Birmingham Post

Investors Threaten to Pull Plug On Euro Offices

Local authority and private sector subscribers to the West Midlands Office in Brussels are considering pulling out because they do not believe they are getting value for money, according to a damning report. Staff at the WMO, which costs pounds 1 million a year to run, are let down by a lack of strategic direction and have no clear understanding of priorities.

Bluenose Premiership Success Is Crystal Clear

Report Page 5 Comment Page 10

Woolmer 'Was Poisoned, Then Strangled'

Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer was poisoned before being strangled, apparently rendering him unable to fight back, a BBC programme claims today. Preliminary tests revealed a drug in Woolmer's system that would have incapacitated him, according to tonight's Panorama: Murder at the World Cup.

The Post Is Changing

Regular readers of The Birmingham Post will have noticed a number of changes to the paper in recent days. In a process the marketing men might call 'refreshing the brand', we have been busy with something rather more significant than a spring clean, but certainly not as severe as a complete re-launch. That's because The Post does not need relaunching: the latest ABC- audited circulation figures showed it was the only English morning regional paper to increase its daily sale in the second half...

Billionaire? Move to the Uk to Feel Right at Home

Britain has become home for dozens of billionaires with 68 of them born, living or making their money in the UK - a figure that has trebled in the last four years. According to The Sunday Times Rich List 2007, the richest 1,000 people have also seen their wealth soar by pounds 59 billion in the last 12 months.

The Super Rich Donate Pounds 1.2bn to Good Causes

A philanthropic boom has enveloped Britain with the country's top 30 aid donors offering up more than pounds 1.2 billion to fight aids, global warming and child poverty, according to the Rich List. Encouraged by the overwhelming generosity of US billionaire Warren Buffett, who last year handed over EUR37 billion (pounds 20 billion), to Microsoft founder Bill Gates's charitable foundation aimed at reducing poverty and improving health and access to education, British investors are queuing up t...

Why the Women in Britain Keep Getting Richer

Women in Britain just keep getting richer, setting a record high in yesterday's Sunday Times Rich List. The number of women in the top 1,000 wealthiest people in the country rose by 20 per cent this year to 92 regardless of the entry bar being raised to pounds 70 million to account for what the newspaper describes as a "rising tide of wealth".

Dimbleby Back in Mixer at Moseley

It wasn't quite the mix of audience they'd been expecting, but after six years away BBC Radio 4's Any Questions? finally returned to Birmingham to a welcome reception. Although the show will have some idea of likely attendees when it chooses a location, it does not - unlike its TV counterpart Question Time -vet the audience before they arrive.

Blears: Blair Close to Naming Date

The Prime Minister is close to announcing the date of his departure, Labour Minister Hazel Blears has said. Despite Downing Street insisting Tony Blair will not name a date to step down before the May 3 elections, Ms Blears said he would be making an announcement soon.

Vicar's Hope Is for Terror Inquiry

Birmingham vicar, the rev Dr Toby Howarth, hopes his question to the Radio 4 panel will force Tony Blair to reconsider an inquiry into leaks over the Birmingham terror raids. Dr Howarth, from St Christopher's Church, Springfield, asked panellists on Any Questions?, whether there should be an investigation into whether the media had advance knowledge of the police operation last January.

Review: It's Rootin' Tootin' Fun at Zippo's Wild West Circus ; Zippo's Wild West Circus Edgbaston ****

In the morning, it was a car park. By the afternoon, it was a showground. And what a show it was. The speed at which the big top rose up alongside Birmingham's Nature Centre was the first evidence of the tremendous hard work and expertise that goes into making Zippo's Wild West Circus such a success. And, after sitting through this travelling troupe's thrill-a-minute show, there was no doubt about the level of energy, skill or entertainment value.

Dead Body Police Chief Says Sorry ; Law Enforcement

A police force has apologised to the family of a decapitated biker after its chief constable used photos of the man's body to send an anti-speeding message. North Wales Police Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom has faced mounting criticism for his decision to show images of Mark Gibney's body to journalists without his family's permission.

Poverty Soars in Ethnic Minorities ; Low Pay

The poverty rate among ethnic minority groups in Britain is 40 per cent - twice as much as for white people, according to new research. People in minority ethnic communities are being overlooked for jobsand are being paid lower wages, despite improvements in education and qualifications.

Not My Car ... ; Environment

Twenty per cent of drivers have yet to be convinced cars are bad for the environment. And a third are unconcerned about their vehicle's polluting effects, a survey from www.motorinsurance.co.uk found.

Degree of Risk ; Education

Moves to create an educational "euro-zone" risk undermining the autonomy of the UK's world-leading universities and could devalue British masters degrees, MPs have warned. Ministers must stop the European Commission seizing control of plans for students and academics to work together more closely across Europe, the Education Select Committee said.

Soho's Posh Loo ; Art

Macho Sun Block ; Health

Butch-smelling scents are being added to sun creams to encourage men to protect their skin. Asda is to sell lotions with more "masculine" scents such as liniment and musk alongside its "girly" perfumed selection.

Mistrust and Racism That Threatens Heart of Our City ; Special Report: Birmingham's Racial Divide

Birmingham is a racially divided city where people live in different ethnic pockets and do not integrate, race groups have warned. As a result, misunderstanding, mistrust and even racism are still rampant, despite black and Asian communities now making up nearly 30 per cent of the population, they claim.

Why London Is so Much More Integrated ; the Diversity Expert

Shahid Akmal, a consultant specialising in diversity training, moved from London to Birmingham five years ago. He believes there is an integration problem in the city, with many people never living, working or even socialising outside their own ethnic community.

'I Am Ostracised and My Daughter Is Bullied' ; the Parent

Mixed-raced mother Marie Beckford, 30, believed she would be starting a better life when she moved from inner-city Ladywood to Bournville. Instead, she claims she has been ostracised by the community, with her daughter Israel, aged six, suffering racist bullying at school.