Birmingham Post

Finally - at Least We Know Our Name ; by Paul Dale Chief Reporter

Birmingham will feature in the title of a West Midlands city region after all - but Coventry and the Black Country are to be given equal billing. After more than six months of heated argument, politicians and business leaders have compromised in the struggle to name the proposed powerful new strategic policy-making body by agreeing a working title of The Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country City Region.

Giving Birth to an Important Ivf Treatment Debate

These five beaming babies are the results of The Birmingham Post's fertility campaign, which was last night praised by the region's leading fertility expert. Freya and Neve Stark, Kenzie and Roxanne Dunn, and George Walsh are just some of the latest additions to Midland Fertility Services' extended family.

Birmingham's Name Game ; Chief Reporter Paul Dale Explains Why the Name Greater Birmingham Proved Unacceptable to the City Region Lobby

The conclusion that a region dominated by the economic power of the second largest city in Britain should feature the word Birmingham prominently in its name was, as the Americans would put it, a no-brainer. But the political sensitivities of the eight councils bidding to form a West Midlands city region are so acute that diplomacy at the highest level was required to broker what, in the end, turned out to be a woolly compromise.

Vicar Retires After Child Porn Inquiry

A vicar who was arrested and bailed by police on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children has been allowed to continue serving his parish. The Rev Frazer Williams, based at St Bartholomew's Church in Penn, Wolverhampton, was questioned by police in July and a computer taken from his house.

Labour Civil War May Lose Election ; As Labour Prepares for Its Crucial Conference Next Month, with the Future of Tony Blair's Premiership Likely to Overshadow Proceedings, Civil War Over the Leadership Threatens to Tear the Party Apart, As Political Editor Jonathan Walker Reports

Bad-tempered feuding has always been a characteristic of the Labour Party but in recent years it took place in private. Now, hostilities have spilled out into the open and Labour is slipping close to civil war.

Blair Accused of Negative Stereotypes Over Terror

The country's first Muslim Miss England yesterday accused Tony Blair of fuelling hostility towards Islam in the wake of the London bombings. Hammasa Kohistani, aged 19, said the attacks of July 7 last year had in some ways brought communities together, as people from many different backgrounds were killed.

Tories Float Train Idea for Cities

An innovative floating train which was first used in Birmingham could bring "huge benefits" to Britain's cities, Conservatives said yesterday. The magnetic levitation system, known as maglev, was first used at Birmingham International Airport back in 1984.

Another Uk First

Britain was the first place to experiment with a maglev system as far back as 1984. But the maglev - which is short for magnetic levitation - was merely a 10mph shuttle that operated at Birmingham airport (right).

Serving Senior Muslim an Admiral

A senior naval officer yesterday became the highest ranking Muslim serving in the armed forces. Commodore Amjad Hussain was promoted to Rear Admiral after a 30- year Royal Navy career and will head the Defence Logistics Organisation in Bristol.

All Hail a Pure Sports Car for the 21 St Century ; the Birmingham Post's Motoring Editor Chris Russon Is One of the First to Get Behind the Wheel of Jaguar's Latest Offering - the Xkr

Forget the speculation surrounding the future of Jaguar, there's one undisputed fact. This is a great British car company making great British cars and its latest creation is the finest yet.

Scrapping Laws to Be Tightened

The Government is to tighten procedures after reports that as many as 1.5 million cars are being scrapped illegally in Britain each year. The car-scrapping regulations "simply aren't working", said Liberal Democrat MEP for North-west England, Chris Davies.

Rover 25 Voted World's Least-Loved Model

The Rover 25 has been voted the least loved car in a new survey. Only 27 per cent of owners would recommend it to a friend, according to the survey for Which? Car.

Anyone Seen a Marina?

A car once among the top-selling models now heads the list of "vanished" motors. So many Morris Marinas have been scrapped that the 1970s star is now the rarest car on the road, says Auto Express magazine.

Ryton Register Protest

Workers set to lose their jobs through the closure of Peuge-ot's UK factory will mark the new car registration date today by demonstrating against the French firm's decision to end production. Protests will be held across the West Midlands as part of a campaign by Amicus and the Transport and General Workers Union urging people to boycott Peugeot cars.

Former Labour Transport Minister Hits at Road Pricing Plans

A former Transport Minister has condemned plans for a road pricing scheme in the West Midlands, as officials prepare to present recommendations to council leaders. Senior councillors and chief executives will consider the results of a study into the effects of introducing congestion charging in the West Midlands.

Insurance Up by Third

Motorists are likely to face car insurance rises of more than a third after one of Britain's largest insurers announced plans to raise premiums. Norwich Union admitted it was prepared to lose business after experts warned competition from the internet was making the industry unprofitable.

Shirley's Plan Now in Clear

Ambitious plans to transform one of Solihull's busiest town centres have been given the green light by the Government. Ruth Kelly, Communities and Local Government Secretary, has confirmed that she will not be calling in the planning application for the New Heart for Shirley scheme.

Meet the Post's Famous Five ; Five Babies Met for the First Time Yesterday - All Unaware of How Special They Are. Health Reporter Emma Brady Met Three Families Whose Lives Were Changed by Our Funded Fertility Treatment for All Campaign

In April 2005, four couples met at a Midland clinic, nervous and excited about what the future might hold for them. They had been selected by Midland Fertility Services for funded fertility treatment at their Aldridge clinic as part of The Birmingham Post Funded Fertility Treatment for All initiative.

Fertile Ground for Argument ; Comment

When The Birmingham Post launched its Funded Fertility Treatment For All campaign last year nobody questioned its educational value in highlighting the issue of infertility. What appeared to annoy some people was the fact we were providing funding to help four couples realise their parenting dreams.

Chambers Chunters Over Munter

Sudoku and chavs, Asbo and met-rosexual have all been immortalised in the latest edition of the Chambers Dictionary. Inspiration for the 500 new words included comes from subjects as wide as technology, a modern obsession with looking good and the Iraq war.