Tag: twitter

  • What is the Taylor Swift crossword puzzle on Google all about?

    What is the Taylor Swift crossword puzzle on Google all about?

    Love’s a game- and so is being a Swiftie.

    If you Google the name Taylor Swift, you’ll spot a blue vault on the right side of your screen, and when you click on it, a screen pops up with a series of letters asking you to decode the right answer, which will eventually lead you to the next puzzle.

    Millions of Swifties across the globe have been screaming, crying, perfect storms in attempting to decode the crossword puzzles- so we’ll explain what is happening and really what is the purpose behind these crossword puzzles.

    Taylor Swift has partnered with Google ahead of the release of her re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor’s Version) to design crossword puzzles which will eventually lead to the names of the new tracks included in the vault- previously written songs that weren’t included in the original album. Before the release of her previous rerecorded versions, Taylor teased fans by asking them to decode the names of the song tracks hidden in the puzzles. But it looks like this time she wasn’t kidding when she said “Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream!”

    According to Google’s blog, there are 89 puzzles each user can solve, totaling up to 33 million puzzles worldwide- and solving them will uncover new song tracks to be included in the upcoming album. Swifties rose to the challenge on whether it’s gonna be forever or will it go down in flames, because Google tweeted on their X account that the app was jammed due to the overload of responses.

    Taylor had broken the internet when in August she announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on the last day of the US leg of the Era’s Tour, and sang the track ‘New Romantics’ for the audience after unveiling the album artwork and release date on the screen.

    “The last time that I was so pleasantly surprised by some stuff that you guys did was when I announced that I was going to be re-recording. That was something that I expected to be just a me thing, just a personal thing. Since I was a teenager, I wanted to own my music. The way to do it was to re-record my albums, and the way that you have embraced … that you have celebrated, that you really decided that it was your fight too, and that you were 100 percent behind me … I will never stop thanking you for that.”

    She continued, “And so now, here we are on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras tour in the eighth month of the year on the ninth day. You might have noticed there are some new outfits in the show. There’s something that I’ve been planning for a really, really, really ridiculously, embarrassingly long time, and instead of telling you about it, I think I’ll just sort of show you.”

  • ‘Don’t slander someone else’s religion’: Hareem Shah’s distasteful video slammed by users

    ‘Don’t slander someone else’s religion’: Hareem Shah’s distasteful video slammed by users

    Social media personality Hareem Shah was trolled by Twitter users yesterday after she uploaded a video where she can be seen visiting a Hindu temple.

    In the caption she had written:

    “Ek dafa Mandir gayi thi , bilkul bhi maza nahin aaya. Pata nahin ye log patthar ko kaise Khuda man lete hain.”

    Social media users criticised the Tiktok star for targeting the beliefs of a religious minority in Pakistan where non-Muslim communities have been subjected to attacks, pointing out that even in Islam, it is an insult to mock other religions and their practices.

    Religious minorities in Pakistan have been subjected to verbal and physical attacks, including the recent Jaranwala riots where a Christian neighborhood was set on fire by a mob over blasphemy allegations.

    READ MORE: Caretaker Prime Minister condemns attack on Christian Community in Jaranwala

    In January, human rights experts at the United Nations called to attention the rise of forced conversions, abductions and marriages of women from minority communities, urging the government to put an end to such practices.

    “We are deeply troubled to hear that girls as young as 13 are being kidnapped from their families, trafficked to locations far from their homes, made to marry men sometimes twice their age, and coerced to convert to Islam,” the experts said in a statement as reported by Al-Jazeera.

    “Why can’t people just respect each other’s religion and live in peace? Disgusting behaviour!” a user wrote.

    “Why do we Muslims feel entitled to belittle other religions? Imagine if a Hindu or a Christian had made a similar video in a mosque? How would we have felt? How is it fair to mock other religions? This is so disgusting I can’t even!

  • X considers monthly fee for all users as a countermeasure against fake accounts 

    X considers monthly fee for all users as a countermeasure against fake accounts 

    Renowned technology billionaire Elon Musk hinted on Tuesday that users of the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, may face a monthly fee. Musk stated, “We’re moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the system,” during a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

    Musk’s proposal is driven by the need to combat the issue of bots and fake accounts on social media, with the idea of charging for verification. However, it remains unclear whether this was a spontaneous comment or a signal of more concrete plans. 

    The new owner of the social media giant X, who assumed control last year, is encouraging users to subscribe to X Premium, which offers paid subscribers additional features like longer posts and increased visibility. Currently, users can still access X for free. 

    While Musk insists that the primary objective is to combat bots, it is apparent that there is a financial interest for the company in charging users, according to the BBC. Musk explained, “A bot costs a fraction of a penny to make. But if somebody even has to pay a few dollars or something, some minor amount, the effective cost to bots is very high.” 

    Read more: iOS 17 update is here: Try these fun features today

    The world’s richest person is also exploring options for lower pricing tiers for X Premium, which currently costs $8 (£6.50) per month in the US, with variations depending on the subscriber’s location. He stated, “We’re actually going to come up with lower-tier pricing. So we just want it to be a small amount of money.” 

    Musk emphasised, “This is a longer discussion, but in my view, this is actually the only defence against vast armies of bots.” 

    However, there is a concern that placing X behind a paywall could result in a significant loss of users, potentially affecting the company’s primary source of income, advertising revenue. 

  • Serious or sarcasm? Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday wish to Indian PM Modi divides social media

    Serious or sarcasm? Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday wish to Indian PM Modi divides social media

    Shah Rukh Khan is fresh off another professional high as his film ‘Jawan’ gets rave reviews from audiences and film critics alike. However, the actor was once again targeted by social media for sending birthday wish to the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi. Many felt the message was a complete departure from the actor’s image as a driving force against extremism. Others felt that the actor was mocking the PM in a subtle manner.

    “Happy Birthday to Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi ji!!! Have a healthy and joyful day. May u get some time off from work and have a bit of fun too. Best wishes.”

    The Bollywood Badshah was slammed for still supporting the PM, whose controversial regime is mirred with extremism, rising Islamophobia, and for jailing the superstar’s son Aryan Khan in 2021 on misled charges, cleared in May 2022.

    “With great success comes great responsibility,yet nobody is cancelling srk for a political stance.We are easily riled up against our artists,” wrote a user.

    Many were critical of how the ‘Pathaan’ actor has remained silent about the ongoing persecution of Muslims in India.

    But for others, many interpreted the actor advising Modi to “ake time off work” as a sarcastic dig implying that he is too old for the position any longer..

    Is King Khan subtly telling Modi to retire completely or actually sending a compliment? We’re not sure either but we’re hoping its the latter!

  • Love online: Swedish woman flies to KP to marry Pakistani lover

    Love online: Swedish woman flies to KP to marry Pakistani lover

    A 41-year-old woman from Sweden has flown to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to marry 23-year-old Ahmed whom she met online.

    Tianarat and Ahmed wed in a simple ceremony in Charbagh with only their family present.

    Ahmed Shah resides in Charbagh and is studying English Literature at a university, while Tianarat has embraced Islam after marrying him.

    In recent months, a spate of foreign women have travelled to Pakistan to marry men whom they had formed connections with online. In July, several cases emerged of women from different countries who had met Pakistani men on social media, fallen in love and later arrived in the province to marry them while converting to Islam. Mexican national Rosa married 18-year-old Izaz Ali after becoming friends on Facebook, and converted to Islam after marrying him.

    Read more: Ye KP mein kya ho raha hai: Mexican woman flies to Pakistan to marry Facebook lover

    In Sindh, another online romance case emerged when a Filipino woman Mikona married a man from Larkana, Oshaq, whom she met on Facebook. Their ceremony took place on video call with friends and family members present.

    Read more: Love online: Yet another foreign woman marries Pakistani man

  • Our 90’s hearts are soaring: Disney set to release television series on ‘Goosebumps’

    October aka Spooktober has already set in motion with the return of the fan favourite horror novel series ‘Goosebumps’, set to release on Disney Plus and Hulu from October 13 onwards. A teaser trailer is already setting social media on fire. The series was created by Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller, and will feature an entirely new cast of child actors.

    The television series is adapted from the popular horror novel series written by R.L Stine, which explores the lives of protagonists who find them selves in scary situations involving ghosts or other supernatural elements.

    The series were previously adapted into a television series in 1995, and a film in 2015, which followed a fictionalised version of Stine teaming up with his daughter to save the neighbourhood after the monsters written in his book escape and begin igniting chaos.

  • Six years later, social media users are still mesmerised by Sajal Aly’s performance in ‘O Rangreza’

    Six years later, social media users are still mesmerised by Sajal Aly’s performance in ‘O Rangreza’

    Sajal Aly is by far one of the best actors the Pakistani entertainment industry has ever produced. Her older dramas still garner praise from people who are just now getting to see the actor’s filmography. Recently, an X user responded to a tweet quoting a powerful paragraph from Trevor Noah’s book ‘Born A Crime’ where his mother talks about how men love breaking down women and molding them to their tastes, by sharing a clip from Aly’s old drama ‘Rangreza’.

    In the clip, Sajal’s character is seen shutting down her father, tired of him mistreating her mother all these years. The video has received praise from social media, with people blown away by the powerful monologue, some of them stating that they had underestimated the actress for so long.

    Pakistani dramas rare depict daughters who refuse to go down the sati savitri trope, standing up to their abusive dads to let him know that their misbehavior is not acceptable. Social media users were enthralled by Sajal’s powerful performance.

  • Hollywood or Pakistan, female entertainers are a troll’s favourite target

    Hollywood or Pakistan, female entertainers are a troll’s favourite target

    Once again, its common knowledge that at the heart of every single celebrity scandal, a woman is targeted with the most blatant misogynist taunts by the public. Over the past two days, two major scandals have broken out in Hollywood. The way publications framed out the narrative to paint the women as scheming shrews who have manipulated the men in their lives proves the public loves nothing more than pushing women down as a public sport.

    Today, news outlets confirmed ‘Jonas Brothers’ singer Joe Jonas has officially filed for divorce from his wife of four years, actress Sophie Turner, and sources representing the actor told TMZ that the breakdown of their marriage happened because Sophie, who was by the way 23 when she married 30 year old Joe, was to be blamed for her extravagant lifestyle:

     “She likes to party, he likes to stay at home. They have very different lifestyles.”

    The source also claimed Joe was the one who was taking care of the couple’s two children while Sophie had been shooting for a project in the UK. We have to ask, why does a man need to be applauded over the fact that he took up the parental responsibility, and a woman is being blamed for working. Suddenly, she’s a bad mom?

    On the other hand, actor Timothee Chalamet and beauty tycoon Kylie Jenner decided to go public with their long-rumored relationship. The two were filmed kissing at a Beyonce concert- but most of the talk on the internet once more was sexist, blaming Kylie for stealing a heartthrob just so that she could get ratings for the reality show ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’. Several users have come to Kylie’s defence.

    A few days ago, a now deleted article written by Vogue about Timothee Chalamet and Kylie’s relationship went viral, where the writer expressed that it was difficult for her to believe that the two could be a couple because Kylie’s career was nothing compared to Timothee Chalamet’s as the quote goes:

    What do they do together? Does he hold her makeup brushes while she contours? Does she help him sift through Wes Anderson scripts? Does he give Stormi French lessons?”

    “And how did they end up together, anyway? Legend has it that Kylie’s sister Kendall introduced them, but it’s hard for me not to picture Kris sifting through a laminated binder full of leading men, debating which of the Hollywood Chrises would pair best with Kylie’s latest haircut.”

    The piece was criticized for insensitivity and for diminishing the reality TV star’s achievements, including Kylie Cosmetics, an enterprise worth around $750 million.

    While the rest of the world is angry at the way the two women are being publicly humiliated and blamed for events they weren’t responsible for, we have to reflect on the way this is commonly happening in Pakistan. Female celebrities like Sadaf Kanwal, who married Shahroze Sabzwari, was subjected to brutal trolling on social media for months because it was insinuated that she had played a hand in the break up of her husband’s previous marriage, even though both partners confirmed that their breakup was consensual.

    Similarly, Sanam Saeed was targeted by trolls for being a ‘home wrecker’ and a cheater when she went public with her relationship with actor Mohib Mirza, after his divorce to actor Aminah Sheikh. Or when actress Ayesha Omar had to clarify that she was not a home wrecker, because some modelling shoots between her and cricket player Shoaib Malik fuelled the fire that she was the culprit behind his rumored divorce to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.

    We’d really like to urge our audience to keep their opinions to themselves, especially those about female celebrities. How Kylie and Sophie choose to live, and who they date, is none of our concern because by the end of the day, they’re human beings as well as public figures. It is natural to be a fan of a celebrity and to respect their work- as its understandable since its Timothee Chalamet- but its crossing a line when you’re ranting about the women he dates.

    But most importantly, its necessary now more than ever that women- even female celebrities like Sadaf, Kylie or Taylor Swift- are no longer held responsible for the decisions made by the men in their lives, and we learn to understand the fact that it is not our business to know who they’re dating or not. There are better things on this planet to worry about!

  • Fact check: Is the viral Virat Kohli fan Pakistani?

    Fact check: Is the viral Virat Kohli fan Pakistani?

    After the highly anticipated cricket match between India and Pakistan on Saturday in Sri Lanka, a video went viral where a girl, allegedly a Pakistani, was seen saying that she was a huge fan of batting maestro Virat Kohli. When the video went viral, several Pakistani social media users slammed the as fake, saying that the girl’s accent was not typical of the country.

    The woman in question is indeed from Pakistan, and is fluent in Saraiki, the language of South Punjab. A user shared multiple videos where she could be speaking in both Saraiki and Urdu both.

    Her official Tiktok account is Khaani, where she can be seen showing her Pakistani passport and has the same yellow nail polish as well as the flags of both India and Pakistan painted on her cheeks as in the viral video.

    @lovekhaani ✈️ Babar Aur Kohli #srilanka #khaani ♬ original sound – Khaani

    @lovekhaani #khaani ♬ original sound – Khaani

  • ‘People should rise in love’: social media users defend viral Sajal Aly quote about relationships

    ‘People should rise in love’: social media users defend viral Sajal Aly quote about relationships

    Actress Sajal Aly is once again going viral on the internet but for a very absurd reason. A user on X (formerly Twitter) shared a clip of the actress speaking at a red carpet interview.

    When asked about her opinion on relationships, the ‘Ye Dil Mera’ actress said:

    “People will start rising in love instead of falling in love,” responded Sajal. “You know what I mean? You know we say ‘fall in love’, why do you fall in love man? Just rise in love!”

    The user who shared the tweet mocked the actress but other tweeps defended the actress by pointing out ‘rising in love’ is a healthier alternative approach to relationships, where one is encouraged to gain a fresh insight to life after meeting someone new, even by sharing how previously writers and films defending this concept.

    A user shared a quote from Toni Morrison’s book ‘Jazz’ which talked about the same concept of rising in love.

    “Nobody gave you to me. Nobody said that’s the one for you. I picked you out. Wrong time, yep, and doing wrong by my wife. But the picking out, the choosing. Don’t ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it. I saw you and made up my mind. My mind. And I made up my mind to follow you too.”

    Another user shared a quote from the 1999 Bollywood movie ‘Taal’ where a dialogue was: “Pyar Mein Giro Mat Bachche … utho, Rise in Love.”

    Another shared the proclaimed Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz had defended the same concept in an article and spoke about the need to rise in love rather than fall in it.

    Another user shared a clip by screenwriter and producer Jemima Khan, who had also worked with Sajal for ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ and had spoken in an interview about encouraging more women to walk into love rather than fall in it.

    Other users defended the actress’s healthy approach to love by pointing out that it should make people better, not encourage them to submit themselves entirely to another person.

    Exactly our point. Please go touch grass or read a book before coming after female celebrities this way.

    Some also slammed the user for indirectly mocking the actress’s English skills, and criticised trolls today for relentlessly targetting female actresses for small reasons.