Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has claimed that Instagram’s new text-based app and Twitter competitor, Threads, gained over 10 million new users in the first seven hours after it went live.
The chairman and CEO behind Facebook and Instagram says that the new Twitter-like social media app which launched on Wednesday, 6 July, managed to accrue 5m new accounts in just four hours before doubling that amount in the following three. Wowzers.
However, given that it is essentially a text-based companion to Instagram and people on the photo-centric app can create the accompanying account with the press of a button, it could potentially rise to around 2 billion in the coming weeks.
Marketed as the chat-based version of Instagram, Threads ports over all your profile’s existing details and followers and allows users to carry out “real-time updates and public conversations”. After taking one glance, you can quite clearly see that it is quite literally just Twitter without the same logo:
Yes, we can confirm that The Manc is one of those 10m+ Threads users.
From controversies surrounding freedom of speech, purging bots along with verified accounts and the whole ‘Twitter blue’ subscription thing, not to mention most recently limiting how posts people can see in a day, the billionaire kind of just made what was a straightforward app into a bit of a mess.
The platform had never been perfect (far from it) and certainly needed improvements, especially when it came to things like racism, misinformation, online abuse and so on, but with this stripped-back alternative now on offer, it seems millions are likely to make the move away from it.
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Threads allows you to like, reply, repost; pretty much do everything else Twitter already did and more, only Zuckerberg didn’t have to pay £38.1bn to have his company’s name on it, admitting: “Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will.”
Kicking off the social media platform with the first ever thread, the 39-year-old simply tweete——sorry, posted, “Let’s do this. Welcome to Threads”, along with a fire emoji. He also went on to say that although it will obviously take time, he predicts there will be “over a billion people on it” before we know it.
Some of the advantages the new app definitely does have over its spiritual predecessor is that character limit, which taps out at 500, as well as the ability to not only share the usual links and pictures but also videos of up to five minutes.
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While Threads is currently unavailable in the EU as it is yet to be fully reviewed by the union’s privacy and data protection regulator, it has already rolled out in over 100 different countries including the UK, US, Ireland and Australia.
Zuckerberg also insisted that this is merely an “initial version” of the app and that the team at Meta will keep developing the platform and intend to “actively listen to feedback” from the community already growing on there. The question is, will Threads see Twitter go extinct or do you think it’s a bubble waiting to burst?
Featured Image — The Manc Group (via Threads)/Wikimedia Commons
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Manchester ‘institution’ Topkapi Palace quietly closes Deansgate restaurant after 47 years
Danny Jones
After the best part of half a century, local institution Topkapi Palace looks to have quietly closed the doors to its Manchester restaurant.
Founded way back in 1969, Topkapi has been a mainstay of the Deansgate strip longer than most other venues in the area, but many have noticed that it hasn’t been open for a little while now.
After plenty of speculation online, it now appears to have shut down for the foreseeable future.
It remains to be seen whether or not this is a permanent culinary casualty, but judging by the paper signs now displayed in the windows, things don’t look promising for the Turkish grill.
As posted in the shopfront of the restaurant, an update from Wilson and Doe High Court Enforcement says: “Under the terms of the demised lease, we, as authorised agents on behalf of the landlord, have to this day re-entered the premises known as Topkapi Palace…”
It also warns that any attempts to enter the building will result in criminal or civil proceedings.
The statement goes on to read: “Acting as agents for the Involuntary Bailee, we give notice to any third party who asserts ownership of the Goods to which this notice relates:
The goods identified at Topkapi Palace (Part Ground Floor and Basement), 205, 206 and 209 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3NW are being held at the Property.
The Goods are ready for collection immediately, and this is a notice of your obligation to take delivery of the Goods at a mutually convenient time to be agreed and arranged with the Involuntary Bailee’s agents
Unless the Goods are collected on or before 17:00 on 10 April 2026, the Involuntary Bailee or its agents will remove and dispose of the Goods. The period between now and the Deadline is sufficient to provide you with a reasonable opportunity to take delivery of the Goods.
If the Goods are disposed of, the Involuntary Bailee intends to retain its disposal costs from any sale proceeds.”
As you can see, multiple units are listed in the forfeiture notice, including the address assigned to their takeaway sister site located just around the corner on Bootle Street.
Somewhat of an institution in its own right, plenty of Mancs will have visited the late-night street food spot even if they have never sat down for a meal in the Topkapi Palace itself.
Posting on the Manchester subreddit last week, one user wrote: “I noticed that Topkapi Palace on Deansgate had shut down, I was gutted!”; another went on to add: “Oh dear – I hadn’t realised this.
“I always enjoyed the food, but it was often quiet during the week more recently, and that end of Deansgate is now prime territory for expensive bars. I doubt the unit will stay empty very long.”
Topkapi’s apparent closure is just one of several in and around the city centre already this year, with several hospitality names having to cease trading due to rising energy bills, business rates, rent and various other reasons. Here’s hoping the sector regains a bit of stability sometime soon.
Manchester Airport offers reasoning as it’s named the UK’s worst airport for flight delays
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has been revealed as the UK’s worst airport for flight delays, according to the latest figures.
But now, the airport has offered its reasoning in defence – saying it was ‘out of [our] control’.
According to annual analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data by the Press Association (PA), as reported on in many major news outlets like BBC, Sky News, and ITV, Manchester Airport came in last place – with flights running, on average, 19 and a half minutes behind schedule last year.
Manchester Airport – which is the third busiest airport in the country, and the only airport outside of London to have two runways – was used by more than 32 million people last year, and despite its placing at the bottom of the rankings again, did manage to at least secure a 30-second improvement compared to 2024.
The analysis took into account scheduled and chartered departures from the 23 commercial UK airports, with at least 1,000 outbound flights last year, and cancellations were not included.
These latest figures arrive as Manchester Airport is currently in the middle of revamping Terminal 3, and after having recently completed an extensive transformation of Terminal 2.
Manchester Airport offers reasoning as it’s named the UK’s worst airport for flight delays / Credit: MAG
Offering a statement in defence of its placement in the CAA rankings this year, a spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: “Punctuality is affected by factors that are outside of an airport’s control.
“The two most significant factors contributing to delays in the last year have been industrial action affecting air traffic control in Europe, and the weather.
“These were exacerbated by airspace restrictions above conflict zones meaning airports with significant long-haul networks, like Manchester, were more significantly affected than others.”
Top 10 worst UK airports for flight delays
Manchester – 19 minutes, 30 seconds
Birmingham – 18 minutes, 42 seconds
Bournemouth – 17 minutes, 18 seconds
Southampton – 16 minutes, 36 seconds
Gatwick – 16 minutes, 24 seconds
Newcastle – 15 minutes, 48 seconds
Leeds Bradford – 15 minutes, 36 seconds
Stansted – 15 minutes, 36 seconds
Edinburgh – 15 minutes, 24 seconds
Teesside – 15 minutes, 6 seconds
Other airports finding themself towards the bottom end of the rankings include Birmingham, with averaged delays of 18 minutes 42 seconds, Bournemouth, Southampton, and Gatwick.
Northern airports like Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, and Teesside also rank low.
On the flip side, however, in a win for the North West, Liverpool John Lennon Airport had the most punctual flights out of any major UK airport – with an average delay of nine minutes and 24 seconds.
Danny Jones -
6th July 2023 
