Rewind 2023: The newsmakers of the year

Love it or hate it, few would argue that 2023 hasn’t been spectacular when it comes to making news. Throughout 2023, a few select individuals stood out – for good reasons and bad– as the ones to watch. From Virat Kohli and Neeraj Chopra in sports to Sam Altman in AI and Mahua Moitra in politics, let’s look at the top newsmakers of 2023. Virat Kohli For Virat Kohli, everything was all going to plan – until it wasn’t. He rattled off two sparkling centuries against Sri Lanka in ODIs to kick off the year. The second knock – 166 off just 110 deliveries – was as chanceless as innings as one will ever see. In March, he chalked up his 28th test century – a brilliant 186 against Australia that allowed India to get a draw and keep its 2-1 lead to close out the series. July saw Kohli notch up his 29th test century – this one coming against the West Indies and pushing his name back into contention as one of the ‘Fab 4.’

Then came the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

The high point came when he scored a century against South Africa and surpassed his hero Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 49 centuries in ODI cricket. “Quite an emotional thing for me. I grew up idolising him, I aspired to play for India, watching him play and just equalling his record in ODIs is a surreal moment for me. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get here, so I just feel blessed and grateful,” Virat Kohli said in a video posted by BCCI. Kohli utterly dominated the tournament – scoring 765 runs and garnering three centuries with a Bradmanesque average of 95.62. Unfortunately, his promising innings in the World Cup final was cut short by a Pat Cummins special. [caption id=“attachment_13390862” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Virat Kohli won the Player of the Tournament at the end of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. AP[/caption] The former Indian captain would be dismissed for 54 and India would fall short at the final hurdle against Australia after a run of 10 straight victories. Though being awarded the Player of the Tournament  –  like his hero Sachin Tendulkar was in 2003 – and hailed by commentators like Ian Chappel as ‘the best batsman of his generation’, Kohli will look back at what is sure to be a bittersweet year. Prince Charles The year 2023 was one of ups and downs for Charles . Last year saw his 70-year wait to ascend the British throne – the longest wait in history – after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The next day, King Charles paid homage to the woman he affectionately called his ‘mummy’. “In her life of service, we saw that abiding love of tradition, together with that fearless embrace of progress, which makes us great as a nation,” Charles said. The new King vowed to serve all his people, no matter where they live or what they believe. Charles was now King – and all eyes were on him to see how he would fare. [caption id=“attachment_13357682” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Charles III was coronated in May. AP[/caption] January saw the release of his son Prince Harry’s memoir Spare – which shined a negative light on the monarchy as an institution and showed the extent to which the relationship had soured between father and son. In March, Charles and Camilla embarked on a state visit to Germany where he – in a fitting development to his outspoken reputation – became the first British monarch to address Germany’s Parliament. That same month Charles reportedly asked his son and his wife to move out of their Frogmore Cottage at Windsor Castle.

In May, Charles finally got his wish.

He was coronated at the historic Westminster Abbey – a place that has now witnessed the ascension of 40 British monarchs to the throne. September saw King Charles become the first British monarch to address the French senate chamber during a state visit. But the good times didn’t last. In November, it was reported that Charles had raked in millions of pounds off his dead countrymen thanks to an ancient feudal system. The report that much of the money had been redirected to upgrading many of Charles’ properties set off much outrage from the friends and relatives of the deceased. December witnessed perhaps the most explosive news of the year when a race row that had its roots in a Harry and Meghan 2020 interview with Oprah reared up its head again. The Dutch version of a book by Enid Scobie named Charles and Princess Kate as ‘racist royals’ who asked Harry and Meghan what the skin colour of their baby would be. The revelations set off a furore in Britain and even had one lawmaker moving a bill to strip Harry and Meghan of their royal titles. While the palace initially said it was considering ‘all its options’, it inevitably chose to let the controversy die down. Charles will undoubtedly be hoping that 2024 will be a much more pleasant year for himself and the institution he represents. Taylor Swift The year 2023 brought Nothing New for Taylor Swift. Tay Tay, as she is affectionately called by her fans, stayed winning. Her Eras Tour became a bonified box office smash – grossing over $1 billion –and a certified pop culture phenomenon. The film of the concert itself broke records by grossing more than $250 million  and was even nominated for a Golden Globe. [caption id=“attachment_13515532” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Taylor Swift performs during ‘The Eras Tour,’ at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. AP[/caption] Meanwhile, Swift continued to reclaim her work – she lost her master rights after her old record label was sold to Scooter Braun – by re-recording and releasing a slew of old songs. Swift also made a foray into Hollywood with a memorable appearance in the David O Russel movie Amsterdam. But perhaps her biggest win of the year came on the romance front when she struck up a romance with football player Travis Kelce. Let’s hope she can Shake It Off and release a killer album if yet another romance goes by the wayside in 2024. Elon Musk For many, 2023 will be the year Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, killed Twitter. The value of the platform has plunged by a third, advertisers have fled, hate speech and harassment have proliferated.

Musk, meanwhile, keeps endlessly tweeting through it.

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Arguably his wackiest behaviour came in June when Musk challenged META CEO Mark Zuckerberg to a cage match – and then backed down. In July, Musk finally killed Twitter and its iconic blue bird in favour of X. While the move baffled many branding experts, those who follow Musk were unsurprised given his long, strange obsession with the letter ‘X’. November was an especially busy month for Musk. He torched any goodwill he had left with advertisers by seemingly agreeing with someone propagating a white nationalist theory on X. [caption id=“attachment_13515762” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Elon Musk decided to rename Twitter to X earlier this year. File photo/Reuters[/caption] He also sued a watchdog group Media Matters , accused companies who pulled their advertising from X of ‘blackmail’ and told them to ‘go f$%k themselves’. Oh, he also reinstated former president Donald Trump on X. But more was to come. Musk capped off December by letting conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back on his platform after polling a truly bipartisan group – his followers on X. Where the world’s richest man goes from here remains to be seen – and bears watching. Justin Trudeau Few would quibble with Justin Trudeau’s name on this list.

The Canadian prime minister has arguably had his worst year ever personally and politically.

Not only has he separated from his wife of nearly two decades, he’s had  to deal with a turbulent economy and his people battling a cost of living and housing crisis. Things have arguably been even worse on the foreign policy front where Trudeau accused India of being behind the killing of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey. The accusation, which New Delhi angrily denied, caused a rift between the two nations. [caption id=“attachment_13528282” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. File photo- Reuters[/caption] The 51-year-old, who has held power in Canada since 2015, is also staring at an uncertain political future. A host of polls show Trudeau behind his rival Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and the public and members of his own party want him to step down. While Trudeau facing elections till 2025, he simply can’t afford a repeat of 2024. The next year could be a make-or-break one for the Canadian prime minister. Narayan Murthy Everyone has an opinion about Narayan Murthy’s opinion. You know the one – where the billionaire and founder of Infosys asked the youth of India to work 70-hour weeks . Murthy, talking to ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, urged youngsters to put extra hours at work for the benefit of the nation while drawing comparisons  with China, Japan and Germany. [caption id=“attachment_13309552” align=“alignnone” width=“567”] Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy’s comments that Indian youth should work 70 hours a week triggered a massive debate. File photo/PTI[/caption] “India’s work productivity is one of the lowest in the world. Unless we improve our work productivity…we will not be able to compete with those countries that have made tremendous progress,” Murthy said. Murthy’s remarks were endlessly discussed in homes and offices across the country and dissected in print and on television. While business leaders gave Murthy’s opinion the thumbs-up, many in healthcare and those working white-collar jobs seemed far more ambivalent and even negative. Mahua Moitra Mahua Moitra also has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. It began with her bête noire BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accusing her of taking bribes in exchange for asking questions in Parliament. Dubey cited a letter from Moitra’s former partner lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai – with whom she is locked in a bitter feud – and who would go on to file a police complaint against her for trespassing. Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after an investigation by a committee she dubbed a ‘Kangaroo court.’ [caption id=“attachment_13483742” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] TMC’s Mahua Moitra has vowed to fight the BJP ‘inside and outside’ Parliament. PTI[/caption] The report stated that “allegations of accepting illegal gratification (are) clearly established and are undeniable,” declaring, “taking gifts from (a) businessman to whom she handed over log-in (details) amounts to a quid pro quo… (which is) unbecoming of an MP and is unethical conduct.” The TMC leader, along with the Opposition leaders, protested outside the Parliament shortly after the motion was passed, denouncing it as a “unfair” decision. “…it (Lok Sabha ethics committee) refused to summon the businessman to testify that there is evidence of any cash or any gifts,” she said, adding, “The recommendation of expulsion was solely based on the complaint that I shared my login. But there is no rule whatsoever in this regard.” She has since been served a notice to vacate her government accommodations – which she has challenged in court. Don’t expect Moitra to go quietly – she has vowed to fight the BJP ‘inside and outside Parliament’. Neeraj Chopra It’s been a banner year for India’s ‘golden boy’. In May, Chopra picked up where he left off at the end of 2022. He would take top position in the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 88.67 metres. August would see Chopra do even better. [caption id=“attachment_13202632” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Neeraj Chopra is the reigning Olympic and world champion in javelin throw. AP[/caption] The 25-year-old javelin thrower would nab a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships with a throw of 88.17 metres – making him the first Indian to do so. Chopra then finished off 2023 by taking another gold medal at the Asian Games.

Chopra’s hunger, however, remains insatiable.

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“There is a saying that throwers have no finish line. The best thing is that we have our javelin. We can always push ourselves. I may have won a lot of medals but the motivation is to throw farther and farther,” Chopra said. “By winning these medals, I should not think that I have achieved everything. I will work harder, push myself harder to win more medals and bring more laurels for my country. If other Indians join me on the podium next time, that will be great,” he said. Parliament intruders By now, everyone in India knows the story. On 13 December, two men jumped into Parliament, shouted slogans and released yellow gas from cannisters. Meanwhile, two other people protested outside Parliament. The shocking breach, ultimately quelled by the MPs themselves, came on the 22nd anniversary of the attack on Parliament. For a few moments, it had many across the nation fearing that the worst had happened yet again. [caption id=“attachment_13502092” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The breach came on the 22nd anniversary of the attack on Parliament.[/caption] The four people – D Manoranjan, Sagar Sharma, Neelam, Anmol Shinde – were immediately arrested . Meanwhile, their compatriots – Vishal and Lalit Jha – were quickly rounded up. Since then, the details about these individuals have been released in torrents – how they found each other on social media, were members of a Bhagat Singh fan page on Facebook, had to deal with frustrations in their professional lives and how they planned the breach in great detail. While the story is far from played out, the names of these six people will live in infamy. Sam Altman The behind-the-scenes drama at OpenAI – the cutting-edge tech firm beloved by Silicon Valley and Wall Street investors – is one of the strangest stories of 2023**.**

And Sam Altman is at the very heart of the tale.

The unceremonious sacking of Altman, arguably the face of Artificial Intelligence today, by OpenAI after a no-confidence vote sent shockwaves through the tech community. Equally shocking was his abrupt return after employees threatened to walk out, solemn statements by major investor and partner Microsoft and those who are thought to have orchestrated the coup made public apologies. [caption id=“attachment_13520182” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Sam Altman was at the center of the biggest mystery in Silicon Valley in 2023.[/caption] So, what happened? Did Open-AI make some massive breakthrough in Artificial General Intelligence? Is something sinister hiding in Altman’s background? Was there a massive security breach? Or was it down to a simple difference in philosophy between those in the unceasing quest for profits and others who want to tread carefully? The next year is likely to bring us some fascinating answers. With inputs from agencies