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The Manc - 11th February 2020

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Police appeal after man seriously injured in Northern Quarter stabbing

Daisy Jackson Police appeal after man seriously injured in Northern Quarter stabbing

Greater Manchester Police are appealing for witnesses after a stabbing in the Northern Quarter left a man seriously injured.

The incident occurred around 7.45pm on Thursday 20 March, on Tib Street near Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens.

Emergency services scrambled to the scene and the victim, a man in his 20s, taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Thankfully his injuries aren’t believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.

No arrests have yet been made and officers are now appealing for witnesses to assist with enquiries.

DI Geoffrey Machent, of the City of Manchester Division, said: “At around 7.45pm on Thursday 20 March, we were called to reports of a stabbing on Tib Street.

“A man was subsequently taken to hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening or life-changing. He remains there for treatment.

“At this time, we do not believe the incident presents any threat to the wider public or local businesses operating in the area.

“Neighbourhood officers will be deployed to provide reassurance in the locality over the coming days, including our newly formed Piccadilly Gardens team.

“We would like to appeal to the public for any information, or anyone who witnessed this incident, to please come forward.”

If anyone has information regarding this stabbing in the Northern Quarter, contact police by calling 101, or via the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk.

Alternatively, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. Always dial 999 in an emergency.

Featured image: Google Maps

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Met Office explain ‘likely’ reason for ‘strange spiral’ seen in the sky over Greater Manchester

Danny Jones what was the strange spiral in the sky over the UK last night?

Anyone spot that strange out-of-this-world-looking spiral in the sky last night? Lots of us did here in Greater Manchester and, as it turns out, so did lots of people up and down the country.

In fact, it was sighted all over the world.

If you’re anything like us and guilty of being quick to overreact – most of us are just excitable big kids who still daydream about shooting off to a different planet – you’ll be forgiven for having quickly jumped to the conclusion that it was aliens or some other kind of fantastical phenomenon.

Come on, who wouldn’t see this and start to wonder?

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However, we hate to spoil your fun but it wasn’t some kind of UFO or something from another universe – but is that what they want us to think?…

Just kidding; after countless people hopped on social media to question what on Earth (or rather not) was going on with the sky and post their own pictures of the strange spiral, one reason was quickly put forward by numerous users and news outlets.

It didn’t take long for those in the US, or who are at least privy to whatever random interstellar nonsense Elon Musk is up to at the minute, to point out that a SpaceX launch had just occurred.

On Monday, 24 March, the American aerospace company launched their Falcon 9 rocket just before 6pm GMT and the spiral-like shape, which was visible for several minutes before fading, is believed to have been caused by leftover fuel released by the rocket during the second phase of its launch.

With SpaceX having already shown off how their rockets can now return to Earth, the subsequent fuel plume, on the other hand, freezes instantly and the light transmitting through the atmosphere is the “likely” reason behind this strange spiral illusion, according to the Met Office and other experts.

We've received many reports of an illuminated swirl in the sky this evening 💫

This is likely to be caused by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched earlier today. The rocket's frozen exhaust plume appears to be spinning in the atmosphere and reflecting the sunlight, causing it to… pic.twitter.com/4a9urgZceR
— Met Office (@metoffice) March 24, 2025

So whilst it may not be as sci-fi as your imaginations were hoping for, it is still a showcase of how far we’ve come in terms of technological advancements and creating visuals that would previously feel inexplicable and probably lead to the man on the street to tell his mates, ‘I saw something last night’.

As for the reason behind this most recent launch, it is said SpaceX have been tasked with a ‘classified mission’ by the US government dubbed NROL-69 (a National Reconnaissance Office designation), believed to be in regard to a growing satellite network.

Musk’s relationship with returning President Donald Trump is one that causes concern across large sections of the political landscape and as for his continued space-age innovation, many are deeply worried about the pollution and wider environmental impact caused by several of his companies.

But to circle back: no, it wasn’t some alien portal – just rocket fuel.

Incredible time-lapse.

Tonight, a glowing spiral appeared in the sky over the UK and Europe, likely caused by frozen fuel released from a SpaceX rocket’s second stage after launch. The pattern was visible for several minutes before fading.pic.twitter.com/jL7CXKmXCl
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) March 24, 2025