List of All Articles with Tag 'tok'

The 2023 FIBA World Cup is almost here, and the field of teams who could potentially win the gold medal is larger than ever.FIBA has long struggled to make the World Cup a marquee basketball tournament comparable to its soccer counterpart. The Olympics remains the top prize in international bask...

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A TikTok user claiming to be a time traveller claiming to be from the year 2671 has made a bold claim about a major scientific discovery that is set to happen today (August 12th) - except there is a catch. The account named @theradiantimetraveller has more than 560, 000 followers on TikTok and has been making outlandish predictions since sharing their first video in November 2022. In one of the most popular videos on the account, which has more than 1.5 million views the 'time traveller' addresses accusations that they are a 'fake' by highlighting several events that they think will take place in 2023. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter One of the predictions says that on August 12 "scientists create a cure for lung and skin cancer, using a pituitary gland from a squirrel." It's quite a statement and slightly more feasible than an alien invasion or the apocalypse happening. @radianttimetraveler There is a lot you need to know… #fyp #radianttime #foryou #timetravel #viral #timetraveler #xyzbca However, it won't take a genius to notice that there is a massive flaw in this video as many of the other predictions haven't even remotely happened. For instance, the first prediction says that on March 23rd 8000 people were chosen to save humanity by an alien called "The Champion" who will bring them to another planet to save Earth from another alien race. Sounds like a bad sci-fi movie... Next up, on May 15th a megatsunami apparently hit San Francisco claiming 200,000 casualties and then on June 12th a 9.5 magnitude earthquake opens a 5 mile deep trench unleashing species long thought to be extinct. Once again, you'd think you might have heard about a few of these things on the news. The video wraps up with two predictions for December. The first says a large crystal with healing powers will be discovered in the Amazon Rainforest and that scientist will discover a way to grow replacement organs. The TikTok was shared in March and has been met with ridicule given that the vast majority of these claims haven't happened at all. One person wrote: "Why hasn’t any of your predictions come true yet?" Another said: "Well no one got taken by aliens on 23rd." A third added: "It's August and I can assure to you that none of this happened." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

With her Eras Tour, surprise songs and Easter eggs, Taylor Swift is always creating a buzz on the internet, and recently the phrase "I am done with Taylor Swift" has been trending. But what does this mean? Well, it seems some Swifties are puzzled by the trend too, as one person asked: "I’m so confused why is I AM DONE WITH TAYLOR SWIFT trending???" Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "Just saw 'i am done with taylor swift' trending and i was so confused...." another person added. Though it turns out this trend is about what surprise songs Swift plays each night on the Eras Tour, as Swifties who aren't in attendance find out she sang a favourite of theirs. Some of the surprise songs recently include 'exile' from 'folklore', 'King of My Heart' and 'Dress' from 'Reputation', as well as 'New Romantics' from '1989' - the latter album which Swift has announced the date of the Taylor's Version re-record release later this year on October 27. Here are some of the best reactions to the trend: While others who didn't know the full context behind the trend shared how they were scared when they initially saw the quote and thought the singer might have got "cancelled". But some are scared to look in case their favourite song was played at shows they weren't at. Elsewhere, Swift announced the release date for 1989 (Taylors Version) during her last LA show after performing at the SoFi Stadium for six nights, closing the US leg of her Eras Tour. "Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is on its way to you!" she wrote in an Instagram post with a photo of the new cover art. "The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27th." The re-recorded album from 2014 will include the 21 songs from the original deluxe release along with five extra songs from The Vault which Swift described as "so insane. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

People are being told to avoid Oxford Street because of a TikTok event. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has encouraged people not to travel to the area, calling a speculated event advertised on the platform and suggesting criminality "nonsense". The Metropolitan police has said there will be a heightened police presence in the central London area because of it though they did not say what the event was. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The force just said it is aware of online speculation “about opportunities to commit crime around Oxford Street”. A dispersal order has been put in place from 11am on Tuesday to 10am on Thursday, giving police officers the power to exclude people from the area for 48 hours. Anyone who does not comply can be arrested. The London mayor told the PA news agency: “I am worried about this nonsense we have seen on TikTok encouraging people to go to Oxford Street. “The police understand why some people may be tempted to go to that part of London because of TikTok. I’d encourage anybody who’s seen it not to go to Oxford Street. Do not allow yourself to be sucked into an area that could be a high crime area. “It won’t be [a high crime area] because the police work incredibly hard with the local community, with the retailers in that part of London, and with those citizens who want to have a good day out on Oxford Street tomorrow rather than being worried about that sort of nonsense.” The Met said there will be a significant number of officers in the area over the next 24 hours and anyone committing a crime should expect to be dealt with robustly. A police spokesperson said: “If you see or hear anything suspicious in relation to this activity, contact us on 999 in an emergency or 101 if it is a non-emergency.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A pianist has become an overnight sensation after his performance at a cafe took an unexpected twist. Emil Reinert was at the Dritan Alsela coffee shop in Dusseldorf, Germany, earlier this week when he launched into a piece from the opera ‘La Traviata’. The surrounding diners looked bewildered at the musical outburst as they sat casually sipping their drinks. However, Reinert himself was left with “goosebumps” when a man sitting across the room suddenly erupted into song. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The stranger with the Royal Albert Hall-worthy voice accompanied the piano player until the end of the verse, at which point a second surprise performer piped in. The man’s friend, who was sitting opposite him, also turned out to be an opera singer and, together, the trio wrapped up the impromptu rendition to rapturous applause. @emiliopiano I met 2 SINGERS in a CAFÉ!! 😱 @Dritan Alsela Song: Libiamo ne' lieti calici Opera: La Traviata #piano #singing #verdi #traviata #libiamo #publicpiano #classicaltok #classicalmusic #opera #dritanalsela Reinert, who goes by the username emiliopiano on TikTok, posted a video of the spontaneous show, with the caption: “I met 2 SINGERS in a CAFÉ!!” In the overlay text to the two-minute clip, he wrote: “This is what happens when you play Italian music in a café.” He then wrote that he was “so happy” when the man joined him and noted that everyone in the room “soon became silent” and started filming on their phones. The Franco-German musician concluded his video by hailing the experience as proof of the unifying power of music. The recording racked up a staggering 53.9 million views in just two days, as fellow TikTokers shared their delight at the heartwarming display. “These people just got free tickets to a very expensive show,” one commented. “It’s fun cause they probably get paid to sing [...] so this was just for the moment,” wrote another. “As a former dancer I can tell you some people just love their art and share it anywhere anytime,” pointed out a third. “Music is a universal language even if you don’t understand the lyrics you can find beauty in the song,” said a fourth. And a fifth said: “I would love to be somewhere when this happens. It makes me so happy to see spontaneous joyful music.” Meanwhile, a number of killjoys were quick to flag that the whole thing was most probably “staged”. Reinert has amassed 2.2 million followers on TikTok thanks to his videos which have been shot in unlikely settings around Europe, from airports to beaches. Each one sees him happily tickling the ivories on his own before he’s joined by a “surprise” bystander who happens to have brought along an instrument or an exceptional singing voice. @emiliopiano I met a VIOLINIST at the Airport ?! ❤️ #piano #pianogare #mentalhealthawarenessweek #tohelpmyanxiety #pianoengare #pianoairport #violin #violinist #pianoduo #pianoduet #pianoduetchallenge #pianotutorial #pianomusic #pianolesson #pianoplayer #pianist #pianocover #pianotok @RIOPY And yet, as many fans point out, it doesn’t matter that the whole thing is pre-planned. “I know these are staged,” one viewer wrote. “But they still make me cry the happy tears.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

How often do you think about your belly button health? Probably not enough, at least according to Dr Karan Raj. Dr Raj is one of the most popular health experts on TikTok, regularly keeping his 5.2 million followers updated with videos discussing all manner of things in the medical world. One of his clips has exposed just how dirty our belly buttons can get – and highlighted just how dirty they can become if not properly cleaned. The video is informative – but you might want to look away if gross stuff makes you queasy. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter As he explained that if not properly maintained, the body can produce a “belly button stone” made up of all sorts of gunk. @dr.karanr #duet with @crinc_3 natural ornaments! #schoolwithdrkaran The video begins with a short section from fellow TikToker @crinc_3 which features the caption: "My partner told me they'd never cleaned their belly button because it hurt. So I cleaned it." "All flesh holes can build up with sweat, dead skin cells, oils, clothing fabric, bacteria and forbidden cheese,” Dr Raj said, commenting on the footage. "If not washed out on a regular basis, this material can accumulate and harden into an omphalolith – a belly button stone.” He added: "Belly button stones come in a wide array of colours, it's usually black but can be a light brown." The clip sparked a big reaction from TikTok users, with one writing: “I didn't have a fear of belly buttons until I saw the one behind your head.” Another said: “who else is checking their belly button right now LOL.” One more added: "Not me cleaning my belly button straight after watching this.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A teenager has gone viral on TikTok after leaving a heartwarming message on a stranger’s doorbell camera. Jacksen was walking around the neighbourhood with some friends who were playing ‘ding-dong ditch’, he walked ahead of his friends and went up to Ashley Mann’s house, looking into the camera and leaving an inspiring message. “If you can see me, then you matter, alright?” Jacksen said, “There’s always gonna be somebody that cares about you and you’re a good person no matter what people say, you matter.” One of the boys then runs up and rings the doorbell before running away, but Jacksen carries on with his message: “Ignore them, they’re losers. They’re ‘ding-dong ditching’ you, I’m just trying to say something nice. Like I don’t know what they’re doing, they’re running away and stuff. I’m just trying to say that you matter man, or girl, whoever you are you matter to someone. Just keep that in mind, don’t forget that.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Ashley posted the video to TikTok, which has now been reposted numerous times, with the original racking up over 5 million views. Ashley called the video a “random act of kindness”, and viewers agreed. The comment section was full of people applauding Jacksen’s kind words, and saying how well he has been raised. @ashleyfayeann Random acts of kindness ❤️ “That child has been raised right,” one user commented. Another agreed writing, “that’s so sweet! And from a teenager! He’s obviously been taught well!” “His words could’ve saved someone’s life,” a touched viewer pointed out. And they weren’t the only one to think so: “Messages like this often find the right person at the right time. Kid may not realise now but I hope one day it comes back to him when he needs it.” “Wow! This kid’s got more heart and soul than most adults I come across today and I’m in my 40s,” read another comment. In response to the outpour of love on social media, Ashley, Jacksen and his family have set up a mental health fundraiser on GoFundMe to encourage people to support those in need. “Hey everyone, My name is Ashley back on July 12th I uploaded a video from my doorbell camera to TikTok,” Ashley wrote on the fundraiser’s page. “Jacksen had decided to leave a very positive and uplifting message. I decided to share it to everyone because more people needed to see and hear it especially those who could be struggling. Little did I know it was going to go viral! “Jacksen’s family and I decided to do something with this and create this fundraiser to hopefully raise some money to donate to a local Mental Health resource in our community. Anything is welcomed and if you don’t want to donate please make sure to spread positivity anywhere you go.” She added. They have currently managed to raise over $400. Speaking to CBS News Minnesota, 13-year-old Jacksen said “I just saw the doorbell camera when we were walking to the gas station and I just thought maybe I should say something nice to it.” “Cause my friends were ‘ding-dong ditching’ those cameras, and I was like, you know what? How about I go say something nice? Maybe they need to hear it.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A video which appears to show a humanoid figure emerging from roaring wildfires has sparked a flood of theories on social media. The clip, apparently taken as blazes tore through Greece last month, shows the mysterious silhouette walking and stumbling among the flames. It was shared to TikTok by content creator The Paranormal Chic, who introduced it by saying: “Witnesses recorded what looks to be like a person walking through the fire, but they have stated that it was humanoid, but it was not a human.” She added: “As it was walking through the fires, it was not being burned.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The video racked up more than 58,700 views in just two days as commentators offered their own interpretations of the mystery. @the_paranormal_chic Humanoid Being Recorded During Greece’s Fires #longervideos #theparanormalchic #alien #aliens #humanoid #being #other #paranormal #supernatural #cryptid #fire #greece #greecefires #cryptidtiktok #unexplained #caughtoncamera #fyp Some suggested the whole thing was fake, and that whoever made it had used “CGI” or a “greenscreen”. Others likened it to scenes from popular movies, with one asking: “Isn’t this from ‘V for Vendetta’?”, and another joking: “That’s the guy from ‘Fantastic Four’. The fire guy.” Meanwhile, paranormal lovers shared more offbeat conclusions, with one suggesting: “He is between dimensions and only visible because of vibration of the flames.” However, others agreed that it was all just an optical illusion. “The fire is behind him and I’m going to guess it’s a lot farther than it appears,” one posited. “He's at least 100 meters away from the fire, and most certain isn't walking through [it],” wrote another. And a third shared a more technical explanation, writing: “[It’s a] perspective illusion created by the focal size of the camera lens.” Still, jokes and whacky theories aside, the damage and havoc wreaked by the wildfires are most certainly, and devastatingly, real. Greece battled 10 major blazes last month, including fires outside Athens and on the island of Rhodes, during three successive heat waves. At the end of July, two people were found dead following fires in the central mainland — an older woman burnt to death in a caravan and a shepherd who had gone to save his flock. Meanwhile, evacuations were ordered on the islands of Corfu, Evia and Rhodes, where thousands of tourists were moved to safety in dramatic scenes. Authorities said the charred remains of a missing farmer were found in southern Evia — a discovery made following the death of two Greek firefighting pilots, in a crash during a low-altitude water drop. More than 500 square kilometres (nearly 200 square miles) of land have been burned so far this year, more than double the annual total in 2022, according to the European Forest Fire Information System – a European Union agency that tracks wildfire damage using satellite data. If only this was the stuff of science fiction rather than the stark, painful reality of climate change. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Two women were left fearful for their lives thanks to the “quirks and charms” of their Airbnb. The pair, named Tierra Burris and Scarlet Wolf, booked a two-week stay at a house in Portland, Oregon, which initially seemed “gorgeous”, with its hardwood floors and airconditioning in every room. However, they soon noticed that it had some far less desirable features, and some that were downright alarming. The friends gave TikTok users a whistlestop tour of the unusual old property, explaining that alarm bells first rang when they found a secret key. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Tierra explained that they’d been told they couldn’t use the front door to access the home and, instead, needed to use a back door that led into a bedroom. This seemed a little odd but fine to them – until they discovered “a tiny little hole” which contained another key to their door. Who it was for, they didn’t know. She then told viewers that they’d discovered a number of “strange tunnels [...] and ways through this home,” as well as an apparent “peephole”. “This one specifically has a big open space large enough for a human,” she explained. “Besides the cabinet that goes into the bedroom, wherein [...] there’s a peephole.” After noting that several doors upstairs “don’t properly close”, while some of the bedroom doors clearly “used [to have| locks”, but only on the outside, she showed that there were numerous other “warm dark holes that lead to other rooms”. They then went down to the basement which, strangely, only had two working lights. “This door leads to God knows where,” Tierra said before pointing out a “man-sized tunnel.” “Mind you, we are in Portland, Oregon right now where there's an active serial killer on the loose,” she then laughed. "Wow, isn't that crazy?” The TikToker then explained that she and Scarlet had confronted the landlady about the “sus” features, and she had told them: “It’s a recently renovated old Portland home – we wanted to keep its charm and quirks.” Tierra ended the video by stressing that they had paid $3,500 (around £2,750) for their stay. Addressing Airbnb she pleaded: “Give us our money back please.” @tierrasaurusrex Quirks and Charm @C @airbnb #scaryairbnb The video racked up more than 4.8 million views and 700,000 likes in just over a month, as viewers shared their horror at the situation and requested updates. Tierra duly obliged, and in the first follow-up she confirmed that they were still in the property but were now armed with knives as a “safety measure”. She then confirmed that she’d been “talking with Airbnb” who had “asked for evidence of everything”. Tierra said she’d told a rep for the homestay company “in the nicest way possible” that she wanted to leave and wanted a refund. “We feel very unsafe, especially with the key,” she explained. “We don't know who has access to this house, and we don't know anything about the rooms that we're not going to go into for our safety. “We're simply just two women travelling alone and we want to feel safe.” @tierrasaurusrex Replying to @Scarlet Wolf #greenscreen In a second follow-up, she addressed users’ suggestions that the “crawl spaces in the walls” of the house were a normal feature of old homes. “I've gotten a lot of comments[...] about storage spaces and old homes, and I really appreciate it. Honestly, that's really reassuring to hear,” she said. However, she added: “I just personally would feel a little more comfortable in a home without little tunnels and spaces that led everywhere in a home that I don't own or know about.” She continued: “On top of that, there's just a few too many things that seem a little off. And I guess you could try to explain all of them away in one way or another, but there are quite a few things that are wrong. “At the same time, I'm getting a little red flag in my head that might be called anxiety, maybe, but at the same time, I don't own this home, I don't know this home, I don't know the people who own this home, I don't know who could have had access to that key. “I'm not going to check what's in those little tunnels and I'd rather not know, and honestly, we're not going to be staying here another night.” @tierrasaurusrex Replying to @Erin🌞 we slept with knives Fellow TikTokers were quick to defend Tierra over her response, with one writing: “Validate women when we say we are uncomfortable!” Fortunately, the story doesn’t have a horror movie ending. Instead, Tierra and Scarlet made it out of the house alive and with a full refund. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.