Birmingham Post

Brum 'Not in Euro City Premier League Yet

Birmingham is still failing to reach the "premier league" of European cities, a Cabinet Minister has warned. David Miliband, a local government Minister, said the city had not enjoyed the same success as rival cities in Europe.

Birmingham Town Hall

Central Trains Gets Stay of Execution

The train operator serving West Midland commuters looks set to be granted a stay of execution - because civil servants have been unable to get through their paperwork in time. Conservative shadow Transport Minister John Hayes is to write to the Department for Transport seeking clarification over the future of the Central Trains franchise, which was to be split up next March but now appears to have been given a further 18-month extension.

Police to Be Quizzed Over Stab Inquiry

Police officers are to be interviewed following the conviction of a mentally-ill man for stabbing a 24year-old woman to death outside her home. The Independent Police Complaints Commission will question officers and civilian staff from Warwickshire Police about the days leading up to the attack on Colette Lynch in Rugby.

Day I Found Girlfriend Barbecuing Pounds 90,000

A Birmingham businessman yesterday told a court he arrived at his girlfriend's house to find her burning pounds 90,000 on a barbecue. Diane Fisher (39) claims she set light to the cash during a bitter legal wrangle with her ex-lover Paul Clark.

74m Make It a Happy Bullring Birthday

Birmingham's landmark Bullring shopping centre is celebrating its second birthday today having attracted 74 million visitors since it opened its doors. Centre bosses hailed the figures and said they proved what every shopper in the city already knew - that the Bullring is one of the most popular shopping destinations in the country.

Spiderman Acquitted After Stunt at Church

A 55-year-old man has been acquitted of a public order offence after climbing on to a church roof to campaign for better access for fathers in child custody cases. Magistrates in Wolverhampton cleared Fathers 4 Justice campaigner Ray Barry following his protest on Fathers' Day at the city's St Peter's Church. Mr Barry, from Windsor Gardens, Castlecroft, Wolverhampton, had denied the charge.

Brum Starts Trafalgar Celebration

Birmingham has fired the first salvo in its Battle of Trafalgar anniversary celebrations at a ceremony commemorating Admiral Lord Nelson's visit to the city. Civic leaders and heritage campaigners joined scores of spectators and one of Nelson's descendants at the unveiling of a commemorative plaque marking the naval hero's visit in 1802.

Emma's Thanks

A 'thank you letter' sent by Emma Hamilton to Timothy Smith, the Low Bailiff of Birmingham, a week after her visit to the city in August 1802. It was sent from Merton, the home she shared with her husband and Lord Nelson. Emma had no formal education, and her writing reflected this.

A Wave of Affection for Naval Hero ; Neil Connor Joined the Crowds in Birmingham As the City Looked Back On Playing Host to the Greatest Naval Leader in History

Strange that a city as land-locked as Birmingham can show such affinity for a man known as the greatest sea-farer of all time. But shoppers more used to sales at the Bullring than sails on a flotilla yesterday warmly greeted the unveiling of a plaque commemorating Lord Nelson's visit to the city 203 years ago.

Asthma Woman Risks Blazing House to Rescue Family

A woman has told how she ran into a blazing house to rescue a mother and four children despite being a chronic asthmatic. Bev Stephens was hailed a heroine by firefighters after the fire yesterday afternoon in Handsworth, Birmingham.

The Media has Misrepresented Our Faith, Claim Muslims

The media has misrepresented the Muslim faith and aggravated the "Islamaphobic" backlash to the July bombings, members of Birmingham's Muslim community have claimed. The accusations were made during the visit of Home Office Minister Paul Goggins to the Victoria Street Mosque in Aston yesterday.

We Need to Re-Engage with Youth

Muslims in Birmingham should be taught about Britain's foreign policy to tackle critics of the Government's involvement in Iraq, a Home Office minister said yesterday. On a visit to Birmingham, Home Office Minister Paul Goggins said the local community must work with Government to address the disaffection among young Muslims.

Pounds 18m Hospital 'Mothball' Plan

Plans to "mothball" a new pounds 18 million treatment centre at a Birmingham hospital were scrapped by its board members yesterday. The high-tech centre, aimed at speeding patients' treatment at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, will open later this month.

Long-Term Risk of City Segregation

UK cities could be at risk of long-term social problems if growing ethnic isolation is not addressed, a study has suggested. The research found that some British cities are now in the "major league" of segregation, ranking in the top 50 with US cities such as New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

Midland Gp Surgeries Vie for Best Place in England

GP surgeries across the Midlands are among the best in England, according to new performance figures published yesterday. Data from the Quality and Outcomes Framework, part of the new GP contract, showed the average score for each practice nationally was 959 out of a maximum of 1,050 - 91 per cent of the points on offer.

Wartime 'Spy' George Reunited with His Interrogator

A war veteran locked up by his own side on suspicion of being a spy has been reunited with his interrogator after 61 years. Sergeant George Holmes was taken prisoner twice and escaped only to be questioned as a possible enemy spy by a British RAF unit in 1944.

Darrin's Way to Dance Like the Stars ; Darrin Dewitt Henson has Taught a Host of Pop Luminaries How to Strut Their Stuff. Health Reporter Emma Brady Met the Celebrity Choreographer to Find Out If Brummies Should Be Dancing Their Way to Fitness

Reclining on a comfy sofa at an exclusive city spa, it looks like dance is the last thing on Darrin DeWitt Henson's mind. But just two hours earlier the agile New Yorker had been wowing the crowds at Birmingham's Bullring as he "popped" and "grooved" for all his worth.

No Charity Fund for Tornado, Says Mayor

Birmingham's Lord Mayor has been criticised after turning down calls for a disaster fund for victims of the tornado which devastated parts of the city. Coun John Hood, the current Lord Mayor, revealed he and city council leader Mike Whitby had decided not to launch an appeal, despite pleas from MPs representing the areas affected.

Mystery of the Baby Jellyfish

Shocked aquarium workers are celebrating after finding more than 150 baby jellyfish in a tank which has never been used to house the creatures. The origins of the tiny animals remains a mystery but staff at the Sea Life Centre in Birmingham believe the newcomers may have arrived in a tanker of salt water brought to the landlocked site from the Dorset coast.