The latest news, updates and events in Birmingham
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a new lockdown for England to be enforced from Tuesday, what exactly are the updated restrictions? According to the latest government statement, the lockdown – beginning today and potentially ending in March with restrictions lifting slowly from mid-February – is similar the first one enforced across England in March last year, but with…
A new lockdown for England will be enforced from midnight, the UK Prime Minister has announced. In a bid to curb the continued and increasing spread of COVID-19, everyone in the country must stay at home except for especially permitted reasons, according to a statement from Boris Johnson this evening.
A supermarket customer in Dudley has been fined by police for not wearing a face mask despite her claiming she is exempt on health grounds. Captured in footage circulating on social media, the woman is shown being handed a fixed penalty notice for failing to put on a face covering at a branch of Farmfoods in…
The Black Country has been awarded UNESCO Global Geopark status, joining the Cliffs of Fundy in Canada, the French wine region of Beaujolais and Vietnam’s Dak Nong, and only seven other Geoparks in the United Kingdom including the Scottish Highlands. Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton in the the Black Country have received a status boost…
Black Lives Matter and related anti-racism protests are being held across Birmingham in response to the police murder of George Floyd in the US, and to challenge institutional racism across the world. Several protests have been held across the UK city including a march through Soho Road in Handsworth on Monday (June 1), followed by…
Birmingham has confirmed to hold the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK, outside of London. As of 18:14 (GMT) 29th March, Birmingham has recorded 513 cases of coronavirus. This is compared to the second-highest number of recorded cases, in Hampshire, with 432 cases – a difference of +81.
The number of UK deaths from coronavirus has passed 1,019, up from 759 yesterday – a dramatic increase of 260 in just 24 hours. Of these 260 new deaths, 246 fatalities were in England, four in Wales, seven in Scotland, and two people died in Northern Ireland.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus after showing symptoms yesterday which included coughing and a high temperature. Downing Street confirmed that after experiencing mild symptoms yesterday, the Prime Minister was tested for coronavirus on the personal advice of England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty.
The UK’s first annual African cultural festival is set to be held in the West Midlands this summer. Described as a “jamboree of all things Africa”, Ubuntu Pride will celebrate a fusion of African culture through traditional music, arts, dance and food.
It’s National Coming Out Day (NCOD) today, an annual LGBTQIA+ awareness day observed on October 11th in select countries across the world. Each year on National Coming Out Day, the international self-identifying ‘queer community’ celebrate coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or as an ally.