Police are also appealing for anyone who saw the attack in Stirchley to come forward.

Suspect hands himself in to police.

Fifty years of writing marked by civic ceremony.

Why vote? They’ll just ignore you says Steve Beauchampé.

Richard Lutz peeks into two churches on walks near Birmingham.

CBSO announce pop-up performance at New Street.

Charter 400 project marks anniversary of historic landmark.

Dave Woodhall watches a familiar story as Villa lose to Liverpool.

Goldman Sachs’ new Birmingham office could end up in Brindleyplace.

Richard Lutz reads a new book on the dramatic effects of leaving the EU. 

Celebrating 75 years of Windrush, we discover who and what was Dorcas.

Advice course for sufferers to begin in Erdington.

Jessica Harris visits the Midlands Arts Centre for a Christmas treat.

Jo empowers an Erdington community response.

Grant aid for groups to help struggling species.

BGSO inviting orchestral musicians of all backgrounds from across the Midlands and beyond to come and join in for a weekend of making new friends and music in great setting of mac birmingham.

Applications now open for life-changing opportunity.

Reports of Halesowen Town's demise have thankfully, been greatly exaggerated,

Halesowen community invited to join in a big Poppy Picnic this Saturday to support The Royal British Legion’s vital work for the Armed Forces community

£250,000 upgrade gives back community centre to Quinton.

Sacred Funk Quartet announce debut album with live premiere in Birmingham.

Birmingham landmark hits £100,000 fundraising mark but "time is running out".

The action is related to the financial transactions being done by some of the "preferred" vendors and sellers who do business through Amazon and Flipkart like e-commerce platforms.

The new funding will support Wheelocity’s plans to expand operations across 20,000 towns and villages in southern India over the next year, aiming to reach a user base of 10 million.

Amazon's delivery glasses, the people warned, could be shelved or delayed indefinitely if they do not work as envisioned, or for financial or other reasons. The sources said they may take years to perfect. "We are continuously innovating to create an even safer and better delivery experience for drivers," an Amazon spokesperson said, when asked about the driver eyeglasses. "We otherwise don't comment on our product roadmap."

Nazara Technologies and ONDC partnered to launch gCommerce. The platform will integrate e-commerce within games. It will provide Indian game developers with new revenue options. gCommerce will connect players to sellers on the ONDC network. Players can shop without leaving the game. The platform will roll out for developers by Q1, FY26.

India's food safety regulator directed e-commerce and quick commerce companies to follow shelf life guidelines for packaged food deliveries. The regulator emphasized a minimum remaining shelf life of 30% or 45 days upon delivery. This action follows complaints about companies not disclosing expiry dates. The regulator stressed the importance of clear expiry dates and adherence to labeling regulations.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is convening a Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on November 7-8. The meeting will address concerns regarding food safety on e-commerce platforms and strategize ways to enhance food product surveillance and testing across states.

India's economic growth is projected to slow to 6.2% in the second quarter of 2024-25, due to a high base effect and heavy rainfall, as per Barclays' estimates. While government spending and rural consumption are picking up, urban demand and private investment remain weak. Barclays has revised its GDP forecast for 2024-25 to 6.8% from 7% earlier, expecting a recovery in the second half of the year.

The brand is expecting at least a 30 per cent increase in corporate gift sales during the festive season, with a growing number of corporate clients opting for bulk purchases.

Godrej Interio aims for a 10 per cent contribution from e-commerce sales by fiscal-end. The company is accelerating digital transformation efforts, experiencing significant online sales growth and expanding reach across 17,200 pin codes. It introduces AI-based 'Visual Search' and an integrated dealer network to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.

Environmental group Rainforest Action Network (RAN) alleges that palm oil derived from illegally cleared Indonesian wildlife reserves may have infiltrated the supply chains of major brands like Nestle and Procter & Gamble. RAN's investigation, supported by satellite imagery, points to the deforestation of Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve for palm oil plantations, potentially jeopardizing endangered species.

Although stakeholder discussions are still going on, the 5% cut of the total import quota will be implemented from April 1 of the upcoming fiscal. This cut is based on the data provided by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics.

The results of a joint study between Hub Entertainment Research and the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) fielded as part of Hub's annual "Decoding The Default" survey found significant differences between liberals and conservatives in which entertainment TV shows they find appealing. Mark Loughney, Senior Consultant at Hub, discusses some of these findings and what they might mean for the industry.

Do you have a plan to purchase electronics and other gear in 2025? You may want to accelerate those purchases to the end of 2024 because President-Elect Trump demonstrated in his first term that he had no issue with dramatically increasing the cost of appliances for Americans with previous tariffs, so there's no reason to expect him not to do it again.

New findings from Hub Research show that expanded content licensing is offsetting the decline in studio output.

President-elect Donald Trump has gone against media expectations by tapping Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem and a number of other Capitol Hill veterans to fill posts in his second administration.

We're looking for a team lead / solution architect to work with AWS and SFMC. Position is full remote, but must be in the USA. Details are here.

This explains a lot.

A Narcissist's Prayer That didn't happen. And if it did, it wasn't that bad. And if it was, that's not a big deal. And if it is, that's not my fault. And if it was, I didn't mean it. And if I did You deserved it. by Dayna EM Craig The Trauma Survivor Mantra It did happen. It was bad. It was a big deal. It doesn't matter if they meant it. I reject the shame. I didn't deserve it. by Dr. Elayna Fernández ~~~~~ Elayna Fernández is a happy, smiling, festive, wise powerhouse who lives oh so large. A joy to read, I cannot help but smile. I was/am so glad to come across her take on A Narcissists Prayer -- honest, painful, human, smart. A Narcissists Prayer is the best description of the animal I've ever come upon, in six lines (!) no less. Craig gives it to us dead on. Fernández in The Trauma Survivor Mantra nails it, gives us the sane and healthy response to insane unhealthy people.

My Spectrum (formerly TWC) cable box works via RF with a particular remote that comes with it in some areas. Not mine. I've got the IR remote and need the other sort. Can't find it on Amazon or eBay... I've visited the Spectrum offices in my area (Portland, ME) and have been told that, in my area, the new cable box I have (the Spectrum 201-T, which is actually the Technicolor WorldBox) does not ship with its regular, RF-capable remote, the URC-1160. In some parts of the country, however, it does.

I've searched online to find a replacement--no dice. I've also called Spectrum, to see if they will send me one, and I was told that they can only request a new remote, not specify what sort. They shipped me another IR remote.

How can I get my hands on one of these URC-1160s?

When protests erupted in Minnesota following the death of George Floyd — the black man who died after a white Minneapolis policeman kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes — many of the law enforcement agencies from the Twin Cities metropolitan area that responded were recent beneficiaries of free excess military materiel from a Pentagon program originally meant to support counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations. At least 10 police departments in the Minneapolis and St. Paul suburbs have obtained either all or nearly all of their Department of Defense military-grade equipment — ranging from $13.56 cartridge magazines to hulking personnel carriers with original price tags surpassing $700,000 — during the first three and a half years of the Trump administration. That haul was part of more than $1 billion worth of military equipment transferred to police and sheriff departments since 2016 under what is commonly known as the 1033 program, named for the section of a 1997

Updated 7:41 p.m. ET Mourners came to pay their respects to Rayshard Brooks at a public viewing in Atlanta Monday. The Black man was shot and killed during an encounter with white police officers earlier this month after he was discovered asleep in a car at a fast-food restaurant. The viewing was held at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was a co-pastor. The funeral service, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, will also take place at the church. Brooks' death on June 12 added to the fury and anger already felt by demonstrators protesting against systemic racism and police brutality in Atlanta and across the nation. Many of the protests were prompted by the death of George Floyd in custody of Minneapolis police in May. Atlanta-based movie and television mogul Tyler Perry is reported to be covering funeral costs for the family. As NPR reported over the weekend , Clark Atlanta University has also offered full scholarships for his

Looking for commercial hit songs for a host of pop artists in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan etc. We work closely with Universal Music in Hong Kong, giving us direct access to major artists in South East Asia and Japan searching for tracks for their next and current projects.

We are looking for commercial radio tracks which have great beats, memorable hook lines and current styles. Uptempo K-Pop, ballads, R&B/Pop, Rock, Soul and MOR suitable for male, female and boy and girl-bands.

Lyrics may be translated depending on the artist so send in all language demos or masters.

We are looking forward to hearing some great music.

- Dean Hart / Afrikan Cowboy Publishing

Deal Type: Song Placement
Decision Maker: Selected tracks will be pitched for final decision
Deal Structure: Non-Exclusive
Compensation: $1,000+ based on final placement
Song Quality: Rough Demos, Fully mastered, Broadcast ready

Hatching a plan for an 8-10ish week, self-contained, van-based cross-country solo journey in 2024 while maintaining a work schedule that absolutely requires me to be connected and on video for scheduled calls every workday. Now in the brainstorming and resource-gathering stages and open to creative ideas and tools. The short version:
Because I'm a worker bee and cannot take all of this time off, I feel like anything like this needs to be fairly well structured, with a good idea of where I plan to land most of the time. This is a really non-specific post, and I welcome all thoughts around apps (e.g., Google Maps with pins, VanAlert, iOverlander, Facebook groups) or other online resources or advice, that will help me plan and execute this.

In brief, the 39yo vanagon has a 100ah LiPo aux battery, a WeBoost cel booster, a fridge, propane heat, a kill switch and good mountain tires. She has a new-ish engine and my dearly departed husband was building her out for work-travel. I'm already set up to plug in and work comfortably from the back seat for a couple of days at a time.

The nitty gritty...
About trip planning:
-starting in the PNW and hoping to route thru New England and California;
-no specific time frame in mind, though I would like to avoid intense heat (no a/c) and extended days below freezing... off the cuff and since summers in the PNW are beautiful, it might be great to stay here and enjoy it while working out kinks with the van, and leave mid August. Loosely aim for a New England fall, down to the Carolinas, return (also loosely) via TN, KY, NM, AZ, and then San Diego and north;
-I'd like to largely avoid interstates, driving in the dark and more than 300-mile days;
-I plan to develop a rough itinerary around the results of outreach to my friend network via social media to ask who would like a visit. Something like: "hey friends, I'm exploring the idea of a big road trip in 2024 and want to know if you'd like a visitor." I would include some language around the fact that I have to work, and probe for what kind of visit they would like, if they could accommodate me and the van, if I could stay/play/work in their house, and if not do they have flat and safe off-street parking, access to an outlet, etc. Your ideas welcome around the framing of that post;
-for the parts of the trip that don't involve friends, I will seek out safe and beautiful camping destinations, stealth camping as needed, forest/BLM land, options that wrap in nature and beauty and hiking and making new friends, iOverlander solutions, driveway camping invitations (I know of just a couple van and women's networks that encourage this), etc;
-I really have zero interest in camping at Walmarts, Cracker Barrels, casinos, truck stops, etc., but I know it's a thing and I will if that's my best and safest option in the moment;
-I have an iPhone and general comfort with tech... is my best bet to create a Google map with pins, or is there something better? Any additional considerations if I would like to wrap in social media to share about my trip?
-I'd kind of love to learn more about driveway camping networks, where people add themselves to a map and welcome travelers to a safe camping spot and a friendly connection. I like meeting people who like meeting people;
-I am aware of networks like trustedhousesitters.com and would be open to engagements like that as I move about.

More about the van:
-I have been setting aside a little fund to add things this year like a suitcase solar panel that trickle charges the auxiliary battery. I don't quite know how that all works, but there are lots of resources out there to figure this out;
-Starlink? I can never not be available to connect for a video call on a workday, I pay extra on my cell phone to use it as hotspot, but that relies on excellent cellular connectivity (the WeBoost typically gets me one extra bar, but often that's not enough. I don't really know if it's supposed to do better than that).

About security:
-the van has a kill switch to reduce the chance of vehicle theft, but of course this does nothing to prevent breakins, theft and vandalization. There is a locking strongbox between the seats to hold my electronics and cash, and a hitchsafe to hold extra keys, ID and cash. I'm thinking I should hide an AirTag or have some other kind of tracking mechanism;
-I don't carry a gun and really don't want to. I have bear spray. I have thought that a trip like this might call for a small InReach or some other gps tracking device;
-as much as I would like to explore urban areas, I would be worried about the van. in the absence of a safe place to park, probably I will base the van outside of a city and take public transit in to be a tourist.

About me:
-50s, fairly extroverted, lover of outdoors, adventurous, though still new to widowhood and discovering a new timidity around taking risks without my adventure partner at my side;
-have driven solo across the country three times, but that was more than 25 years ago and all in less than 10 days;
-not self-employed. I work full-time from my laptop, with a balance of heads-down work and regularly scheduled calls. I also have a fair amount of flexibility in scheduling my day. I'm planning to stretch my PTO around 3- and 4-day weekends when friends have time to play or if I am wanting to linger and explore. I can also imagine on occasion driving for a couple of hours between meetings in the day and making up for it after it's dark and I'm parked;
-not a mechanic, though I can change oil, tires and filters, look up YouTube solutions and follow basic directions (like yesterday, changing an o-ring on my power steering pump). I do plan to take measures in the next year to learn more of the basics of mechanical troubleshooting;
-possess general common sense around safety, and want to take precautions. No plans to install an alarm system or a dash cam.

This is an unreasonably long post, I know. But I figured it couldn't hurt. Seeking your favorite resources for such a trip, your best advice, what do I need to know, what should I be thinking of, etc.

Washtenaw County has elected its next Water Resources Commissioner. Evan Pratt decided against running for re-election after serving four terms. Former Saline Mayor and State Representative Gretchen Driskell won the race. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the priorities and challenges of the new job.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: The United States set a new record yesterday for the most new coronavirus cases reported in a single day - more than 68,000. The previous high mark was set just the day before. The pandemic is stressing medical resources in several states like California, Arizona, Texas and Florida that have seen dramatic surges in recent days. The country's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, this week referred to this moment as a perfect storm of viral contagion, all of which has intensified the debate about what the country - each of us, really - can do to slow down the spread of the virus, like wearing a face mask. Today President Trump was seen wearing a mask in public during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. But the president has sent mixed messages about this, refusing for months to wear a mask, as health experts recommend. So to begin tonight, we want to focus on a group of

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit NOEL KING, HOST: A New Orleans institution is closing. K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen was a temple of Cajun cooking, but after COVID closures and restrictions, it won't reopen. Ian McNulty is on the line with me. He covers New Orleans dining and food culture. Good morning. IAN MCNULTY, BYLINE: Good morning, Noel. KING: Tell me about K-Paul's. Tell me about this restaurant. MCNULTY: This is a restaurant that, in a city famous for restaurants, really stood out as one that sort of vaulted ahead of the ideas that people had for local cuisine in its time and made an impact on, really, the global restaurant scene, the global food world, the ripples of which still end up on your dinner plate today when you dine out in cities across America, not just in New Orleans or Louisiana. KING: How do it manage to do that? I imagine that the food was real good. That's probably the simple answer. But what is Cajun cooking? (LAUGHTER) MCNULTY: Right. Well, you know, New

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: A bipartisan delegation of Congresspeople is just back from Ukraine. It was a trip designed to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine alliance, and it was planned before news broke of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump involving that same country. Congressman John Garamendi led the delegation as a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. And the Democrat from California joins us now. Welcome, Congressman. JOHN GARAMENDI: Good to be with you. SHAPIRO: One central question in the impeachment inquiry is whether President Trump demanded help investigating a political rival in exchange for U.S. aid to Ukraine. And I know that aid was a central topic on your trip, so what did you learn about Ukraine's reliance on American assistance? GARAMENDI: Well, first of all, Ukraine is an extraordinary country. These citizens of that country are determined to be independent. They have been fighting a war against Russia for the last five years. They've lost 13- to 14

A 6-page guide for research-group leaders in academia, providing concrete suggestions to make labs more welcoming and accessible to autistic students and postdocs. Written by a late-diagnosed autistic academic.

Contents: 1. Dispel your misconceptions. 2. Communicate clearly. 3. Check the sensory environment. 4. Be aware of different cognitive profiles. 5. Model inclusivity to your group.

[Link

God wants us to feed and to grow and to blossom as Christians but the devil keeps planting his teachings and his problems in the church to try to sap our strength and our attention. How can we know what his tricks are so that we don't fall into his traps?