Birmingham Post

How Many More Must They Kill? ; but Blair and Bush Still Refuse to Act

Tony Blair was under growing pressure to stand up to George Bush last night after 37 children were killed in an Israeli bombing raid on Lebanon. One of his staunchest allies, Birmingham MP Khalid Mah-mood, described Britain's stance as "outrageous" and called for the Government to urge the US to take action to stop the bloodshed.

Cadbury's Stays Silent On Sales 'Speculation'

Officials at Cadbury's yesterday refused to comment on reports that sales of chocolates are down by 25 per cent since the salmonella scare. The Birmingham-based company said it does not comment on "speculation" as it was poised to announce some details of the cost of the contamination crisis this week.

Developer Payments Are 'Bribes'

The payment of large sums of money by developers to fund environmental and transportation improvements in return for planning permission is regarded as bribery by the public, a Birmingham city councillor has claimed. Labour's Chaman Lal said it was difficult to persuade people that the process, known as Section 106 agreements, was perfectly legal and above board.

Metro Benefits From Section 106 Cash

Birmingham City Council has been extracting cash from developers for years to help to pay for the Midland Metro extension from Snow Hill to Five Ways. All major planning applications involving sites along the route have been subject to Section 106 agreements, enabling the council to raise substantial funding for the new tramway.

Warning On Expansion of Milton Keynes

Local council and business leaders have published an action plan setting out ways in which the West Midlands can benefit from the planned expansion of Milton Keynes. The Regional Planning Partnership and the West Midlands Business Council wants the Government to do more to recognise the impact of a proposal to allow the Buckinghamshire town to grow to twice the size of Birmingham.

Council Chases Stolen Pounds 1 Million

Council bosses in Birmingham are confident of recovering most of the pounds 1 million stolen from the social services department by a suspected illegal immigrant. John Kaduwanema, a Ugandan national, syphoned off the money during the two years he was employed as a City Council finance manager.

Nataleigh to Come Home

Two British police officers flew to Greece last night to bring home a 14-year-old girl believed to have gone missing with a man more than three times her age. Nataleigh Cross, from Margate, Kent, was found in the capital Athens on Saturday following a pan-European police search.

Police Officers Kept On After Misconduct

Dozens of West Midlands police officers were kept on the force despite misconduct hearings over allegations of sexual offences, driving over the limit and domestic abuse. A total of 56 officers have had misconduct hearings for alleged criminal offences since 1998 ranging from racist assault and supply of drugs to wrongful arrest and false imprisonment.

Development Gives Canal a Taste of Italy

A new Italian-style piazza is to be built in the heart of Birmingham's finance district. The pounds 63million canalside development will take place on the site of the city's former science museum on Newhall Street.

Hunt for Clients Continues in Massage Parlour Murders

Detectives investigating a double murder at a massage parlour have yet to trace two clients who visited the premises on the day of the killings. Detective Chief Inspector Sheila Thornes, who is leading the inquiry, said officers had now traced five of seven customers known to have visited Rachael's Health Studio in Shrewsbury on July 1.

Twelve Arrests at Global Festival

Twelve people have been arrested and 350 cautioned over drug offences at the Global Gathering music event. Crime at the festival, near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, was slightly up on last year, according to a spokesman for Warwickshire Police.

Are You an Accident in Making?

More than a quarter of motorists are are "an accident waiting to happen" because they drive too close to the vehicle in front on motorways, it was revealed today. The M4 in Wales is the worst spot for tailgating, with more than 50 per cent of drivers venturing too near to the car ahead of them, a survey by motoring organisations found.

Win a Date with Nigel Mansell

Nigel Mansell will be back behind the wheel of a racing car in this country next month - and you could be there cheering him on! The Birmingham Post has teamed up with the GP Masters and has ten pairs of weekend entrance tickets for the GP Masters race at Silverstone on August 11 to 13 to give away. Five lucky readers will also win GP Masters VIP rucksacks containing a variety of limited edition goodies.

Politics: Retire at 68 Is Accepted Minister

The public is ready to accept retirement at 68 if it creates a fairer pensions system, according to a Government Minister. James Purnell said voters had come round to the need for drastic reforms, as he visited the West Midlands.

Politics: Prescott Facing New Inquiry Into Corruption Claims

Police are investigating claims that John Prescott could have broken anti-corruption laws by staying on US billionaire Philip Ans- chutz's ranch, it was confirmed yesterday. The Deputy Prime Minister may have breached the 1906 and 1916 Prevention of Corruption Acts by accepting hospitality from Mr Anschutz while he was bidding to turn the Dome into a super-casino, according to an allegation received by Scotland Yard.

Politics: Menial Tasks for Former Mistress in Her New Role

John Prescott's former mistress has been moved into a low-level job at Westminster University. Tracey Temple, who was the Deputy Prime Minister's diary secretary during their two-year fling, was seconded to a role in the HR department three weeks ago.

Politics: Drugs System Is Not Such a Class Act

The system for classifying controlled drugs is based on "ad hockery and conservatism" and must be scrapped, an influential group of MPs said today. A new scale should be introduced which rates substances purely on the basis of health and social risks and is not linked to potential punishments, according to the Science and Technology Committee.

Politics: Kennedy Denies Old Job Bid

Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has denied reports he is preparing to challenge for his old job again. Mr Kennedy - who was forced to quit in January after admitting seeking treatment for alcoholism -is said be holding weekly meetings with key aides over a fresh campaign.

Politics: Uk Could Be Stem Cell Leader

Britain is in an "enormously strong" position to become the world leader in stem cell research, the Government's chief scientific adviser said yesterday. Sir David King said there were economic and health benefits to making the UK the global hub of the controversial biomolecular research.

Webcam Warning After Children Are Targeted

Parents were yesterday urged to heighten their awareness of the dangers posed to children from using webcams in their bedrooms. The advice from children's internet charity Childnet International follows the arrest of a suspected internet paedophile in Canada.