The Birmingham Post (England) back issues from August 2008:
World-class athletes.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... World-class athletes know that success only comes with dedication and training, but one Birmingham sportsman is taking no chances in Beijing - so will wear his "lucky" Aston Villa socks while competing at the Olympic Games. Hall Green high jumper Tom Parsons is just one member ...
pounds 600m New Street Gateway is hit by yet another delay.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: By Paul Dale Public Affairs Editor A delay of at least six months in naming architects for the pounds 600 million New Street Station redevelopment is the latest setback adding to a growing sense of frustration with Birmingham City Council over the 'Gateway' scheme. ...
Drivers jump on the bus as fuel costs hurt.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: By Duncan Tift Business Staff Car drivers turning to public transport because of high fuel prices have helped boost the profits of operator National Express. A survey by the Birmingham-based transport group showed almost two thirds of drivers are shunning ...
The old ones are the best . . . or are they?(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... An off-colour gag about breaking wind is the world's oldest joke, researchers said today. Academics searching for the oldest examples of recorded witticisms compiled a top 10 featuring randy pharaohs, dead donkeys and the ancient equivalent of three men in a pub - three ...
MG TF back in production.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The long-delayed production of the MG TF LE500 finally recommenced at Longbridge today. Tentative production of the sports car began last July but was quickly shelved following the acquisition of Nanjing Automobile by new parent Shanghai Automotive and subsequent concerns over ...
Suitcase murder.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A man was charged with murder after the dismembered body of his British girlfriend was found in a suitcase in central Brazil, police said. The remains of 17-year-old Cara Marie Burke were ...
Midlands water is a clear winner compared to the rest of the UK.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: By Tom Scotney The West Midlands has the country's best-tasting tap water, according to a panel of food and drink experts. Severn Trent was voted the UK's top tap water at a blind taste test in a competition held at a London restaurant. The panel ...
'It's all your fault', mother who killed herself and son tells dad.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: By Emma Rowley A West Midlands mother took her young son's life to "spite" his father then killed herself, a coroner said yesterday. Emma Hart, 27, gave fatal amounts of prescription drugs to five-year-old Lewis Danger-field, the inquest at Sandwell heard. ...
Judge slaps two years on 'unduly lenient' sentences for killer thugs.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Two young men jailed for the manslaughter of a teenager who drowned after they forced him to go for a "punishment swim" in a water-filled claypit had their sentences increased by the Court of Appeal yesterday. Three judges in London agreed with the Attorney General Baroness ...
Ginny's one-woman crusade aims to shake up the Fringe; From language translation to the law courts, Ginny Davis has always enjoyed a challenge. Now the former Birmingham barrister faces her toughest challenge - an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as she told Alison Jones.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: Alison Jones Most parents who join the PTA are keen to support their child's school in any way they can, but that enthusiasm usually extends to manning the tombola or pinning up the bunting at the summer fete or Christmas fayre. Ginny Davis likes more of a ...
Father will follow Barrymore to festival in quest for justice.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The father of the man found dead in Michael Barrymore's swimming pool pledged yesterday to keep up the pressure on the entertainer as he set off to stage a protest at his new show. Terry Lubbock, whose son Stuart was found dead in a pool at Barrymore's then home in Roydon, ...
pounds 26m for West Midlands to tackle congestion and vehicle emissions.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... West Midlands local authorities have won pounds 26.6 million of Government funding to introduce new congestion-busting technology and traffic Cow improvement measures across the region. It is expected the package of measures will also help to cut vehicle emissions by providing ...
30 years for care worker who killed to gain pounds 70k from will.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A care worker was jailed for at least 30 years yesterday for murdering a defenceless disabled man in a bid to net pounds 70,000 from his will. Thelma Purchase, 44, was told by a judge at Stafford Crown Court that the killing of Greg Baker was a "truly horrible crime" motivated ...
What remains of scorched pier open to public.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Weston's Grand Pier owner yesterday confirmed "arson had been ruled out" as he opened the doors to the seaside attraction three days after its pavilion was destroyed by fire. The pier, in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, took 90 minutes to become a blackened shell when a blaze broke ...
Father's manslaughter charge after daughter died on quad; COURTS.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The father of a seven-year-old girl, who died after the quad bike she was riding crashed with a Range Rover on a country lane, appeared in court yesterday accused of manslaughter. Elizabeth Cooke was riding behind a Range Rover driven by her father Gary, 46, when the accident ...
Taxpayers foot pounds 1.6m bill for bomb site after dispute; COURTS.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Council tax payers must foot a pounds 1.6 million bill for a former bomb site even though its current market value is just pounds 15,000, the Court of Appeal ruled. The judges said it was "utterly deplorable" that the London Borough of Wandsworth must pay compensation to the ...
Double murderer gets 24 years; COURTS.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A 20-year-old man who admitted murdering two women as they lay in their beds at a nursing home was sentenced yesterday to life in prison and told he would serve a minimum of 24 years and three months. Nathan Mann, formerly of Avonside Drive, Leicester, pleaded guilty earlier ...
Rowling announces new book; LITERATURE.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... JK Rowling has announced her first book to hit the shelves since Harry Potter's final outing - a series of fairy-tales. The book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, was written after Rowling ...
Lords side with couple over injury.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A couple found liable for an accident on a bouncy castle that left a boy brain-damaged have won their appeal against the ruling. Sam Harris, now 13, of Spalding, Lincolnshire, suffered a broken skull after a 15-year-old boy kicked his head while performing a somersault on the ...
Will Brown's summer sandcastle come tumbling down?(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... As Gordon Brown soaks up a British summer he will doubtless be consumed with the same thoughts as everyone else in Westminster: what next? Although there were serious mumblings of discontent after the Glasgow East byelection defeat, there was no immediate public challenger to ...
'Duplicitous' Miliband must be sacked, say backbenchers.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: By Craig Woodhouse and Andrew Woodcock Two Labour backbenchers yesterday called on Gordon Brown to sack David Miliband following the controversial newspaper article which sparked wild speculation about the Foreign Secretary's leadership ambitions. Geraldine ...
Government 'failing'a1er releasing 31,500 prisoners early from prison.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... More than 31,500 criminals were freed early in the first year of an emergency scheme, nearly a quarter more than original estimates, it was revealed yesterday. The Ministry of Justice had forecast that the project to create space in England and Wales' overcrowded jails would see ...
Police are 'under-charging' too many criminals, say magistrates.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Magistrates and solicitors have warned that some serious offenders are not appearing in court because police are too concerned about performance targets. Cautions and on-the-spot fines are being overused to increase conviction rates, they said. The Magistrates' ...
Who dares Wills, as prince is to be seconded to Special Forces.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Prince William is to spend time with the Special Forces as he completes a series of military secondments later this year, Clarence House confirmed yesterday. The prince will visit members of the elite units in a non-operational environment this autumn. The Special ...
Consultant is suspended after cancer patients given all-clear.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: By Jane Kirby Seventeen patients have been diagnosed with cancer after previously receiving the all-clear, it emerged yesterday. Another 14 patients, some who had radiotherapy, were told they had the disease when they did not. Hereford County ...
Carbon neutral beer gets the royal seal of approval.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall yesterday sampled the UK's first carbon neutral beer during a visit to an up-market seaside resort. Charles and Camilla, who arrived in a helicopter, sipped a glass of Adnams' East Green brew in Southwold, Suffolk. They ...
Unmarked papers do not stop test results.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... National results of this year's curriculum tests will be published as planned, even though some papers have not yet been marked. The Government will release results of Key Stage 2 tests, taken by 11-year-olds, on Tuesday. Results of Key Stage 3 tests, taken by 14-year-olds are ...
Crunch means old independent school could be forced to shut.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Parents and governors were meeting last night to discuss the fate of a 137-year-old independent school which may be forced to close as the credit crunch bites. Wentworth College in Bournemouth, Dorset, planned to take on boys from September to combat rising costs and dwindling ...
Ex-marine's citizenship queried 50 years later.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A former Royal Marine who has lived in the UK for more than 50 years has been told he can no longer work without a British passport, it emerged yesterday. Keir Hardie, a mental health nurse, has been informed by NHS Grampian he cannot return to his current employment until his ...
Facebook 'Scrabulous' goes back online; SOCIAL.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Thousands of online Scrabble addicts were able to return to their favourite word game after the UK application of Scrabulous reappeared on Facebook. Fans feared the game had been pulled from the UK site following months of legal wrangling between the Indian brothers who created ...
Porsche driver arrested after bus topples over; COLLISION.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A Porsche driver was yesterday arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after crashing head on with an open-top bus which toppled on to its side throwing passengers from the vehicle. Despite initial fears of serious injuries, all those on the bus escaped with minor ailments ...
Water fight arrests; CRIME.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Nine young men were arrested after a park water fight organised online spiralled into violence. Police were forced to call in reinforcements after more than 200 young people turned on them in Hyde Park, central London. Dog handlers were used to disperse a wave of ...
Sun cream warning; HEALTH.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Fewer than half of suncreams on the market offer complete protection against the sun, new research claimed yesterday. A study by Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) showed that not all suncreams sold in Europe safeguarded against both UVA and ...
Father who snatched child may have laid a false trail; INTERNATIONAL USA.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The father accused of kidnapping his London-based seven-year-old daughter may have planted false clues that he planned to flee the US in a yacht. Clark Rockefeller, 48, was last seen at Grand Central Terminal on Sunday night, hours after he was accused of snatching his daughter ...
Wife of ex-primeminister jailed for tax evasion; INTERNATIONAL THAILAND.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A Thai court has found the wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra guilty of tax evasion and has sentenced her to three years in prison. Yesterday's long-awaited ruling strikes a major blow to Thaksin, the Manchester City FC owner, who was ousted in a 2006 coup. ...
Baggage shambles at JFK; INTERNATIONAL USA.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A computer failure that caused huge baggage delays at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport entered its second day yesterday, with more flight cancellations expected. American Airlines plan to cancel at least five flights scheduled to depart and said others could be ...
Holed jumbo to be repaired; INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The Qantas airliner that suffered a massive in-flight explosion will be repaired to fly again, allowing the company to preserve its track record of never losing a jet in an accident. The accident last Friday during a flight from London to Melbourne forced the pilots to make an ...
Clean-shaven Karadzic complains of his treatment as he appears in court; INTERNATIONAL.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appeared before a war crimes court yesterday for the first round of what is certain to be a long fight. Looking calm and relaxed, and having shaved off the bushy beard which formed part of his disguise during 11 years on the run, ...
Antigua fears for its tourism industry after fatal shooting; INTERNATIONAL.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: By Wesley Johnson and Sam Marsden Security was tightened across Antigua yesterday as more than pounds 60,000 was offered to catch the killer of British bride Catherine Mullany. As pressure mounted on the island's troubled force, police admitted they were no ...
Helicopter shortage means MoD could rent them off eastern Europe; INTERNATIONAL.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Britain may rent helicopters from other countries or commercial companies in order to make up for a shortfall in Afghanistan and Iraq, it emerged yesterday. Defence Secretary Des Browne was holding a meeting yesterday afternoon with senior military personnel and civil servants ...
Barak could run for Olmert's job; INTERNATIONAL.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has not ruled out replacing Ehud Olmert as the country's prime minister. Mr Barak, who was Israel's prime minister from 1999 to 2001, met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon before taking questions from reporters on his visit and on Mr Olmert's ...
Latest casualty in Afghanistan was due home on family visit; INTERNATIONAL.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... A British soldier who died in an explosion in Afghanistan was killed days before he was due to return to the UK for a family visit. Private Peter Cowton, 25, from Basingstoke, died in Helmand province on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday. His parents, ...
AGENDA: Is it the end of the pier show? The fire which tore through the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare not only brought back memories for Chris Game but prompted him to pen a praise of piers.(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: Chris Game TheWeston-super-Mare pier ere, while maybe not the week's most momentous event, was certainly the one with most resonance for me. For, exactly 47 years before, on the erst day of the school holidays, I had started my erst 'proper' job - one ...
AGENDA: Has e-dating taken all the fun out of finding a partner?(News)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: ANDY COWEN Where did your father meet your mother? Was it when he walked into the Palais de Danse in his army uniform?Maybe it was in the queue for the bar at a David Bowie gig in 1972?The refectory in the university halls?I bet it wasn't on the internet. ...
AGENDA: The eyes of the world set to focus on China.(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: ARUN BAJAJ As I was coming up with ideas for this month's column, it suddenly struck me that I seem to write an awful lot about sport. Which is strange when you consider I'm not particularly sporty, but I think the reason is that sport is one of the few topics that can ...
Letter: Gateway to the past - or a Grand Central for the future.(Letters)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: Lord Snape Dear Editor, The last week or so has seen the Grand Central rise again, showing you cannot keep an idea whose time has come down, no matter how the Luddites in our midst may try. The Luddites we all recognise as the promoters of Birmingham Gateway ...
Letter: Awards recognise the best in GB swimming.(Letters)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: STEVE PARRY Olympic Bronze Medallist Dear Editor, The Olympic Games in Beijing are only days away, so I'm getting very excited about cheering on my friends in the GB swimming team. With this in mind, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to let you know ...
Letter: Plea for return of 'lost' memories.(Letters)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: DEBRA BALDERSON Dear Editor, I have lost my camera. Not exactly exciting information - it is not worth much, less than pounds 100 new - so very little in its three-year-old very-much-used state. We are insured and I will get another camera immediately BUT ...
Letter: A case of mistaken identity.(Letters)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: FREDDIE GICK Dear Editor, By listing the address of the society's office in the Birmingham & Midland Institute, your publication of my letter (Birmingham Post July 26) on the Civic Society's views on the proposed replacement for the Natwest Tower implied incorrectly that ...
Letter: Is the revamp of New Street station really necessary?(Letters)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: DAVE CHESELDINE Dear Editor, That the pounds 600 million redevelopment of Birmingham New Street is cosmetic rather than capable of addressing growth in demand for train travel has been the elephant in the room for some time. The July 21 report by the ...
Letter: Primary reason for scheme is to entice people to spend.(Letters)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: MIKE PAGE Dear Editor, The only railway stations I have seen operating on an "airport lounge" basis are in the USA for the few remaining long-distance trains. It was more of a tradition there, when railroad passenger services were at their height, that ...
Letter: Fresh support for library from waterway fans.(Letters)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: STANLEY A HOLLAND Dear Editor, The debate is continuing between people who are determined to pull down Birmingham's Central Library and those who find it perfectly satisfactory. It might therefore be worth mentioning a comment I recently read in a national ...
THE BIRMINGHAM POST: Behind veneer of crime and punishment.(Leaders)
Aug 01, 2008 ... The Government says it is keen to promote enterprise, but helping criminals to profit from their activities is probably not what ministers had in mind when they promised to support British business. Take just one example from the crazy world of criminal justice: a shoplifter ...
THE BIRMINGHAM POST: Answer critics.(Leaders)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Given the length of time it took to persuade the Government to invest pounds 400 million in the refurbishment of New Street Station, it should not be any great surprise that a decision on naming the firm chosen to act as concept architects for the scheme is subject to serious delay. It is ...
THE BIRMINGHAM POST: Raise a glass.(Leaders)
Aug 01, 2008 ... What a difference a year makes. A year ago, thanks to the Severn, it was water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink because it was floodwater. Now tap water from Severn Trent has been praised for being "beautifully pure, a mountain stream of freshness". Some of ...
Culture: The 'odd couple' return for more spooky goings-on; Cinema Television's odd couple are back with a new film. X-Files star David Duchovny reveals why Mulder and Scully weren't done investigating.(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: Alison Jones reports When Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd finally got it together as David and Maddy on 80s private eye caper Moonlighting, it killed the show faster than John McClane took down the precisely accented terrorists in the Nakatomi Plaza. But ...
Culture: Dominic's Tale of two cities; Cinema London's reconstructed Elizabethan playhouse is now bringing its authentic approach to Shakespeare out on tour, writes Terry Grimley.(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: Terry Grimley Shakespeare's Globe, the reconstructed Elizabethan playhouse on London's South Bank, has been one the English theatre world's big successes since it opened just over a decade ago. Last year it launched a new touring initiative with a production ...
Quiz of the Day.(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: Janet Jackson 1. The flag of which country consists of a vertical white stripe with a white crescent and a star on a green background? 2. Ben Nevis is in which range of mountains? 3. The name of which spirit, distilled from grain, is derived from ...
Word Wizard.(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Here is an unusual word with three definitions, only one of which is correct. Can you identify the right definition? MINUEND 1) A person who is over-dainty or particular in their eating habits; ...
DID YOU KNOW?(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... In Tokyo a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips that last less than 50 minutes. Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second. A Chinese man has stunned onlookers by demonstrating his ability to squirt milk out of his eyes. The ...
ON THIS DAY.(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Byline: David James 1137 Louis V1 King of France died 1774 English chemist Joseph Priestley announced his discovery of oxygen. He called it 'a new species of air'. 1778 The first savings bank opened in Hamburg, Germany. 1912 An airmail service opened ...
WEB LIFE.(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... National Parks are large areas of land in England, Wales and Scotland that, since 1949, have been protected as beautiful areas for the benefit of the nation. They contain many of the UK's most breathtaking landscapes. There are 14 to chose from and nationalparks.gov.uk could ...
Pick of the day.(Features)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Saving Britney Spears 7.30pm C4 This new series of documentaries, which gives up-and-coming directors the chance ...
POST PEOPLE: Barber Institute private viewing.(Business)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Friends and supporters old and new were reunited at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts for the opening private view of the latest major exhibition - "Reunited: Gwen John, Mere Poussepin and the Catholic Church". Trustees, staff of the Barber Institute and the University of Birmingham, and ...
POST PEOPLE: Antinori wine tasting event.(Business)
Aug 01, 2008 ... Filini Bar & Restaurant of the Radisson SAS Hotel, Birmingham, hosted a dinner led by Stefano Leone, director of international sales at Antinori Wines, to showcase eight Italian wines and their rich individual styles. Each course was served with a complimentary wine which was then analysed ...