Harvard's first Black president, Claudine Gay, resigned after criticism regarding her response to anti-semitism on campus. Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following the congressional testimony.

Harvard President Claudine Gay quits amid row over response on anti-semitism

San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge gets nets to prevent suicide deaths. Watch to know more.

San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge gets nets to prevent suicide deaths

Chinese media praises India's economic growth, foreign policy under PM Modi | WION

Chinese media praises India's economic growth, foreign policy under PM Modi

Iowa school shooting: Shooter dead, multiple injured at Perry High School, says officials.

Iowa school shooting: Shooter dead, multiple injured at Perry High School, says officials

According to law enforcement authorities, the gunman at Perry High School killed himself with a gunshot wound. According to the officials, three more people were hurt in today's incident, including two students and an administrator. Information on the wounds was not immediately accessible.

Multiple people shot at Iowa high school on the first day after winter break, officials say | WION

The Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf party has approached the Supreme Court in a last-ditch bid to save its bat symbol. This, after the Peshawar high court restored the ECP'S order stripping the party of its electoral symbol for the upcoming election. The Lahore high court has also dismissed PTI'S plea challenging the electoral watchdog's decision.

Pakistan: PTI battling for its electoral 'bat' symbol

Who was Jeffrey Epstein, and what are the court documents about? Formerly redacted names of the financier and sex offender’s network were revealed in records unsealed on Wednesday. The documents also highlight Epstein’s ultra-luxurious lifestyle and over $580 million fortune, which has been reduced to size since his death.

Who was Jeffrey Epstein? Where did he source his $580 mn fortune?

South Africa's genocide case against Israel sets up high-stakes legal battle at UN's top court. Indonesia and Malaysia come in support of South Africa's case, while the united states terms genocide charge 'meritless'.

Israel: Prepared to appear before the international court of justice

A new antibiotic, Zosurabalpin, is set to revolutionize the fight against the deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB).

Trending on WION: Scientists welcome new antibiotic that kills drug-resistant bacteria CRAB

How much does a regular envelope costs? $1 or $2 maximum, well, French luxury brand - Hermes - is selling an A5 size envelope for $125 (Rs 10,400) but according to them the envelope in question is no ordinary one. Watch the video to know more.

Hermes offers single paper envelope for $125

In an attempt to fortify the temple town of Ayodhya housing the soon-to-be consecrated Ram Mandir, security agencies are planning to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) for surveillance, according to media reports.

Ayodhya to be under AI surveillance for Ram temple inauguration

Ram Mandir consecration: AI surveillance likely to be introduced to protect temple

Here we bring you a quick round-up of all the latest news and top headlines from all across the globe: Four killed in Israeli strikes in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp; Hezbollah leader warns Israel of war 'without restrictions'. Watch the video to know more!

WION Speed News: Israel ups assault on Gaza; Hezbollah Chief warns Israel

Will there be a full-blown war in the South China Sea in 2024? Xi Jinping sounded a warning to Taiwan ahead of Jan 13 polls. Analysts are predicting a conflict in the South China Sea this year. The Philippines, and Japan are preparing for the worst.

China begins two-day patrol drills in South China Sea

The Supreme Court of Western Australia allowed a 62-year-old woman to remove sperm from the dead body of her husband so that it could be used in posthumous fertilisation.

Australia: Supreme Court allows woman to remove sperm from her dead husband

Is the Junta losing ground in Myanmar? Myanmar's Junta is battling unprecedented opposition alliance & struggling to recruit people amid poor equipment issues. Watch to get more insights!

Myanmar's Junta battles unprecedented opposition alliance

Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sentenced to 6 months in prison for violating the country's labour laws. Priyanka Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus sentenced to 6 months in prison

The Indian Navy has enhanced maritime surveillance efforts in central as well as northern parts of Arabian Sea. This comes amid the rising incidents of attacks on merchant vessels transiting through international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and central/north Arabian Sea.

Indian Navy steps up Arabian Sea security, deploys frontline destroyers

Nepal to destroy 4 million Chinese covid vaccine. Watch the video to know more.

Nepal to destroy 4 million Chinese covid vaccine

In a tent in the Utah desert, a Chinese exchange student who was the victim of a "cyber kidnapping" scheme in which his parents were blackmailed for US$80,000 was discovered alive but "cold and scared," according to police.

Missing Chinese student found in US forest after cyber kidnapping fraud

Over the course of the past week, at least three members of Congress have reported incidents of "swatting." The most recent to disclose that he was the victim of criminal harassment is New York Republican Brandon Williams. Typically, the act entails prank-calling 911 in order to summon a heavily armed Swat team to the target's residence.

Three members of Congress targeted in ‘swatting’ incidents

Watch firework displays and New Year's Eve events from around the world live here.

World welcomes 2024 with New Year's fireworks | Pond stolen in India's Bihar

A robust conviction rate of 94.70 percent, nearly 28 percent surge in arrests, attachment of assets worth Rs 56 crore and a focus on dismantling terror outfits and gangs operating in Punjab — these were the key achievements of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2023, an officer said.

India: NIA terror crackdown scales new high in 2023

The new airport of Ayodhya is going to be named as 'Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham'. PM Modi is expected to inaugurate the airport on Dec 30.

Ayodhya's airport renamed after Maharishi Valmiki | Fog grips New Delhi

Between our top <a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/features/top-7-political-genre-books-of-2023-1700652509270">politics</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/features/ai-in-2023-top-7-technology-reads-of-the-year-1700786538795">technology</a> reads of 2023, we have had enough to write&nbsp;about the books that defined and sometimes even dominated the news cycle this year. At the end of 2023, we reached out to individuals across our newsroom to find out what books&nbsp;— old and new&nbsp;— they loved reading the most this year.&nbsp;

Here are the books that hooked WION newsroom in 2023.&nbsp;

Aprameya Rao, Business Journalist, WION Business Desk<img alt="Vajpayee by Abhishek Choudhary" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="946c8be5-39a0-4898-89d5-3197d84b44ef" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T121238.423.png" />

VAJPAYEE: The Ascent of the Hindu Right, 1924–1977 by Abhishek Choudhary | Pan Macmillan 
 
Indian biographies often end up being too passionate and biased which defeats the purpose of critical evaluation. But former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's latest biography by Abhishek Choudhary 
defies the trend — quite comprehensively. Choudhary's book intertwines Vajpayee's&nbsp;early life with the rise of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) as a political party. Along the way, we also see how Vajpayee tried to mould the BJS into an acceptable political force. The book ends in 1977 when Vajpayee becomes the Foreign Minister in Prime Minister Morarji Desai's cabinet. I am looking forward to reading the second part, expected to be released in 2024.

Eric Njoka, News Presenter, WION<img alt="Who ate my cheese" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="53c91e8b-73b0-4c6a-a0ba-f35a28c7c6c4" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T130913.892.png" />

Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson | Vermilion London

When we have good times in life (enough supply of cheese), we tend to forget that situations may not be the same in the future. During food times, we tend to feel safe and&nbsp;secure, cosy in comfort zone, proud, and at times arrogant of our success. But when we face the challenges in our lives (when the cheese is moved away from us), the complex human brain tends to over analyse the situation. We start ranting and raving at the injustice. We feel depressed, frustrated, angry and even paralysed by our own fears of the unknown. This book has helped me balance my life

Prisha, Senior Sub-editor, WION Web Desk

<img alt="The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="27c8bcc1-e07a-4bf4-8869-87e2152b7216" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T121514.528.png" />

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy | EBURY Press 
 
This is an account of the most heartfelt conversation between a boy and his companion who are on a journey called 'life'. With every page, you are likely to find an answer to a question that has remained deep inside your heart. The book is a combination of multiple emotions including the feeling of warmth and love. It's a story to be told again and again, a lesson to be learned and revised till eternity.

Veer Vikram Mukherjee, Assistant Producer,&nbsp;WION Assignment Desk

<img alt="Lover Boy of Bahawalpur" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bcfe872a-c240-4e1f-a341-0d3ffa381916" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T122224.425.png" />

The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur: How the Pulwama Case was Cracked by Rahul Pandita | Juggernaut

For all that it's worth, the Balakot airstrikes after the Pulwama terrorist attack in 2019 were a watershed in India's policy to combat Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur, in that context, is the product of a remarkable journalistic observation. The book presents the world of anti-India jihad in an unputdownable format.

Mukul Sharma, Journalist, WION Web Desk<img alt="Putin life and times" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c6098944-eabe-43e6-8ad5-c8341ff7d375" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T122413.439.png" />

Putin: His Life and Times by Philip Short | Bodley Head

Longtime foreign correspondent Philip Short meticulously describes Russian President Vladimir Putin as a consequentially ruthless leader with scheming pragmatism. I began reading this one in June 2023,&nbsp;the time when the Kremlin was shaken by an unprecedented insurrection by Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group fostered by Putin himself. In less than 36 hours, the armed uprising ended as dramatically as it had begun. By the time I finished reading this over 900-page book, Prigozhin was killed in a mysterious plane crash — a remarkable coincidence between the events Short mentioned in the book with the real-time news cycle.&nbsp;

Tapasya Iyer,&nbsp;Trainee Journalist, WION Production Desk

<img alt="Aanchal Malhotra book" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1175186-f508-4c9f-9ec6-8d16d763b2c0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T122544.331.png" />

Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects from a Continent Divided by Aanchal Malhota | C Hurst &amp; Co Publishers Ltd 
 
Having heard a lot about this book by Aanchal Malhotra, I picked it up with a desire to know more about the history of partition. Little did I know I would get an emotional rollercoaster ride. The stories and memories from different families made me understand how any political decision has a deep impact on the personal lives of ordinary&nbsp;people. The essence of the book is in its unique storytelling style which takes you in&nbsp;the past.

Moohita Kaur Garg, Journalist, WION Web Desk<img alt="Lies Our Mothers Told Us" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c4637c5e-aa85-4752-a3de-4300b27d462a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T122656.155.png" />

LIES OUR MOTHERS TOLD US: The Indian Woman's Burden by Nilanjana Bhowmick |&nbsp;Aleph Book Company

We have all heard the phrases glass ceiling and gender inequality, but for many of us, it is a hard pill to swallow. Are Indian women toiling away under a burden? I, an Indian woman, didn't think so. After all, I'm an opinionated, well-educated person, pursuing a career I love. Above all, I'm the daughter of a strong woman who lived her life by her own rules. However, this book, 'Lies Our Mothers Told Us', opened my eyes to the invisible burden my mother carried and passed on to me. Everyone, irrespective of gender you identify as, must read this to gain insight into the gender dynamics women in India face every day.

Shomini Sen, Associate Editor, WION Entertainment Desk<img alt="How I taught my grandmother to read" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b8ef3b63-7cc9-4a0b-904a-5023ec27791c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T123029.898.png" />

How I Taught My Grandmother to Read: And Other Stories by Sudha Murty | Penguin Books Limited

Although the book is aimed for young adults, the author takes readers back to her childhood and her native village in Maharashtra and narrates some heartwarming stories of hope and learning. Truly for all ages.

Parul Rajwanshi, Assistant Producer,&nbsp;WION Programming Desk<img alt="City of Djinns" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e6920d7f-d5fb-4bfd-ad53-17dd0f2e08a8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T135817.957.png" />

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple | Bloomsbury India

“Delhi stands on seven cities and all of us, like the seven cities, are at once several and singular," Dalrymple writes.

This gripping travelogue is the outcome of Dalrymple’s six-year-long stay in the city. It tells you about how New Delhi came to be, who all ruled over its ever-expanding contours and built it from within too, and all races of people who’ve set foot and settled in this mighty, mighty metropolis.&nbsp;

New Delhi’s history is never in its past, and if this timeless city had to write its own memoir, it would’ve written it exactly so.

Shashwat Swaroop Garg, Trainee Journalist,&nbsp;WION Production Desk

<img alt="The Bells of Old Tokyo" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8f8d57e-bcc9-4dbd-ae4e-94858b2679bf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T145119.569.png" />

The Bells of Old Tokyo: Travels in Japanese Time | Picador

It was the one book this year that blew me away. Not because of my love for Tokyo or Japanese culture, but because of how personal and grounded in realism the book felt. Sherman did an amazing job at capturing the feeling of being in Tokyo which in itself is a melting pot of culture, heritage, art, and everything in between. It truly made me feel like I've always been a part of Tokyo and its rich and wonderful history and culture.

Hanshika Ujlayan, Assistant Producer, WION Business Desk

<img alt="Murakami" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9141e5dc-77e9-4960-a870-58ff45b6cbc0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T123307.129.png" />

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami | Vintage

This year, I was drawn to 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' by Haruki Murakami, a thoughtful memoir that weaves the author's enthusiasm for long-distance running with his life as a writer. Murakami humanises the road, making it a partner on his trip. The Japanese literary genius describes the symbiotic relationship that exists between running and creativity. The book's introspective narrative reveals the discipline and attention needed in both endeavuors. Murakami's expressions of self-discovery make this book a captivating investigation of the intersections of physical and creative endurance, connecting with individuals who value isolation and tenacity.

Riya Teotia, Journalist, WION Web Desk<img alt="Jhumpa Lahiri" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0ae7fa1f-afb1-47b7-b67e-a0f8658ae808" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T123709.411.png" />

Whereabouts: A Novel by Jhumpa Lahiri |&nbsp;Penguin Hamish Hamilton

Jhumpa Lahiri's 'Whereabouts'&nbsp;was the best book that I read in a long time. It is a captivating book that delves deep into the complexities of human emotions and the nuances of solitude. Its episodic way of writing makes the novel easy to relate to and makes one feel more close to the narrator. In today's world of hustle-bustle, the book stands out as a place of comfort. It almost feels like a deep study of human observations, experiences, and perspectives when they are lonely in life.

Ishita Mittra, Trainee Journalist, WION Output Desk<img alt="Morrie" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0175630-55c3-4918-9ab6-abaf5e87fc79" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T130756.357.png" /> 
Tuesdays With Morrie: An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson by Mitch Albom | Sphere

If yellow crayon could speak, it would say what the book Tuesdays with Morrie speaks. A book richly peppered with all emotions on the spectrum leaves you longing. Longing to live more, longing to be loyal to the moment, and longing to experience more. In short, it tells you it's okay to be sad, but you have to meet your sad self, and once you do that, it's just another emotion. I would recommend this book to everyone. Once you begin reading it, you'll find yourself running through the pages with a constant smile on your face. 
 
Manas Joshi, Journalist,&nbsp;WION Web Desk<img alt="Gentleman Bastards" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="69582254-46dc-45bc-b380-267db77985ae" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T131413.485.png" />

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch | Del Ray

The book, first in a trilogy named the 'Gentleman Bastards' is perfect for a fantasy fan who is tired of the usual 'good versus bad' and is in a mood to explore the path of an anti-hero. This book with 'Ocean's Eleven'-esque vibes has some great world-building that any fantasy series requires in the first place. As you read about the heists that ultimately come together in a grand story unfolding (and continuing) in the background, you'd wish you were living in Camorr, the fictional city built by a mysterious alien race but now infested with con men, rich people, and power brokers, all of whom have vices very very human.

<h2>This book remained a constant across WION newsroom in 2023</h2>

All through 2023 starting in February, Declan Walsh's 'Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Divided Nation'&nbsp;went to places across multiple&nbsp;departments in the WION newsroom.<img alt="Nine Lives of Pakistan" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c745d6ac-bcec-4013-b71b-aca52ec49b95" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202023-12-30T135626.800.png" /> 
The Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Divided Nation by Declan Walsh | Bloomsbury Publishing 
 
As Pakistan loomed large in the news cycle of South Asia, Walsh's work served as a reference to&nbsp;the country's&nbsp;chequered&nbsp;history in a way&nbsp;that only one of the nine subjects is still alive by the end of the book. Walsh's description of Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-arrest-how-isi-angels-rule-pakistan-590710">farishtey</a>&nbsp;(or angels) caused spirited discussions on the functioning of Islamabad's corridors of power — especially after former Prime Minister Imran Khan's first arrest in May and subsequently an unprecedented <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/to-coup-or-not-coup-pakistan-armys-options-after-imran-khans-mini-intifada-592986">attack by Khan's supporters</a> at army headquarters in Rawalpindi.

The book closes with the description of a 2013 attack by Baloch separatists over juniper-covered hills in Quetta in the country's restive Balochistan province. The separatists had attacked the&nbsp;residence of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s conflicted and complicated founding father where he had spent his final months in 1948.&nbsp;

Walsh finally describes a video showing the attack on Jinnah's Quetta house.&nbsp;

"The militants gather the paintings into a bonfire, douse it with petrol and set it alight. Moving outside, they tear down a Pakistani flag and run a revel standard up the flagpole. Behind them, the wooden structure crackles as flames lick its walls. A window shatters. Dogs bark. The masked men vanish into the night as the house of Jinnah burns silently."

Between our top politics and technology reads of 2023, we have had enough to write about the books that defined and sometimes even dominated the news cycle this year.

Between our top politics and technology reads of 2023, we have had enough to write about the books that defined and sometimes even dominated the news cycle this year. At the end of 2023, we reached out to individuals across our newsroom to find out what books — old and new — they loved reading the most this year. Here are the books that hooked WION newsroom in 2023. Aprameya Rao, Business Journalist, WION Business Desk VAJPAYEE: The Ascent of the Hindu Right, 1924–1977 by Abhishek Choudhary | Pan Macmillan Indian biographies often end up being too passionate and biased which defeats the purpose of critical evaluation. But former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's latest biography by Abhishek Choudhary defies the trend — quite comprehensively. Choudhary's book intertwines Vajpayee's early life with the rise of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) as a political party. Along the way, we also see how Vajpayee tried to mould the BJS into an acceptable political force. The book ends in 1977 when Vajpayee becomes the Foreign Minister in Prime Minister Morarji Desai's cabinet. I am looking forward to reading the second part, expected to be released in 2024. Eric Njoka, News Presenter, WION Who Moved My Cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson | Vermilion London When we have good times in life (enough supply of cheese), we tend to forget that situations may not be the same in the future. During food times, we tend to feel safe and secure, cosy in comfort zone, proud, and at times arrogant of our success. But when we face the challenges in our lives (when the cheese is moved away from us), the complex human brain tends to over analyse the situation. We start ranting and raving at the injustice. We feel depressed, frustrated, angry and even paralysed by our own fears of the unknown. This book has helped me balance my life Prisha, Senior Sub-editor, WION Web Desk The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy | EBURY Press This is an account of the most heartfelt conversation between a boy and his companion who are on a journey called 'life'. With every page, you are likely to find an answer to a question that has remained deep inside your heart. The book is a combination of multiple emotions including the feeling of warmth and love. It's a story to be told again and again, a lesson to be learned and revised till eternity. Veer Vikram Mukherjee, Assistant Producer, WION Assignment Desk The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur: How the Pulwama Case was Cracked by Rahul Pandita | Juggernaut For all that it's worth, the Balakot airstrikes after the Pulwama terrorist attack in 2019 were a watershed in India's policy to combat Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur, in that context, is the product of a remarkable journalistic observation. The book presents the world of anti-India jihad in an unputdownable format. Mukul Sharma, Journalist, WION Web Desk Putin: His Life and Times by Philip Short | Bodley Head Longtime foreign correspondent Philip Short meticulously describes Russian President Vladimir Putin as a consequentially ruthless leader with scheming pragmatism. I began reading this one in June 2023, the time when the Kremlin was shaken by an unprecedented insurrection by Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner mercenary group fostered by Putin himself. In less than 36 hours, the armed uprising ended as dramatically as it had begun. By the time I finished reading this over 900-page book, Prigozhin was killed in a mysterious plane crash — a remarkable coincidence between the events Short mentioned in the book with the real-time news cycle. Tapasya Iyer, Trainee Journalist, WION Production Desk Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects from a Continent Divided by Aanchal Malhota | C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Having heard a lot about this book by Aanchal Malhotra, I picked it up with a desire to know more about the history of partition. Little did I know I would get an emotional rollercoaster ride. The stories and memories from different families made me understand how any political decision has a deep impact on the personal lives of ordinary people. The essence of the book is in its unique storytelling style which takes you in the past. Moohita Kaur Garg, Journalist, WION Web Desk LIES OUR MOTHERS TOLD US: The Indian Woman's Burden by Nilanjana Bhowmick | Aleph Book Company We have all heard the phrases glass ceiling and gender inequality, but for many of us, it is a hard pill to swallow. Are Indian women toiling away under a burden? I, an Indian woman, didn't think so. After all, I'm an opinionated, well-educated person, pursuing a career I love. Above all, I'm the daughter of a strong woman who lived her life by her own rules. However, this book, 'Lies Our Mothers Told Us', opened my eyes to the invisible burden my mother carried and passed on to me. Everyone, irrespective of gender you identify as, must read this to gain insight into the gender dynamics women in India face every day. Shomini Sen, Associate Editor, WION Entertainment Desk How I Taught My Grandmother to Read: And Other Stories by Sudha Murty | Penguin Books Limited Although the book is aimed for young adults, the author takes readers back to her childhood and her native village in Maharashtra and narrates some heartwarming stories of hope and learning. Truly for all ages. Parul Rajwanshi, Assistant Producer, WION Programming Desk City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple | Bloomsbury India “Delhi stands on seven cities and all of us, like the seven cities, are at once several and singular," Dalrymple writes. This gripping travelogue is the outcome of Dalrymple’s six-year-long stay in the city. It tells you about how New Delhi came to be, who all ruled over its ever-expanding contours and built it from within too, and all races of people who’ve set foot and settled in this mighty, mighty metropolis. New Delhi’s history is never in its past, and if this timeless city had to write its own memoir, it would’ve written it exactly so. Shashwat Swaroop Garg, Trainee Journalist, WION Production Desk The Bells of Old Tokyo: Travels in Japanese Time | Picador It was the one book this year that blew me away. Not because of my love for Tokyo or Japanese culture, but because of how personal and grounded in realism the book felt. Sherman did an amazing job at capturing the feeling of being in Tokyo which in itself is a melting pot of culture, heritage, art, and everything in between. It truly made me feel like I've always been a part of Tokyo and its rich and wonderful history and culture. Hanshika Ujlayan, Assistant Producer, WION Business Desk What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami | Vintage This year, I was drawn to 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' by Haruki Murakami, a thoughtful memoir that weaves the author's enthusiasm for long-distance running with his life as a writer. Murakami humanises the road, making it a partner on his trip. The Japanese literary genius describes the symbiotic relationship that exists between running and creativity. The book's introspective narrative reveals the discipline and attention needed in both endeavuors. Murakami's expressions of self-discovery make this book a captivating investigation of the intersections of physical and creative endurance, connecting with individuals who value isolation and tenacity. Riya Teotia, Journalist, WION Web Desk Whereabouts: A Novel by Jhumpa Lahiri | Penguin Hamish Hamilton Jhumpa Lahiri's 'Whereabouts' was the best book that I read in a long time. It is a captivating book that delves deep into the complexities of human emotions and the nuances of solitude. Its episodic way of writing makes the novel easy to relate to and makes one feel more close to the narrator. In today's world of hustle-bustle, the book stands out as a place of comfort. It almost feels like a deep study of human observations, experiences, and perspectives when they are lonely in life. Ishita Mittra, Trainee Journalist, WION Output Desk Tuesdays With Morrie: An old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson by Mitch Albom | Sphere If yellow crayon could speak, it would say what the book Tuesdays with Morrie speaks. A book richly peppered with all emotions on the spectrum leaves you longing. Longing to live more, longing to be loyal to the moment, and longing to experience more. In short, it tells you it's okay to be sad, but you have to meet your sad self, and once you do that, it's just another emotion. I would recommend this book to everyone. Once you begin reading it, you'll find yourself running through the pages with a constant smile on your face. Manas Joshi, Journalist, WION Web Desk The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch | Del Ray The book, first in a trilogy named the 'Gentleman Bastards' is perfect for a fantasy fan who is tired of the usual 'good versus bad' and is in a mood to explore the path of an anti-hero. This book with 'Ocean's Eleven'-esque vibes has some great world-building that any fantasy series requires in the first place. As you read about the heists that ultimately come together in a grand story unfolding (and continuing) in the background, you'd wish you were living in Camorr, the fictional city built by a mysterious alien race but now infested with con men, rich people, and power brokers, all of whom have vices very very human. This book remained a constant across WION newsroom in 2023 All through 2023 starting in February, Declan Walsh's 'Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Divided Nation' went to places across multiple departments in the WION newsroom. The Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Divided Nation by Declan Walsh | Bloomsbury Publishing As Pakistan loomed large in the news cycle of South Asia, Walsh's work served as a reference to the country's chequered history in a way that only one of the nine subjects is still alive by the end of the book. Walsh's description of Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as farishtey (or angels) caused spirited discussions on the functioning of Islamabad's corridors of power — especially after former Prime Minister Imran Khan's first arrest in May and subsequently an unprecedented attack by Khan's supporters at army headquarters in Rawalpindi. The book closes with the description of a 2013 attack by Baloch separatists over juniper-covered hills in Quetta in the country's restive Balochistan province. The separatists had attacked the residence of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s conflicted and complicated founding father where he had spent his final months in 1948. Walsh finally describes a video showing the attack on Jinnah's Quetta house. "The militants gather the paintings into a bonfire, douse it with petrol and set it alight. Moving outside, they tear down a Pakistani flag and run a revel standard up the flagpole. Behind them, the wooden structure crackles as flames lick its walls. A window shatters. Dogs bark. The masked men vanish into the night as the house of Jinnah burns silently."

WION newsroom on books it loved in 2023—this one emerged as clear winner

There were some diplomatic hiccups in 2023 after Khalistan supporters vandalised Indian missions and embassies in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. Ties between Canada and India soured after Justin Trudeau said that there were 'credible allegations' of Indian involvement in the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Wion travelled to London to show how the Indian High Commission was targeted by Khalistanis and also spoke Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian High Commssioner to the UK

Recapping 2023: How Khalistan movement led to a diplomatic standoff involving India

As the countdown begins for the US Presidential race, trouble is mounting for Donald Trump. After many legal battles, Trump is now ineligible to appear on Maine's 2024 primary ballot.

Maine's top election official removes Donald Trump from primary ballot

A faction of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on Friday (Dec 29) signed a peace accord with the government of the northeast Indian state of Assam and India's federal government. They agreed to shun violence, disband the organisation and join democratic process in the country. ULFA is the oldest insurgent group operating in Assam.

ULFA, insurgent group in northeast Indian state Assam, signs peace accord with Centre

China appoints naval commander as new defence minister. General Dong Jun has served in all major naval divisions in the plan.

Dong Jun appointed as China's new Defence Minister

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday said the deployment of a British warship to waters off the coast of Guyana breaches the "spirit" of an agreement reached between Venezuelan and Guyanese authorities. In a statement, Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said the country "reserves all actions, within the framework of the Constitution and International Law, to defend its maritime and territorial integrity."

Venezuela launches military exercise over UK warship ‘threat’

There has been an unprecedented drone menace across the Indo-Pak border. India has intercepted 90 drug-carrying drones from Pakistan.

Gravitas: Pakistan's 'drug drones' infiltrate india

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