Sep 04 2008 | National News
Households will not receive one-off payments to help with their soaring energy bills, Government sources said. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Gordon Brown has vowed to free Britain from the "dictatorship of oil" with billions of pounds invested in nuclear and renewable energy sources to counter the effects of soaring world oil prices. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Former Scottish Labour Party leader Wendy Alexander has escaped a Holyrood ban after MSPs voted against imposing the sanction. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
A British soldier has been killed on patrol in southern Afghanistan. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson is back in the business of chasing speed records on the high seas - this time with his family. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
The crash of a British Airways jet at Heathrow Airport this year was probably caused by ice restricting the flow of fuel to the engines, investigators said. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
A cancer sufferer has taken his battle for access to a life-prolonging drug to the High Court. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Tony Blair's former close protection officer has been "removed from operational duties" after leaving a gun in a coffee shop, police said. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has denied he was being ousted from his job saying: "The report of my death is an exaggeration." Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
There was no sign of relief for hard-pressed homeowners and borrowers after the Bank of England kept interest rates on hold for the fifth month in a row. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Police hunting the killers of two Chinese students have raided a house doors from where the victims' bodies were found. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
David Cameron visited a women's education centre in Pakistan - and came away with a gift for fashion-loving wife Samantha. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
A Briton was killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Dubai, the country's civil aviation authority has said. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
The rate at which house prices are falling hit a new record in August with the Halifax index recording double-digit annual drops for the first time ever, figures showed. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has underlined its demand for the republican movement to confirm that the IRA is gone for good. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
The Foreign Office said it was investigating reports that a Briton died in a helicopter crash in Dubai. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Gordon Brown's leadership was called into further question when former Home Secretary Charles Clarke warned he had just months to prove himself or he would have to "stand down with honour". Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has released dramatic pictures of efforts to contain the blaze that ripped through Christopher Foster's mansion. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
David Cameron will round off his trip to turbulent Pakistan by visiting projects designed to help the country's poor. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
A legal aid row threatening the start of the Rhys Jones murder trial has been settled, it has been reported. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Gordon Brown will press on with his political fightback amid fresh questions over his future leadership of the Labour Government. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Environment ministers failed to make their budget flexible enough to deal with last year's floods and outbreaks of foot and mouth disease and bird flu, a group of MPs has said. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
More than £300 million a year in taxpayers' money could be saved by helping ex-offenders get jobs, a right-wing think-tank has said. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Headteachers have been urged to make school dinner times more enjoyable in a bid to increase take up amongst pupils. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Women face "reinforced concrete" in their efforts to advance in politics and business, it has been claimed after new research revealed that progress had stalled, or even gone into reverse. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
A police firearms officer left a gun in a coffee shop where it was discovered by a member of the public. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Gordon Brown will press on with his political fightback amid fresh questions over his future leadership of the Labour Government. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
A legal aid row threatening the start of the Rhys Jones murder trial has been settled, it has been reported. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Court sittings may have to be cancelled and magistrates or judges made redundant as a result of a £90 million funding "black hole", the Tories have claimed. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
Unions and business leaders have made fresh demands for interest rate cuts as they called on the Bank of England to combat growing recession fears. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National News
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein are to hold talks aimed at avoiding a crisis over the future of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government. Read
Sep 04 2008 | The Stirrer
BIRMINGHAM man Timothy Nolan made the national papers this week because he’s been denied a life-prolonging cancer drug – even though he caught the disease from a contaminated NHS blood transfusion. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Aston Villa FC news
MARTIN O’Neill says Villa’s hectic fixture list after the international break is an indicator of the club's success over the past 12 months. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Aston Villa FC news
ASTON Villa should regard themselves as a top five team and every player must now expect to fight for their place, according to Stiliyan Petrov who has insisted he will battle all the way to hang onto his midfield shirt. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Aston Villa FC news
STILIYAN Petrov believes Gareth Barry’s valuation may just have risen by another chunk to £25million following his performance against Liverpool. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Birmingham City News
ALEX McLeish has admitted that he wasn’t prepared to purchase - or rather loan - in haste and repent at leisure when it came to transfer deadline signings. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Birmingham City News
DAVID Gold has urged Sebastian Larsson to sign his new contract and commit to a bright future at Birmingham City. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Birmingham City News
IT was common sense not to splash the cash just before the end of the transfer window, according to David Gold. Read
Sep 04 2008 | West Brom News
ALBION are represented by players from 17 different countries. CHRIS LEPKOWSKI finds out more about Tony Mowbray's globetrotting. Read
Sep 04 2008 | West Brom News
GIANNI Zuiverloon believes his move to Albion will boost his chances of winning his first senior call-up for Holland. Read
Sep 04 2008 | West Brom News
MIDFIELDER James Morrison believes a return to “school” under the tutelage of former national-team boss Craig Brown should help get Scotland’s World Cup qualifying campaign off to a good start against Macedonia on Saturday. Read
Sep 04 2008 | West Brom News
TONY Mowbray believes the final two pieces of Albion's defensive jigsaw will ensure that fewer goals are conceded this season. Read
Sep 04 2008 | West Brom News
FILIPE Teixeira could return to light training this week as he steps up his rehabilitation towards full fitness. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Club Cricket
WALSALL could make it three Birmingham League titles in a row tomorrow when they take on doomed Shifnal. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Non-League
MARK YATES has secured two of the key men in Kidderminster Harriers’ improving campaign with new deals for Keith Lowe and Lee Baker. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Non-League
FORMER Villa heroes Gordon Cowans and Tony Morley will be reliving the past and foreseeing the future in a fund-raising event for injury-hit Sutton Coldfield Town player Mark Maloney tonight. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Non-League
RICHARD Evans has followed his father to Romulus but only after his dad let joint-manager Keith Brown hammer out the deal. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Non-League
WILLENHALL Town reckon they have completed a signing coup after welcoming striker Rory May to the club. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Birmingham Speedway
JAMES Birkinshaw has paid tribute to the Birmingham fans after returning to the club. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Roger Federer kept his bid for a first Grand Slam title of the year alive with a straight-sets quarter-final victory over qualifier Gilles Muller at the US Open on Thursday. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
West Ham vice-chairman Asgeir Fridgeirsson has rejected comments by outgoing manager Alan Curbishley that the club's transfer policy represented a "breach of trust and confidence". Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Kevin Keegan has resigned as Newcastle manager, the League Managers Association have confirmed. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Andy Murray believes improving his service return will help him finally beat nemesis Rafael Nadal and reach his first grand slam final. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Rafael Benitez welcomed new signing Albert Riera to Anfield on Thursday - then admitted the player's former Premier League employers could be title rivals this season. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Birmingham are considering a loan move for Tottenham midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who is among the players that have put Damien Comolli's influence at White Hart Lane in the spotlight. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Rio Ferdinand will travel to Barcelona for England's World Cup opener with Andorra despite missing training for the second day running. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant manager's job at West Ham following Alan Curbishley's resignation. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Australian stand-off Luke Dorn will return to London next year after signing a two-year deal with Harlequins. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Controversial half-back Todd Carney on Thursday completed his move to England when he signed a three-year deal with Huddersfield. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
England's Wigan captain Sean O'Loughlin has been ruled out of the World Cup after failing to recover from a shoulder injury. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Manchester City managing director Garry Cook has warned the Premier League that the Blues' new owners are thinking 'large scale' - and that could include a bid for Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Kevin Pietersen has challenged England to continue improving after rain foiled their bid to claim a NatWest Series whitewash over South Africa and secure second place in the world rankings. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Serena Williams admitted her straight sets quarter-final victory over sister Venus at the US Open on Wednesday felt every bit as tense as a final. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar remains eager to get his Surrey career under way as soon as possible after being denied entry to the United Kingdom on Wednesday due to visa problems. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Everton new-boy Louis Saha believes his fledgling partnership with Ayegbeni Yakubu can force Everton into the Barclays Premier League's top four. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has praised Alan Curbishley for "sticking to his principles" - and insisted there is "no way" he would return to the West Ham hotseat as his successor. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Everton new-boy Louis Saha believes his fledgling partnership with Ayegbeni Yakubu can force Everton into the Barclays Premier League's top four. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Robinho has responded to reports Pele has criticised him for joining Manchester City, insisting the Brazil icon would have done the same. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Former Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder has labelled the club "a tragedy" going "from one disaster to another" as Kevin Keegan's position as manager remains unclear for a third day. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
West Ham maintain there are "positive" times ahead at Upton Park, despite the resignation and stinging criticism of manager Alan Curbishley. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Andy Murray will spend the next two days trying to avoid any thought of playing his first grand slam semi-final against world number one Rafael Nadal. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Bradford have confirmed the signing of prop forward Nick Scruton from Leeds. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Padraig Harrington insists he has no problem with Nick Faldo choosing Paul Casey and Ian Poulter as his two captain's picks for the European Ryder Cup team. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Rafael Nadal hit back from a set down against Mardy Fish to secure a place in the semi-finals of the US Open for the first time in his career. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Fourth seed Serena Williams edged a tightly contested quarter-final clash with sister Venus 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (9/7) to book a place in the last four of the US Open on Wednesday. Read
Sep 04 2008 | National Sport
Andy Murray will play in his first grand slam semi-final after beating Juan Martin Del Potro in an astonishing four-hour epic at the US Open tonight. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Wolves FC News
RICHARD Stearman today expressed his pride at his call-up for England Under-21s’ vital qualifier with Portugal at Wembley tomorrow night. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
THE famous booming laugh of former athlete Kris Akabusi resounded around the Belfry Golf Club as a group of stars came together to help cancer victims in the Midlands. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
LEGENDARY Birmingham nightspot Bobby Browns is reopening. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
ORGANISERS of a walk and festival in memory of stabbed teenager Rosie Ross hailed it as the most successful yet. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
NO pain, no gain – that was the motto of a Birmingham army Major as he completed an astonishing seven marathons in seven days. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
ORPHANS from Portugal were given a warm welcome to Worcestershire when a group of youngsters freed up official funding to pay for their visit. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
STOURBRIDGE MP Lynda Waltho has thrown her weight behind families fighting to save their post office in Quarry Bank. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
HE’S the aspiring Blues star who came back down to earth with a bump. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
ORPHANS from Portugal were given a warm welcome to the Midlands when a group of youngsters freed up official funding to pay for their visit. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
NO pain, no gain – that was the motto of a Birmingham army Major as he completed an astonishing seven marathons in seven days. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
A PENSIONER has died three months after she was forced to move with the closure of a council-run old people’s home, relatives said today. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
BIRMINGHAM’S iconic bronze Bully statue was unveiled under a new guise today. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
BIRMINGHAM’S iconic bronze bull statue is expected to be unveiled under a new guise today when it turns silver. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
TWO Birmingham care homes have been banned from admitting new patients while the city council investigates the care they provide, it was revealed today. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
A MIDLAND chef is bidding to win a national pub of the year award by designing a huge seafood menu despite being more than 100 miles from the coast. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
BIRMINGHAM Repertory Theatre would have been hard-pressed to find a better season opener than this West End production of Cabaret. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
SCHOOLS in one of the most disadvantaged areas of Birmingham have been snubbed in seeking to run the Government’s much-vaunted new diplomas. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
PRIME Minister Gordon Brown will chair his first ever Cabinet meeting outside Downing Street in Birmingham on Monday. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
BIRMINGHAM is sliding down the ranks of competitiveness and straggling behind Manchester and even its main West Midlands rival, Coventry. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
BIRMINGHAM’S growing reputation as a Mecca for gastronomes has been cemented today after The Good Food Guide 2009 ranked the city behind only London for England top restaurants. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
FOUR people were taken to hospital when their car hit a tree after colliding with another vehicle in Dudley. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
TWO men have been charged with the murder of a man stabbed to death outside a Birmingham nightclub. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
A BUSY Birmingham street was closed for several hours after debris fell onto the road from a nearby building. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
FEWER tower blocks and more green space – that’s a vision of Birmingham city centre in 2033. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Top Stories
A GINGERFEST was held to herald the launch of a celebration of redheads. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Learning Zone
A SERIES of new IT degrees have been launched by the University of Wolverhampton. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Learning Zone
WORK has started on the UK's first virtual reality construction management training centre in the heart of Coventry. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Learning Zone
FIRCROFT College is running a six-part qualification aimed at anyone working in the field of community development. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Learning Zone
Bournville College has launched a new service to potential students who may want to find out more about a specific career before choosing their course. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Learning Zone
Prospective lawyers can still snap up places on legal courses being run at the Sutton Coldfield and Josiah Mason campuses of Sutton Coldfield and Matthew Boulton College from September. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Learning Zone
Focused, driven, appreciative – three words that best describe Rashida Bridges-Way of Smethwick. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Learning Zone
IT'S late night in one of the busiest capital cities in the world. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Warwickshire CCC
WARWICKSHIRE have lost 948 overs – almost 10 full days of championship cricket – to rain this season after a complete wash-out at New Road yesterday. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Warwickshire CCC
ASHLEY Giles today insisted his Warwickshire side will always attempt to play entertaining cricket – but not at the expense of losing games. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Warwickshire CCC
RIKKI Clarke’s England ambitions still burn strongly as he prepares to embark on the next phase of his chequered career. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Warwickshire CCC
WARWICKSHIRE survived familiar top-order travails to avoid the follow-on against Worcestershire on the second day of their championship tussle at New Road. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Aston Villa FC match reports
CARLOS Cuellar made his first appearance in an Aston Villa shirt in last night’s reserve victory at Stoke. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Restaurant Reviews
AS a Blues fan, I’m quite used to having a bitter taste in my mouth. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Pub Reviews
WE’VE had a lot of bad luck recently trying to find pubs that are doing food between 5-7pm – we’re invariably either too early or too late. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Food and Drink News
SURROUNDED by bottles and rows of gleaming glasses, Rob Price is a man with a mission...to take the snobbery out of wine. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Food and Drink News
BIRMINGHAM restaurant Purnell’s has been named among the top ten eateries in the country. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Food and Drink News
FORMER Emmerdale starlet Adele Silva is following in the footsteps of Cliff Richard and getting involved in the wine industry. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Food and Drink News
ODDBINS has knocked 30 per cent off some red wines, including rich and flavoursome Mosaïque Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Languedoc in southern France. It's £3.49, down from £4.99. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Food and Drink News
TOMATOES are abundant at the moment so a good way to use them up is to make a simple tomato and basil tart. Match it up with a dry rosé or crisp Sauvignon. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Cooking Tips
I’D LIKE to tell you a bit about panko bread crumbs as these Japanese crumbs have rocked my world! Read
Sep 04 2008 | Wine Column
THE prospects for a bumper crop of grapes in England this year have been well and truly dampened by a miserable summer. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Cocktail of the Week
Here's an exotic mix containing the unique Amarula liqueur from South Africa which is apparently made from blending the fruit of the Marula tree with cream. Read
Sep 04 2008 | Takeaway Reviews
THIS recently refurbished chippy is handy for the rapidly increasing number of visitors to the nearby National Memorial Arboretum. Read