Birmingham Post

A Collection of More Than 250 Hand-Crafted

A collection of more than 250 hand-crafted figures from the Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre has gone under the hammer for more than pounds 7,000. The puppets - designed and made by John Blundall - were created especially for the theatre, which originated in the 1960s and was managed by the Midlands Art Centre (mac) in Edgbaston, where they were auctioned yesterday.

Five Die As Private Jet Hits Homes

Five people were killed as a private jet smashed into a small cul- de-sac and erupted into a "ball of fire" after putting out a mayday call yesterday. The aircraft, described as a Cessna, plummeted with a "roar" at Broadwater Gardens, Farnborough, Kent, damaging two houses at around 2.30pm.

Postcode Lottery As Some Trusts Decide to Offer Cancer Drug

A pounds 3,500-a-month drug proven to prolong the lives of kidney cancer patients is at the centre of a postcode lottery row, after five Midland primary care trusts have agreed to routinely fund it from tomorrow. The Pan Birmingham Cancer Network will offer sunitinib (Sutent) to NHS patients being treated for advanced kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), a rare form of stomach and bowel cancer.

Caterers to Sue Blues Over Bill for Pounds 129,000

A catering firm is suing Birmingham City Football Club for nearly pounds 130,000 in unpaid bills, it has been revealed. A High Court writ was issued on behalf of Kudos Hospitality, which also provides catering services for Tottenham Hotspur and Pinewood Studios, on March 12, which claimed the Premiership club owed pounds 128,729.04 in outstanding fees, as of February 22.

Music Legend: World Can Learn From Brum

Music legend Jermaine Jackson has praised Birmingham's approach to multiculturalism during a visit to the city at the weekend. Speaking before an event to honour the UK's top Muslim writers, The Jackson 5 star said the rest of the world could learn from the way different ethnic groups live together in Birmingham and added it was important for people in the West to do more to help people living in poverty.

I Saw Panic On the Faces of Doomed Jet Passengers

An eye witness last night told how he saw panic on the faces of passengers in a private jet before it smashed into a Kent cul de sac leaving the five occupants dead. London Fire Brigade sent eight fire engines and 40 firefighters as well as four fire rescue units with urban search and rescue capabilities to the scene.

Long Road to Our City's Rebirth ; It Is 20 Years Since an International Symposium Met Over a Weekend to Hammer Out a Vision for the Future of Birmingham City Centre. Terry Grimley Looks Back to the Highbury Initiative and Previews a Conference Later This Month Which Will Explore Its Legacy.

If my memory serves, the weekend of March 25-27, 1988, was grey and wet, beginning rather like the gloomy Saturday we have just endured. It was the historic weekend when around 80 people with some kind of professional interest in Birmingham's city centre assembled for an event which was arguably one of the most important watersheds in the city's history.

Is the Vision Now Reality?

Birmingham City University is holding a conference, Visioning the City: 20 Years on From Highbury on Monday, April 14. It will evaluate the impact of the initiative over the past two decades and explore its relationship to the city centre plan which is now in development.

Digital Strategy Key to Screen Agency Chairman Quitting

The chairman of the Midlands regional screen agency has announced he is to step down, just weeks after Channel 4 confirmed it will be locating a national hub of its pounds 10 million innovations fund in Birmingham. Jonnie Turpie, director of digital media at Maverick Television, has chaired Screen WM since 2002, but the agency is now looking to appoint a new chairperson to support the implementation of its new digital strategy.

Two Held Over Shootings

Police are interviewing two men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two men were found with gunshot wounds. The injured pair, aged 24 and 28, were discovered shortly after 9pm on Friday after officers responded to reports of shots being fired at a property in Aston, Birmingham.

Politics: Call to Help Uk's 'Ordinary People' ; Policy

One of Gordon Brown's ministers has warned the Government is "too often" failing to tackle the concerns of ordinary people. Labour is ignoring issues most important to hard-working families, junior health minister Ivan Lewis said.

Politics: Sir Tom Calls for a Referendum ; Independence

Scotland's richest man has called for an immediate referendum on independence. Billionaire tycoon and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter said a vote was needed to allow the nation to move on - either as an independent country or as part of the UK.

Politics: Scots' Web Hope ; Internet

The Nationalist Government is considering moves to create a Scottish web domain name. Proposals which could see the endings of websites based in Scotland changed from '.co.uk' to '.sco' are currently being looked at by finance secretary John Swinney.

Politics: Parliament Tomorrow

Commons, 2.30pm, Work and Pensions questions. Housing and Regeneration Bill, remaining stages. Junior communities and local government minister Iain Wright and Grant Shapps, for Tories

Politics: Murder Suspect Working Illegally in Care Home

Hundreds of illegal immigrants have found work in British care homes, according to a leaked Government report. Officials found that they included a suspected murderer and other criminals, it said.

Politics: Margaret Thatcher

Politics: Mps Defend Speaker in Pounds 700,000 Spending Furore

Allies of Commons Speaker Michael Martin rallied to his side again yesterday after details of more than pounds 700,000 of spending on his official residence came to light. He faced criticism when it emerged more than pounds 100,000 a year has been spent on items including furniture, art and air conditioning for the Grade I-listed apartments.

Politics: New Push to Give Children a Chance of Outdoor Play

A Government consultation on children's play is to be launched on Thursday amid concerns that opportunities to have fun outdoors are declining. It will look at how pounds 225 million is to be spent on thousands of new playgrounds over the next three years.

Politics: Smith Positive On Plans for 42-Day Detention Bill

Plans to extend detention without charge for terrorist suspects from 28 days to 42 days will get through the House of Commons, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith predicted yesterday. Speaking ahead of tomorrow's crucial second reading vote on the Counter-Terrorism Bill, Ms Smith said the Government would get enough support.

Politics: Tory Anger at Terrorist Sentences

Some convicted terrorists will still be able to walk free from jail after serving half their sentences, the Tories claimed yesterday. Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said the public were being "deceived" into thinking prisoners would no longer be released halfway into their prison term. He demanded that Justice Secretary Jack Straw say whether he would end the "automatic early release of terrorists".