Council confirms two mini Manchester Christmas Markets will go ahead from this week

straight to your inbox every day for freePaul Scholes says Manchester United's position in the table shows they have the ability to be title challengers this season.Their recent form has prompted plenty of talk about whether United can launch a challenge that was unexpected at the start of the season. Some of United's players have been bullish about their chances and Scholes can see why.

direct to your inboxLike this entire year, Christmas Day in 2020 is anything but normal.It's a restricted, and for some quite sad time.But Greater Mancunians did have something to smile about today...

straight to your inbox every day for freeThere's no rest for Manchester United, who were last to play on Wednesday night and are first to kick off on Boxing Day. That gives Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad little time to prepare for a tough test at Leicester tomorrow, let alone fit in a proper Christmas Day with the family.

Ariana Grande has brought some Christmas cheer to hundreds of young hospital patients in Manchester.The pop star has surprised hundreds of children at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) with an Amazon voucher each worth £100.Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, the father of one of the patents said his daughter was “absolutely delighted” with the kind gesture, describing the ‘7 Rings’ singer as “a wonderful human being”.“She said, ‘look dad, I’ve got a

direct to your inboxA man in a Manchester United mask stands alone with his holdall bag in an empty, closed check-in hall. His story is anything but festive.He tells me he he left home following a row with his girlfriend and decided to jet off on a flight abroad on a whim.But now that he is in Manchester Airport with no ticket, he just wants to get back home to east Manchester.Last year I visited the airport on December 24 to capture the heartwarming moment couples reunited for the festive

Ariana Grande is proving the people of Manchester are very much in her heart this holiday season.

Ariana Grande had an early Christmas present for young people in Manchester spending the festive season in hospital. It’s been reported that Ariana has gifted every child being treated at Manchester’s Royal Infirmary and the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital with a £100 voucher that they can use on Amazon.

direct to your inboxTwo men from Greater Manchester who won £20,000 on the hit BBC show Race Across the World have donated their prize money to charity.Emon Choudhury, 36, from Stockport, beat four other teams to win the race alongside his nephew Jamiul Choudhury, 25, from Oldham.The pair beat the odds to complete an epic 54-day journey from Mexico City to the south of Argentina for the second series of the BBC2 show.On their travels, the men were visibly moved by the number of homeless children

direct to your inboxDreaming of a white Christmas?Sadly, forecasters have predicted there will be no snow on Christmas Day this year.But the Met Office has said Greater Manchester is likely to see widespread frosty conditions that will bring a 'seasonal feel' to festivities on the day.Temperatures across most of the country will stay in mid-single figures on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but no snow is expected to settle, Met Office forecasters have predicted.They said that despite a wet

straight to your inboxManchester City have given a Christmas present to every primary school kid in East Manchester and every child in in care across the whole city.Staff, players and coaches have paid for, wrapped and delivered more than 5,500 gifts.And with the coronavirus pandemic meaning the traditional Christmas visits to hospitals are off the cards, stars including Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne have been video calling patients on children's wards at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital,

straight to your inbox every day for freeEdinson Cavani could miss Manchester United's first visit of Leeds United in nearly 11 years due to a groin injury.Cavani, 33, has missed the last three matches since he was forced off at half-time in United's win at West Ham on December 5.The Uruguayan has resumed light training this week but faces a three-match domestic suspension over a Football Association misconduct charge that alleges he 'brought the game into disrepute' over an Instagram post.After

After her fiancé Bradley Dack branded her The Grinch, Olivia Attwood decided to give the footballer a festive surprise by giving their flat a Christmas makeover. With the help of Lasting Memories Weddings & Events, Olivia transformed their Manchester flat into Santa’s Grotto complete with two giant Christmas trees, festive garlands and stunning decorations.

Ramones festive track ‘Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)’.The song, which originally featured on the New York band’s 1989 album ‘Brain Drain, has been reworked into a more downbeat version by the Manchester trio.

direct to your inboxCoronavirus has brought heartache to thousands of families across Greater Manchester.More than 3,800 people have died in our region's hospitals alone. And tragically, this number is continuing to rise.Behind the Covid-19 death statistics that we publish each day are human beings who all had stories to tell.

Blossoms have unveiled a new, animated short film, Christmas Eve (Soul Purpose).

straight to your inbox every day for freeOle Gunnar Solskjaer insists he is unaffected by what Mino Raiola said about Paul Pogba's future at Manchester United. Pogba, 27, started United's Champions League defeat to RB Leipzig on the bench a day after the emergence of an interview in which Raiola claimed the Frenchman was 'unhappy' at the club and would not sign a new contract.

Perrie Edwards gave fans a treat after showing off her Christmas decorations, and in turn also the star’s incredible home.The Little Mix star lives in Manchester with her footballer boyfriend, Liverpool ace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. While Alex is away, the star invited her friends over for some festive fun The trio uploaded the results to Perrie’s TikTok showing off her swanky pad at the same time.

A Grand Life, Heard, where some of Greater Manchester's most inspiring older residents tell their tales.

will take place this year. But while many fans of the markets were delighted to hear they'll return in some capacity yesterday, there have been many raised eyebrows and criticisms of the decision to go ahead.