13 shows to get excited for in 2022: from 'House of the Dragon' to 'Stranger Things'

As a new year approaches, there's plenty of new television programming to get excited for.

From a one-off reunion special of the Harry Potter cast and a Game of Thrones prequel, to an adaptation of popular video game franchise Halo and the return of Stranger Things and Bridgerton, there will be plenty to keep an eye out for in the coming year.

Here's the best:

'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts'

Date: January 1

The HBO Max special reunites stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint to mark the 20th anniversary since the release of the first Harry Potter film.

The stars will share their memories from the decades-long franchise, which thrust them into the spotlight as children, making them some of the most recognisable stars in the world.

Other cast members set to appear include Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), director Chris Columbus, as well as more stars from the eight movies.

It'll be available to watch on OSN Streaming on the same day in the UAE.

'Peaky Blinders'

Date: February

Back for its final outing is this period drama set in Birmingham, England, that follows the exploits of the Shelby crime family in the aftermath of the First World War. The sixth season is rumoured to be coming out in February, following production delays owing to Covid-19, with a new trailer set to drop on New Year’s Day.

So far, a teaser was released earlier this month confirming the return of Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) and another one revealing that Stephen Graham (Line of Duty, Boardwalk Empire) would join the show, hinting that there would be a major clash with the Shelbys.

'Inventing Anna'

Date: February 11

The Netflix drama series is based on the real-life story of Anna Sorokin, a Russian-born German who changed her last name and scammed those around her into believing she was a wealthy socialite in New York before being caught as a con woman. The show is created and produced by Shonda Rhimes and is based on the New York magazine article How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People. Ozark's Julia Garner will star as the title character.

'Killing Eve'

Date: February 27

The British spy thriller show follows intelligence investigator Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) who is trying to capture assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer), and who develop a mutual obsession over the course of the series. Not much is known about the plotline of the fourth season, other than it promises to be a “pitch-black riot”, according to executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle. It’ll have eight episodes and be led by Sex Education’s Laura Neal (each season has a new female writer at its helm).

'Bridgerton', season two

Date: March 25

Shonda Rhimes’s hit Regency drama Bridgerton returns for its second season with a new focus: eldest Bridgerton son Anthony and his mission to find a wife.

Driven by his duty to uphold the family name, his search leads to sisters Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), who have just arrived from India. Anthony decides to court Edwina, but when Kate discovers that true love isn't high on his priority list, decides to step in to try and stop the union. However, Kate and Anthony’s verbal sparring only brings them closer together, complicating matters on both sides.

'Ms Marvel'

Date: Summer 2022

The Disney+ show will star newcomer Iman Vellani, making her acting debut as Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teenager living in New Jersey. She's a good student, an avid gamer and loves to write fan-fiction. She has a special affinity for superheroes, Captain Marvel in particular. But Khan struggles to fit in at home and at school – that is, until she one day gets superpowers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. The show will have six episodes in its first season.

'Stranger Things'

Date: Summer 2022

The anticipated fourth season of the hit Netflix show returns after more than three years. Taking place in 1986, the show picks up after the events of season three, with Eleven, Will, Jonathan and Joyce having relocated to California from Hawkins, Indiana.

Previous trailers seem to hint that not all is going well for Eleven at her new school, as she writes to Mike that she can't wait to see him over spring break. Meanwhile, other trailers offer potential other storylines, including the creepy Creel House that Steve, Dustin, Caleb and Max are shown exploring. Fans will also learn what has happened to Jim Hopper after a trailer revealed he is still alive.

'The Lord of the Rings'

Date: September 2

The epic drama from JRR Tolkien takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. Amazon Prime will release one episode weekly.

'Conversations with Friends'

Date: TBA

Based on Sally Rooney’s 2017 debut novel, this 12-part series will follow angsty Irish millennials Frances (the narrator), her best friend Bobbi and married couple Melissa and Nick as they navigate their way through the complexity of modern relationships. The show stars Alison Oliver, Sasha Lane, Joe Alwyn and Jemima Kirke.

'Halo'

Date: TBA

The popular video game franchise has been turned into a sci-fi TV adaptation starring Pablo Schreiber as the armoured super-soldier Master Chief, while Jen Taylor will reprise her role from the games as Master Chief’s AI companion, Cortana. The show is set to follow an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. However, it’s still not clear whether Halo will be adapting the games directly or tell its own story within the world of the franchise.

'House of the Dragon'

Date: TBA

This series is based on George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood, and is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. It begins with the story of King Viserys sitting on the Iron Throne and his daughter Rhaenyra next in line. However, this leads to a civil war, called the Dance of Dragons, that soon marks the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, as briefly touched upon in Game of Thrones.

'Obi-Wan Kenobi'

Date: TBA

The plot for the Disney+ limited series has been kept under wraps but what is known is that the show will take place 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Ewan McGregor will reprise his role as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader.

'The Sandman'

Date: TBA

Years in the making, The Sandman is based on a popular comic book series by author Neil Gaiman, who’s also creating the show for Netflix alongside David S Goyer and Allan Heinberg. The premise centres around Dream, a wizard who’s just escaped after decades of imprisonment and sets about restoring his kingdom, The Dreaming.

Gaiman describes his story as a blend of “modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven”.

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Company name: Farmin

Date started: March 2019

Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: AgriTech

Initial investment: None to date

Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs

Jumanji: The Next Level

Director: Jake Kasdan

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas

Two out of five stars

Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

Closing the tap when washing hands for those 20 seconds can save billions of litres of water

AWARDS

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How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape

The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality

Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country

Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow

Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

Green waste is recycled as compost

Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

The Greatest Royal Rumble card

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')

Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')

Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

While you're here

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Tomorrow 2021

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What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Company%20Profile

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Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1

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