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Spent much time in the metaverse in 2022? Or perhaps you’ve been in goblin mode?

Maybe you’ve been supporting causes or certain people on social media, nailing your colours to the online mast with the hashtag #IStandWith.

These three “words” are the finalists for word of the year 2022 by Oxford Languages, the home of the Oxford English Dictionary.

A team of expert lexicographers has narrowed down a longlist of contenders to just three words – but for the first time ever, members of the public will get the final say.

The winner will follow “vax”, Oxford’s word of the year for 2021. Dictionary rival Collins has already announced its word for this year – “permacrisis”, meaning “an extended period of instability and insecurity”; Cambridge Dictionary has also announced its word as “homer” – you can find out why it annoyed people here.

So which of Oxford’s top three would you choose?

Metaverse – a virtual reality (VR) environment

Oxford says: “In ‘metaverse’, we see the conceptual future brought into the vernacular in 2022. From hybrid working in VR, to debates over the ethics and feasibility of an entirely online future, usage of this word has quadrupled in October 2022 compared to the same period last year.”

#IStandWith – recognises the activism and division that has characterised this year

Oxford says: “From war in Ukraine, to the Depp v Heard lawsuit, this ‘word’ coined on social media to align your views to a cause or person can often further foster dispute (and sometimes even hate speech) in its polarising nature.”

Goblin mode – the idea of rejecting societal expectations in favour of doing what you want

Oxford says: “Early usage dates back to 2009-10, but as we emerged from lockdowns all over the world, the phrase has been coined in rejection of returning ‘back to normal’ after a fake ‘quote’ from [Kanye West’s ex] Julia Fox brought the term back into the mainstream.”

For those who don’t know the Fox “goblin mode” story, a false quote posted by a Twitter user about Fox and West’s break-up was picked up by some news and media outlets after going viral; a great example of fake news, which was actually Collins Dictionary’s word of the year in 2017.

Voting for Oxford’s 2022 word of the year is now open and closes on 2 December.

In a statement, Oxford Languages said this year had been defined “by opening back up” following the pandemic, but that despite being able to physically reunite “our world somehow feels more divided” than ever.

“In recognition of this shift, we wanted to open up the final step of our word of the year selection process to the true arbiters of language: people around the world.”

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Rageh Omaar says he was ‘determined to finish presenting programme’ after becoming unwell live on air

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Rageh Omaar says he was 'determined to finish presenting programme' after becoming unwell live on air

ITV News broadcaster Rageh Omaar has said he was “determined to finish presenting the programme” after returning home following hospital treatment.

Viewers expressed concern about the 56-year-old presenter after he appeared to fall “unwell” live on air during News At Ten on Friday night.

In a statement shared by ITV News, Omaar said: “I would like to thank everyone for their kindness and good wishes, especially all the medical staff, all my wonderful colleagues at ITV News, and our viewers who expressed concern.

“At the time, I was determined to finish presenting the programme. I am grateful for all the support I’ve been given.”

An ITV News spokesperson said he was recovering at home with his family following medical treatment at a hospital.

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Om Fahad: Iraqi social media influencer shot dead by gunman on motorbike who posed as food delivery rider – report

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Om Fahad: Iraqi social media influencer shot dead by gunman on motorbike who posed as food delivery rider - report

A well-known Iraqi social media influencer has reportedly been shot dead in her car by a gunman on a motorbike.

Om Fahad, whose real name is Ghufran Sawadi, was killed outside her home in Baghdad’s Zayouna district on Friday, according to the AFP news agency, citing security officials.

It appears the unidentified attacker pretended to be delivering food to the victim, one security source said.

Om Fahad, who has nearly half a million TikTok followers, became famous for posting light-hearted videos where she dances to Iraqi music.

Six days ago, she shared footage of herself driving in a car and also posing in front of a mirror. They have each been watched hundreds of thousands of times.

The influencer was sentenced to six months in prison in February last year for sharing videos that a court ruled contained “indecent speech that undermines modesty and public morality”.

A campaign was launched in 2023 by the Iraqi government to clamp down on social media content which broke the country’s “morals and traditions”.

The interior ministry set up a committee to look for “offensive” clips on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, with several influencers being arrested.

“This type of content is no less dangerous than organised crime,” the ministry declared in a promotional video which asked the public to help by reporting such content.

“It is one of the causes of the destruction of the Iraqi family and society.”

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Speaking last year, interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan argued the morality campaign has “nothing to do with freedom of expression”.

Read more:
Injuries after explosion at Iraq military base
UK soldiers ‘exposed’ to toxic chemical in Iraq must get answers

In 2018, gunmen in Baghdad shot dead Tara Fares, who was a model and influencer.

After years of war and sectarian conflict following the 2003 US invasion that overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq has returned to some semblance of normality despite sporadic violence, political instability and corruption.

But civil liberties, particularly among women and sexual minorities, are still constrained in a conservative and male-dominated society.

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R Kelly loses appeal to overturn 20-year sentence for child sex abuse

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R Kelly loses appeal to overturn 20-year sentence for child sex abuse

R Kelly’s challenge against a 20-year sentence for child sex convictions has been quashed by an appeals court. 

The singer was correctly sentenced to 20 years in prison, a Chicago court ruled on Friday.

He was convicted in 2022 on three charges of producing child sexual abuse images and three charges of enticement of minors for sex.

In his appeal, Kelly, 57, argued Illinois’ old statute of limitations – which required prosecution of child sex crime charges within 10 years – should have applied, rather than the current law permitting charges while an accuser is still alive.

The appeals court rejected this, labelling it an attempt by Kelly to elude the charges entirely after “employing a complex scheme to keep victims quiet”.

He also argued that charges involving one accuser should have been tried separately from the charges tied to three other accusers due to video evidence that became a focal point of the Chicago trial.

Prosecutors have said the video showed Kelly abusing a girl. The accuser, only identified as Jane, testified for the first time that she was 14 when the video was taken.

The three-judge panel from the appeals court noted jurors acquitted Kelly on seven of the 13 counts against him “even after viewing those abhorrent tapes”.

Read more on Sky News:
Newsreader ‘receiving medical care’ after on-screen behaviour worries fans
Actress Emma Stone says she ‘would like to be’ called by her real name

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In a written statement, Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean said they plan to seek a US Supreme Court review of the decision and “pursue all of his appellate remedies until we free R Kelly”.

“We are disappointed in the ruling, but our fight is far from over,” she said.

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