Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Military support and more for Greater Manchester and Lancashire to beat Covid-19 surge

Military support and more for Greater Manchester and Lancashire to beat Covid-19 surge

GREATER MANCHESTER and parts of Lancashire will receive extra help to tackle a rise in the delta variant, health secretary Matt Hancock has said, adding that a "strengthened package of support" will be provided to boost Covid vaccination and testing in the area.

Hancock said the package is based on "what's working in Bolton" which saw its infection rates drop after being offered enhanced support.


"We know that this approach can work, we've seen it work in south London and in Bolton in stopping a rise in the number of cases," he said, calling on residents in the area to “come forward and get the jab as soon as they're eligible because that is our way out of this pandemic together”.

The package will include military support and supervised in-school testing in the hardest-hit areas. People here are advised to minimise travel in and out of the area and avoid meeting indoors after the areas have been identified as places where the delta variant is spreading the fastest.

Residents are also being encouraged to get tested twice a week and continue to work from home, if possible, as part of the government guidance while schools may also reintroduce face coverings in communal areas if advised to do so by directors of public health.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said people should be cautious and vigilant but should "carry on living their lives". He has also called on the government to speed up vaccine supplies saying they should be given to the area earlier than planned.

The latest figures show that cases have more than doubled week-on-week in Manchester, Stockport and Trafford, and almost doubled in Tameside and Salford. Eight of the top 20 areas with the highest rates are now in Greater Manchester.

Bolton, which has seen enhanced measures for several weeks now, is the only borough where cases are falling but it still has the highest rate in the region and the second highest in England.

Meanwhile, the country is headed towards ‘Freedom Day’ though speculation is high that the lockdown easing planned to come into effect on June 21 may be pushed back by two weeks to a month. A final decision is expected on Monday (14).

More For You

ChatGPT

Matt and Maria Raine filed the case in the Superior Court of California on Tuesday

iStock

'ChatGPT encouraged him to take his life': Parents of Adam Raine sue OpenAI

Highlights:

  • Matt and Maria Raine have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI following the death of their 16-year-old son, Adam.
  • The suit claims ChatGPT validated the teenager’s suicidal thoughts and failed to intervene appropriately.
  • OpenAI expressed sympathy and said it is reviewing the case.
  • The company admitted its systems have not always behaved as intended in sensitive situations.

A California couple has launched legal action against OpenAI, alleging its chatbot ChatGPT played a role in their teenage son’s suicide.

Matt and Maria Raine filed the case in the Superior Court of California on Tuesday, accusing the company of negligence and wrongful death. Their 16-year-old son, Adam, died in April 2025. It is the first known lawsuit of its kind against the artificial intelligence firm.

Keep ReadingShow less
Musk pledges to back legal cases over child sexual abuse failures
Elon Musk (Photo: Reuters)

Musk pledges to back legal cases over child sexual abuse failures

US tech billionaire Elon Musk has said he will help fund legal cases against officials he believes turned a blind eye to child sexual abuse. His intervention follows a private investigation revealing that such abuse has occurred in 85 local authorities across Britain, reported the Telegraph.

Musk posted on X that he wants to “fund legal actions against corrupt officials who aided and abetted the rape of Britain,” referencing findings from an unofficial inquiry. He encouraged victims and their families to get in touch directly through the platform.

Keep ReadingShow less
england-flags-reuters

A Union Jack flag and England's flag of St George hang from a pedestrain bridge as a man walks past, in Radcliffe, near Manchester, August 22, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Union Jack and St George’s Cross at centre of migration tensions

Highlights:

  • Flags more visible across England amid migration debate
  • Protests outside hotels for asylum seekers linked to flag displays
  • Councils removing some flags citing safety concerns

THE RED and white St George's Cross and the Union Jack have been appearing across England in recent weeks. Supporters say the move is about national pride, while others see it as linked to rising anti-immigration sentiment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi Vantara

Inaugurated last year by prime minister Narendra Modi, the sanctuary reportedly houses over 10,000 animals from 330 species, including tigers, elephants, Komodo dragons, and giant anteaters.

X/@narendramodi

India’s top court orders probe into Ambani family’s zoo project

INDIA’s Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into allegations of illegal animal imports and financial irregularities at Vantara, a private zoo run by Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Vantara describes itself as the “world’s biggest wild animal rescue centre” and is located in Gujarat. According to India’s Central Zoo Authority, it houses more than 200 elephants, 50 bears, 160 tigers, 200 lions, 250 leopards and 900 crocodiles, along with other species.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk energy bill

Ofgem said the expansion added 1.42 pounds a month on average to all bills.

iStock

Millions to pay more as energy price cap increases

MILLIONS of households in Britain will see higher energy bills from October after regulator Ofgem raised its price cap by 2 per cent.

The new cap for average annual use of electricity and gas will be 1,755 pounds, an increase of about 35 pounds from the July-September level.

Keep ReadingShow less