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The two years of pandemic lull had disrupted several high-profile missions and launch activities of the Indian Space Programme. However, 2022 is a year when the Indian space sector recovered from the setbacks and also celebrated many well-deserved firsts. The calendar year 2022 witnessed five launch missions, as opposed to two missions each in 2020 and 2021. WION brings to you the highlights of the Indian space sector in 2022 and the pathbreaking developments.&nbsp;

The first launch mission of 2022 "PSLV--C52" was carried out on February 14th, to orbit the EOS-04 or Earth Observation satellite 4. It is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as Agriculture, Forestry &amp; Plantations, Soil Moisture &amp; Hydrology and Flood mapping etc. Weighing about 1710 kg, the satellite has a mission life of 10 years.&nbsp;

The second launch mission of 2022 was executed on June 30th and it was done on a commercial basis for orbiting three satellites from Singapore. Dubbed "PSLV-C53", for the first-ever time the mission also demonstrated the use of the final stage of the rocket as an orbiting experimental platform or PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM). Generally, the fourth stage of the rocket ends up as space debris and this "POEM" method ensures better utilization of an in-space resource, by helping conduct onboard experiments. Notably, this mission also marked a return to normalcy, as ISRO permitted journalists to report on the launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre after a two-year-long COVID-induced break.&nbsp;

In the third mission of the year, the Indian space agency was attempting to launch its all-new rocket - Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). SSLV is a three-stage rocket that is powered by solid fuels alone, thus making it relatively simpler and faster to manufacture, assemble and launch. It is the fourth in the series of India's operational launch vehicles and this rocket is aimed at offering launch-on-demand services. While the rocket performed its role of injecting the satellites in orbit, a software error in the rocket (as determined by preliminary analysis) caused the satellites to be ejected in an unsustainable orbit. This meant that the ejected satellites were lost and the mission was unsuccessful.&nbsp;

On October 23rd, ahead of the festival of lights Diwali, ISRO launched India's heaviest rocket- LVM3 or GSLV Mk3 and the rocket carried its heaviest-ever payload. It was the first-ever commercial flight of the rocket, which has only been performing India's national missions since its maiden launch in 2017. 36 Internet communication satellites(weighing a total of approximately six&nbsp;tonnes) of UK-based firm OneWeb were launched successfully in Low Earth orbit by the LVM3. This marked a significant milestone as the LVM3 delivered successes in all five of its launches thus far. This mission and its follow-up launch will bring in Rs.1000cr in revenue to NSIL, which is ISRO's commercial arm.&nbsp;

ISRO's final launch of the calendar year 2022 was the PSLV C54, which carried India's OceanSat or EOS-06 and a passenger satellite known as BhutanSat. This mission also carried satellites built by Indian start-ups and foreign customers.&nbsp;

Private Sector in 2022

HAL-L&amp;T, a consortium of Government-run and privately-run Indian firms won the contract to build five PSLV rockets. This enables the industry to carry out the end-to-end production of a rocket that has been the mainstay of India's space launch activity. The consortium bagged the Rs.860cr contract from NSIL, the commercial arm of ISRO.&nbsp;

In 2020, space sector reforms were rolled out by the Indian Government to facilitate end-to-end private participation in space activities. In simple terms, this meant that interested firms could design, develop, build and launch their own rockets, satellites and other space infrastructure from India. This was a radical step given that India's space sector has been dominated by the Government-run Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).&nbsp;

On November 18th, "Vikram-S" a sub-orbital rocket built by Indian start-up Skyroot Aerospace took the skies from India's lone spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The maiden launch of a private rocket from Indian soil was a success and it helped validate the company's technology and capability. This was an experimental launch to the Upper atmosphere and the company hopes to launch to space by the end of 2023.&nbsp;

The PSLV-C54 mission carried out on November 26th was carrying nanosatellites built by Indian start-ups Pixxel and DhruvaSpace. This is the first-ever instance of satellites built by Indian start-ups being launched on an Indian rocket.&nbsp;

On November 28th, start-up Agnikul Cosmos announced the inauguration of India's first private rocket launchpad and mission control centre. The facility is set up at India's spaceport at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota and will soon witness the maiden launch of Agnikul's rocket.&nbsp;

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The two years of pandemic lull had disrupted several high-profile missions and launch activities of the Indian Space Programme. However, 2022 is a year when the Indian space sector recovered from the setbacks and also celebrated many well-deserved firsts.

The two years of pandemic lull had disrupted several high-profile missions and launch activities of the Indian Space Programme. However, 2022 is a year when the Indian space sector recovered from the setbacks and also celebrated many well-deserved firsts. The calendar year 2022 witnessed five launch missions, as opposed to two missions each in 2020 and 2021. WION brings to you the highlights of the Indian space sector in 2022 and the pathbreaking developments. The first launch mission of 2022 "PSLV--C52" was carried out on February 14th, to orbit the EOS-04 or Earth Observation satellite 4. It is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as Agriculture, Forestry & Plantations, Soil Moisture & Hydrology and Flood mapping etc. Weighing about 1710 kg, the satellite has a mission life of 10 years. The second launch mission of 2022 was executed on June 30th and it was done on a commercial basis for orbiting three satellites from Singapore. Dubbed "PSLV-C53", for the first-ever time the mission also demonstrated the use of the final stage of the rocket as an orbiting experimental platform or PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM). Generally, the fourth stage of the rocket ends up as space debris and this "POEM" method ensures better utilization of an in-space resource, by helping conduct onboard experiments. Notably, this mission also marked a return to normalcy, as ISRO permitted journalists to report on the launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre after a two-year-long COVID-induced break. In the third mission of the year, the Indian space agency was attempting to launch its all-new rocket - Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). SSLV is a three-stage rocket that is powered by solid fuels alone, thus making it relatively simpler and faster to manufacture, assemble and launch. It is the fourth in the series of India's operational launch vehicles and this rocket is aimed at offering launch-on-demand services. While the rocket performed its role of injecting the satellites in orbit, a software error in the rocket (as determined by preliminary analysis) caused the satellites to be ejected in an unsustainable orbit. This meant that the ejected satellites were lost and the mission was unsuccessful. On October 23rd, ahead of the festival of lights Diwali, ISRO launched India's heaviest rocket- LVM3 or GSLV Mk3 and the rocket carried its heaviest-ever payload. It was the first-ever commercial flight of the rocket, which has only been performing India's national missions since its maiden launch in 2017. 36 Internet communication satellites(weighing a total of approximately six tonnes) of UK-based firm OneWeb were launched successfully in Low Earth orbit by the LVM3. This marked a significant milestone as the LVM3 delivered successes in all five of its launches thus far. This mission and its follow-up launch will bring in Rs.1000cr in revenue to NSIL, which is ISRO's commercial arm. ISRO's final launch of the calendar year 2022 was the PSLV C54, which carried India's OceanSat or EOS-06 and a passenger satellite known as BhutanSat. This mission also carried satellites built by Indian start-ups and foreign customers. Private Sector in 2022 HAL-L&T, a consortium of Government-run and privately-run Indian firms won the contract to build five PSLV rockets. This enables the industry to carry out the end-to-end production of a rocket that has been the mainstay of India's space launch activity. The consortium bagged the Rs.860cr contract from NSIL, the commercial arm of ISRO. In 2020, space sector reforms were rolled out by the Indian Government to facilitate end-to-end private participation in space activities. In simple terms, this meant that interested firms could design, develop, build and launch their own rockets, satellites and other space infrastructure from India. This was a radical step given that India's space sector has been dominated by the Government-run Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). On November 18th, "Vikram-S" a sub-orbital rocket built by Indian start-up Skyroot Aerospace took the skies from India's lone spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The maiden launch of a private rocket from Indian soil was a success and it helped validate the company's technology and capability. This was an experimental launch to the Upper atmosphere and the company hopes to launch to space by the end of 2023. The PSLV-C54 mission carried out on November 26th was carrying nanosatellites built by Indian start-ups Pixxel and DhruvaSpace. This is the first-ever instance of satellites built by Indian start-ups being launched on an Indian rocket. On November 28th, start-up Agnikul Cosmos announced the inauguration of India's first private rocket launchpad and mission control centre. The facility is set up at India's spaceport at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota and will soon witness the maiden launch of Agnikul's rocket. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

2022: A year of many firsts for Indian space sector. Here's a recap

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2022 is coming to an end. The calendar year has been an eventful one for sports lovers across the globe. The cricketing fans have had plenty to cheer for with a plethora of big events passing by. Talking about the Indian cricket team, it was another action-packed year with plenty of highs and some glaring lows. The calendar year is set to end after a few international assignments left for both senior men's and women's teams. Let's have a quick recap of 2022:

Men in Blue in 2022

The year started with India continuing their tour of South Africa. After winning the Boxing Day Test match, Virat Kohli-led India had a 1-0 lead against Dean Elgar-led Proteas and was aiming for an unassailable 2-0 scoreline, which would've meant&nbsp;their&nbsp;maiden Test series triumph in the African nation. The second and penultimate Test started with skipper Kohli ruled out, due to upper back spasm, and KL Rahul led the side as they lost the match by seven wickets.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/pakistan-vs-england-rawalpindi-run-feast-most-runs-scored-on-a-single-day-of-a-test-539499">Pakistan vs England, Rawalpindi run-feast: Most runs scored on a single day of a Test</a>

The same fate followed suit for India in the third and final Test, once again&nbsp;losing by seven wickets, despite Kohli's return. After the series, the 33-year-old dropped a bombshell by resigning as the Test captain. He wrote on Twitter, "It's been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I've done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it's now."

"There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief. I have always believed in giving my 120 percent in everything I do, and if I can't do that, I know it's not the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team," Kohli added.

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🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/huBL6zZ7fZ">pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1482340422987169794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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By then, Kohli's fallout with the top brass at the BCCI had already made the headlines; following the 2021 T20 World Cup and his sacking as the ODI captain in early December. While news channels ran plenty of shows on Kohli vs BCCI alleged spat, Team India embarked upon a new journey under full-time captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid.

With Rohit unfit for the SA ODIs, Rahul led India in three ODIs as the visitors were whitewashed 3-0 with several questions being raised on their outdated approach in the format.

Home comforts

After the miserable SA tour, India switched to home comforts by&nbsp;hosting&nbsp;West Indies in a white-ball series, comprising three T20Is and ODIs each, followed by three T20Is and two Tests versus Sri Lanka. As expected, India stream rolled both the oppositions by whitewashing all four series. Amid injury concerns to Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul, etc., India got busy in preparing a team for the T20 World Cup&nbsp;in Australia.&nbsp;

IPL 2022

The action shifted to the 15th season of IPL in March-May. While top cricketers such as Virat, Rohit, Jadeja, Bumrah, etc. struggled or didn't perform as per expectations, the likes of Umran Malik, Mohsin Khan, Rajat Patidar, Rahul Tripathi, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Hooda, etc. made a mark; spoiling the national selectors and team management with more choices for the T20 WC Down Under.

India host South Africa

After the IPL, Team India captaincy became a game of musical chairs. With Rohit rested and KL injured, Rishabh Pant led India in a five-match T20I series which ended in a 2-2 stalemate. Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, and Harshal Patel were the most impressive.

India tour of Ireland, England

With Rohit and other senior players busy preparing for the one-off Test versus England, i.e. the series finale of the five Tests from the incomplete 2021 tour, Hardik led India in two T20Is against Ireland. Coach Dravid was also involved with the red-ball side, leading NCA chief VVS Laxman to fill in for him in Dublin. India beat the Irish camp&nbsp;1-0. In the series finale versus England, India was led by pacer Jasprit Bumrah with Rohit ruled out due to Covid concerns.

Under Bumrah, India achieved a sizeable 132-run lead in the Edgbaston face-off, however, failed to defend a challenging 378-run target to lose by seven wickets. After&nbsp;SA, Team India faltered and lost a&nbsp;big opportunity&nbsp;to win a memorable series overseas.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/queen-of-womens-cricket-top-6-records-held-by-mithali-raj-486290">Queen of women's cricket: Top 6 records held by Mithali Raj</a>

White-ball dominance

After the disappointments of Edgbaston, India played hosts England in three T20Is and ODIs each. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik, Rishabh Pant, Bumrah, etc., impressed as Rohit &amp; Co. won both the series 2-1. Post the England trip, India travelled to West Indies with a second-stringed Shikhar Dhawan-led team playing the Windies in three ODIs and winning every game.&nbsp;

In the five T20Is, Rohit returned and led India to a 4-1 series win. The tour saw impressive performances from Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Surya, Arshdeep Singh, and Ravi Bishnoi.&nbsp;

Asia Cup

After a short tour of Zimbabwe, where Rahul led India to a 3-0 ODI series win, the dress rehearsal began for the T20 WC. With less than two months left, India&nbsp;entirely shifted to the T20 mode with the continental tournament in the UAE. Winning two back-to-back games, India topped their group and proceeded to the Super Four round. After losing to Pakistan in a closely-fought match, the Men in Blue succumbed to a shocking six-wicket loss to eventual winners Sri Lanka and bowed out of the competition without booking a place in the final. It was a big jolt&nbsp;before the ICC event in Australia.

Once again, home series to the rescue!

The Australia and South Africa home series wins worked as a balm following India's Asia Cup debacle. The three T20Is versus Aaron Finch-led Australia was an intense affair where India emerged on top (2-1). The series win was followed by another top-class performance versus the Proteas, winning&nbsp;2-1 in three T20Is. India had some inconsistency to address at the top, debates continued with regard to one or two spots but the national side left for Australia as the No. 1 ranked side and a strong contender to end their 15-year-long wait for the T20 WC trophy.&nbsp;Nonetheless, they had lost the services of Bumrah and Deepak Chahar due to injury concerns.

Similar issues push India back in the mega event...

India started the tournament by winning a warm-up game versus hosts and defending champions Australia. Their warm-up game versus New Zealand was washed out. On October 23, Rohit-led India played their tournament opener versus arch-rivals Pakistan. In a nerve-wracking contest at the MCG, Melbourne, the one-time winners India rode on Virat Kohli's masterclass 82 to beat Pakistan on the last ball, chasing&nbsp;160, with four wickets.

Rohit &amp; Co. comfortably beat the Netherlands by 56 runs before losing to South Africa by five wickets in an intense low-scoring thriller at Perth. This followed with a dramatic and controversial win over Bangladesh, by 5 runs (DLS method), before India thrashed Zimbabwe by 71 runs to top their group and storm into the semi-finals.&nbsp;

In the semis, India faced eventual winners England who gave them a reality check. Playing timid cricket with the bat, not backing a seasoned wrist spinner in Yuzvendra Chahal (who warmed the bench in the entire tournament), and lacking spice and variety in their bowling attack led to India's exit as they lost to England by ten wickets while defending a moderate 168/6 in Adelaide.

A new dawn with the 2023 ODI WC in mind

After the T20 WC, India toured NZ for three T20Is and ODIs each. While Hardik led the side in T20Is, winning 1-0, Dhawan &amp; Co. lost the ODIs by same the margin which exposed India's lack of extra bowling options and their muddled approach at the top along with several takers for the middle-order spots. Currently, India is in Bangladesh for the three ODIs and two Tests (having&nbsp;lost the ODIs 2-1 and leading the Test series&nbsp;1-0 with the final Test on December 22).

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-tour-of-bangladesh-full-squads-schedule-timings-telecast-all-you-need-to-know-539445">India tour of Bangladesh: Full squads, schedule, timings, telecast - All you need to know</a>

Women in Blue in 2022

The senior women's team completely outplayed their male counterparts in the calendar year. India started the year with a tour of New Zealand; a final preparatory series before the 2022 ODI World Cup in the Kiwi land. It was a miserable series with India losing the only T20I and going down in the five ODIs (1-4).&nbsp;

CWC 2022

In Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami's final WC appearance, India never achieved consistency to go all the way. There were some moments of brilliance met by some below-par performances but the Indian eves' Achilles heel remained their knack of succumbing under pressure; leading to an early exit. India beat the likes of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and West Indies but lost against all big teams such as England, NZ, Australia and South Africa to end in the fifth position.

The big retirement

After the World Cup, it was only a matter of time before Mithali would've hung up her boots. On June 08, she announced her international retirement, bringing an end to a stellar career.&nbsp;

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Thank you for all your love &amp; support over the years! 
I look forward to my 2nd innings with your blessing and support. <a href="https://t.co/OkPUICcU4u">pic.twitter.com/OkPUICcU4u</a>
— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) <a href="https://twitter.com/M_Raj03/status/1534454266324205568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In her illustrious 23-year-long international career, Mithali&nbsp;ended with the most runs in women's ODIs (7,805).&nbsp;In 89 T20Is, the 39-year-old returned with&nbsp;2,364 runs and amassed&nbsp;699 runs in 12 Tests, comprising a double ton. Under Mithali's leadership, India&nbsp;reached the ODI World Cup final&nbsp;in the 2005 and 2017 editions.

A promising&nbsp;first impression in CWG 2022

Cricket was re-included in the Commonwealth Games during the 2022 edition in Birmingham, England. This was the first time that women's teams competed in the mega event where Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian eves returned with a silver medal. While they once again fell flat in the final hurdle, Harman &amp; Co. impressed enough to end with&nbsp;silver; beating the likes of Pakistan, Barbados, and England but closely&nbsp;losing&nbsp;twice to gold medallists Australia.

Smriti Mandhana, Harman, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh, and Sneh Rana were the top performers in India's inspiring campaign.

India create history in England

India toured England for a white-ball series comprising three T20Is and an equal number of ODIs. While the tourists went down in the T20Is, losing 1-2, they created history as the women's team won its first ODI series in England since 1999. Moreover, India went on to whitewash the 2017 champions in their own backyard.

The third and final ODI was, however, marred with controversy as Deepti Sharma running Charlie Dean out became a big talking point. It opened a pandora's box leading to much talk on the spirit of cricket, the laws of the game, etc. Nonetheless, nothing can be taken away from India's clinical&nbsp;performance in the ODIs.

Asia Cup dominance

While their male counterparts failed to even reach the final, Harmanpreet-led India stormed into the summit clash winning six out of seven games. In the final, India thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to win the title for the seventh time. They buried the ghosts of the 2018 edition, in Kuala Lampur, (the only time they missed the glory) to make a strong statement.

Apart from the highs of the women's team and some golden opportunities missed by the Men in Blue, the U-19 boys also shined by winning the&nbsp;ODI World Cup&nbsp;early this year. Overall, it was a mixed bag for the senior men's side along with&nbsp;plenty of highs -- amid the retirements of stalwarts Mithali and Jhulan -- for their women counterparts in 2022.

With some assignments still left, both men's and women's line-ups will hope to end the year on a high as 2023 awaits with a new set of challenges.

2022 is coming to an end. The calendar year has been an eventful one for sports lovers across the globe. The cricketing fans have had plenty to cheer for with a plethora of big events passing by.

2022 is coming to an end. The calendar year has been an eventful one for sports lovers across the globe. The cricketing fans have had plenty to cheer for with a plethora of big events passing by. Talking about the Indian cricket team, it was another action-packed year with plenty of highs and some glaring lows. The calendar year is set to end after a few international assignments left for both senior men's and women's teams. Let's have a quick recap of 2022: Men in Blue in 2022 The year started with India continuing their tour of South Africa. After winning the Boxing Day Test match, Virat Kohli-led India had a 1-0 lead against Dean Elgar-led Proteas and was aiming for an unassailable 2-0 scoreline, which would've meant their maiden Test series triumph in the African nation. The second and penultimate Test started with skipper Kohli ruled out, due to upper back spasm, and KL Rahul led the side as they lost the match by seven wickets. Also read: Pakistan vs England, Rawalpindi run-feast: Most runs scored on a single day of a Test The same fate followed suit for India in the third and final Test, once again losing by seven wickets, despite Kohli's return. After the series, the 33-year-old dropped a bombshell by resigning as the Test captain. He wrote on Twitter, "It's been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I've done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it's now." "There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief. I have always believed in giving my 120 percent in everything I do, and if I can't do that, I know it's not the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team," Kohli added. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022 × By then, Kohli's fallout with the top brass at the BCCI had already made the headlines; following the 2021 T20 World Cup and his sacking as the ODI captain in early December. While news channels ran plenty of shows on Kohli vs BCCI alleged spat, Team India embarked upon a new journey under full-time captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid. With Rohit unfit for the SA ODIs, Rahul led India in three ODIs as the visitors were whitewashed 3-0 with several questions being raised on their outdated approach in the format. Home comforts After the miserable SA tour, India switched to home comforts by hosting West Indies in a white-ball series, comprising three T20Is and ODIs each, followed by three T20Is and two Tests versus Sri Lanka. As expected, India stream rolled both the oppositions by whitewashing all four series. Amid injury concerns to Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul, etc., India got busy in preparing a team for the T20 World Cup in Australia. IPL 2022 The action shifted to the 15th season of IPL in March-May. While top cricketers such as Virat, Rohit, Jadeja, Bumrah, etc. struggled or didn't perform as per expectations, the likes of Umran Malik, Mohsin Khan, Rajat Patidar, Rahul Tripathi, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Hooda, etc. made a mark; spoiling the national selectors and team management with more choices for the T20 WC Down Under. India host South Africa After the IPL, Team India captaincy became a game of musical chairs. With Rohit rested and KL injured, Rishabh Pant led India in a five-match T20I series which ended in a 2-2 stalemate. Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, and Harshal Patel were the most impressive. India tour of Ireland, England With Rohit and other senior players busy preparing for the one-off Test versus England, i.e. the series finale of the five Tests from the incomplete 2021 tour, Hardik led India in two T20Is against Ireland. Coach Dravid was also involved with the red-ball side, leading NCA chief VVS Laxman to fill in for him in Dublin. India beat the Irish camp 1-0. In the series finale versus England, India was led by pacer Jasprit Bumrah with Rohit ruled out due to Covid concerns. Under Bumrah, India achieved a sizeable 132-run lead in the Edgbaston face-off, however, failed to defend a challenging 378-run target to lose by seven wickets. After SA, Team India faltered and lost a big opportunity to win a memorable series overseas. Also read: Queen of women's cricket: Top 6 records held by Mithali Raj White-ball dominance After the disappointments of Edgbaston, India played hosts England in three T20Is and ODIs each. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik, Rishabh Pant, Bumrah, etc., impressed as Rohit & Co. won both the series 2-1. Post the England trip, India travelled to West Indies with a second-stringed Shikhar Dhawan-led team playing the Windies in three ODIs and winning every game. In the five T20Is, Rohit returned and led India to a 4-1 series win. The tour saw impressive performances from Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Surya, Arshdeep Singh, and Ravi Bishnoi. Asia Cup After a short tour of Zimbabwe, where Rahul led India to a 3-0 ODI series win, the dress rehearsal began for the T20 WC. With less than two months left, India entirely shifted to the T20 mode with the continental tournament in the UAE. Winning two back-to-back games, India topped their group and proceeded to the Super Four round. After losing to Pakistan in a closely-fought match, the Men in Blue succumbed to a shocking six-wicket loss to eventual winners Sri Lanka and bowed out of the competition without booking a place in the final. It was a big jolt before the ICC event in Australia. Once again, home series to the rescue! The Australia and South Africa home series wins worked as a balm following India's Asia Cup debacle. The three T20Is versus Aaron Finch-led Australia was an intense affair where India emerged on top (2-1). The series win was followed by another top-class performance versus the Proteas, winning 2-1 in three T20Is. India had some inconsistency to address at the top, debates continued with regard to one or two spots but the national side left for Australia as the No. 1 ranked side and a strong contender to end their 15-year-long wait for the T20 WC trophy. Nonetheless, they had lost the services of Bumrah and Deepak Chahar due to injury concerns. Similar issues push India back in the mega event... India started the tournament by winning a warm-up game versus hosts and defending champions Australia. Their warm-up game versus New Zealand was washed out. On October 23, Rohit-led India played their tournament opener versus arch-rivals Pakistan. In a nerve-wracking contest at the MCG, Melbourne, the one-time winners India rode on Virat Kohli's masterclass 82 to beat Pakistan on the last ball, chasing 160, with four wickets. Rohit & Co. comfortably beat the Netherlands by 56 runs before losing to South Africa by five wickets in an intense low-scoring thriller at Perth. This followed with a dramatic and controversial win over Bangladesh, by 5 runs (DLS method), before India thrashed Zimbabwe by 71 runs to top their group and storm into the semi-finals. In the semis, India faced eventual winners England who gave them a reality check. Playing timid cricket with the bat, not backing a seasoned wrist spinner in Yuzvendra Chahal (who warmed the bench in the entire tournament), and lacking spice and variety in their bowling attack led to India's exit as they lost to England by ten wickets while defending a moderate 168/6 in Adelaide. A new dawn with the 2023 ODI WC in mind After the T20 WC, India toured NZ for three T20Is and ODIs each. While Hardik led the side in T20Is, winning 1-0, Dhawan & Co. lost the ODIs by same the margin which exposed India's lack of extra bowling options and their muddled approach at the top along with several takers for the middle-order spots. Currently, India is in Bangladesh for the three ODIs and two Tests (having lost the ODIs 2-1 and leading the Test series 1-0 with the final Test on December 22). Also read: India tour of Bangladesh: Full squads, schedule, timings, telecast - All you need to know Women in Blue in 2022 The senior women's team completely outplayed their male counterparts in the calendar year. India started the year with a tour of New Zealand; a final preparatory series before the 2022 ODI World Cup in the Kiwi land. It was a miserable series with India losing the only T20I and going down in the five ODIs (1-4). CWC 2022 In Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami's final WC appearance, India never achieved consistency to go all the way. There were some moments of brilliance met by some below-par performances but the Indian eves' Achilles heel remained their knack of succumbing under pressure; leading to an early exit. India beat the likes of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and West Indies but lost against all big teams such as England, NZ, Australia and South Africa to end in the fifth position. The big retirement After the World Cup, it was only a matter of time before Mithali would've hung up her boots. On June 08, she announced her international retirement, bringing an end to a stellar career. Thank you for all your love & support over the years! I look forward to my 2nd innings with your blessing and support. pic.twitter.com/OkPUICcU4u — Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) June 8, 2022 × In her illustrious 23-year-long international career, Mithali ended with the most runs in women's ODIs (7,805). In 89 T20Is, the 39-year-old returned with 2,364 runs and amassed 699 runs in 12 Tests, comprising a double ton. Under Mithali's leadership, India reached the ODI World Cup final in the 2005 and 2017 editions. A promising first impression in CWG 2022 Cricket was re-included in the Commonwealth Games during the 2022 edition in Birmingham, England. This was the first time that women's teams competed in the mega event where Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian eves returned with a silver medal. While they once again fell flat in the final hurdle, Harman & Co. impressed enough to end with silver; beating the likes of Pakistan, Barbados, and England but closely losing twice to gold medallists Australia. Smriti Mandhana, Harman, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh, and Sneh Rana were the top performers in India's inspiring campaign. India create history in England India toured England for a white-ball series comprising three T20Is and an equal number of ODIs. While the tourists went down in the T20Is, losing 1-2, they created history as the women's team won its first ODI series in England since 1999. Moreover, India went on to whitewash the 2017 champions in their own backyard. The third and final ODI was, however, marred with controversy as Deepti Sharma running Charlie Dean out became a big talking point. It opened a pandora's box leading to much talk on the spirit of cricket, the laws of the game, etc. Nonetheless, nothing can be taken away from India's clinical performance in the ODIs. Asia Cup dominance While their male counterparts failed to even reach the final, Harmanpreet-led India stormed into the summit clash winning six out of seven games. In the final, India thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to win the title for the seventh time. They buried the ghosts of the 2018 edition, in Kuala Lampur, (the only time they missed the glory) to make a strong statement. Apart from the highs of the women's team and some golden opportunities missed by the Men in Blue, the U-19 boys also shined by winning the ODI World Cup early this year. Overall, it was a mixed bag for the senior men's side along with plenty of highs -- amid the retirements of stalwarts Mithali and Jhulan -- for their women counterparts in 2022. With some assignments still left, both men's and women's line-ups will hope to end the year on a high as 2023 awaits with a new set of challenges.

From World Cup heartbreaks to CWG'22 silver medal: Reliving Team India's 2022

What a year 2022 has been! A lot was there for everyone to relish, cherish and even celebrate, while we also had some of the toughest moments coming our way as well. Across sports, there have been events that made headlines, some for the right reason, some for something else.

As we near the end of 2022, let’s have a look at the top 5 events that made headlines from the world of sports –

5) Cricket - T20 World Cup: India beat Pakistan in a last-over thriller at MCG

What is mightier in cricket than an India-Pakistan game. Probably a very few things. Two super giants of world cricket collided for the third time this year at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for their World T20 opener in October this year.

While Pakistan has had the upper hand heading into this game considering the result from the last meeting (during Asia Cup in Dubai) where they beat India, the Men in Blue were upbeat for a challenge on a bigger stage.

Batting first, Pakistan couldn’t set themselves in and lost early wickets inside the Powerplay. While Iftikhar Ahmed played a counter-attacking knock later on, hitting a fifty, he didn’t receive much support from the other end; as a result, Pakistan team could just manage 159-8.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/yearender-2022-kylian-mbappe-establishes-himself-as-rightful-heir-to-goat-crown-544600">Yearender 2022: Kylian Mbappe establishes himself as rightful heir to GOAT crown</a>

The chase was where the drama all began. Much like Pakistan, the Indian top-order also couldn’t leave an impact, outside of Virat Kohli, who looked a little settle. After India lost 4 wickets inside 7 overs, the pressure mounted on them. Virat and Hardik Pandya then started building a partnership.

Virat got into his groove, smashing Shaheen and even Haris for some incredible sixes and kept India in the game. It was then in the last over that the drama peaked.

An over that almost had everything saw Ravi Ashwin and Kohli helping India win the match on the last ball.

For his marvellous 82* off 53 balls, Virat Kohli was adjudged Man of the Match.

4) Cricket – Australian women’s team win maiden Commonwealth gold medal in T20 format

Cricket had remained a part of the Commonwealth Games in the past but was later removed. Now with the introduction of fast-paced T20 format, it became a little tempting for the decision makers to include this game with this format back into the Games.

This eventually happened and Women’s T20 cricket was introduced for the first time. 8 teams were divided into two groups while India and Pakistan were placed together.

After the hard-fought group games and knockouts, it all came down to the first final in Commonwealth Games, where Australia and India - two powerhouses in women’s cricket, took on each other.

Australia after batting first scored 161 with opener Beth Mooney hitting 61. For the Indian eves, Renuka Singh and Sneh Rana picked two wickets each.

India looked comfortable in their chase; even at one point their scorecard read 118-2 inside 15 overs. However, the tide changed quickly as wickets started to tumble.

Losing the remaining wickets inside 34 runs meant Indian women’s team went down chasing and lost the match by nine runs.

While they stood second, Australian women’s won the maiden gold medal.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022-may-have-lost-many-battles-but-won-the-war-544566">FIFA World Cup: Qatar 2022 may have lost many battles but won the war</a>

3) Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra became first Indian to win gold in Diamond League

After India’s new-poster boy Neeraj Chopra won his maiden Olympic gold medal in javelin throw event at the Tokyo Games 2020, he created history in 2022 as well by winning the gold medal in Diamond League - thus becoming the first-ever Indian to achieve this.

Neeraj, who has surpassed Usain Bolt as the most written-about athlete in 2022, won the gold medal with the best throw of 88.44m in his second attempt. Neeraj, however, didn’t start off well in the finals as his first throw was counted as foul.

While Czech Republic's Jakub Valdejch had the best throw of 84.15m in the first attempt, Neeraj made a stunning comeback in his following throw attaining a distance of 88.44m, which more or less sealed the deal for him.

Neeraj was then crowned the gold medallist.

2) Tennis legend Roger Federer announced retirement from Tennis

Off all the events listed, this broke the most hearts. Tennis great, Switzerland’s Roger Federer announced in 2022 that he is retiring from professional tennis. The 20-time Grand Slam winner on September 15th in a note on his social media handles informed everyone about his decision.

In that note, the 41-year-old wrote, “The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour.”

Federer had been nursing a knee injury for a long time and cited the same reason for his retirement. The six-time ATP Masters winner didn’t play a competitive match since Wimbledon 2021 where he lost in the quarters to Hubert Hurkacz.

"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities, and limits and its message to me lately have been clear.

"This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time there is so much to celebrate."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wions-fifa-world-cup-2022-best-xi-which-players-made-the-first-team-544527">WION's FIFA World Cup 2022 best XI: Which players made the first team?</a>

1) Lionel Messi inspires Argentina to a World Cup victory over France after 36 years

In what is deemed as the greatest-ever World Cup final, Lionel Messi’s Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties to lift the coveted trophy. Messi, who with this win has now rendered himself as the GOAT, was the player of the tournament for having three assists and seven goals to his name. For the second time in his career, Messi won the Golden Ball having previously winning it in 2014.

In the final at the Lusail Stadium, Argentina was all over France early on. Not only were they playing an attacking kind of football, Argentina was pressing brilliantly too. Lionel Messi scored the first goal through a penalty and later helped in setting up an assist only for Di Maria to find the back of the net in the 36th minute. With 2-0 up at the halftime, it looked like Argentina’s game to win.

Come the second half, France started showing aggression through their play. The game changed around the 80th minute when France got a penalty and Kylian Mbappe converted it into the first goal for his team. Only one minute later he scored another one, making it 2-2.

In the extra-time, Argentina again took the lead, thanks to a goal from Messi. Just when they thought the game is done and dusted, a penalty was awarded to France and Mbappe made it 3-3, forcing the game to the penalty shootout.

The fate was decided in the penalty shootout. Argentina scored all of their shots while two French players missed their chances.

In the end, Argentina were crowned the world champions after 36 years.

What a year 2022 has been! A lot was there for everyone to relish, cherish and even celebrate, while we also had some of the toughest moments coming our way as well.

What a year 2022 has been! A lot was there for everyone to relish, cherish and even celebrate, while we also had some of the toughest moments coming our way as well. Across sports, there have been events that made headlines, some for the right reason, some for something else. As we near the end of 2022, let’s have a look at the top 5 events that made headlines from the world of sports – 5) Cricket - T20 World Cup: India beat Pakistan in a last-over thriller at MCG What is mightier in cricket than an India-Pakistan game. Probably a very few things. Two super giants of world cricket collided for the third time this year at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for their World T20 opener in October this year. While Pakistan has had the upper hand heading into this game considering the result from the last meeting (during Asia Cup in Dubai) where they beat India, the Men in Blue were upbeat for a challenge on a bigger stage. Batting first, Pakistan couldn’t set themselves in and lost early wickets inside the Powerplay. While Iftikhar Ahmed played a counter-attacking knock later on, hitting a fifty, he didn’t receive much support from the other end; as a result, Pakistan team could just manage 159-8. ALSO READ: Yearender 2022: Kylian Mbappe establishes himself as rightful heir to GOAT crown The chase was where the drama all began. Much like Pakistan, the Indian top-order also couldn’t leave an impact, outside of Virat Kohli, who looked a little settle. After India lost 4 wickets inside 7 overs, the pressure mounted on them. Virat and Hardik Pandya then started building a partnership. Virat got into his groove, smashing Shaheen and even Haris for some incredible sixes and kept India in the game. It was then in the last over that the drama peaked. An over that almost had everything saw Ravi Ashwin and Kohli helping India win the match on the last ball. For his marvellous 82* off 53 balls, Virat Kohli was adjudged Man of the Match. 4) Cricket – Australian women’s team win maiden Commonwealth gold medal in T20 format Cricket had remained a part of the Commonwealth Games in the past but was later removed. Now with the introduction of fast-paced T20 format, it became a little tempting for the decision makers to include this game with this format back into the Games. This eventually happened and Women’s T20 cricket was introduced for the first time. 8 teams were divided into two groups while India and Pakistan were placed together. After the hard-fought group games and knockouts, it all came down to the first final in Commonwealth Games, where Australia and India - two powerhouses in women’s cricket, took on each other. Australia after batting first scored 161 with opener Beth Mooney hitting 61. For the Indian eves, Renuka Singh and Sneh Rana picked two wickets each. India looked comfortable in their chase; even at one point their scorecard read 118-2 inside 15 overs. However, the tide changed quickly as wickets started to tumble. Losing the remaining wickets inside 34 runs meant Indian women’s team went down chasing and lost the match by nine runs. While they stood second, Australian women’s won the maiden gold medal. ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup: Qatar 2022 may have lost many battles but won the war 3) Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra became first Indian to win gold in Diamond League After India’s new-poster boy Neeraj Chopra won his maiden Olympic gold medal in javelin throw event at the Tokyo Games 2020, he created history in 2022 as well by winning the gold medal in Diamond League - thus becoming the first-ever Indian to achieve this. Neeraj, who has surpassed Usain Bolt as the most written-about athlete in 2022, won the gold medal with the best throw of 88.44m in his second attempt. Neeraj, however, didn’t start off well in the finals as his first throw was counted as foul. While Czech Republic's Jakub Valdejch had the best throw of 84.15m in the first attempt, Neeraj made a stunning comeback in his following throw attaining a distance of 88.44m, which more or less sealed the deal for him. Neeraj was then crowned the gold medallist. 2) Tennis legend Roger Federer announced retirement from Tennis Off all the events listed, this broke the most hearts. Tennis great, Switzerland’s Roger Federer announced in 2022 that he is retiring from professional tennis. The 20-time Grand Slam winner on September 15th in a note on his social media handles informed everyone about his decision. In that note, the 41-year-old wrote, “The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour.” Federer had been nursing a knee injury for a long time and cited the same reason for his retirement. The six-time ATP Masters winner didn’t play a competitive match since Wimbledon 2021 where he lost in the quarters to Hubert Hurkacz. "As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities, and limits and its message to me lately have been clear. "This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time there is so much to celebrate." ALSO READ: WION's FIFA World Cup 2022 best XI: Which players made the first team? 1) Lionel Messi inspires Argentina to a World Cup victory over France after 36 years In what is deemed as the greatest-ever World Cup final, Lionel Messi’s Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties to lift the coveted trophy. Messi, who with this win has now rendered himself as the GOAT, was the player of the tournament for having three assists and seven goals to his name. For the second time in his career, Messi won the Golden Ball having previously winning it in 2014. In the final at the Lusail Stadium, Argentina was all over France early on. Not only were they playing an attacking kind of football, Argentina was pressing brilliantly too. Lionel Messi scored the first goal through a penalty and later helped in setting up an assist only for Di Maria to find the back of the net in the 36th minute. With 2-0 up at the halftime, it looked like Argentina’s game to win. Come the second half, France started showing aggression through their play. The game changed around the 80th minute when France got a penalty and Kylian Mbappe converted it into the first goal for his team. Only one minute later he scored another one, making it 2-2. In the extra-time, Argentina again took the lead, thanks to a goal from Messi. Just when they thought the game is done and dusted, a penalty was awarded to France and Mbappe made it 3-3, forcing the game to the penalty shootout. The fate was decided in the penalty shootout. Argentina scored all of their shots while two French players missed their chances. In the end, Argentina were crowned the world champions after 36 years.

Year Ender 2022: From Roger Federer, Neeraj Chopra to Lionel Messi, find out who made headlines this year

At the age of 23, Kylian Mbappe has a career record that most footballers can only dream of achieving in their entire careers. While the Frenchman had to watch from a distance as his PSG teammate Lionel Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup title with Argentina, it did not take away from the fact that Mbappe had a tournament to remember. With 8 goals from just 6 matches, the 23-year-old took his total tally in the competition to 12 – tied with Brazilian legend Pele – and even claimed the Golden Boot on Sunday.&nbsp;

This year’s competition was hailed as the final chance at immortality for the two legends of the modern game – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While Ronaldo struggled to find a place in the Portugal side which crashed out in the quarterfinals, Messi emerged as the main talisman for Argentina once again.&nbsp;

However, the man matching Messi at every step of the way was Mbappe. The Frenchman is not necessarily the most loved man in the sport – partly due to the several rumours floating about his alleged attitude problem and also the massive fee that he commands for the Ligue 1 champions. &nbsp;

In a situation where France’s World Cup campaign was severely hampered by a slew of injuries, the youngster took it upon himself to make life easy for coach Didier Deschamps and his side. When it comes to club football, Mbappe has already established himself as a major force in 2022. He came into the World Cup as the leading scorer in the French league with 12 goals and when it came to the Champions League, he averaged more than one goal a game – a feat rarely seen in the group stages.&nbsp;

Add to that, the experience of winning the trophy in 2016 and France had a megastar of their own.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wions-fifa-world-cup-2022-best-xi-which-players-made-the-first-team-544527">WION's FIFA World Cup 2022 best XI: Which players made the first team?</a>

It was business as usual in the first group stage match against Australia as Mbappe scored the final goal in the 4-1 rout. In the next match, he turned from accomplice to saviour as he scored the all-important brace to guide the defending champions to the Round of 16 – a feat that proved crucial due to their loss against Tunisia in the final game. Poland was the next obstacle in France’s path and Mbappe showed his&nbsp;class once again. A precise shot following a piercing run into the box resulted in the first goal and about ten minutes later, Mbappe showed the power of his deft touch to score from outside the box.&nbsp;

At this point, emotions were running high and most experts predicted Mbappe to easily break Just Fontaine’s record of 9 goals in a single World Cup campaign. However, fate had other plans.&nbsp;

<img alt="Mbappe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b4884699-ef39-4bbf-9b80-2b1c651411b1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_334J8Z8.jpg" />

A silent performance against England in the quarters and a somewhat inconsistent show against Morocco in the semis meant that he came to the final with 5 goals to his name. Now, it is important to understand that this was no small feat in itself as he was tied with Messi as the top-scorer of the tournament and&nbsp;had one more goal than the 2018 campaign when France became champions.&nbsp;

Sadly, things looked grim&nbsp;for France in the summit clash. Nearly 80 minutes were done in the gap and Argentina were safely cruising to victory. Mbappe was a silent spectator as he struggled to create chances but what happened next will go down in history. A penalty to the defending champions and Mbappe made no mistakes from the spot. Four steps and a confident shot to the right of the goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and France were back in contention. The French crowd had finally found their voice once again and with the momentum behind them, the French team launched an all-out attack.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/check-back-with-me-in-7-years-lionel-messis-fans-2015-prediction-goes-viral-after-argentina-win-fifa-wc-544504">'Check back with me in 7 years' - Lionel Messi's fan's 2015 prediction goes viral after Argentina win FIFA WC</a>

He received the ball near the halfway line and after a quick link-up play with Marcus Thuram, the ball was chipped toward him at the edge of the penalty box. People say that fortune favours the brave and it was there in full display as the youngster went for an audacious volley and levelled the game for France.&nbsp;

What followed the equaliser were 40 minutes of frantic football. In the second half of the extra time, Messi handed Argentina the lead but Mbappe was not to be denied. Another penalty towards the end of the game and he was there to claim a historic hat-trick. Same corner, same force and same result – Mbappe wrote his name in the history books as the second player to score a hat-trick in the final.&nbsp;

Even in the penalty shootout, he went first for his team. Here was a player who has played 120 minutes in one of the most intense games of his career and had already taken two spot kicks. But he once again stepped up to the occasion and calmly converted his chance. Sadly, fortune finally ran out as two of his teammates missed their chances and a historic performance did not end in a historic victory.&nbsp;

However, while the entire world was concentrated on the golden epilogue to Messi’s sparkling career, no one could deny the brand-new chapter that Mbappe had presented to the world. With Ronaldo and Messi both unlikely to play another World Cup, the Frenchman will enter the next edition as an even bigger force and with age of his side, he has certainly staked his claim to become a future legend.&nbsp;

At the age of 23, Kylian Mbappe has a career record that most footballers can only dream of achieving in their entire careers. While the Frenchman had to watch from a distance as his PSG teammate Lionel Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup title with Argentina, it did not take away from the fact that Mbappe had a tournament to remember.

At the age of 23, Kylian Mbappe has a career record that most footballers can only dream of achieving in their entire careers. While the Frenchman had to watch from a distance as his PSG teammate Lionel Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup title with Argentina, it did not take away from the fact that Mbappe had a tournament to remember. With 8 goals from just 6 matches, the 23-year-old took his total tally in the competition to 12 – tied with Brazilian legend Pele – and even claimed the Golden Boot on Sunday. This year’s competition was hailed as the final chance at immortality for the two legends of the modern game – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While Ronaldo struggled to find a place in the Portugal side which crashed out in the quarterfinals, Messi emerged as the main talisman for Argentina once again. However, the man matching Messi at every step of the way was Mbappe. The Frenchman is not necessarily the most loved man in the sport – partly due to the several rumours floating about his alleged attitude problem and also the massive fee that he commands for the Ligue 1 champions. In a situation where France’s World Cup campaign was severely hampered by a slew of injuries, the youngster took it upon himself to make life easy for coach Didier Deschamps and his side. When it comes to club football, Mbappe has already established himself as a major force in 2022. He came into the World Cup as the leading scorer in the French league with 12 goals and when it came to the Champions League, he averaged more than one goal a game – a feat rarely seen in the group stages. Add to that, the experience of winning the trophy in 2016 and France had a megastar of their own. Also read | WION's FIFA World Cup 2022 best XI: Which players made the first team? It was business as usual in the first group stage match against Australia as Mbappe scored the final goal in the 4-1 rout. In the next match, he turned from accomplice to saviour as he scored the all-important brace to guide the defending champions to the Round of 16 – a feat that proved crucial due to their loss against Tunisia in the final game. Poland was the next obstacle in France’s path and Mbappe showed his class once again. A precise shot following a piercing run into the box resulted in the first goal and about ten minutes later, Mbappe showed the power of his deft touch to score from outside the box. At this point, emotions were running high and most experts predicted Mbappe to easily break Just Fontaine’s record of 9 goals in a single World Cup campaign. However, fate had other plans. A silent performance against England in the quarters and a somewhat inconsistent show against Morocco in the semis meant that he came to the final with 5 goals to his name. Now, it is important to understand that this was no small feat in itself as he was tied with Messi as the top-scorer of the tournament and had one more goal than the 2018 campaign when France became champions. Sadly, things looked grim for France in the summit clash. Nearly 80 minutes were done in the gap and Argentina were safely cruising to victory. Mbappe was a silent spectator as he struggled to create chances but what happened next will go down in history. A penalty to the defending champions and Mbappe made no mistakes from the spot. Four steps and a confident shot to the right of the goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and France were back in contention. The French crowd had finally found their voice once again and with the momentum behind them, the French team launched an all-out attack. Also read | 'Check back with me in 7 years' - Lionel Messi's fan's 2015 prediction goes viral after Argentina win FIFA WC He received the ball near the halfway line and after a quick link-up play with Marcus Thuram, the ball was chipped toward him at the edge of the penalty box. People say that fortune favours the brave and it was there in full display as the youngster went for an audacious volley and levelled the game for France. What followed the equaliser were 40 minutes of frantic football. In the second half of the extra time, Messi handed Argentina the lead but Mbappe was not to be denied. Another penalty towards the end of the game and he was there to claim a historic hat-trick. Same corner, same force and same result – Mbappe wrote his name in the history books as the second player to score a hat-trick in the final. Even in the penalty shootout, he went first for his team. Here was a player who has played 120 minutes in one of the most intense games of his career and had already taken two spot kicks. But he once again stepped up to the occasion and calmly converted his chance. Sadly, fortune finally ran out as two of his teammates missed their chances and a historic performance did not end in a historic victory. However, while the entire world was concentrated on the golden epilogue to Messi’s sparkling career, no one could deny the brand-new chapter that Mbappe had presented to the world. With Ronaldo and Messi both unlikely to play another World Cup, the Frenchman will enter the next edition as an even bigger force and with age of his side, he has certainly staked his claim to become a future legend.

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Israel gets a far-right coalition as Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu&nbsp;gets the&nbsp;support of&nbsp;Religious Zionism. Italy, which is moving in the same far-right direction, is going to be ruled by neo-fascist in the form of its first female president, Giorgia Meloni. Mario Draghi's unity government fell which lead to elections in the European country. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the King appoints Anwar, a 75-year-old man who held some of the most important positions of authority. In the election, his multiethnic and reformist alliance Pakatan Harapan gained the majority of seats. Bongbong Marcos Jr. of the Philippines manages to win the presidency with Sara Duterte's tacit support. Will he be able to erase the dictatorial legacy left by his father and move past atrocious human rights abuses? And finally, Brazil, where leftist Lula Da Silva made a triumphant comeback to power after being found guilty of "politically driven" corruption allegations.

Israel Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition &nbsp;

The far right is gaining, while the left is struggling. The results of Israel's fifth election in three years, conducted on November 1, 2022, showed the expansion of a strong right-wing majority in that country. But this time, it became clear that the electorate was more unified than ever in its support for right-wing ideology and that it was more in favour of Religious&nbsp;Zionism. Contrarily, Palestinian voters expressed dissatisfaction with the Israeli political system, which accounts for their low turnout during the election—53%, despite an increase of over 10% from the previous year.

After winning the election, Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition controlled at least 64 seats in parliament, mostly being made up of men who identify as religiously conservative, right-wing, and conservative in general. With a majority of religious nationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties ready to enter government and expected to work cooperatively for the next four years, unlike in the past, Netanyahu heads a group that is ideologically homogenous in ways never previously seen. This combination will be kept together by a kind of theocratic Jewish dominance, which will take many forms. They'll advance a nationalist, right-wing agenda unlike anything Israel has seen in a long time.

The coalition members' shared goals include preventing the High Court of Justice from overturning unconstitutional laws and giving politicians control over the appointment of judges, in addition to assisting Netanyahu in maintaining power by dropping the case against him on allegations of fraud and breach of public trust. Nothing is more essential to Netanyahu right now than avoiding jail time. He has also often called for annexing the West Bank, as have his potential allies.

The most recent addition to Israel's political scene deserves worldwide attention in the wake of this month's elections. The leaders of Israel's Religious Zionism alliance, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who have openly called for armed conflict against Palestinians, were the true winners at the polls rather than the Likud party or its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has served as Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Ben-Gvir argues that Israeli Palestinians should be put through "loyalty tests" and should be banished from their own countries if they are found to be "disloyal" to Israel. With 14 members, the Religious Zionism coalition is now the third-largest bloc in the Knesset after receiving historic support from voters.

Italy's Giorgia Meloni&nbsp;party with neo-fascist roots&nbsp;

On the far right is Giorgia Meloni, who was sworn in as the new prime minister of Italy on October 22. Meloni's party became the largest in Parliament with 26% of the vote. As per the pre-election agreement among the centre-right coalition parties, she became the prime ministerial candidate supported by the winning coalition. Mussolini's Fascists have a clear lineage to her party, the Brothers of Italy. She opposes abortion rights, incites anti-immigrant prejudice, and opposes LGBT rights.

Mario Draghi (national unity government), on the other hand, is a fervent centrist technocrat who headed a coalition that comprised all parties save Meloni's. He was her direct predecessor. Before Draghi, Giuseppe Conte led the opposition Five Star Movement (M5S). A no-confidence in the coalition government was submitted in August 2019 by Matteo Salvini's The League. But Conte persisted in holding the top position thanks to the backing of the left-leaning Democratic party and Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) (PD). This prevented early elections and forced the League on the far right into opposition.

Italy was one of the nations most severely impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. The first Western administration to undertake a nationwide lockdown to halt the disease's spread was Conte's. The COVID-19 epidemic had a particularly negative economic impact in Italy. The issue involving the Italian government in 2021 was sparked in January when Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva withdrew its backing for Conte's administration. Despite being able to win confidence votes in Parliament during the following days, Conte ultimately decided to step down because he was unable to secure an absolute majority in the Senate.

Mario Draghi became prime minister as a result of this. Italian President Sergio Mattarella urged the former president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, to establish a national unity government after talks to build Conte's third cabinet broke down. After members of his shaky coalition of the right, left, and populists rejected his plea to ensure implementation of the European Union-funded pandemic recovery programme, which set aside 26 billion euros (dollars) to aid consumers and industries struggling with skyrocketing energy prices, the Government led by Mr. Draghi imploded on July 21.

As there was not much of left in the elections, this provided a clean way for the right-wing alliance to prevail. Enrico Letta's Democratic Party (PD), a centre-left opposition party, garnered 19% of the vote. The nation saw its lowest voting turnout in post-World War II history. Together with Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini of the League, Meloni established a right-wing coalition government. Italy's first female prime minister is Giorgia Meloni.

Malaysia's unity government&nbsp;

The 75-year-old Anwar has time and again been denied the premiership despite getting within striking distance over the years: he was deputy prime minister in the 1990s and the official prime minister-in-waiting in 2018. In between, he spent nearly a decade in jail for sodomy and corruption however, he always claimed that the charges against him were politically motivated charges aimed at ending his career.&nbsp;

Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia was sworn in as prime minister, but his tenure was marked by an unusual post-election crisis that lasted for five days. In the elections held on Saturday, his Pakatan Harapan alliance gained 82 seats, while Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional group secured 73. A simple majority of 112 was required to create a government. In the election, no man was able to secure a majority. Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, his opponent, tasked him with demonstrating his parliamentary majority. After consulting with various parliamentarians, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, the head of state, chose Anwar as prime minister. The country is split following a close election that placed Anwar's progressive alliance against Muhyiddin's largely conservative&nbsp;ethnic-Malay, Muslim alliance. Anwar assumes office at a difficult moment.

Only 30 seats were gained by the long-ruling Barisan coalition. Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, recently announced his diversified cabinet, which is intended to help him maintain his broad-unity coalition. Anwar was able to put together a minority administration after the unsatisfactory general election on November 19 by bringing together four coalitions made up of 19 different political groups as well as two independent MPs.

15 of the 28 members of the cabinet, or the majority, are members of Pakatan Harapan, Anwar's political alliance. Out of the remaining 13, six were given to BN, the coalition that ruled Malaysia for 61 years straight, from independence in 1957 to the general election of 2018, five to the coalition based in Sarawak, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and single posts to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), a coalition based in Sabah, and the independent MP Mohamad Naim Mokhtar. Anwar appointed officials from the two most significant parties in the coalition, BN and GPS, to the two newly established deputy prime minister positions, which he created for the first time in Malaysian history to stabilise his unity government.

Phillipines's Marcos Jr.&nbsp;

Marcos Jr’s father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr, ruled for two decades. He ruled Phillipines through a period of martial law where he had absolute power. However, he was finally ousted by a popular uprising in 1986. He stole up to $10 billion and was charged with human rights violations where political opponents were tortured, arrested and disappeared.&nbsp; In May's presidential election, Marcos (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas) won 31.63 million votes, or 58.8% of the ballots cast, the highest among the six presidents elected since the People Power revolution of 1986. The rival, Sara Duterte garnered 32.21 million, or 61.5%, in the vice presidential race, higher than any president or vice president elected in the past 36 years.

But was Bongbong Marcos Jr's win in the elections his own? It is pertinent to note that Presidents and vice presidents are chosen via separate direct elections in the Philippines. According to opinion polls taken before the start of the presidential election, Sara Duterte was the front-runner, comfortably leading other candidates. In November last year, however, she announced that she would pursue the vice presidency as the running mate of Marcos, who had already declared his candidacy for president. The move put Marcos atop the polls and helped him cruise to a win in May.

Sara Duterte’s father served as governor of the province of Davao, and his mother was a community activist who had a prominent role in the “people power” movement that deposed the authoritarian president Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos Jr's father, and restored democratic rule to the Philippines.

Sara Duterte contributed to the Marcos family's return to power in three ways. First, she withdrew from the presidential race which many thought was hers to win. Robredo was again his main rival in the 2022 presidential election but thanks to Sara Duterte being on the ticket, Marcos won in 64 of the country's 81 provinces, twice as many as in 2016.

Last, Sara Duterte's presence helped rebrand the Marcos image. Marcos had a problem before she joined his camp, as many voters saw him as too genial and easygoing. Sara's father, Rodrigo, even called him a "weak leader" and "spoiled brat." This compares with the younger Duterte and the public's perception of her as a tough, dynamic woman. When she was the mayor of Davao, a TV camera caught her smacking a court officer trying to evict poor residents from their homes. The younger Duterte could arguably have won the race on the back of her father's popularity.

According to several reports, Sara Duterte did not want to be seen as her father's "puppet" and that is why she sacked all her father's close aides when she became the mayor of Davao. Born to Rodrigo's first wife, she may hold grudges against him about her parents' divorce and was loathe to stay under his thumb, some observers said. During his tenure as president starting in 2016, Rodrigo Duterte threatened to break off diplomatic relations with Washington. He even expelled American troops stationed there tried to rethink over a significant defence agreement with the United States. Meanwhile, Duterte fostered close ties with China and Russia. Marcos Jr. is in power. His father's reputation is already tarnished by his involvement in violating human rights. US President Joe Biden's prominent support for democracy and human rights have taken people by surprise as the two nations come closer in the recent months.&nbsp;

The United States' Vice President, Kamala Harris during her visit to Phillipines promised that if Filipino soldiers were attacked in the disputed South China Sea, Washington would invoke the treaty and assist in defending its longtime ally. Harris also made a historic trip to Palawan, a Philippine island at the centre of Manila's maritime territorial conflict with Beijing, where she made a commitment to provide additional American assistance to Filipino fishermen who are constantly threatened by foreign intrusion into Philippine-claimed waters.

According to Harris, the US government agreed to pay $66.5 million ($3.7 billion pesos) to upgrade five military sites in the Philippines chosen as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) (4.6 billion Philippine pesos).

Brazil's leftist Lula-da Silva defeats Trump of the Tropics

The 77-year-old Lula-da Silva, who was president from 2003 to 2010, will be the oldest person to hold the position. For a politician who was incarcerated and disqualified from holding public office, Lula's triumph was a surprising return. He was unable to participate in the 2018 presidential election. He had been convicted of accepting a bribe from a Brazilian construction business in exchange for contracts with Petrobras, the country's state-owned oil giant. Later, his conviction was annulled.

Former army captain Bolsonaro had a lot of support from conservatives and evangelical Christians who wanted to uphold traditional family values. But during his administration, the Amazon was rapidly being cleared of trees, and inequality increased. When Lula is sworn in as president on January 1st, Bolsonaro's presidency will come to an end. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has disputed the election he lost to leftist adversary Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last month, claiming ballots from some machines should be "invalidated." However, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has confirmed that Lula won with 50.9% of the vote against Mr. Bolsonaro's 49.1%, thus the challenge may not go very far.

US President Joe Biden had sent senior government representatives to meet with Brazilian colleagues last year to deliver a straightforward warning to President Jair Bolsonaro: Don't sabotage Brazil's democracy. High-ranking representatives from the White House, the Defense Department, the State Department, and even the CIA have spoken and met with Brazilian authorities in an effort to thwart Bolsonaro's attempts to rig the results of Brazil's contentious presidential elections. Bolsonaro has taken a page from the playbook of former U.S. President Donald Trump by saying without proof that the elections were rigged. Thus, Brazil's Lula Da Silva comes back in power defeating Trump of the Tropics.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Israel gets a far-right coalition as Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu gets the support of Religious Zionism. Italy, which is moving in the same far-right direction, is going to be ruled by neo-fascist in the form of its first female president, Giorgia Meloni.

Israel gets a far-right coalition as Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu gets the support of Religious Zionism. Italy, which is moving in the same far-right direction, is going to be ruled by neo-fascist in the form of its first female president, Giorgia Meloni. Mario Draghi's unity government fell which lead to elections in the European country. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the King appoints Anwar, a 75-year-old man who held some of the most important positions of authority. In the election, his multiethnic and reformist alliance Pakatan Harapan gained the majority of seats. Bongbong Marcos Jr. of the Philippines manages to win the presidency with Sara Duterte's tacit support. Will he be able to erase the dictatorial legacy left by his father and move past atrocious human rights abuses? And finally, Brazil, where leftist Lula Da Silva made a triumphant comeback to power after being found guilty of "politically driven" corruption allegations. Israel Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition The far right is gaining, while the left is struggling. The results of Israel's fifth election in three years, conducted on November 1, 2022, showed the expansion of a strong right-wing majority in that country. But this time, it became clear that the electorate was more unified than ever in its support for right-wing ideology and that it was more in favour of Religious Zionism. Contrarily, Palestinian voters expressed dissatisfaction with the Israeli political system, which accounts for their low turnout during the election—53%, despite an increase of over 10% from the previous year. After winning the election, Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition controlled at least 64 seats in parliament, mostly being made up of men who identify as religiously conservative, right-wing, and conservative in general. With a majority of religious nationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties ready to enter government and expected to work cooperatively for the next four years, unlike in the past, Netanyahu heads a group that is ideologically homogenous in ways never previously seen. This combination will be kept together by a kind of theocratic Jewish dominance, which will take many forms. They'll advance a nationalist, right-wing agenda unlike anything Israel has seen in a long time. The coalition members' shared goals include preventing the High Court of Justice from overturning unconstitutional laws and giving politicians control over the appointment of judges, in addition to assisting Netanyahu in maintaining power by dropping the case against him on allegations of fraud and breach of public trust. Nothing is more essential to Netanyahu right now than avoiding jail time. He has also often called for annexing the West Bank, as have his potential allies. The most recent addition to Israel's political scene deserves worldwide attention in the wake of this month's elections. The leaders of Israel's Religious Zionism alliance, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who have openly called for armed conflict against Palestinians, were the true winners at the polls rather than the Likud party or its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has served as Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Ben-Gvir argues that Israeli Palestinians should be put through "loyalty tests" and should be banished from their own countries if they are found to be "disloyal" to Israel. With 14 members, the Religious Zionism coalition is now the third-largest bloc in the Knesset after receiving historic support from voters. Italy's Giorgia Meloni party with neo-fascist roots On the far right is Giorgia Meloni, who was sworn in as the new prime minister of Italy on October 22. Meloni's party became the largest in Parliament with 26% of the vote. As per the pre-election agreement among the centre-right coalition parties, she became the prime ministerial candidate supported by the winning coalition. Mussolini's Fascists have a clear lineage to her party, the Brothers of Italy. She opposes abortion rights, incites anti-immigrant prejudice, and opposes LGBT rights. Mario Draghi (national unity government), on the other hand, is a fervent centrist technocrat who headed a coalition that comprised all parties save Meloni's. He was her direct predecessor. Before Draghi, Giuseppe Conte led the opposition Five Star Movement (M5S). A no-confidence in the coalition government was submitted in August 2019 by Matteo Salvini's The League. But Conte persisted in holding the top position thanks to the backing of the left-leaning Democratic party and Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) (PD). This prevented early elections and forced the League on the far right into opposition. Italy was one of the nations most severely impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. The first Western administration to undertake a nationwide lockdown to halt the disease's spread was Conte's. The COVID-19 epidemic had a particularly negative economic impact in Italy. The issue involving the Italian government in 2021 was sparked in January when Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva withdrew its backing for Conte's administration. Despite being able to win confidence votes in Parliament during the following days, Conte ultimately decided to step down because he was unable to secure an absolute majority in the Senate. Mario Draghi became prime minister as a result of this. Italian President Sergio Mattarella urged the former president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, to establish a national unity government after talks to build Conte's third cabinet broke down. After members of his shaky coalition of the right, left, and populists rejected his plea to ensure implementation of the European Union-funded pandemic recovery programme, which set aside 26 billion euros (dollars) to aid consumers and industries struggling with skyrocketing energy prices, the Government led by Mr. Draghi imploded on July 21. As there was not much of left in the elections, this provided a clean way for the right-wing alliance to prevail. Enrico Letta's Democratic Party (PD), a centre-left opposition party, garnered 19% of the vote. The nation saw its lowest voting turnout in post-World War II history. Together with Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini of the League, Meloni established a right-wing coalition government. Italy's first female prime minister is Giorgia Meloni. Malaysia's unity government The 75-year-old Anwar has time and again been denied the premiership despite getting within striking distance over the years: he was deputy prime minister in the 1990s and the official prime minister-in-waiting in 2018. In between, he spent nearly a decade in jail for sodomy and corruption however, he always claimed that the charges against him were politically motivated charges aimed at ending his career. Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia was sworn in as prime minister, but his tenure was marked by an unusual post-election crisis that lasted for five days. In the elections held on Saturday, his Pakatan Harapan alliance gained 82 seats, while Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional group secured 73. A simple majority of 112 was required to create a government. In the election, no man was able to secure a majority. Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, his opponent, tasked him with demonstrating his parliamentary majority. After consulting with various parliamentarians, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, the head of state, chose Anwar as prime minister. The country is split following a close election that placed Anwar's progressive alliance against Muhyiddin's largely conservative ethnic-Malay, Muslim alliance. Anwar assumes office at a difficult moment. Only 30 seats were gained by the long-ruling Barisan coalition. Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, recently announced his diversified cabinet, which is intended to help him maintain his broad-unity coalition. Anwar was able to put together a minority administration after the unsatisfactory general election on November 19 by bringing together four coalitions made up of 19 different political groups as well as two independent MPs. 15 of the 28 members of the cabinet, or the majority, are members of Pakatan Harapan, Anwar's political alliance. Out of the remaining 13, six were given to BN, the coalition that ruled Malaysia for 61 years straight, from independence in 1957 to the general election of 2018, five to the coalition based in Sarawak, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and single posts to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), a coalition based in Sabah, and the independent MP Mohamad Naim Mokhtar. Anwar appointed officials from the two most significant parties in the coalition, BN and GPS, to the two newly established deputy prime minister positions, which he created for the first time in Malaysian history to stabilise his unity government. Phillipines's Marcos Jr. Marcos Jr’s father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr, ruled for two decades. He ruled Phillipines through a period of martial law where he had absolute power. However, he was finally ousted by a popular uprising in 1986. He stole up to $10 billion and was charged with human rights violations where political opponents were tortured, arrested and disappeared. In May's presidential election, Marcos (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas) won 31.63 million votes, or 58.8% of the ballots cast, the highest among the six presidents elected since the People Power revolution of 1986. The rival, Sara Duterte garnered 32.21 million, or 61.5%, in the vice presidential race, higher than any president or vice president elected in the past 36 years. But was Bongbong Marcos Jr's win in the elections his own? It is pertinent to note that Presidents and vice presidents are chosen via separate direct elections in the Philippines. According to opinion polls taken before the start of the presidential election, Sara Duterte was the front-runner, comfortably leading other candidates. In November last year, however, she announced that she would pursue the vice presidency as the running mate of Marcos, who had already declared his candidacy for president. The move put Marcos atop the polls and helped him cruise to a win in May. Sara Duterte’s father served as governor of the province of Davao, and his mother was a community activist who had a prominent role in the “people power” movement that deposed the authoritarian president Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos Jr's father, and restored democratic rule to the Philippines. Sara Duterte contributed to the Marcos family's return to power in three ways. First, she withdrew from the presidential race which many thought was hers to win. Robredo was again his main rival in the 2022 presidential election but thanks to Sara Duterte being on the ticket, Marcos won in 64 of the country's 81 provinces, twice as many as in 2016. Last, Sara Duterte's presence helped rebrand the Marcos image. Marcos had a problem before she joined his camp, as many voters saw him as too genial and easygoing. Sara's father, Rodrigo, even called him a "weak leader" and "spoiled brat." This compares with the younger Duterte and the public's perception of her as a tough, dynamic woman. When she was the mayor of Davao, a TV camera caught her smacking a court officer trying to evict poor residents from their homes. The younger Duterte could arguably have won the race on the back of her father's popularity. According to several reports, Sara Duterte did not want to be seen as her father's "puppet" and that is why she sacked all her father's close aides when she became the mayor of Davao. Born to Rodrigo's first wife, she may hold grudges against him about her parents' divorce and was loathe to stay under his thumb, some observers said. During his tenure as president starting in 2016, Rodrigo Duterte threatened to break off diplomatic relations with Washington. He even expelled American troops stationed there tried to rethink over a significant defence agreement with the United States. Meanwhile, Duterte fostered close ties with China and Russia. Marcos Jr. is in power. His father's reputation is already tarnished by his involvement in violating human rights. US President Joe Biden's prominent support for democracy and human rights have taken people by surprise as the two nations come closer in the recent months. The United States' Vice President, Kamala Harris during her visit to Phillipines promised that if Filipino soldiers were attacked in the disputed South China Sea, Washington would invoke the treaty and assist in defending its longtime ally. Harris also made a historic trip to Palawan, a Philippine island at the centre of Manila's maritime territorial conflict with Beijing, where she made a commitment to provide additional American assistance to Filipino fishermen who are constantly threatened by foreign intrusion into Philippine-claimed waters. According to Harris, the US government agreed to pay $66.5 million ($3.7 billion pesos) to upgrade five military sites in the Philippines chosen as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) (4.6 billion Philippine pesos). Brazil's leftist Lula-da Silva defeats Trump of the Tropics The 77-year-old Lula-da Silva, who was president from 2003 to 2010, will be the oldest person to hold the position. For a politician who was incarcerated and disqualified from holding public office, Lula's triumph was a surprising return. He was unable to participate in the 2018 presidential election. He had been convicted of accepting a bribe from a Brazilian construction business in exchange for contracts with Petrobras, the country's state-owned oil giant. Later, his conviction was annulled. Former army captain Bolsonaro had a lot of support from conservatives and evangelical Christians who wanted to uphold traditional family values. But during his administration, the Amazon was rapidly being cleared of trees, and inequality increased. When Lula is sworn in as president on January 1st, Bolsonaro's presidency will come to an end. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has disputed the election he lost to leftist adversary Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last month, claiming ballots from some machines should be "invalidated." However, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has confirmed that Lula won with 50.9% of the vote against Mr. Bolsonaro's 49.1%, thus the challenge may not go very far. US President Joe Biden had sent senior government representatives to meet with Brazilian colleagues last year to deliver a straightforward warning to President Jair Bolsonaro: Don't sabotage Brazil's democracy. High-ranking representatives from the White House, the Defense Department, the State Department, and even the CIA have spoken and met with Brazilian authorities in an effort to thwart Bolsonaro's attempts to rig the results of Brazil's contentious presidential elections. Bolsonaro has taken a page from the playbook of former U.S. President Donald Trump by saying without proof that the elections were rigged. Thus, Brazil's Lula Da Silva comes back in power defeating Trump of the Tropics.

Yearender 2022: Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Brazil: A year of elections that stunned pollsters

Yearender 2022: From Alia-Ranbir to Rihanna-Asap Rocky: Meet the new celebrity parents

Another year, marred by a global pandemic, has passed and the world has entered 2022 with new hopes that the year will be better than before despite the clouds of uncertainties continuing to cast shadows.

Another year, marred by a global pandemic, has passed and the world has entered 2022 with new hopes that the year will be better than before despite the clouds of uncertainties continuing to cast shadows. The first coronavirus (COVID-19) case was detected in late 2019 in China, it then spread across the world within days and wreaked havoc in 2020, killing millions of people. At the beginning of 2021, people hoped that the pandemic would end with scientists working on vaccines but it didn't happen as the emergence of new variants such as Delta and Omicron, fuelled the surge of cases and also fatalities. COVID-19 impacted the economies around the world in more than one way. Meanwhile, impacts of geopolitical equations, diplomatic ties, policies for extreme climatic changes, inflations, etc were also quite evident. Now, as the dust settles on 2021, let's take a look at the themes that will shape the year ahead. Thousands of questions still persist, such as: will the pandemic end? Will we be able to travel? Will mental health become mainstream? ALSO READ | Yearender: World events that defined 2021 But do we know for sure amid ever-changing scenarios? Here's a report on possible trends and themes that will define 2022. 1) Middle powers will shape geopolitics: As the United States is losing face and China is losing friends, middle powers like India, France, the United Kingdom and Germany are expected to influence world affairs. 2) Importance to mental health: It is expected that in 2022, people will concentrate on mental health and will promote mind-body healing. 2022 might emerge as developing a connection between the power of the mind and its connection with the body. 3) Re-thinking careers and re-thinking priorities: In 2022, the pandemic taught the world a new way of working and also recent trends have shown that people are re-thinking their careers and giving priority to work they like to do. Also, companies are prioritising talents and good resources in the ever-changing economic dynamics. 4) Sports and politics: In 2021, political factors and foreign relations impacted sports with some cancellations sporting tours and diplomatic boycott of events. It is expected that it will be a common trend in 2022 as well with Winter Olympics in Beijing, Football World Cup scheduled to happen. 5) Economic concerns: In 2020 and 2021, full and partial lockdowns impacted economic growth and global inflation shot up. Will it continue in 2022? The answer to this question is dependent on how the economies will cope with the virus and its variants. 6) Survival of the sustainable: Climate Change is real and its impact is quite clear with rising global temperatures and extreme weather. In 2022, it is expected that countries around the world will focus on sustainable development. 7) COVID-19: The virus is expected to stay, however, the world might enter an endemic phase in 2022 with continued vaccination and new research and studies in the area to counter the threat of threat. But it doesn't mean we should let our guard down, we all need to protect ourselves, keep wearing the mask, get vaccinated, get a booster shot if eligible, sanitise and sanitise, listen to the expert.... not rumours. Watch the full analytical report here: ×

From politics to health to COVID-19: These trends are expected to rule 2022

Yearender 2021: Vidya Balan to Kriti Sanon: These are the Best Female Performances of the Year

Adieu Prince Philip and Desmond Tutu: Notable deaths in 2021

Yearender 2021: 'Matrix 4' to 'The Witcher': Much-awaited shows/films that returned this year

Yearender 2021: Movies that brought audiences back to theatres

Television today comes in big portions, as anyone who spent seven-plus hours with the Beatles over Thanksgiving weekend can attest. But just as a marathon jam session can yield a few tight singles, the most memorable TV is still often the well-crafted individual episode. As Mike Hale, Margaret Lyons and I end another year’s binge as TV critics for The New York Times, here are a few of the installments from 2021 that topped our personal hit parades. — JAMES PONIEWOZIK

‘Call My Agent!’&nbsp;(Netflix)

‘Sigourney’

More than 30 European actors — including stars like Isabelle Huppert, Juliette Binoche and Jean Reno — have graciously and often mercilessly lampooned themselves in this French dramedy, playing clients or prospective clients or angry former clients of the fictional talent agency ASK. In this Season 4 episode, an American stepped in, and Sigourney Weaver, speaking more than passable French and playing herself as an utterly charming manipulator, was flawless. (Streaming on Netflix.) — MIKE HALE

‘City of Ghosts'&nbsp;(Netflix)

‘Bob &amp;&nbsp;Nancy’

Plenty of children’s shows are cute, but “City of Ghosts” is also beautiful, and its poetic wistfulness about Los Angeles would be at home on a premium cable drama. Instead it’s in this plucky, naturalistic cartoon about ghost-hunting kids who have a podcast. I loved every episode of this show. But I picked “Bob &amp;&nbsp;Nancy” because it’s about a marionette theater, and thus it toys with ideas of animating the inanimate — rich ground for a show in touch with the spirit realm. (Streaming on Netflix.) — MARGARET LYONS

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/yearender-2021-clutter-breaking-indian-filmsshows-that-dominated-ott-space-438492" hreflang="en">Yearender 2021: Clutter-breaking Indian films/shows that dominated OTT space</a></h2>

‘Cruel Summer’&nbsp;(Freeform)

‘Hostile Witness’

This teen kidnapping mystery took all the hallmarks of prestige-y crime shows — split timelines, dark lighting, tangential secrets — and repackaged them with a kicky ’90s YA flair. It was one of the juicy highlights of the summer. But shows like this are only as good as their finales, and “Cruel Summer” managed the trick of both a happy ending and a thrilling, dark twist. (Streaming on Hulu.) — MARGARET LYONS

‘Dave’ (FXX)

‘Somebody Date Me’

Texting can be a crutch for TV shows, a way to use pop-up bubbles to give characters phone-enabled telepathy. Not so in this playful, smart half-hour, in which Dave Burd’s up-and-coming rapper made (and lost) a date with Doja Cat. As the two musicians courted with their thumbs, “Somebody Date Me” showed how context and time can change the meaning and reading of the smallest online (mis)communication. Thumbs-up emoji! (Streaming on Hulu.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK

‘For All Mankind’&nbsp;(Apple TV+)

‘The Grey’

Each season of this space-race alternative history is a multistage booster rocket. The slow-moving early episodes expend a lot of fuel, building energy and narrative force until the show reaches escape velocity. (Aerospace engineer readers, I beg you not to fact-check my metaphors.) The white-knuckle Season 2 finale moved with the deftness of a docking maneuver, as a U.S.-Soviet conflict on the moon and a threatened war on Earth required risk and sacrifice on two celestial bodies and points in between. (Streaming on Apple TV+.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK

‘Genius: Aretha’&nbsp;(National Geographic)

‘Amazing Grace'

‘Pose’ (FX)

‘Take Me to Church’

The music and community of the Black church co-starred in two praiseworthy hours of TV. The Aretha Franklin bioseries peaked as it focused on the recording of the 1972 “Amazing Grace” live album at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, fusing the artist’s past and present in a crucible of soul. In “Pose,” a grim diagnosis led Pray Tell (Billy Porter) back to his hometown and church community, both to confront the homophobia that drove him from it and give voice to the music that sustained him. (Stream “Genius: Aretha” on Hulu; buy “Pose” on Amazon.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/yearender-2021-from-christopher-plummer-to-prince-philip-stars-weve-lost-this-year-360019" hreflang="en">Yearender 2021: From Christopher Plummer to Prince Philip: Stars we've lost this year</a></h2>

‘In the Dark’&nbsp;(CW)

‘Somewhere Over the Border’

This CW drama about a blind woman and her buddies, who run a rescue-dog agency and get involved in drug dealing and murder, is no more than a serviceable thriller. But the rapport among its central characters, Murphy (Perry Mattfeld), Jess (Brooke Markham) and Felix (Morgan Krantz), has developed into one of the more believable and moving portrayals of friendship on TV. When Murphy found herself stranded in a strange country, the strength of those ties was the foundation of a taut and agonizing hour. (Streaming on Netflix.) — MIKE HALE

‘Line of Duty’&nbsp;(BritBox)

Season 6, Episode 5

Tension and deception pump through the veins of this breakneck procedural about a British internal-affairs unit, and no show does cliffhangers better. You could point to just about any episode; this one, with one of the heroes following a possibly dirty cop into an abandoned industrial park because that’s what the job called for, was off the charts. (Streaming on BritBox.) — MIKE HALE

‘Love, Death &amp;amp; Robots’&nbsp;(Netflix)

‘The Drowned Giant’

In just 13 minutes, this elegant short about a giant’s corpse that washes up on a beach one day captures, in a perfect snapshot, humanity’s tendency to desecrate marvels, to behold a world-changing event and decide simply to carry on. Based on a short story by J.G. Ballard, “The Drowned Giant” is rendered here in mostly realistic animation, with the giant’s clean-shaven cheeks, tidy fingernails and muscular chest shown in aching detail. In an era when so many shows just blend together, this episode stands out for its light touch and sad imagination. (Streaming on Netflix.) — MARGARET LYONS

‘Making It’&nbsp;(NBC)

‘All the Holidays at Once’

After “The Great British Baking Show,” lots of reality competition series have gone away from the cutthroat in favor of the warm and fuzzy, and perhaps no show is warmer and fuzzier than the craft competition “Making It.” Each episode has its charms, but “All the Holidays at Once” was especially thrilling, because unlike some of the show’s grander projects, crafting your own Halloween costume is pretty standard fare, even for layfolk. The contestants’ giddy joy in presenting their creations to the judges was matched only by my own giddy joy at seeing their silly and spectacular costumes. Jess won with her superb alien-abduction costume, but when everything is this fun, don’t we all win? As a bonus, this episode also included Melañio telling a story about a bat in a toilet, a tale that will haunt me for the rest of my days. (Streaming on Hulu.) — MARGARET LYONS

‘Mythic Quest’ (Apple TV+)

‘Backstory!’

Having come up with one of the best pandemic-inspired episodes of 2020, this video game industry comedy is gunning for TV’s high score in stand-alones. This installment gave backstory-obsessed game writer C.W. Longbottom (a wonderfully blustery F. Murray Abraham) his own flashback as a struggling sci-fi author in the 1970s — a funny and poignant tale of irony, professional jealousy and success at a cost. (Streaming on Apple TV+.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK

‘Nuclear Family’ (HBO)

Episode 3

Ry Russo-Young’s three-part documentary about her lesbian mothers and the sperm donor who sued them for parental rights, threatening to pull apart her family, built to a powerful and eloquent conclusion. It both affirmed the importance of the battle her mothers fought and questioned the assumptions of everyone involved. (Streaming on HBO Max.) — MIKE HALE

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-top-5-most-viral-food-trends-of-2021-the-year-that-was-437668" hreflang="en">Top 5 Most Viral Food Trends of 2021: The Year That Was</a></h2>

‘Oprah With Meghan and Harry’ (CBS)

One so rarely gets to receive or send a “turn on your TV right now” text, especially in my line of work. So for that dual thrill alone this interview earned a place in my heart. It was the kind of programming that barely exists anymore: a tell-all network special in which celebrities share genuine new information with Oprah, the patron saint of soul-baring. There were Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, aglow in the California sun, decrying racism and candidly discussing mental health crises. Which would have been enough, but they also reset the royal narrative, gave Oprah eggs, fought back tears and gazed lovingly at each other — all while sitting in chairs sold by Christopher Knight from “The Brady Bunch.” Television, baby! I love you! — MARGARET LYONS

‘PEN15’&nbsp;(Hulu)

‘Yuki’

Mutsuko Erskine had never acted before her daughter, Maya, cast her to play Maya’s mother in Hulu’s brutally funny teen comedy. Sometimes daughter knows best. This showpiece episode, in which a chance meeting with an ex-husband led Yuki to look down a road not taken, was a rich vignette of an immigrant’s experience and a subtle performance to cap off the role, literally, of a lifetime. (Streaming on Hulu.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK

‘The Simpsons’&nbsp;(Fox)

‘The Dad-Feelings Limited’

Who would have thought the origin story of Comic Book Guy, done partly as an affectionate sendup of a Wes Anderson film, would be so lovely? (Streaming on Disney+.) — MIKE HALE

‘Snowfall’ (FX)

‘All the Way Down’

This brutal and only-as-sentimental-as-it-needs-to-be drama about a rogue CIA agent and a young Black entrepreneur, partners in the crack wars in early 1980s Los Angeles, still does not get enough attention. That’s especially true of the stories written by novelist Walter Mosley, like this chilling, tightly packed episode about rage, revenge, gentrification and wanting to go straight. (Streaming on Hulu.) — MIKE HALE

‘WandaVision’&nbsp;(Disney+)

‘Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience’

Several installments of this superhero psychodrama, set in a bizarro-world version of classic sitcom formats, could have made this list. But might as well start at the beginning, when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) played house on a 1950s stage set whose made-for-TV perfection turned horrifyingly (and ingeniously) wrong. (Streaming on Disney+.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK

‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (FX)

‘Casino’

“Shadows” is one of the funniest shows on TV right now, and “Casino,” where the gang heads to Atlantic City, was my favorite episode this season. Nandor (Kayvan Novak) becomes entranced by a “Big Bang Theory” slot machine — “‘bazinga’ is the war cry of Sheldon,” he explains — and in perfect, cascading horror, this leads to the total dissolution of his understanding of the universe. “Shadows” is its best when the vampires’ grandiosity clashes with their vulnerabilities, especially their excitability, and I’ll never see another in-house ad on a hotel TV without thinking that it’s Colin Robinson’s favorite show. (Streaming on Hulu.) — MARGARET LYONS

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Television today comes in big portions, as anyone who spent seven-plus hours with the Beatles over Thanksgiving weekend can attest. But just as a marathon jam session can yield a few tight singles, the most memorable TV is still often the well-crafted individual episode.

Television today comes in big portions, as anyone who spent seven-plus hours with the Beatles over Thanksgiving weekend can attest. But just as a marathon jam session can yield a few tight singles, the most memorable TV is still often the well-crafted individual episode. As Mike Hale, Margaret Lyons and I end another year’s binge as TV critics for The New York Times, here are a few of the installments from 2021 that topped our personal hit parades. — JAMES PONIEWOZIK ‘Call My Agent!’ (Netflix) ‘Sigourney’ More than 30 European actors — including stars like Isabelle Huppert, Juliette Binoche and Jean Reno — have graciously and often mercilessly lampooned themselves in this French dramedy, playing clients or prospective clients or angry former clients of the fictional talent agency ASK. In this Season 4 episode, an American stepped in, and Sigourney Weaver, speaking more than passable French and playing herself as an utterly charming manipulator, was flawless. (Streaming on Netflix.) — MIKE HALE ‘City of Ghosts' (Netflix) ‘Bob & Nancy’ Plenty of children’s shows are cute, but “City of Ghosts” is also beautiful, and its poetic wistfulness about Los Angeles would be at home on a premium cable drama. Instead it’s in this plucky, naturalistic cartoon about ghost-hunting kids who have a podcast. I loved every episode of this show. But I picked “Bob & Nancy” because it’s about a marionette theater, and thus it toys with ideas of animating the inanimate — rich ground for a show in touch with the spirit realm. (Streaming on Netflix.) — MARGARET LYONS Yearender 2021: Clutter-breaking Indian films/shows that dominated OTT space ‘Cruel Summer’ (Freeform) ‘Hostile Witness’ This teen kidnapping mystery took all the hallmarks of prestige-y crime shows — split timelines, dark lighting, tangential secrets — and repackaged them with a kicky ’90s YA flair. It was one of the juicy highlights of the summer. But shows like this are only as good as their finales, and “Cruel Summer” managed the trick of both a happy ending and a thrilling, dark twist. (Streaming on Hulu.) — MARGARET LYONS ‘Dave’ (FXX) ‘Somebody Date Me’ Texting can be a crutch for TV shows, a way to use pop-up bubbles to give characters phone-enabled telepathy. Not so in this playful, smart half-hour, in which Dave Burd’s up-and-coming rapper made (and lost) a date with Doja Cat. As the two musicians courted with their thumbs, “Somebody Date Me” showed how context and time can change the meaning and reading of the smallest online (mis)communication. Thumbs-up emoji! (Streaming on Hulu.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK ‘For All Mankind’ (Apple TV+) ‘The Grey’ Each season of this space-race alternative history is a multistage booster rocket. The slow-moving early episodes expend a lot of fuel, building energy and narrative force until the show reaches escape velocity. (Aerospace engineer readers, I beg you not to fact-check my metaphors.) The white-knuckle Season 2 finale moved with the deftness of a docking maneuver, as a U.S.-Soviet conflict on the moon and a threatened war on Earth required risk and sacrifice on two celestial bodies and points in between. (Streaming on Apple TV+.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK ‘Genius: Aretha’ (National Geographic) ‘Amazing Grace' ‘Pose’ (FX) ‘Take Me to Church’ The music and community of the Black church co-starred in two praiseworthy hours of TV. The Aretha Franklin bioseries peaked as it focused on the recording of the 1972 “Amazing Grace” live album at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, fusing the artist’s past and present in a crucible of soul. In “Pose,” a grim diagnosis led Pray Tell (Billy Porter) back to his hometown and church community, both to confront the homophobia that drove him from it and give voice to the music that sustained him. (Stream “Genius: Aretha” on Hulu; buy “Pose” on Amazon.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK Yearender 2021: From Christopher Plummer to Prince Philip: Stars we've lost this year ‘In the Dark’ (CW) ‘Somewhere Over the Border’ This CW drama about a blind woman and her buddies, who run a rescue-dog agency and get involved in drug dealing and murder, is no more than a serviceable thriller. But the rapport among its central characters, Murphy (Perry Mattfeld), Jess (Brooke Markham) and Felix (Morgan Krantz), has developed into one of the more believable and moving portrayals of friendship on TV. When Murphy found herself stranded in a strange country, the strength of those ties was the foundation of a taut and agonizing hour. (Streaming on Netflix.) — MIKE HALE ‘Line of Duty’ (BritBox) Season 6, Episode 5 Tension and deception pump through the veins of this breakneck procedural about a British internal-affairs unit, and no show does cliffhangers better. You could point to just about any episode; this one, with one of the heroes following a possibly dirty cop into an abandoned industrial park because that’s what the job called for, was off the charts. (Streaming on BritBox.) — MIKE HALE ‘Love, Death &amp; Robots’ (Netflix) ‘The Drowned Giant’ In just 13 minutes, this elegant short about a giant’s corpse that washes up on a beach one day captures, in a perfect snapshot, humanity’s tendency to desecrate marvels, to behold a world-changing event and decide simply to carry on. Based on a short story by J.G. Ballard, “The Drowned Giant” is rendered here in mostly realistic animation, with the giant’s clean-shaven cheeks, tidy fingernails and muscular chest shown in aching detail. In an era when so many shows just blend together, this episode stands out for its light touch and sad imagination. (Streaming on Netflix.) — MARGARET LYONS ‘Making It’ (NBC) ‘All the Holidays at Once’ After “The Great British Baking Show,” lots of reality competition series have gone away from the cutthroat in favor of the warm and fuzzy, and perhaps no show is warmer and fuzzier than the craft competition “Making It.” Each episode has its charms, but “All the Holidays at Once” was especially thrilling, because unlike some of the show’s grander projects, crafting your own Halloween costume is pretty standard fare, even for layfolk. The contestants’ giddy joy in presenting their creations to the judges was matched only by my own giddy joy at seeing their silly and spectacular costumes. Jess won with her superb alien-abduction costume, but when everything is this fun, don’t we all win? As a bonus, this episode also included Melañio telling a story about a bat in a toilet, a tale that will haunt me for the rest of my days. (Streaming on Hulu.) — MARGARET LYONS ‘Mythic Quest’ (Apple TV+) ‘Backstory!’ Having come up with one of the best pandemic-inspired episodes of 2020, this video game industry comedy is gunning for TV’s high score in stand-alones. This installment gave backstory-obsessed game writer C.W. Longbottom (a wonderfully blustery F. Murray Abraham) his own flashback as a struggling sci-fi author in the 1970s — a funny and poignant tale of irony, professional jealousy and success at a cost. (Streaming on Apple TV+.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK ‘Nuclear Family’ (HBO) Episode 3 Ry Russo-Young’s three-part documentary about her lesbian mothers and the sperm donor who sued them for parental rights, threatening to pull apart her family, built to a powerful and eloquent conclusion. It both affirmed the importance of the battle her mothers fought and questioned the assumptions of everyone involved. (Streaming on HBO Max.) — MIKE HALE Top 5 Most Viral Food Trends of 2021: The Year That Was ‘Oprah With Meghan and Harry’ (CBS) One so rarely gets to receive or send a “turn on your TV right now” text, especially in my line of work. So for that dual thrill alone this interview earned a place in my heart. It was the kind of programming that barely exists anymore: a tell-all network special in which celebrities share genuine new information with Oprah, the patron saint of soul-baring. There were Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, aglow in the California sun, decrying racism and candidly discussing mental health crises. Which would have been enough, but they also reset the royal narrative, gave Oprah eggs, fought back tears and gazed lovingly at each other — all while sitting in chairs sold by Christopher Knight from “The Brady Bunch.” Television, baby! I love you! — MARGARET LYONS ‘PEN15’ (Hulu) ‘Yuki’ Mutsuko Erskine had never acted before her daughter, Maya, cast her to play Maya’s mother in Hulu’s brutally funny teen comedy. Sometimes daughter knows best. This showpiece episode, in which a chance meeting with an ex-husband led Yuki to look down a road not taken, was a rich vignette of an immigrant’s experience and a subtle performance to cap off the role, literally, of a lifetime. (Streaming on Hulu.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK ‘The Simpsons’ (Fox) ‘The Dad-Feelings Limited’ Who would have thought the origin story of Comic Book Guy, done partly as an affectionate sendup of a Wes Anderson film, would be so lovely? (Streaming on Disney+.) — MIKE HALE ‘Snowfall’ (FX) ‘All the Way Down’ This brutal and only-as-sentimental-as-it-needs-to-be drama about a rogue CIA agent and a young Black entrepreneur, partners in the crack wars in early 1980s Los Angeles, still does not get enough attention. That’s especially true of the stories written by novelist Walter Mosley, like this chilling, tightly packed episode about rage, revenge, gentrification and wanting to go straight. (Streaming on Hulu.) — MIKE HALE ‘WandaVision’ (Disney+) ‘Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience’ Several installments of this superhero psychodrama, set in a bizarro-world version of classic sitcom formats, could have made this list. But might as well start at the beginning, when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) played house on a 1950s stage set whose made-for-TV perfection turned horrifyingly (and ingeniously) wrong. (Streaming on Disney+.) — JAMES PONIEWOZIK ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (FX) ‘Casino’ “Shadows” is one of the funniest shows on TV right now, and “Casino,” where the gang heads to Atlantic City, was my favorite episode this season. Nandor (Kayvan Novak) becomes entranced by a “Big Bang Theory” slot machine — “‘bazinga’ is the war cry of Sheldon,” he explains — and in perfect, cascading horror, this leads to the total dissolution of his understanding of the universe. “Shadows” is its best when the vampires’ grandiosity clashes with their vulnerabilities, especially their excitability, and I’ll never see another in-house ad on a hotel TV without thinking that it’s Colin Robinson’s favorite show. (Streaming on Hulu.) — MARGARET LYONS This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Yearender: The Best TV Episodes of 2021

Yearender 2021: Gal Gadot to Scarlett Johansson: Meet the new celebrity moms

This year has been tough on many of us thanks to a constant threat posed by coronavirus that kept travel, entertainment and gatherings to a bare minimum. But there’s one thing that almost all would agree has kept us sane – food.

This year has been tough on many of us thanks to a constant threat posed by coronavirus that kept travel, entertainment and gatherings to a bare minimum. But there’s one thing that almost all would agree has kept us sane – food. People all over the world experimented with food the most this year and came out with some stunning food dishes that not only look appetising but are delicious and savoury. Here we compile a list of Top 5 Most Viral Food Trends of 2021: Baked Feta Pasta Topping our list without any competition is Baked Feta Pasta that invokes a sense of hunger at the first look of the dish. With red cherry tomatoes layered on top of boiled pasta and a harmonious splurge of feta cheese on top – is what heavenly food is made of. Delectably decadent and simple, this food was in almost every foodie and food blogger’s list. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Healthy Food 🍏 (@foodfuly) × Pasta Chips This food also involves pasta albeit differently. Unlike its much healthier version above, this one’s fried. You can cut the carbs by using the air frying method but we recommend the traditional method using oil. The best thing about this recipe is that it can be easily adapted to any noodles, sauces, cooking methods or ingredients. You can make this with whatever you have in the kitchen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 하몽･̑◡･̑ (@____jamon) × Baked Mac & Cheese How often do we include Mac & Cheese in comfort food lists? Well, almost every time but this one is baked and has a totally different zing to it. It’s truly a one-pan dish where you can simply toss everything in a greased pan and switch on the oven. It serves well over planned dinners that will feast a large gathering. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chef Natasha | asiliglam.com (@asiliglamcooks) × Baked Oats Humble oats gained recognition in 2021 when foodies started trying out different recipes with it – from overnight oats that can be eaten as a healthy breakfast option to baked oats that couple both as a breakfast option and dessert; there’s lots that can be done with these. We will, however, focus our attention on baked oats that look like cake, taste like cake but are extremely healthy. Replace flour with oats and use the other cake/brownie ingredients with a fruit acting as a sweetener and voila, you have your baked oats dish that has our vote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eugenia | Not Only Oats 🥄 (@not_only_oats) × Plant-based Milk Alternatives Another thing that picked up majorly this year was plant-based alternatives to regular items like dairy products. People swapped milk for soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, oat milk and what not.

Top 5 Most Viral Food Trends of 2021: The Year That Was

Yearender 2021: Paris Hilton to Varun Dhawan- A look back at beautiful celebrity weddings

From the return of cinema`s favourite spy to 'Friends'&nbsp;reuniting, an array of stories dominated entertainment news headlines this year. Below are some of the biggest stories. 
 
* After several delays, the release of James Bond movie 'No Time To Die'&nbsp;gave pandemic-hit cinemas a much-needed boost. 
 
Studios shuffled schedules and in some cases, films were released simultaneously in cinemas and on streaming platforms. 
 
New York's Broadway and London's West End re-opened, albeit with COVID safety measures in place. Live music also returned. 
 
* Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish took the top prizes at the Grammy Awards while Beyonce became the most awarded female artist in Grammy history, with a total of 28 wins. 
 
The Oscars saw "Nomadland" scoop best picture and best director for Chinese-born Chloe Zhao, making her the first Asian woman and only the second woman ever to win the prize. 
 
* US&nbsp;television network NBC dropped its broadcast of the 2022 Golden Globes after a backlash over the ethics of the HFPA group which hands out the annual film and television awards and its lack of diversity. The group has said it has made sweeping changes and will hold its ceremony in January. 
 
* Now living in California, Prince Harry and wife Meghan sent shock waves when, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan accused Britain’s royal family of raising concerns about how dark the skin of the couple`s first child would be. 
 
She said the stress of life as a royal newlywed had pushed her to the brink of suicide. 
 
* Pop star Britney Spears regained control of her personal life and money when a judge ended a 13-year conservatorship after a long legal battle. 
 
* Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when a gun held by actor Alec Baldwin fired off a live bullet on the set of Western "Rust". Baldwin said the revolver went off when he was cocking the gun. The incident is being investigated. 
 
* Ten people died in a stampede at Travis Scott`s Astroworld Festival in Houston. Lawsuits were filed against the rapper and promoters. 
 
* On television, the cast of "Friends" reunited for a tearful TV special. South Korean Netflix series "Squid Game" became a global sensation. 
 
* In music, ABBA released their first album in 40 years. Adele stormed the charts with comeback record "30". Swift released re-recorded albums to take back control of her early catalogue. 
 
* Billionaire Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, now known as Ye, announced their divorce. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck rekindled their romance after nearly 20 years. 
 
* Criminal cases during the #MeToo era saw former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein extradited from New York to Los Angeles to face trial on rape and sexual assault charges. 
 
Singer R. Kelly was convicted by a federal jury of sex trafficking. 
 
* The world said goodbye to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, actors Christopher Plummer, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Cicely Tyson, Helen McCrory and Olympia Dukakis, comedian Jackie Mason, rapper DMX, The Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson, TV interviewer Larry King, Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, fashion designers Alber Elbaz and Virgil Abloh and composers Stephen Sondheim and Mikis Theodorakis. Record producer Phil Spector died in prison.

From the return of cinema`s favourite spy to 'Friends' reuniting, an array of stories dominated entertainment news headlines this year. Below are some of the biggest stories.

From the return of cinema`s favourite spy to 'Friends' reuniting, an array of stories dominated entertainment news headlines this year. Below are some of the biggest stories. * After several delays, the release of James Bond movie 'No Time To Die' gave pandemic-hit cinemas a much-needed boost. Studios shuffled schedules and in some cases, films were released simultaneously in cinemas and on streaming platforms. New York's Broadway and London's West End re-opened, albeit with COVID safety measures in place. Live music also returned. * Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish took the top prizes at the Grammy Awards while Beyonce became the most awarded female artist in Grammy history, with a total of 28 wins. The Oscars saw "Nomadland" scoop best picture and best director for Chinese-born Chloe Zhao, making her the first Asian woman and only the second woman ever to win the prize. * US television network NBC dropped its broadcast of the 2022 Golden Globes after a backlash over the ethics of the HFPA group which hands out the annual film and television awards and its lack of diversity. The group has said it has made sweeping changes and will hold its ceremony in January. * Now living in California, Prince Harry and wife Meghan sent shock waves when, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan accused Britain’s royal family of raising concerns about how dark the skin of the couple`s first child would be. She said the stress of life as a royal newlywed had pushed her to the brink of suicide. * Pop star Britney Spears regained control of her personal life and money when a judge ended a 13-year conservatorship after a long legal battle. * Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when a gun held by actor Alec Baldwin fired off a live bullet on the set of Western "Rust". Baldwin said the revolver went off when he was cocking the gun. The incident is being investigated. * Ten people died in a stampede at Travis Scott`s Astroworld Festival in Houston. Lawsuits were filed against the rapper and promoters. * On television, the cast of "Friends" reunited for a tearful TV special. South Korean Netflix series "Squid Game" became a global sensation. * In music, ABBA released their first album in 40 years. Adele stormed the charts with comeback record "30". Swift released re-recorded albums to take back control of her early catalogue. * Billionaire Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, now known as Ye, announced their divorce. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck rekindled their romance after nearly 20 years. * Criminal cases during the #MeToo era saw former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein extradited from New York to Los Angeles to face trial on rape and sexual assault charges. Singer R. Kelly was convicted by a federal jury of sex trafficking. * The world said goodbye to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, actors Christopher Plummer, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Cicely Tyson, Helen McCrory and Olympia Dukakis, comedian Jackie Mason, rapper DMX, The Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson, TV interviewer Larry King, Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, fashion designers Alber Elbaz and Virgil Abloh and composers Stephen Sondheim and Mikis Theodorakis. Record producer Phil Spector died in prison.

Tearful reunions, music comebacks and pop freedom: News that rocked showbiz in 2021

Rewind 2021: Covid, coups, Taliban...the tumultuous year that was

Arms deal in 2021: How major powers realigned the military landscape

Pak, China continued tumult in 2020, still world reposed faith in India

Yearender 2020: The year 2020 was supposed to be gruelling and hectic across sports. The year started normally but chaos struck when the novel coronavirus started to take almost every country under its dreaded wings.

Yearender 2020: The year 2020 was supposed to be gruelling and hectic across sports. The year started normally but chaos struck when the novel coronavirus started to take almost every country under its dreaded wings. Sporting events suffered postponement, cancellations. Even the unthinkable happened. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were also rescheduled by a year. After months of lockdown, life started to return to normalcy. Sporting events resumed albeit behind closed doors while maintaining strict COVID-19 protocols. Tournaments, leagues, series opened up as grounds welcomed back the athletes. Records were shattered, TV ratings reached new heights as fans, who were in a dearth of sport, tuned to watch their favourite teams and players play. As the unforgettable year 2020 comes to an end, let us take a look at some of the most memorable sporting moments of the year. ALSO READ: From Hamilton to Ronaldo: Athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020 ALSO READ: From NBA to Super Bowl: Here's complete list of winners in 2020 Lionel Messi-Barcelona Saga: With 2020 being a strange year, the footballing world saw one of the unlikeliest incidents. Barcelona megastar Lionel Messi handed in a transfer request, via a burofax, to Barcelona urging the Spanish giants to release him from his duties after serving them for close to two decades. Messi and Barcelona are like a pure love story but Messi’s relation with club president Josep Bartomeu turned sour. The Argentine maestro gave an explosive interview during the entire episode where he revealed how unhappy he is at Nou Camp while revealing why he wanted to leave the club. Ultimately, Barcelona didn’t allow Messi to leave and the Argentine stayed put at Nou Camp to avoid a legal battle with the club he loves. #messileavingbarca exclusive interview with @goal.@fundacionmessi explained to the president his desire to leave and the president always said he can leave at the end of the season, only for the president to have lied.#Barcelona#messileavingbarca#BartomeuOUT#Messi pic.twitter.com/kE3DTF3saU — Marqohpolo 💙💛 (@marqohpolo) September 6, 2020 × Rafael Nadal completes 20th Grand Slam: With uncertainty and risk factor surrounding COVID-19, Rafael Nadal decided to skip the US Open 2020 but returned back to his favourite – Rolland Garros – as he continued to shatter the record books. Nadal steamrolled to the final, without even dropping a set, to set a blockbuster clash with Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard went on to defeat world number one Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to claim his 13th French Open title while equalising Roger Federer’s 20 Grand Slams. Wanted to share a nice picture with you 😉 @rolandgarros 👉🏻 #Paris #13 #Vamos 💪🏻😘 pic.twitter.com/SNgy5YYWCa — Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) October 12, 2020 × Naomi Osaka lets her masks do the talking: The year 2020 saw the entire world, including many high-profile athletes, speak out against racial discrimination. Following the death of an African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis, under police custody, massive outrage broke out. Naomi Osaka, not only joined the protests in US, but also wore masks during the US Open, with names of black victims of police brutality in the US. Osaka made seven masks for the US Open with a view of reaching the final of the Grand Slam event and not only did she reach the final but also lifted the coveted trophy by winning a nail-biting summit clash. .@naomiosaka walked out in a Breonna Taylor mask for her night match at Arthur Ashe stadium.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/Ubxwst54kl — US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2020 × IN PICS | Ace Naomi Osaka pays tribute to black lives in a unique fashion! MS Dhoni’s international retirement: Former India captain and one of the most decorated cricketers of all-time, Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020. Dhoni, who doesn’t do many interviews, took to social media platform Instagram to post a classic Indian song merged with images from his career as he quit international cricket in the most MS Dhoni-esque fashion one could imagine. The entire cricket fraternity was left emotional by Dhoni’s retirement and poured heartfelt tributes to the legendary Indian captain. Dhoni participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 for Chennai Super Kings and will continue to do so for the time being. View this post on Instagram A post shared by M S Dhoni (@mahi7781) × Liverpool win Premier League after 30 years: Under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool ended their 30-year wait of lifting the Premier League title as the Reds comfortably won the league by 18 points. Liverpool accumulated a staggering 99 points, 18 more than second-placed Manchester City, to break the Premier League title drought. In 38 matches, Liverpool won 32 matches while drawing three and losing as many in what is regarded as one of the best seasons for English top-flight club. WE’RE PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qX7Duxoslm — Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 25, 2020 × Australia Women’s Cricket team dominate the world stage, again: Australia Women’s team continued to stamp their authority in world cricket as they lifted their fifth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title on March 8. It was one of the last major tournaments in world sport that featured capacity crowd. As many as 86, 174 fans witnessed the summit clash between India and Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in what was a record crowd for a women’s cricket game. Australia won the final by 85 runs. WORLD CHAMPIONS ON HOME SOIL This is for you, Australia 💚💛#CmonAussie pic.twitter.com/IbgIbTGAOK — Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) March 8, 2020 × Lewis Hamilton equals Michael Schumacher’s record: Hailed as one of the best F1 drivers of all-time, Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of winning seven world championships. Shattering the record books, Hamilton won 11 of the 17 races in 2020 F1 season to take his tally past Schumacher’s 91 Grand Prix wins to 95. Utilising a breathtaking Mercedes car, Hamilton skipped past everyone to record one of the finest seasons of all-time in F1 history. If reports are to be believed then Hamilton will soon be honoured with knighthood and will become one of the few sportspersons to have achieved the tag of ‘Sir’ during their playing days. A day i’ll never forget 🏆#S7ILLRISING pic.twitter.com/O1Y6eD9iQX — Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 15, 2020 × Indian Premier League in the UAE: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 suffered postponement after the outbreak of coronavirus in India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to take the money-spinning T20 tournament to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid the pandemic and to everyone surprise, it pulled off the event without a hitch. Even though it was played in front of empty stands, IPL 2020 was widely watched and celebrated by the sporting fans and shattered television records. The tournament became the first multi-team cricket tournament to take place after COVID-19 enforced break in March. Happy that we gave people something to cheer for: @mipaltan' five-time IPL winning captain @ImRo45 👏🙌🏆#Dream11IPL #Final #MIvDC pic.twitter.com/l8aUTvtLaa — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 10, 2020 × Bayern Munich win it all: German giants Bayern Munich completed a quintuple as they won the German domestic treble while winning the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the FIFA Club World Cup was cancelled or else, Bayern Munich would have had a real shot at winning all six trophies in club football – achieved by a few clubs till date. Not only did Bayern Munich compete as a team, their striker Robert Lewandowski, who had a sensational season in front of the net, was awarded UEFA’s Best Player of the Year award as he beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to lift the coveted title. König Lewy hat 2020 regiert! 👑🏆#MiaSanMia @lewy_official #TheBest #LewanGOALski #LEGENDowski pic.twitter.com/xVXoIFCzRg — FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) December 29, 2020 × Team India's Adelaide Horror and Melbourne comeback: The Indian cricket team were bundled out for their lowest-ever Test score (36) by Australia in the Adelaide Test - the first of the four Test matches of the blockbuster series. India were left stunned by the Australian bowlers as the visitors surrendered in front of the hostile Aussie attack. India went on to lose the match by eight wickets and concede an early 1-0 series lead to Australia. While many teams have been down and out with low confidence and self-doubt, India bounced back strong, without their talisman Virat Kohli, in the Boxing Day Test to dominate Australia and win the match by eight wickets. As Indian head coach Ravi Shastri said, this win will be regarded as one of the greatest comebacks/wins of all-time. https://t.co/eQNZo0Ou2G! 👏👏#TeamIndia bounce back in style to beat Australia by 8⃣ wickets to level the four-match series. 👍👍 #AUSvIND Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/lyjpjyeMX5 pic.twitter.com/FgepGB00uE — BCCI (@BCCI) December 29, 2020 ×

Yearender 2020: From Dhoni's retirement to Hamilton's 7th - Check out the most memorable sporting moments

From NBA to Super Bowl: Here's complete list of winners in 2020

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