Birmingham Post

Mps Don't Want to Gamble On Casinos

A new generation of major casinos is to come to the West Midlands after Solihull and Wolverhampton won approval for controversial gambling palaces. A Government panel approved Solihull's bid, also backed by Birmingham City Council, for permission to build a casino featuring 150 slot machines with top prizes of pounds 4,000. Wolverhampton also won its bid for a "small" casino, which can include up to 80 slot machines.

Tory Conference Coming to Birmingham

Birmingham is expected to reap a pounds 25 million jackpot by being chosen to host the annual Conservative Party Conference in 2008. Conservative Party leaders are expected to make the formal announcement in the next few days, it was reported yesterday. The conference costs are to be underwritten by a pounds 2 million subsidy to underwrite the hire of one of the city's major conference facilities - either the ICC, NIA or NEC - and help fund transport for hundreds of delegates staying at the c...

Company Boss Dies in Ski Tragedy

A prominent Midland businessman has died in a skiing accident in the French Alps while on holiday with friends and family. Peter Underhill, 58, was chairman of Pemberstone Group, a finance and property company based at Whittington Hall, Redditch, Worcestershire.

Now 'Lord Cashpoint' Arrested

The cash-for-honours inquiry took a dramatic twist yesterday as Prime Minister Tony Blair's personal fundraiser Lord Levy was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The development - less than two weeks after the arrest of Mr Blair's close aide Ruth Turner - increased speculation that the police are focusing attention on a possible cover-up of the alleged sale of honours.

Know the Rules Before Entering a Competition ; As Manchester Revelled in Being Awarded the Country's First Super- Casino Licence Yesterday, Birmingham May Have Been Reflecting Ruefully On Its Own Unsuccessful Bid, As Chief Reporter Paul Dale Explains

The super-casino debate, which dominated West Midlands politics for the best part of two years, generated enough hot air to offset a significant proportion of the region's carbon dioxide emissions. Birmingham City Council agonised for months over whether to back plans for a pounds 120 million sports village and stadium for Birmingham City FC, anchored by a super casino, or to support a rival bid by the National Exhibition Centre.

News Digest: Pit Bull Shot

Police marksmen shot dead a pit bull terrier after it attacked a man and forced the closure of a police station. Armed officers were called to Chelmsley Wood police station on Monday night to kill the animal after attempts to catch it failed. The drama unfolded after police heard a man screaming for help as he was being mauled outside the station by the dog.

News Digest: Paint Explosion

A spray paint can exploded in the face of a 10-year-old boy who went to investigate when he saw smoke coming from a litter bin in Birmingham. Theyoungster escaped major injury but was covered in paint.

News Digest: Action On Drugs

Police have carried out a crackdown on drug and alcohol-related violence in Stoke-on-Trent. In total 52 people were searched with the majority admitting to officers they had used or been in contact with illegal drugs. One man was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply after he was found carrying tablets.

News Digest: Fire Precautions

A 200-metre cordon was set up in Tunstall, near Stoke-on-Trent, when firefighters discovered gas cylinders inside the building. The blaze started in a car body shop and quickly spread to adjacent buildings.

Extremist Videos, Traces of Explosive Found at 'Bomb Factory'

Images of a suicide bombing and beheadings, bombmaking equipment and newspaper cuttings about the 7/7 attacks on London were all found at the "bomb factory" of the alleged July 21 terror plotters, a court heard. Dozens of hydrogen peroxide bottles, a near-empty bag of chapatti flour and traces of high explosive were found by police in a raid on the north London flat, Woolwich Crown Court was told yesterday.

Carrott to Take Mast Fight to Westminster

He is one of the Midlands funniest - and richest - men. Yet he doesn't own a microwave on health grounds. Now, Jasper Carrott is prepared to be labelled a nimby after a "connections box" put up at the end of his garden turned out to be a 50ft rail telecommunications mast.

No Cure yet As Superbug Continues to Spread Infection in Midlands Hospitals

Infection rates of a superbug have risen by more than 40 per cent at three Midland hospital trusts, according a report published yesterday. New figures collated by the Health Protection Agency revealed Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs The Manor Hospital, saw the number of new Clostridium difficile cases rise by 61.5 per cent, from 213 in 2005 to 344 between January and September last year.

Care Homes Fight Goes to Lords

A legal battle to bring the protection of human rights laws to elderly people living in private care homes is to go to the House of Lords. Three appeal judges yesterday rejected arguments that a private care home is exercising a public function when it looks after people referred to it by the local authority. They said they must follow previous rulings that a private care home could not be classified as a public body.

News Digest: Lift Death

A six-year-old boy died after getting trapped in a stair lift, police said yesterday. Oliver Mapp was visiting elderly relatives in Telford, when the accident happened on Sunday.

News Digest: Serial Bride Jailed

A serial bride who left a string of broken hearts and plundered bank accounts after fleecing men she met through lonely hearts ads was yesterday jailed for two years. Emma Golightly, aged 22 of Newcastle, met her victims, seduced them and then stole their cash, spending the money on exotic holidays, chauffeur-driven cars and expensive hotels and restaurants.

News Digest: Stonehenge Find

Archaeologists have unearthed remains of a huge ancient settlement that could have housed the hundreds of construction workers needed to build nearby Stonehenge. Piles of animals bones found at the Neolithic village at Durrington Walls, the largest of its kind found in Britain, suggest it was also the place to go for a really big party.

News Digest: No Invite, Actually

Kelly Takes Over the Reins at Bia

Finance director Joe Kelly was todaynamed as the man who will take over the helm at Birmingham International Airport following the tragic death of managing director Richard Heard. Earlier this month business leaders, politicians and airline executives expressed their shock and sadness after Mr Heard died when gale force winds smashed a tree branch through the windscreen of his car as he drove to work on the B4373 near Bridgnorth in Shropshire.

Strike Agreement Comes Too Late for Travellers

Passenger numbers were down at Heathrow yesterday as travellers stayed away following the last-minute cancellation of a two-day strike by British Airways cabin crew. Flights were operating as normal but the carrier said that demand for them was "light" as few passengers had been able to rebook their travel following Monday's 11th-hour decision not to strike.

Stansted Hoping New Plans Will Win Protestors Over

The operator of Stansted Airport yesterday said it hoped scaled- down plans for a second runway and terminal would win over opponents. But councillors and campaigners vowed to continue fighting the expansion, citing concerns about the impact it would have on local residents and the environment.