Birmingham Post

Gun Play in the Nursery

Toddlers should be encouraged to play with toy guns to aid their learning, the Government said yesterday . In a move branded "irresponsible" by Birmingham's head of education, the Government suggested young boys at nursery should play with toy guns.

Virgin Furious at Being Railroaded Into Delays

The Rail Regulator has launched an investigation into a "last- minute" decision to close part of the main line between London and Birmingham on New Year's Eve. Journeys planned by more than 60,000 passengers will be severely disrupted by track improvement work at Rugby station in Warwickshire.

Ward Closed As Winter Vomiting Virus Suspected

A Birmingham hospital ward was closed last night after a suspected outbreak of winter vomiting virus. So far six patients on Ward D26 at City Hospital, in Winson Green, are undergoing tests to verify whether or not their symptoms are Norovirus.

Luggage Restrictions Stay for Some ; Aviation

Some of Britain's major airports have not yet been given permission to relax a rule restricting passengers to one item of hand baggage, the Government said last night. Several airports, including Gatwick, Liverpool John Lennon airport, Leeds Bradford and Edinburgh have yet to prove they can cope with extra bags without compromising security.

Buspass Got Helen Round World ; Travel

Globetrotting granny Helen Carter crossed a Himalayan border checkpoint using her buspass, it emerged yesterday. And the UK-issued travel document worked for the 72-year-old four times as she criss crossed between India and Nepal during a high altitude guided trek.

Fatal Crash Plea ; Crime

Streetsmart

As the annual round of Christmas parties begins, Birmingham restaurants are asking you to spare a thought for the city's homeless. Almost 20 of Birmingham's favourite eating places are supporting the StreetSmart scheme, by asking their customers for a donation of pounds 1 on each table's bill.

Share Bishops Idea to Save Church Cash

The Methodist Church should adopt bishops and share them with the Church of England as a way to cut costs, a Midland official claimed yesterday. Gavin Drake, the head of communications for the CoE Lichfield diocese, said that by sharing bishops, the churches could tackle concerns over rising costs.

Tory Plans Will Get Tough On Relatives of Visa Dodgers

The Conservatives unveiled proposals yesterday for tougher sanctions to ensure foreign visitors do not outstay their visas - including possible jail terms for their UK sponsors. Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green said he agreed with minority communities that the system was too slow, with delays preventing people attending family occasions such as weddings.

Police to Quiz Father

Police last night said they were planning to speak to the father of a girl who died after a quad bike she was riding collided head- on with a Range Rover. Seven-year-old Elizabeth Cooke was fatally injured in Blackmore, Essex as she and her brother, Jack, aged ten, used the quad bikes they had been given for Christmas.

Driver Airlifted While Pedestrian Dies in Willenhall Accidents

A man was airlifted to a Birmingham hospital after the car he was driving veered off the road and crashed into a wall in the Black Country yesterday. The accident happened near the junction of Wolverhampton Road West and River-bank Road, in Willenhall, just after 2.30pm.

City Supporters Call for Bhutto Restraint

Birmingham-based supporters of Benazir Bhutto led calls for restraint yesterday as tens of thousands gathered for her funeral and violence swept across Pakistan. Naib Hussain Moghal, joint secretary of the Birmingham branch of Ms Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, said he shed tears when he learned of the assassination. He called for an end to the bloodshed in Pakistan which was threatening to break out into civil war.

Fear Militants Could Get Nukes

Pakistan's nuclear materials could fall into the hands of Islamic militants as the country's instability deepens in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's assassination, some security experts fear. "It is the most unstable country in the world that has nuclear weapons. Iran may want nuclear weapons, but it doesn't have them today. Pakistan does," said M.J. Gohel, the head of the Asia- Pacific Foundation, a London-based security and intelligence think- tank, describing the possibility that parts of Paki...

Pakistan Puts Blame On Taliban and Al Qaida

Al Qaida and the Taliban were behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan insisted yesterday. "We have the evidence that al Qaida and Taliban were behind the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto," Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said.

World Leaders Rush to Condemn Assassination

Many national leaders condemned the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but few ventured any public advice to Pakistan's leaders on how to deal with potentially explosive passions unleashed by the terrorist strike. Within hours of her death French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to go ahead with national elections on January 8.

Not Just Knighthood, an M&S Knighthood ; New Year's Honours List Retail

Marks & Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose reacted with delight to his knighthood. The 58-year-old said the honour was as much for his colleagues at the chain as for himself.

Well Hello, Sir Dolly ; New Year's Honours List Science

Dolly the Sheep creator Ian Wilmut, knighted in the New Year Honours list, is Scotland's best-known living scientist. His first ambition in life was to go to sea - either in the Royal Navy or the merchant service. But a touch of colour-blindness spelled the end of those hopes.

Carrying On ; New Year's Honours List Entertainment

London-born Leslie Phillips, who is made a CBE, has been a much- loved British actor for more than 50 years. He is famous for his catchphras-es: "Hellooo" and "Ding dong!" delivered in an upper class drawl. His rakish comic characters were perfected in the Carry On films and elsewhere, and he lived up to his leery image by posing with glamour model Jordan at the 2003 British Comedy Awards.

Winner for Des ; New Year's Honours List Broadcasting

Des Lynam, veteran sports broadcaster and master of the off-the- cuff one-liners, was thrilled to be made an OBE. Lynam, 65, has been a sports reporter and presenter since 1969 - for both the BBC and ITV - and most recently carried out interviews for TV channel Setanta. He also presented Channel 4's Countdown series for a year.

Dame Jacqueline ; New Year's Honours List Literature

Children's author Jacqueline Wilson said: "I'm not sure being a Dame will make a difference in my life but it's certainly a delightful title." The 62-year-old was awarded a damehood for services to literature. She has sold more than 20 million books in the UK alone and has been translated into 34 languages.