With numerous businesses being targeted by cyber criminals in recent weeks and a continuous rise in threats from social engineering, keeping our personal and private information out of the wrong hands whilst working and socialising online is becoming increasingly difficult.  Cyber crime has not only grown in its capability to do serious damage to both businesses and individuals, it has also become so sophisticated that the difference between a legitimate request and a downright scam isn’t quite as apparent as it once was.

The role of Black Country factories as part of the war effort is explored in a new exhibition at Bilston Craft Gallery. The Work in Wartime show highlights the scale and importance of factories in Wolverhampton and Bilston during the First and Second World Wars. The exhibition features dozens of archive images and original items including Villiers engines, a motorcycle and bicycle used by the British Cyclist Corps during the First World War and a very rare Sunbeam military dispatch rider’s motorcycle on loan from the Black Country Living Museum. 

Six months after the introduction of compulsory microchipping of dogs in England, Andrew Bucher, Chief Veterinary Officer and co-founder of MedicAnimal, the UK’s leading online pet healthcare retailer has questioned elements of the scheme and whether it can be effective in the long term. Figures reported last week by animal charity Dogs Trust show more than 4,700 stray dogs in the UK last year couldn’t be reunited with their owners, due to outdated microchips.

German and British children will come together this weekend to remember the victims of the First World War – including those killed in aerial attacks. The annual Anglo-German Service of Remembrance and Reconciliation is organised with the support of the Royal British Legion's City of Wolverhampton Central Branch and the Mayor of Wolverhampton and involves students from the High Arcal School in Sedgley and its partner school, the Academy of English in Oldenburg, Germany.

BIRD is most definitely not the word, according to a new study. British women want to banish ‘bird’ from the social dictionary with nearly 60 percent branding it their most hated pet name. Taking to task phrases they deem derogatory, a survey of more than 2000 British women placed ‘mumsy’, ‘hormonal’ and ‘ball breaker’ among the top 10 words they would like to see banned from day to day vocabulary.

“Black History Month is always an opportunity for us all to reflect on Britain’s diversity and rich culture, as well as serving as a reminder of the inequality that still exists. This year, more so than others, the significance of Black History Month cannot be overlooked.  Following the referendum result we have seen a rise in racist attacks and xenophobic hate crimes reminding us that we must remain vigilant against division, and always celebrate our differences as well as our shared humanity and compassion."