Amanda Craig Archives - North India Kaleidoscope

November 16, 2020November 30, 2021 Books Culture

Great gags, hope and happy endings: books to cheer everyone up

From a wartime romance to a comedy of cooking errors … Amanda Craig recommends books that lift the spirits

Winter Olympics 2022: China eases Covid testing rules amid rise in cases January 26, 2022
Organisers lower testing benchmarks while the rest of the city faces harsher Covid restrictions.
Republic Day: How India's military parade became a spectacle January 26, 2022
Every year, India celebrates Republic Day on 26 January with a show of military might and diversity.
Winter Olympics: Will the Beijing Games be 'green and clean'? January 26, 2022
China is promising a greener Winter Olympics, although critics are not sure if it can deliver.
Aboriginal Tent Embassy: A powerful beacon of protest for 50 years January 26, 2022
A protest that began 50 years ago with a beach umbrella remains a potent symbol of Aboriginal activism.
Bollywood's Shilpa Shetty cleared of obscenity over Richard Gere kiss January 25, 2022
The Bollywood star had faced charges after actor Richard Gere kissed her on a Delhi stage in 2007.
Tonga volcano: 'We hope for the best for our families back home' January 25, 2022
Tongans living in Fiji are collecting donations to support those impacted by the volcano and tsunami.
Indonesia: Brawl and fire in West Papua nightclub leaves 19 dead January 25, 2022
Victims were trapped by the blaze after rival groups fought with machetes in West Papua province.
Central Asia blackout leaves millions without power January 25, 2022
A surge disconnects a major power line from the shared grid, causing chaos across the region.
Tonga: Covid hits crucial Australian aid ship bound for tsunami-struck nation January 25, 2022
The Australian vessel is carrying a large shipment of much-needed aid, including water and shelter.
Liu Xuezhou: Outrage over death of 'twice abandoned' China teen January 25, 2022
The 17-year-old, who was sold as a child, had launched a campaign to look for his birth parents.
Mumbai winter: India's muggy city is butt of jokes in 'winter' memes January 25, 2022
The unusually cold weather in India's financial capital has amused the internet.
Australian Open: Peng Shuai T-shirt ban reversed after outcry January 25, 2022
The turnaround comes less than 24 hours after organisers banned the shirt for being "political".
Aboriginal flag: Australian government secures copyright after row January 25, 2022
Aboriginal Australians say the symbol of identity was previously "held hostage" by lease agreements.
Uttar Pradesh: Why deadly cow attacks are an issue in Indian state election January 25, 2022
Uttar Pradesh banned cow slaughter. Now, stray cattle are destroying crops and attacking people.
Beijing takes to the ice as Winter Olympics approach January 25, 2022
The BBC's Stephen McDonell spends a day on the ice with some local enthusiasts in Beijing.
Tonga volcano: Eruption more powerful than atomic bomb, Nasa says January 24, 2022
The eruption earlier this month showered the Pacific nation in ash and triggered a tsunami.
Beijing 2022 vs 2008: Two Olympics and two very different Chinas January 24, 2022
In 2022, the mood, the host government's attitude, and global expectations are all very different to 2008.
Srikanth Bolla: The blind CEO’s £48m company which nearly didn’t happen January 24, 2022
As a teenager, blind businessman Srikanth Bolla sued an Indian state to study maths and science.
How will Tonga's broken internet cable be mended? January 24, 2022
What does its breakage tell us about the problems of getting coverage to remote areas?
Afghan women taken from their homes after speaking out January 21, 2022
The BBC searches for an Afghan woman removed from her home after protesting against Taliban rule.

England captain Farrell needs surgery and will miss entire Six Nations January 26, 2022
England captain Owen Farrell will miss the entire Six Nations with an ankle injury that requires surgery.
Can Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel build on 12 months of success at Stamford Bridge? January 26, 2022
Thomas Tuchel has shown his brilliance and frustration in his first year at Chelsea, but is trying to build foundations for the future at a normally rocky club.
Disney responds to Peter Dinklage's criticism of Snow White remake January 26, 2022
Actor Peter Dinklage called a live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "backwards".
Texas synagogue siege: Two men arrested in Manchester January 26, 2022
Two suspects are detained in Manchester as part of the investigation into the attack in Texas.
Ukraine: US could sanction Putin personally if Russia invades, Biden says January 26, 2022
US president Joe Biden says an invasion would have "enormous consequences" for the world.
Dozens feared lost as 'smuggling' boat capsizes off Florida January 26, 2022
US officials say the vessel may have been part of a "human smuggling venture".
Dominant Tsitsipas beats Sinner in straight sets to reach semi-finals January 26, 2022
Stefanos Tsitsipas reaches the Australian Open semi-finals for a third time with a dominant victory over Jannik Sinner.
Missing girl meets her rescuer again decades later January 26, 2022
Back in 1968, toddler Kathy Wrethman went missing in Australia but was recovered safely.
Winter Olympics: Kaillie Humphries' 10,000-mile race to reach Beijing 2022 January 26, 2022
Why double Olympic bobsleigh champion Kaillie Humphries needed to name the American president in WW1 to qualify for Beijing 2022.
Message in a bottle from Scottish girl found in Norway after 25 years January 26, 2022
The bottle Joanna Buchan dropped in the sea at Peterhead when she was eight has washed up in Norway.
Winter Olympics 2022: China eases Covid testing rules amid rise in cases January 26, 2022
Organisers lower testing benchmarks while the rest of the city faces harsher Covid restrictions.
IMF urges El Salvador to remove Bitcoin as legal tender January 26, 2022
Officials say the decision poses risks to financial stability and consumer protection in the country.
BBC Komla Dumor Award 2022 launched January 26, 2022
The BBC is seeking a future star of African journalism for the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award 2022.
Two-thirds with Omicron say they have had Covid before January 26, 2022
The latest findings hint at how common reinfections might be and who is more likely to catch Covid again.
Africa Cup of Nations: A football celebration overshadowed by tragedy January 26, 2022
Monday's deadly stampede exposed the troubling side of the Africa Cup of Nations, writes Maher Mezahi.
Republic Day: How India's military parade became a spectacle January 26, 2022
Every year, India celebrates Republic Day on 26 January with a show of military might and diversity.
Winter Olympics: Will the Beijing Games be 'green and clean'? January 26, 2022
China is promising a greener Winter Olympics, although critics are not sure if it can deliver.
'I grew up in care alone - why did no-one tell me I had siblings?' January 26, 2022
Ashley John-Baptiste grew up in care, unaware he had siblings. His new documentary is called Split Up in Care: Life Without Siblings.
The rejected Dragons' Den contestant now making millions January 26, 2022
From being rejected on Dragons' Den to making millions, Alex Savelli shares his secrets to success.
Major legal changes needed for driverless car era January 26, 2022
The company behind the driving system would be responsible, rather than the driver says Law Commission.