Andy Burnham to give evidence at Covid inquiry in London today

Commuters in Greater Manchester could soon be able to bring bikes on trams after Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) announced it is looking "very seriously" at launching a trial in the region.

It has been two months since the Bee Network was launched across Greater Manchester, and it is clear there are more changes than just the colour of the buses.

BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri has said sorry for showing her middle finger on live TV. She said she didn't mean to "offend or upset anyone".

A BBC newsreader was caught in an embarrassing live on air moment as she gave the camera the middle finger - before realising she was on screen. Maryam Moshiri was the anchor for Wednesday's BBC News at 12 on the world feed when the awkward blunder unfolded in front of lunchtime viewers.

A Scots woman whose mother’s funeral took place on the day of a lockdown cheese and wine party in Downing Street has said the disregard shown by those breaking the rules was “gobsmacking”.

Plans to move the English National Opera (ENO) to the North of England have been warmly welcomed in Greater Manchester which will become the 'main home' for the cultural institution. But the news, which was announced on Tuesday (December 5), was met with some strange responses from the rest of the country on social media - including from some angry Londoners.

The Scottish Covid Bereaved expect Boris Johnson to give "a grotesque distortion of the truth" when he appears at the UK Covid Inquiry this week.

Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, has denied deleting WhatsApp messages from February to June 2020. It comes after it was revealed that he had been unable to provide his communications to the Covid-19 inquiry due to a 'technical issue'.

Inspectors have praised how effectively Manchester council, GMP, schools and the NHS work together to protect young people from serious violence and criminal exploitation. The inspection by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation was carried out over five days in October.

Even to its many critics, the turnaround of Greater Manchester Police has been remarkable since the dark days of December 2020 when years of shocking failure ended in the sacking of the then chief constable Ian Hopkins.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock defended his record as he became the latest high-profile figure to give evidence to the official Covid-19 inquiry on Thursday. Among the revelations, the ex Cabinet minister accused No 10 aide Dominic Cummings of creating a “culture of fear” in government that undermined the pandemic response.

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NME following the city’s inaugural Beyond the Music conference about how he hopes it will “galvanise” the music industry as issues affecting the industry fall on “deaf ears” at Westminster.Last month’s Beyond the Music explored multiple crises the music industry is currently facing, such as the future of grassroots venues and the continuing impact of Brexit on UK musicians struggling to tour Europe.On the latter, Burnham said “it’s just wrong” that the careers of young musicians are still suffering as they continue to face difficulties touring Europe post-Brexit.At the conference in October, Burnham discussed the “ridiculous” Brexit rules for artists travelling around Europe. Back in 2021, the UK music industry spoke out on how they had essentially been handed a “No Deal Brexit” when the government failed to negotiate visa-free travel and Europe-wide work permits for musicians and crew.Despite trying to raise these issues with ministers, Burnham told NME it’s still falling on “deaf ears” as the government continues to ignore the chaos Brexit has caused as artists struggle to navigate “all kinds of hidden obstacles” to performing in Europe.“It’s so frustrating, particularly given that Europe offered a better arrangement and in the rhetoric of Brexit, it got turned down,” he explained, referring to Boris Johnson’s rejection of a deal for artists proposed by Europe.

A government committee was told that Greater Manchester deserved a 'punishment beating' with tougher Covid restrictions because of Andy Burnham's 'appalling behaviour' during the Tier 3 stand-off in autumn 2020, the Covid inquiry has heard. Giving evidence at the inquiry today (November 27), the Greater Manchester mayor said ministers made an example of the city-region for taking a stand.

A string of high-profile figures from the entertainment world attended a march against antisemitism on the streets of London yesterday, in what is thought to be the biggest rally of its kind for nearly 90 years.

Andy Burnham says Everton's 10-point penalty should be declared 'null and void' in a formal complaint to Premier League bosses. The Greater Manchester mayor has written to the chair of the Premier League about the process that led to the 'harsh' points deduction.

Three major food delivery companies have agreed to work with Andy Burnham to tackle safety concerns. But the Greater Manchester mayor has warned Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat that if safety does not improve enough, the authorities will look at taking action.

Jeremy Hunt didn't mention it in his 52-minute speech in Parliament on Wednesday (November 22), but buried deep in the 120-page autumn statement, a fundamental change with big implications for Greater Manchester was confirmed. The city-region struck a deal with the government earlier this year which means that more power over transport, housing and skills would be given to local leaders.

An inquiry into the treatment of women and girls who have been arrested and taken into police custody in Greater Manchester will report its findings in the new year. The inquiry by former national victims commissioner Dame Vera Baird KC was launched by mayor Andy Burnham and his deputy in August following a Sky News investigation into the experiences of three women in custody at GMP.

A leading charity says anti-Jewish hate is now 'absolutely the worst seen' in Greater Manchester since it began keeping records. Community Security Trust (CST), which protects Britain's Jewish communities from anti-Semitism, says the problem has soared across the region following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on October 7.