Birmingham Mail

THERE is a bitter irony in the Home Office's heavy-handed treatment of the twins Karina and Kamila Kaya.

For while dangerous foreign criminals still roam the streets because civil servants failed to ensure their deportation, these teenagers are languishing in a detention centre.

AS LETTERS arrive telling parents which secondary schools their children will attend next September, one thing is clear.

There is a vast difference between the performances of schools.

CENTRAL Trains celebrate the ten-year anniversary of their train service operation today - but commuters using stations from Shenstone to Lichfield Trent Valley on the cross-city line might be forgiven for not feeling in the party mood.

DON'T you feel proud to be a Brummie this weekend as Europe's eyes focus on the sparkling athletics event taking place at the NIA?

Not too many years ago Birmingham was the butt of many people's jokes, known mainly for its metal-bashing, bleak 1960s architecture and impenetrable road system.

COUN John Hood is one of those unassuming local politicians whose contribution to public life has helped pave the way for its emergence as an attractive destination.

But he has decided, after the sad death of his wife, not to seek re-election in May's local election.

LOVE does not respect international boundaries and has little regard for cultural differences. Nor does it pay much heed to age.

Take, for instance, the case of widower John Harris, a 74-year-old retired printer from Bearwood, and Lijuan Liu, a 38-year-old doctor from Harbin in China.

BIRMINGHAM has again proved that when it comes to staging major events, it is a winner.

The European Indoor Athletics Championships at the NIA - where the British team won a record number of medals - were a massive success.

BIRMINGHAM might be busy patting itself on the back for luring the US Olympic team for the 2012 Games, but are we really ready to thrust our city quite so firmly onto the global stage?

While I'm sure the team will only see the best of Brum, the same can't be said for any visitors to the 2012 Games who might happen to stumble through our city.

TODAY'S shocking pictures of an arson attack on a Birmingham bus show the challenge that faces Travel West Midlands as it attempts to make their services attractive.

The incident was unusual in its severity and recklessness, but every day there are examples of anti-social behaviour on our buses.

WELL done to Birmingham City Council's rulers for attempting to sort out the mess that is the authority's pay roll.

The inequality, with some employees picking up a pittance and others pocketing a small fortune, could not be allowed to continue.

DOGS can be wonderful companions, providing affection for the lonely, exercise for the lazy and teaching a sense of responsibility to those charged with their care.

But they can also be a menace if they are not properly trained, are mistreated or are put in situations that can spiral out of control.

IN AN age when travel is relatively cheap and easy, a nation's borders can never be totally secure.

But more can and should be done to keep out the illegal immigrants who sneak into Britain or to deport those who are already here.

GOOD news from Mike Whitby at last with the news that the New Street Station revamp is on track.

But as with all political issues, it's waiting on someone else to authorise the whole thing. So while the plans might be on track, they're still stuck in a siding waiting for an engine to get them rolling.

As Mr Whitby states, the ball is firmly in the Government's court, but I wonder whether they'll be returning serve or picking up their ball and going home?

Isn't it about time the buck stopped somewhere?

HEALTH chiefs should be under no illusion about the scale of opposition to plans to scale down accident and emergency facilities at City Hospital.

There has been overwhelming public antipathy towards the idea and now Birmingham City Council's health scrutiny committee has spoken out strongly against it.

THE issue of how this city is governed will not go away.

Local Government Minister Phil Woolas yesterday stepped into the controversy when he visited Birmingham and said it was fair to ask voters whether they want an elected mayor.

DO NOT under-estimate the importance of what David Cameron says in this newspaper today on the subject of elected mayors.

This was not a case of the Conservative Party leader being cornered by our political editor Jonathan Walker as he passed, unprepared, in a House of Commons corridor and asked for a quick opinion on the issue. This was no off-the-cuff quote.

BACON butties will never taste the same again after production of HP Sauce switches from Birmingham to Holland on Thursday. At least, not here in its spiritual home.

American-owned Heinz says that the historic recipe will stay the same and claims that the condiment's flavour will remain unaffected by the move.

ONE great Birmingham tradition that is very much alive and kicking is the St Patrick's parade.

The annual event, which took place yesterday, nearly a week ahead of St Patrick's Day itself, attracted thousands of participants and on-lookers who enjoyed the spring sunshine, mild temperatures and spectacle.

IT'S not over yet, somebody once sang.

That would make a good anthem for all those Albion fans waking up with post-Molineux hangovers this morning.

It could be worse. Your team could have been devoid of spirit, inspiration, fight, fire-power and clues. As it happens, Albion faced a Wolves side who had the best goalkeeper outside the Premiership facing them. It was a performance Jan Tomaszewski would have been proud of - I'm sure one of Diomansy Kamara's shots actually bounced off Matt Murray's head.

Let's remember, however, that the League is decided over 46 games, not 37. Keep a clear head for the remaining games. Who knows, you may even be back at Molineux again this season. And wouldn't revenge be sweet?

TODAY may become a memorable date in the history of democracy in this city.

Because the Birmingham Mail has launched a formal petition, demanding that the council holds a binding public referendum on an elected mayor.

MY mother always told me to pay attention.

"Watch where you're going," she used to warn. Clearly she knew I was born to travel on Central Trains.

The standards of on-board announcements are variable, with some services announcing every stop and others announcing only when you reach the final destination.

A CITY can have a glitzy nightlife, gleaming buildings, friendly people and acres of lush greenery and still be unwelcoming.

For, if litter is blowing down the streets, old fridges stand abandoned on corners and walls are defaced by graffiti, there is a sense that the place is in the grip of the unruly and anti-social.

HUFF and puff as they might, smokers are going to have to get used to the idea that from July their habit will no longer be tolerated in pubs, restaurants, bookies and shops.

Few would argue against the notion that is wrong for non-smokers to be expected to breathe in cigarette fumes.

IS this really the way to cut rail congestion?

Former Erdington MP Robin Corbett has suggested that limiting the amount of people who can travel on trains is the way to reduce the overcrowding on rail services.

And here were we thinking Ronnie was the only joker in the Corbett family.

THEY might like to think otherwise, but the streets of Birmingham do not belong to the swaggering bullies whose bravery depends on the guns or knives they carry.

Our streets belong to the decent, ordinary people of this city who far out-number the low-lifes who seek to bolster their wealth and prestige through intimidation and violence.

GENERATIONS of Brummies have laboured at Aston Cross to create a condiment that has graced breakfast tables around the globe.
But, today, the last shift finishes at the famous HP Sauce factory.

AS TRAVELLERS scurry, eyes downwards, through the ugly, cramped confines of New Street Station, they may care to dream of what might be.

And, if their imaginations need any stimulation, the photographs of London's new St Pancras Station will help.

YOU have spoken over the controversy that surrounds the future of hospital services in West Birmingham and Sandwell.

And, because the Birmingham Mail is a paper that is at the heart of its community, we have ensured that your voices will be heard.

ACCORDING to an old Greek saying, a civilisation is not truly great until its old men plant trees in the shade of which they know they will never sit.

Today we face uncomfortable choices about the sorts of lives we live, knowing that we personally may not benefit from any sacrifices we make.

IF TESCO will not listen to the people of Bournville, then Birmingham's licensing justice must.

The community in this unique suburb, with a Quaker heritage that has ensured it has remained dry, have spoken out strongly against Tesco's plans to begin selling alcohol at its supermarket there.

HACKLES will rightly be raised by today's revelation that local hospitals make £1 million a year from car parking charges.

Remember from whose pockets this small fortune is coming.

HEAD teachers will have to tread carefully as they unravel the new school uniform guidelines outlined by Education Secretary Alan Johnson.

For he has said they should be free to ban Muslim veils and other religious dress if they believe it might impede a child's ability to learn or cause safety or security problems.

WHEN more than 850 ordinary people turn up on a cold March night to listen to two hours of speeches, you might be forgiven for wondering how long their attention will be held.

But by 9pm yesterday evening, towards the end of the debate held by Birmingham Citizens group into whether there should be a referendum on the issue of an elected mayor, the audience's attention was still razor sharp.

THE bottles may once have contained freshly squeezed fruit juice rather than fizzy pop and the vegetable peelings may be organic, but residents in Birmingham's posher areas should not be treated better by the city's binmen.

Yet that is exactly what is happening according to the director of environmental services, Ian Coghill, who told a committee of councillors that crews provide a better service in well-heeled suburbs than they do in inner-city areas.

HOW good to see speedway back in Birmingham.

There was a party atmosphere last night as more than 5,000 people poured into the Perry Barr stadium to see it stage speedway for the first time in 23 years.

WELCOME to Skidder's Corner, a sideways look at Speedway in the Second City!

As you might have read or heard (if you live anywhere near the stadium) legendary speedway team the Brummies are back in town.

And until October the unmistakable roar of 500cc engines will be keeping children up and making dogs howl in Perry Barr most Wednesday nights.

EVERY area famous for its nightlife attracts its fair share of truculent punters and Birmingham's gleaming Broad Street is no exception.

Take last night when a Glaswegian famous for tough-talking and somewhat uncompromising demeanour strode along the Golden Mile accosting revellers and bar staff.

DEBT is not necessarily a bad thing.

As the Economic Secretary Ed Balls points out, loans fuel new businesses and mortgages allow people to buy homes.

LET there be no doubt that heroin sucks the life out of anyone who becomes caught up in its evil web.

Too many of our young people have had their lives destroyed by this modern day plague which is one of the root causes of crime.

IT is 200 years since the law which eventually led to the abolition of slavery was approved by Parliament.

And the shamefulness of the part of our history which led to that landmark act still reverberates today.

IT'S not often that Birmingham and joined-up thinking appear in the same sentence, but that's the message the transport network in the city are trying to promote.

The new TV adverts regarding the rebranding of transport in the region - now to be called network west midlands - have gone to air.

Whether the plans will really bring our transport services closer together remains to be seen, but any move to improve the situation can only be a step in the right direction.

BIRMINGHAM'S cabinet member for equalities and human resources Coun Alan Rudge says that cohesion is integral to the vision he has for the city.

What better way to demonstrate his commitment to that cause than by organising a conference on gun crime?

SOMETIMES councillors must lead. Sometimes they must listen.

And yesterday Birmingham City Council's licensing committee listened carefully to Bournville residents opposing Tesco's application for permission to be allowed to sell alcohol at its store in the district.

THE attendance at last week's meeting showed that the Brummies are well and truly back.

And tomorrow, as well as carrying a full report of tonight's clash against Stoke, the Mail will be giving you the chance to win VIP tickets.

Don't miss it!

TONIGHT'S the night when the fires that burn in Birmingham speedway fans' hearts will be well and truly stoked as the Brummies face their first Premier Trophy challenge.

The team face the Stoke Potters in front of their own fans in Perry Barr for the curtain raiser on a season that ends in October.

The competition has three groups of five teams with winners and best performing runners-up going through to the semi-finals.

THEY won't be zapping hedgehogs or taking part in high-speed car chases as they sit in class clutching computer game consoles.

Instead the pupils and teachers at Handsworth's Holyhead Secondary School will be using the hand-held Sony Playstation Portable devices to boost learning.