TOP 5 social media trends of the week
Social media users congratulated the British royal couple, for Meghan Markle’s pregnancy announcement. In India, politician M.J. Akbar was accused of sexual harassment and the city of Allahabad got renamed to ‘Prayagraj’. #Gitex2018 and #ByElections in Pakistan were also big trends online.
1. Royal bulletin
As soon as Kensington Palace posted on social media about the pregnancy of Meghan Markle, #RoyalBaby became a worldwide trend. The announcement was made on social media platforms and fans were happy for the couple. Netizens congratulated the pair and speculated on how long they had been hiding the news.
@hellokittysupercute: Congrats! Maybe explains why her outfits have been dark colours? To hide the baby bump and she kept her jacket unbuttoned throughout Eugenie’s wedding.
2. M.J. Akbar
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, M.J. Akbar stepped down on Wednesday, following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment during his days as editor of several publications. Journalist Priya Ramani was first to go public with her accusation and is facing a defamation suit filed by Akbar. Supporting women who were speaking out, the Editors Guild Of India urged Akbar to withdraw the case.
@sidmtweets: MJ Akbar’s resignation is not due to the impact of any political party or any campaign by any channel. It is only and only because 20 women showed unspeakable bravery and courage. Please let’s not belittle their grit. It’s a small but significant redemption for them.
3. Allahabad renamed
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government, in India, on Tuesday approved the proposal to rename Allahabad as ‘Prayagraj’, and social media users were left divided. On Twitter, #Prayagraj was one of the top trends in India, with many people discussing the government’s decision.
@ashubhguy: Change we were promised: Better health care, better education, better employment, better lifestyle, better roads, better environment ... Change they are giving: #Allahabad renamed as #Prayagraj.
4. Gitex Technology Week
Gitex Technology Week was widely discussed online last week as it is the biggest technology related show in the Middle East. A number of upcoming technologies were showcased, such as 5G internet, a system to track happiness of the public through social media and a driverless police station. Social media users shared their thoughts on technological progress in the UAE.
@HamdanMohammed: Today I attended the opening of the 38th edition of GITEX Technology Week, in which more than 4,000 global entities participated. I was specially proud of the local entities and the great progress they have achieved in the technology sector.
5. #By-elections in Pakistan
Voting for by-elections in 35 constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies were held in Pakistan last week. Overseas Pakistanis got an opportunity to vote online for the first time, a move which was praised on social media. Some people trolled former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif for forgetting to bring his identification card to the polling station and not being able to vote.
@sahlkhan97: Online voting was a breeze. Just cast my vote via iVoting online from USA. Thank you PM @ImranKhanPTI for giving us this opportunity. Proud to be a #voter! After #PMElections2018, this time voted for #ByElections.