Today's top Greater Manchester stories - Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Coronavirus cases in one Greater Manchester borough have seen a huge increase of 131 per cent, an ex-firefighter who plied two women with alcohol and drugs before raping them has been jailed, staffing levels within the NHS are raising concerns as the workforce is hit by a challenging combination of Covid cases and people isolating and a man in his 20s is currently fighting for his life in hospital after he was involved in a crash in Bolton.

Andy Burnham has called for 'clarity before Christmas' from the government on any further Covid measures it plans to put in place over the coming weeks.

Two people have been arrested in an operation to tackle anti-social behaviour on trams

A Manchester chef has threatened to tell the government to "shove it" if they order his restaurant to close under another lockdown.

This week, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham launched a new campaign urging men and boys to ‘reflect’ on their behaviour towards women and girls.

It's ‘Mad Friday’ at Manchester Victoria - and it's a rude surprise for some people who step off the tram.

Andy Burnham has asked men and boys to 'reflect' on their behaviour towards women and girls – but he admits that the police are still letting victims down.

The response of the ambulance service on the night of the Manchester Arena bombing was 'inadequate', a QC for the bereaved families has said at the inquiry, a dad-of-four was cremated rather than buried with pictures of his family after Greater Manchester Police failed to tell his wife that he had left a suicide note and a businessman sank vodka parked up in his Tesla before crashing - on the way to an alcoholics anonymous meeting.

Andy Burnham is being urged to fund a ‘dedicated policing team’ to ramp up security on Greater Manchester’s trams and buses.

Andy Burnham has unveiled a shake-up of roles and responsibilities which the leaders of each council in Greater Manchester have within his mayoral team.

New Covid-19 rules across England, several 'confirmed or probable cases' of the Omicron variant in Manchester, and grieving relatives dragged from a cemetery as council workers removed headstone tributes

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham held a press conference to share the latest updates on the region's coronavirus response.

A paediatrician 'truly sorry' for missing signs that a toddler was abused before she suffered a fatal attack from her godmother's boyfriend, terrified children told to 'hide' under their school desks as parents were told they were safe, and the 'so sad' experience of running a stall at the city centre's famous Christmas market after high hopes.

A 90-year-old woman was left languishing in hospital for more than a month amid staff shortages in social care, heating issues which forced Royal Bolton Hospital to turn away emergency and maternity patients have now been fixed and latest figures show at least 33 people died while homeless in Greater Manchester last year.

The Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity wants to raise £30,000 this Christmas to fund 1,000 emergency beds for rough sleepers.

A nine-metre high mural was unveiled yesterday (1 December) at The Manchester College's Openshaw campus to mark the opening of new education facilities.

Two sisters were jailed after they attacked a lone woman in Manchester 'like a pack of animals', hospitality venues across Manchester have reported a 'flood' of cancellations over recent Covid fears, and an accountant who raped a woman at a party while she thought she was having sex with another man was jailed.

Andy Burnham has told people that it's not yet time to cancel Christmas parties and social plans, following the news that the first suspected cases of the Omicron variant have landed in Greater Manchester.

Five people were assaulted during a rampage which left a pensioner seriously injured in Hyde, people in Manchester reacted to the new face covering rules for shops, and a nurse fought back tears as she described doing all she could to save the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bomb attack at the continuing inquest.

People will be forced to wear masks on public transport and in shops or face fines from Tuesday, the parents of a little girl killed in the Manchester Arena bombing have slammed the response of the emergency services on the night of the attack and Didsbury residents were left 'devastated' after a woman was found dead outside her home.