Community News

A petition to save the O2 Academy Brixton from permanent closure has reached 50,000 signatures. The south London venue had its licence suspended after two people died during a crush outside the building ahead of a gig by Afro-pop singer Asake last year.

The petition was set up after the Met Police said it was seeking for the licence to be revoked. Academy Music Group (AMG), which runs the venue, said its proposals would "enable the venue to reopen safely".

As King Charles III’s coronation approaches, the dispute around the Kohinoor diamond has resurfaced. The famous diamond, which is believed to have originated in India and passed through the hands of various rulers and conquerors, including the British Empire, has long been a subject of contention between India and Pakistan.

The Kohinoor diamond is one of the largest diamonds in the world, weighing in at 105.6 carats. It has a rich and complex history that spans centuries and continents.

The heavy and priest-like golden robes King Charles III will wear for his Coronation have been revealed. During the service, the King will put on layer upon layer of glittering vestments, some of which were created for his great-grandfather George V.

Representatives from over 80 leading British businesses met with more than 275 ex-military personnel this week at a national Employment Fair hosted by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) in Edinburgh.   

With more than 14,000 people leaving the UK Armed Forces every year, employers, Service leavers and veterans came together to network and plan for their futures. There were in excess of 1,000 job opportunities and career pathways available on the day and the one-day event gave exhibitors the chance to promote their brand and showcase the careers they offer.

Cristiano Ronaldo might not have had the best year on the football pitch. However, Ronaldo’s dwindling football career hasn’t impacted his social media popularity. According to the numbers presented by SafeBettingSites.com, Ronaldo gained 169.8m new followers on his social media accounts during the past year. 

Despite his struggles at club and national levels, Ronaldo was the most famous footballer this past year. According to Football Benchmark data, the Portuguese superstar gained a combined 169.8m followers on his various social media accounts.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has appointed leading UK shared transport operator Beryl to deliver the region’s brand new e-scooter hire scheme. The first phase of the scheme will see e-scooters hit the streets of Birmingham in June, with further phases to be rolled out during the rest of 2023 and beyond.

The UK-based operator was awarded the contract following an open tender process. TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), supports a well-run and regulated e-scooter hire scheme as an affordable and environmentally-friendly alternative to the car for those shorter journeys around towns and cities.

Eilat, the resort city of the State of Israel, is presenting the world's first sunscreen that is scientifically formulated not only to protect the skin from UV rays but to feed and nourish endangered coral reefs. 

Eilat is home to the ecological wonder of the planet's northernmost shallow-water reef and passionate about protecting it and other coral reefs. Coral is facing serious threats from climate change, pollution, and other human activities, with an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen ending up in the world's oceans every year. As many as 80% of ordinary sunscreens contain chemicals that contribute to coral bleaching and dying reefs.

Vehicles seized by Birmingham City Council from criminal fly-tippers are being put to life-saving use by West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS).

A number of vehicles, which have no alternative operational or resale value, have been donated for WMFS training exercises. Two of the vans were delivered to Sutton Coldfield fire station, where they were used by firefighters to perfect their life-saving road traffic collision (RTC) rescue skills.

New research has revealed the areas in England and Wales most susceptible to cybercrime, with Greater Manchester coming out on top. The study by cyber security experts CloudTech24 analysed the latest data available from the National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre to see which areas reported the highest levels of cybercrime for every 10,000 people.

WaterSafe, the UK national accreditation body for approved plumbers, has put together its five top tips to help people moving home in The Midlands. The plumbing register asked its members for their top advice for customers moving into a new home.

Elder fraud is where fraudsters target your parents, grandparents and those from the elderly community. Fraudsters often take advantage of those who aren’t tech-savvy, so familiarizing yourself with scams can lead to preventing the fraudsters from being successful.

Cybersecurity expert Brandon King from Home Security Heroes has compiled a list of tips to spot and prevent fraud. Fraudsters target seniors in elder fraud by tricking them into giving sensitive information or offering fake financial benefits.

Readly, the digital magazine and newspaper app, has launched a collection of magazines to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III on Monday 6 May. The collection includes ‘Coronation special’ digital magazine issues from its portfolio of 1200 publishing partners and will be available to subscribers as part of the unlimited digital reading subscription.

After three successful editions in Paris, the most colourful experience of the year is coming to Manchester this May. The exhibition - which is a co-production between Fever and Colors Festival - plunges visitors into an artistic universe of colour, creativity and diversity. The exhibition is making its UK debut at the Regent Retail Park in Manchester with tickets on sale now. 

Are you an eco-preneur with a unique solution to combat climate change? Do you want to compete for a cash prize of $100,000 and showcase your innovative eco-friendly fintech solutions to a panel of expert VCs and judges? Then we have some great news for you - the "Europe's Got Access" pitch battle organized by Money 20/20 is back, and the deadline has been extended to tonight!

For the fifth year in a row, footballers of all ages will take part in the Nick Mowl Cup, in memory of a former Solihull footballer. 41-year-old Nick Mowl was a former Solihull Moors coach and player who took his own life in May 2017.

Nick was a friend of current West Bromwich FC Senior Professional Development Phase Manager, Richard Beale and through football was known by many across the region, having played for Knowle FC, Solihull Borough, now Solihull Moors, as well as Stratford Town and Bedworth United.

St Basils, a youth homeless charity based in the West Midlands, has teamed up with Decision Lab, an award-winning technology company that solves real-world challenges for some of the biggest and most respected businesses in the UK, to work on a project that will help develop their understanding of the factors that influences positive outcomes for the young people they support.