22 h. ago Unite 'poised to retreat' over Birmingham bin strike despite no new pay offer on the table...so what's REALLY behind the union's change of heart?

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, declared this week that a deal with the city council 'could be in touching distance', in a marked change of tone after seven weeks of strikes.

Events

50 h. ago Fresh talks over Birmingham bin strike to be held on May Day

Conciliation service Acas will be involved in the meeting for the first time since the row flared earlier this year.

Events

2 d. ago Birmingham bin strike deal ‘could be in touching distance’, says union

Local residents facing mounting piles of rubbish after more than a month of industrial action

Economics

3 d. ago CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Joe Lycett's United States of Birmingham: Never mock America's gun laws when you're on a shooting range

Contrary to popular myth, Americans can do irony. They're quite capable of saying the opposite of what they mean, and doing it with a knowing twinkle.

Events

3 d. ago Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham review – what a brilliantly daft road trip, bab!

The comic’s love for his home town leads him on this charming and wacky odyssey to find ‘his people’ across the pond. Brummies of the world unite!Joe Lycett is on a mission to visit every one of the 17 Birminghams in the US and the one in Canada too. Why? Because he is a native of the UK’s own Birmingham, and he wants to see if there is any shared identifiable vibe and to foster a sense of togetherness among the scattered Brummies. Also, as he says, he has a pressing need to make a travelogue for Sky “and if anyone can do it, it’s Frank Sk– it’s me”. There is also a Birmingham on the moon (a remnant of an impact crater – save your jokes, please, that’s Joe’s department) and one in Belgium. But “we don’t have a lunar budget and I’m not going to Belgium,” says Lycett, so off he sets round the US in a tour bus suitably decked out in Cat Deeley and Alison Hammond scatter cushions. They both hail from Birmingham in the UK. This is not difficult, people. Do try to keep up.Joe has a sheaf ...

Politics

9 d. ago Unite is accused of 'grandstanding' after upcoming conference agenda fails to mention Birmingham bin strikes once... while mentioning Gaza 16 times

The union is spearheading the strikes which have left rubbish pilling up in the streets of England's second city, but the issue does not make the preliminary agenda for a forthcoming conference.

Events

9 d. ago Talks aimed at settling Birmingham bin strike adjourned without agreement

Members of Unite walked out on March 11 in a dispute over pay and jobs, leading to rubbish piling up in the streets.

Events

1 week ago Wayne Rooney offered managerial lifeline after making Man Utd ambition clear

Wayne Rooney has endured a difficult time as a manager so far after being axed by both Birmingham City and Plymouth last year but the Manchester United legend still holds out hope of returning to the dugout in the future

Politics

1 week ago Football Daily | Welcome to Swansea: Luka Modric joins the top table of celebrity Jacks

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!With bitter rivals Cardiff in the Championship drop zone and their club comfortably ensconced in mid-table after three wins put paid to any lingering relegation concerns, Swansea City fans could have been forgiven for being delighted even before news broke that Luka Modric had become a minority shareholder in their club. While he may lack the Hollywood glamour of Catherine Zeta-Jones and the comedy chops of podcasting’s Elis James, by investing in the Welsh club the Real Madrid and Croatia legend has immediately catapulted himself into a VIP place at the top table of celebrity Jacks.Your lead piece about the Premier League’s end-of-season whimper (yesterday’s Football Daily) should not cause fans to lose heart. As Liverpool sleepwalk towards their 20th crown, simply cast your eyes down a little to the battle atop the Championship. Four games to go Leeds and Burnley both on 88 points Sheffield United ‘wobbling’ a-la Forest in third p...

Politics

1 week ago Birmingham bin workers REJECT deal to end strike as rats run riot and military experts called in

Refuse workers have rejected a deal aimed at ending the long-running bin strike crisis in Birmingham - Unite said its members voted overwhelmingly against the council’s 'totally inadequate' offer

Events

1 week ago Birmingham bin strike crisis continues as refuse workers reject ‘totally inadequate’ pay deal

The British Army have been brought in to help tackle the rubbish piling up on the streets

Economics

1 week ago Union's bins at Birmingham office are spotless while rest of the city festers in rubbish as workers to vote on partial deal to end strike today

Aerial images of Unite's regional office in Jennens Road, Birmingham , show the union's bins are spotless and seemingly empty.

Economics

1 week ago Hungarian opposition leader tells supporters he will restore Western alliances if he defeats Orbán

The leader of Hungary’s largest opposition party is vowing to end his country’s international isolation if elected in 2026 as he challenges Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s 15-year rule

Politics

1 week ago Clark Robertson keen to avoid more relegation heartbreak with Dundee defender out to stop rampant Hibs in their tracks

The veteran centre-half knows all about the pressures of being in a team at the wrong end of the table and is determined to avoid the drop this season

Politics

2 w. ago Rayner urges striking Birmingham bin workers to accept ‘improved’ deal

Members of the Unite union launched an all-out strike last month in a dispute over pay and jobs.

Economics

2 w. ago Holy Cow review – warmhearted story of smalltown teen turned champion cheesemaker

An 18-year-old from a family of comté-makers is left alone to look after his little sister in Louise Courvoisier’s warm-hearted and optimistic dramaIt doesn’t get more French than a drama about cheese. Holy Cow is the feature debut from director (and part-time farmer) Louise Courvoisier; it’s a social-realist drama that is the opposite of grim and miserable in its warm and often funny telling of a coming-of-age story about a teenager from a struggling family of comté-makers in the remote region of Jura. Courvoisier warms things up nicely with her idealism and optimism, and she gets brilliant performances from her non-professional cast, cows included. The opening scene features a calf sitting in the driver’s seat of a car staring out of the window.Newcomer Clément Faveau (a poultry farmer in real-life) plays 18-year-old Totone, first shown at a country fair so drunk that he jumps on a table and strips naked. Totone lives with his dad, a cheesemaker who drinks heavily, and his wise se...

Events

2 w. ago Holy Cow review – warmhearted story of smalltown teen turned competition cheesemaker

An 18-year-old from a family of comté-makers is left alone to look after his little sister in Louise Courvoisier’s warm-hearted and optimistic dramaIt doesn’t get more French than a drama about cheese. Holy Cow is the feature debut from director (and part-time farmer) Louise Courvoisier; it’s a social-realist drama that is the opposite of grim and miserable in its warm and often funny telling of a coming-of-age story about a teenager from a struggling family of comté-makers in the remote region of Jura. Courvoisier warms things up nicely with her idealism and optimism, and she gets brilliant performances from her non-professional cast, cows included. The opening scene features a calf sitting in the driver’s seat of a car staring out of the window.Newcomer Clément Faveau (a poultry farmer in real-life) plays 18-year-old Totone, first shown at a country fair so drunk that he jumps on a table and strips naked. Totone lives with his dad, a cheesemaker who drinks heavily, and his wise se...

Events

2 w. 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

3 w. ago India’s crackdown on Muslim charitable trusts sparks fears for religious freedom: ‘It’s about control’

Reform bill will have a sweeping impact on properties donated for charitable purposes, as well as historic Islamic religious sites that pre-date modern ownership records. Muslim leaders and opposition MPs tell Namita Singh they fear for its wider implications

Politics

3 w. 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