiest time of year for holidays abroad. It will affect almost 50,000 passengers who had booked to fly to or from those three countries on July 25 or 26. Ryanair to cancel up to 300 of 2,400 daily flights next Wed 25 and Thurs 26 to minimise disruption to customers from unnecessary strikes by some cabin crew in Belgium, Portugal and Spain: pic.twitter.com/qTsmq3lCPI - Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 18, 2018 Ryanair apologised for the disruption and said it had already contacted passengers affected by the strike. The airline said the passengers have been offered alternative flights or a refund. Strike: A cabin crew member serves passengers (REUTERS) Anyone travelling to these countries who has not been contacted by SMS message or email should expect to travel a normal. The European cabin crew strike came after a separate bout of industrial action by Ryanair's Irish-based pilots. Irish Ryanair pilots went on strike last week (EPA) On Wednesday, the airline confirmed it had to cancel 24 flights between Ireland and the UK scheduled for Friday 20 July due to the pilots' strike.... read more

Aston Villa's cash crisis continues to mount and here's what supporters are saying about the situation under Tony Xia... read more

Astronomers may have caught a relatively nearby star munching on a planet or mini-planets. A NASA space telescope noticed that the star suddenly started looking a bit strange last year. ... read more

A celebration of the sporting community of Birmingham, the annual Birmingham Sports Awards are returning this autumn.... read more

I AM an out and proud 72-year-old gay man. But, for 23 of those years, I was a criminal just for being me. Can you imagine how that feels? So many of the LGBT community hide away, pretending to be something they are not, suffering mental health pro... read more

Inspectors at the animal welfare charity had believed the deaths in the Druids Heath area of the city on Tuesday may have been a deliberate act... read more

A London bus driver has claimed temperatures in his cab reached up to 48C during the heatwave sparking safety fears. Unite Union Representative Moe, who has been a driver for 10 years, said the hot conditions on some buses were leaving drivers feeling "faint" and "drowsy". He told the Standard that some of the vehicles did not have adequate air conditioning facilities and drivers are overheating as a heatwave continues to grip London and the south-east. Transport for London said all buses on the network since 2012 are required to have air conditioning for drivers and it said it was committed to improving conditions. It said it was encouraging bus operators to work with drivers to make sure they have a comfortable working environment. Green Party London Assembly member Caroline Russell has urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan to introduce a "maximum working temperature policy" for drivers and investigate to make sure all buses have fully working air conditioning. Moe, 31, said: "We're not driving fast enough for air to come in [to the bus cabin]. You feel drowsy sometimes and you can feel a little faint. And at the same time you have customers asking you to put the air conditioning on." He claimed hot temperatures on buses is a problem "every summer" and has argued that some buses do not have air conditioning on "at all". Moe added that drivers are overheating while trying to concentrate on driving safely and manage passengers. He said: "The highest recorded temperature I have for a bus cabin is 48C, so you can imagine that's a lot. "We are trying to concentrate in this heat so you're going to be driving slowly, which doesn't allow any air in." Hitting 45°c today in @TfL bus drivers cab. No air conditioning as TfL & bus operators make no requirement plus NO safety guidelines . Bus Drivers forced to carry on to meet mileage for private for profit bus operators. @comadad@CarolineRussell@CarolinePidgeon@SadiqKhanpic.twitter.com/I27HNeih5w - MOE (@Unite_Battersea) July 15, 2018 Ms Russell has submitted a questioned Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on the issue. She has asked Mr Khan to ask TfL to "introduce a maximum working temperature policy for bus drivers" and "to investigate the issue and ensure that bus companies operating in London have fully working air conditioning units on their buses". She said: "The reason I think it's important to ask these questions is because the Mayor wants to have a safe transport system and his drivers are working in hot conditions that seems to me to be really risky and it's the kind of the thing that can be designed out." Mr Khan is due to give an answer to Cllr Russel's questions next Wednesday. City Hall also been approached for a comment by the Standard. Claire Mann, Director of Bus Operations at TfL, said: "Buses and bus drivers play a vital role in keeping our city moving and growing, and we're committed to improving conditions for them to ensure they can continue to play this part. "We have required all new buses since 2012 to have air conditioning for drivers, and we would encourage operators to work with their drivers to ensure that they have comfortable work environments."... read more

Need to make sure you get your McMuffin fix before they stop serving? Here is what you need to know... read more

The 29-year-old also offered someone sex in return for a position within an activist group, according to a new court filing... read more

Police are hunting for a missing Perth boy who was accidentally placed in the wrong car.... read more

Is it time for Birmingham to have its own underground?... read more

Trading reports from the region's firms... read more

Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe broke this record while on the Red Devils' pre-season trip to USA... read more

An opening-round live blog of the 2018 British Open at Carnoustie.... read more