How Taiwan is defying China

Yogi’s principles: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was a star campaigner for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, sent a strong message in the latter part of the electioneering. He reportedly refused to address a meeting in support of a BJP candidate in Chandla of Chhatarpur, despite going to a neighbouring seat, because of the candidate’s criminal record. Yogi is said to have argued that he could not seek votes for a person with such antecedents while he was engaged in rooting out crime in his own state. Appreciable stand, but will his party shun the cons in the future? | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Why India lost: Stand aside cricket experts. That maverick maharaj, the president of the All India Hindu Mahasabha, Chakrapani, has figured out why India lost the World Cup final. He deems it an “international conspiracy”, as the final coincided with Chhath Puja—a festival of sun worship. And because people were more interested in watching the match than supplicating to the sun deity, defeat was a foregone conclusion. Let this be a warning for all future sporting events, the maharaj has cautioned.

Governor, gardener: You thought bonsai originated in China and was copied by the Japanese? That’s what Google would tell you. But, Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai says bonsai was practised by ancient Indian ayurvedics as vaman vriksha kala. He has found a 1,000-year-old text authored by Surpala, which explains how to grow fruit-bearing dwarf trees so that the medics can grow them in their backyards and make medicines from freshly obtained fruits, leaves, roots and bark. The governor has even grown a garden of dwarf trees on the Raj Bhavan premises, and has now come out with a book of pictures of his garden complete with scientific notes on each tree.

Double whammy: Comedian Vir Das won the International Emmy for Comedy for his Netflix show, Vir Das Landing. “For India. For Indian comedy,” Das captioned a photo of him holding the award on social media. “Every breath, every word. Thank you to the Emmys for this incredible honour.” Das is the first Indian comedian to win this award. India had one more reason to celebrate with producer ektaa kapoor being honoured with the international emmy directorate award for her “trailblazing career and impact on the indian television landscape” | Getty Images, Reuters

Queen of hearts: Madhuri Dixit was honoured with the ‘Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema’ award at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. Union sports minister Anurag Thakur described her talent as “unparalleled”. “From the effervescent Nisha to the captivating Chandramukhi, the majestic Begum Para to the indomitable Rajjo, her versatility knows no bounds,” he shared on X. The nine-day festival opened on November 20 with Catching Dust, a thriller by award-winning British filmmaker Stuart Gatt | Amey Mansabdar

Enduring love: On their 23rd wedding anniversary, Hollywood actor Catherine Zeta-Jones penned a sweet note to husband Michael Douglas on Instagram. “Today we celebrate 23 years of marriage,” she wrote. “Darling Michael, your Nobel Peace Prize awaits. I love you... from your darling wife, a gold star Medal of Honor recipient.” Zeta-Jones and Douglas, also an actor, met in 1996 at the Deauville Film Festival. They share the same birthday (September 25) and have two children together—Dylan, 23, and Carys, 20 | GettyImages

Sting binge: Rock legend Sting is on his way to India to perform at the second edition of the Lollapalooza music festival in Mumbai. The international lineup also includes the likes of the Jonas Brothers and OneRepublic. Over 35 bands will perform across four stages at the festival, which is scheduled to take place on January 27 and 28. Lollapalooza—with previous non-American editions held in Chile, Brazil, France and Germany—is one of the largest music festivals in the world | Shutterstock