Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Salman Rushdie collects royal honour at Windsor Castle

Rushdie received the PEN Centenary Courage award at the 2023 Literary Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan

Salman Rushdie collects royal honour at Windsor Castle

Author Salman Rushdie said Tuesday (23) he was back at his writing desk after being repeatedly stabbed at an event last year in the US.

Rushdie returned to Britain to be formally invested as a 'Companion of Honour', an exclusive royal accolade whose ranks are capped at 65 members.


Speaking after the ceremony at Windsor Castle outside London, the 75-year-old writer said it "took a while" but that he had resumed working.

Asked when he expects to complete his next book, he said: "Oh, I'll let you know."

The award-winning novelist, a naturalised American who has lived in New York for 20 years, lost sight in one eye after being repeatedly stabbed on stage last August while speaking at an arts centre.

In February, around the release of his latest novel Victory City, the writer said in his first interview since the attack that he had faced a lot of difficulty writing and was suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Wearing glasses with a black lens over his right eye, Rushdie said at Windsor that it was a 'great honour' to be recognised for a "lifetime" of work, following his investiture by Princess Anne.

The Midnight's Children author was awarded a British knighthood in 2007.

Rushdie has been the victim of repeated death threats and attempts on his life since the publication of his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, which was declared blasphemous by Iran's supreme leader.

(AFP)

More For You

Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

Prince Harry criticised tech companies for citing privacy laws to deny access

Getty

Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called for stronger protections for children online, warning that not enough is being done to shield young people from the dangers of social media

During a visit to New York, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveiled a new memorial dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe harmful online content contributed to their deaths. The installation, named the Lost Screen Memorial, features 50 smartphones, each displaying an image of a child lost to what their families describe as the adverse effects of social media. The memorial was made available to the public for 24 hours.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

Afghan refugees arrive at a camp near the Torkham border last Sunday (20)

Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

MORE than 100,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in the past three weeks, the interior ministry said on Tuesday (22), after Islamabad announced the cancellation of residence permits.

Calling Afghans “terrorists and criminals”, the Pakistan government launched its mass eviction campaign on April 1. Analysts said the expulsions are designed to pressure Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, which Islamabad blames for fuelling a rise in border attacks.

Keep ReadingShow less
Government announces funding for offshore wind supply chains

Energy secretary Ed Miliband reads a letter from Britain's King Charles III during the Future of Energy Security Summit at Lancaster House on April 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Government announces funding for offshore wind supply chains

THE government has announced an initial £300 million investment to strengthen domestic offshore wind supply chains ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review. The funding will be distributed through Great British Energy, the country's publicly-owned clean energy company.

Prime minister Keir Starmer on Thursday (24) said the investment aims to support jobs and help the UK reach clean power by 2030.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-pahalgam-getty

'I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,' Modi said in his first speech since the incident.

Getty Images

Modi vows to hunt Kashmir attackers ‘to the ends of the Earth’

INDIA and Pakistan have exchanged a series of diplomatic measures after prime minister Narendra Modi blamed Pakistan for a deadly shooting in Pahalgam, Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed.

Modi said India would identify and punish those behind the attack and accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump

Trump also announced an initiative on historically black colleges and universities and signed orders on AI education and workforce development.

Getty Images

Trump signs orders targeting university diversity policies and accreditation

DONALD TRUMP signed a set of executive orders on Wednesday aimed at US universities, focusing on foreign donations, college accreditation, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

One order directs the federal government to enforce existing laws requiring universities to disclose large foreign gifts. Another addresses accreditation, which Trump has described as a “secret weapon.”

Keep ReadingShow less