City news in 250 words: Friday 26 February

MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL RIVALRY SHOULD STAY ON THE PITCH if they both want to be prosperous, according to a study by Liverpool’s deputy leader. It said cities 30-miles apart in countries such as the USA and China would recognise they must “co-operate, not compete”, and any other approach was “doomed to failure”. Cllr Flo Clucas said, “Although we consider Liverpool and Manchester to be distinct cities, in many countries they would be seen as immediate neighbours.”

POLICE INVESTIGATING AFTER A MAN’S BODY WAS FOUND in the Manchester Ship Canal. Officers were called to an area near the Imperial War Museum North, at Trafford Park, on Wednesday afternoon after a body was seen in the water. The man is believed to have been in his 50s and had suffered a puncture wound to his chest. Greater Manchester Police said the death was being treated as unexplained.

MOTORIST URGED TO STAY AWAY BY THE COUNCIL if city centre is to cut down on congestion. A consultation document for the council's new ‘radical’ transport strategy says changing signs and junction layouts on the inner ring road has 'potential' to reduce current traffic by a quarter by getting drivers to skirt around the city centre at rush-hour.

GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE AUTHORITY LAMBASTED BY INSPECTORS for having ‘no clear vision’ of policing and is not doing enough to scrutinise the performance of its force. The watchdog has been given a score of two out of four by inspectors who said its performance was only ‘adequate’.

Daft American homily: Visit a local museum and leave a donation

From Life's Little Instructions Calendar given to our Health and Beauty Editor as a gift. This is apparently written without irony