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.
There are our top stories today.
This is how the Trafford Centre, supermarkets and shops are planning to enforce the mask rules
Shoppers and people using public transport across the country will be forced to wear a face covering again from Tuesday as part of strict new guidance.
Police will be given the power to fine anyone not complying with the rules between £200 and £6,400.
Face coverings must be worn on trains, buses and tubes and in shops, banks and post offices - but hospitality venues remain excluded.
The news comes over fears of the new Omicron variant of Coronavirus, of which there are currently 11 confirmed cases in the country.
The Manchester Evening News understands that supermarket chain Morrisons will be handing out masks to any customers who have forgotten to bring theirs from tomorrow.
However shoppers who fail to wear a mask when offered will reportedly be refused entry into any of their stores 'in line with Government guidelines' unless exempt.
Trapped in anger and grief the parents of Saffie-Rose Roussos want answers not excuses
The parents of the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing have slammed the response of the emergency services on the night of the attack and the failure of MI5 to prevent it.
Andrew and Lisa Roussos, the parents of Saffie-Rose Roussos, made stinging statements as they gave evidence at the continuing public inquiry into the atrocity, which heard the severely injured youngster had asked a paramedic 'am I going to die?'.
The eight-year-old was among the 22 people who were murdered when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a huge improvised device in his backpack as mainly young concert-goers were leaving an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.
She was just five metres from the seat of the explosion and was tended to at the scene by a t-shirt seller Paul Reid, an off-duty nurse, Bethany Crook, police officers and first-aiders contracted by the Arena.
Saffie, from Leyland in Lancashire, was moved on a makeshift stretcher to the Trinity Way exit of the venue where a police officer flagged down an ambulance before she was taken to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.
‘She knew everyone and their kids by first name’ - Residents 'devastated' over woman found dead outside her home
Residents of a close-knit street in south Manchester have been left in shock after a neighbour ‘liked by all’ died outside her home this morning (November 29).
A section of Maywood Avenue in East Didsbury was cordoned off around 8.30am after police were called to a ‘body being found’.
A large police presence and a forensics tent were put up at the scene with officers confirming that a woman in her 70s had been pronounced dead.
A GMP spokesman said: “Police were called around 8.30am today (29 November) to Maywood Avenue, Manchester to a report of a body being found.
"Emergency services attended and a woman, believed to be in her 70s, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”
Senior councillor suspended and police investigate amid Labour warfare in Manchester
A senior Manchester councillor has been suspended by Labour pending investigation amid a civil war that has seen two separate police allegations result from a bitter local selection process.
Coun Rabnawaz Akbar has been ‘administratively’ suspended by the party in relation to one of the complaints, after what police described as an alleged ‘incident of public disorder’ between two men.
The resulting allegation, which it is understood Coun Akbar strongly denies, is being investigated as a hate crime by officers.
A separate allegation, not against Coun Akbar, has also been made following a different disturbance, one involving a separate group of people that didn't include the councillor.
That is said to have happened at another meeting during the same selection process. That report is also being looked at by GMP.
Man 'at his wit's end' smashed Jobcentre windows with bricks as staff 'did not help'
A man smashed four windows at a Jobcentre after being left 'at his wit's end' as he felt staff were 'deliberately obstructive', a court has heard.
Gary Scott, from Oldham, caused £3,720 of damage after targeting the town's Jobcentre on Union Street while it was closed.
The 58-year-old, of Neild Street, appeared in Tameside Magistrates' Court today (November 29) having already pleaded guilty to criminal damage.
Prosecuting, Tina Cunane told the court that Scott was seen on CCTV using bricks to trash four windows at the Jobcentre on July 17.
Ms Cunane said that when questioned by police, Scott said he had drunk 'three cans' before smashing the windows, but told officers he 'was not drunk when he did the damage'.
'You are number 3403 in the queue' - Thousands are trying to book a Covid booster jab - but there's a big problem
Thousands of people are joining the virtual queue to book their Covid-19 booster jab after vaccine bosses announced that all adults can take up the offer.
But some people have voiced frustrations that they cannot book yet, despite logging on in the moments after UK scientists announced this afternoon (November 29) that the booster programme has been extended.
UK scientists held a press conference to announce that due to the threat posed by the Omicron coronavirus variant, the booster programme is being rolled out to all adults aged 18 to 39.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, of the JCVI, told the conference that vaccines used in UK were developed against the original variant, meaning there can be a 'mismatch' with new variants.
Vaccines may be 'less good' than against Omicron than the current circulating Delta variant.
We can increase the strength of the immune response by providing extra protections, he added, before announcing that he wants to provide boosters before any new wave.
However, adults currently trying to book their booster in the wake of the announcement say they are facing problems.
A number of people, including at the top end of the 18-39 age bracket, have been met with a notice on the vaccine booking website reading 'you are not currently able to book through this service'.
