47 m. ago Blind Birmingham resident fears for safety as bin strike rubbish piles break walking cane

A Birmingham resident who is blind says the cane she uses to walk broke after getting caught on large piles of rubbish left on the streets.

Events

60 m. ago Wes Streeting hammers union over Birmingham bin strike saying piles of rubbish are 'not good for public health' as MP calls for soldiers to clear streets

The Health Secretary accused Unite of creating a situation where 'bin bags are piling up (and) we see rats and other vermin crawling around' in England's second city.

Events

10 h. ago Coming to a street near you? Birmingham bin strikes could spread across the COUNTRY, union leader warns

Clare Keogh, of Unite, said anger at council cuts was growing nationwide among refuse workers and there was 'massive potential this will escalate'.

Events

17 h. ago Roller coaster US stock markets fall heavily again amid Trump tariff chaos

Latest gyrations on Walls Street come after more than £80 billion wiped off London’s FTSE-100

Economics

18 h. ago Roller coaster US stock markets bounce back amid Trump tariff chaos

Latest gyrations on Walls Street come after more than £80 billion wiped off London’s FTSE-100

Politics

18 h. ago Roller coaster US stock markets follow London with heavy falls amid tariff chaos

Latest falls on Walls Street come after more than £80 billion wiped off London’s FTSE-100

Economics

21 h. ago Birmingham bin strikes: Deadly disease outbreak fears as rat hordes multiply in scorching weather

An expert has raised fears large rats multiplying in hot weather in Birmingham amid large piles of rubbish caused by industrial action could spread a potentially fatal disease

Events

31 h. ago Infectious disease expert warns Birmingham's bin strikes could turn DEADLY as the weather warms up

Birmingham has been plagued by ongoing bin strikes, causing streets to pile high with tons of rubbish and the problem could turn deadly as hot weather brings an increased risk of disease.

Events

32 h. ago Global stocks tumble as Trump offers no respite from tariffs

Declines come after the worst week for Wall Street equities since the pandemic

Politics

34 h. ago US stock futures tumble as officials offer no respite from tariffs

Declines come after the worst week for Wall Street equities since the pandemic

Politics

56 h. ago Labour councillors in Birmingham enjoyed free trips to the ballet, Champions League football and fine dining

Deputy leader Sharon Thompson was given a £300 ticket by Brindley Capital, an investment firm, to watch Aston Villa beat Celtic in the Champions League the evening before a strike.

Sport

63 h. ago Rayner to meet with Birmingham council leaders as bin strikes continue

The city council declared a major incident on Monday March 31 because of the impact of the strike by members of the Unite union.

Politics

66 h. ago ‘We’re not a third world country, we’re England’: anger rises as Birmingham’s bin strike takes toll on locals

With the city’s refuse collectors still on the picket line after four weeks, residents are pointing the finger of blame at the council Suhail Sadiq’s car repair business is thriving and he’s furious about it.The rats are responsible. “The amount of cars we’ve got coming in now with wiring chewed up by rats is unbelievable,” he says. Staff at Heartlands Auto Centre in Birmingham have repaired about 15 cars with chewed battery cables in the past week. The rats are drawn to the warmer cars at night, he says – rats gnaw to keep their teeth a manageable length. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago ‘This is ideal for them’: business is booming for Birmingham’s ‘rat king’

The Guardian joins a pest controller on the city’s streets as residents fear a rise in rodents during bin workers’ strikes“They’re not fussy,” said Martin Curry, describing the far from epicurean appetites of the scurrying rodents that the residents of Birmingham fear could flood the streets of their city.“Rats all have their own personal tastes but if food is scarce they’ll eat anything,” he said. Curry, who has been called the “rat king” locally, runs MC Environmental Pest Control. He has been on the frontline of stamping out the rodent threat amid a weeks-long bin strike that has caused bins to pile up on Birmingham’s streets. Continue reading...

Economics

3 d. ago Union dismisses Starmer's desperate plea to 'get round the table' and end Birmingham bin strike crisis as fury mounts at Labour council

Amid mounting fury at the Labour-run council over the chaos, with rubbish piling up and rats running riot on the city's streets, No10 urged Unite to negotiate 'in good faith'.

Events

3 d. ago Birmingham bin strike: Residents say getting slot at tip like ‘winning lottery’

In some areas, communities are stepping in when they see people dumping rubbish on the streets.

Events

3 d. ago Rats in Birmingham running riot along 'super highway' under rubbish in their 'millions'

An estimated 17,000 tones of waste has piled up across Birmingham following the bin strikes - residents have complained of horrendous smells in the city and rats 'the size of cats'

Politics

3 d. ago Birmingham bins boss provides update on when mountains of rubbish could be cleared

All-out strike ongoing for weeks means 17,000 tonnes of waste remains uncollected across city

Politics

4 d. ago Thought Birmingham's bin strike was bad? How 1975 Glasgow walkout saw 70,000 tonnes of rubbish fester in the streets...before the Army were called in

In 1975, a mass walkout by binmen in a row over pay crippled Glasgow. In January of that year, around 350 workers began an unofficial strike that lasted more than three months.

Events

4 d. ago Minister visits Birmingham amid calls for Government to intervene in bin strike

Local government minister Jim McMahon will meet council chiefs in an effort to end the strike, which has seen tonnes of rubbish piling up.

Politics