Author Salman Rushdie gets German honour

Berlin: Author Salman Rushdie called on Sunday for the unconditional defence of freedom of expression as he received the prestigious Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for continuing to write despite enduring decades of threats and violence. The British-American author decried the current age as a time when freedom of expression is under attack by all sides, including from authoritarian and populist voices, according to a German media report. ap

Norway’s 86-year-old king tests Covid positive

Helsinki: Norway’s 86-year-old King Harald V, who has been in frail health for the past few years, has tested positive for Covid and has mild symptoms, royal officials said on Sunday. The Norwegian monarch had also tested positive in March 2022 with mild symptoms. Officials have earlier said Harald had received three Covid vaccine shots but it’s not known whether he had received booster shots. PM Jonas Gahr Store wished the king “a speedy recovery”. ap