2018 Literature Nobel postponed over sexual assault scandal
This year's Nobel Prize in Literature has been postponed in the wake of a sexual and financial scandal that has engulfed the Swedish Academy, the cultural institution responsible for awarding the prestigious prize.
The academy, one of Sweden's most highly respected institutions, made the announcement Friday morning following a meeting of its remaining 10 active members Thursday evening.
"We find it necessary to commit time to recovering public confidence in the academy before the next laureate can be announced," Anders Olsson, the academy's permanent secretary, said in a statement. He said the academy was acting "out of respect for previous and future literature laureates, the Nobel Foundation and the general public."
The decision does not affect the other Nobel prizes, which are awarded separately. This year's laureate will be announced in 2019, the academy said.
The crisis centers on a string of allegations against Jean-Claude Arnault, a leading cultural figure in Sweden and husband of Katarina Frostenson, who was an academy member until she stepped down in the wake of the scandal.
Arnault, who has attended many Swedish Academy events, is facing multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment, first reported in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter late last year. The academy announced the following day that it had cut all ties with Arnault.
Carl-Henrik Heldin.The Chairman of the Board of the Nobel Foundation released the following brief
The Swedish Academy has decided to postpone the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, with the intention of awarding it in 2019. According to the Swedish Foundations Act, the Nobel Foundation is ultimately responsible for fulfilling the intentions in the will of Alfred Nobel. During the past several weeks, we have pursued a continuous dialogue with the Swedish Academy, and we support Thursday’s decision.
In principle, the Nobel Prize shall be awarded every year, but decisions on Nobel Prizes have been postponed on a number of occasions during the history of the prizes. One of the circumstances that may justify an exception is when a situation in a prize-awarding institution arises that is so serious that a prize decision will not be perceived as credible.
The crisis in the Swedish Academy has adversely affected the Nobel Prize. Their decision underscores the seriousness of the situation and will help safeguard the long-term reputation of the Nobel Prize. None of this impacts the awarding of the 2018 Nobel Prizes in other prize categories.
The Nobel Foundation presumes that the Swedish Academy will now put all its efforts into the task of restoring its credibility as a prize-awarding institution and that the Academy will report the concrete actions that are undertaken. We also assume that all members of the Academy realise that both its extensive reform efforts and its future organisational structure must be characterised by greater openness towards the outside world.
The Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded by the Swedish Academy since its inception following the death of Alfred Nobel in 1896. The prize was postponed on seven previous occasions, six of which occurred during World War I and II. Recent winners include Kazuo Ishiguro, Doris Lessing and Bob Dylan.
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Over 2,800 farmers died by suicide in Karnataka since 2023-24 FY: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): A total of 2,809 farmers have died by suicide in Karnataka since the 2023-24 fiscal year, with the state ranking second in the country for such suicides, Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy has informed the state legislative assembly.
In a written reply to a question from BJP MLA Arvind Bellad during the ongoing winter session in Belagavi, the state agricultural minister said that 1,254 farmer suicides were reported in 2023-24 fiscal, 1,178 in 2024-25, and 377 cases were recorded in 2025-26 (as of now).
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According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Karnataka ranks second nationally in farmer suicides. However, Cheluvarayaswamy noted a decrease in suicides compared to the previous three years.
Data provided by the minister revealed that Haveri reported the highest number of suicides, with 297 cases, followed by Belagavi at 259, Kalaburagi (234), Dharwad (195), and Mysuru (190).
In terms of compensation, the state government disbursed Rs 54 crore to 1,081 eligible farmer families in 2023-24, Rs 44.8 crore to 896 families in 2024-25, and Rs 9.65 crore to 193 families in 2025-26 (until November). There are 112 cases still under review.
The government attributed the delay in compensation payments to technical issues, assuring that once resolved, payments will be made promptly.
Of the 1,254 suicides reported in 2023-24, 164 cases were rejected, and 1,090 families were deemed eligible for compensation.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, 156 cases were rejected, with 1,022 families eligible. For the current fiscal year (2025-26), 46 cases out of 377 suicides were rejected, and 310 families have been deemed eligible for compensation.
BJP State President B Y Vijayendra criticised the Congress-led state government, accusing it of "divine negligence" over the issue of farmer suicides.
"There is no excuse for the negligence of this corrupt Congress government, which has failed to address the plight of farmers. In the last 2.5 years, Karnataka has become second in farmer suicides," he said on 'X'.
It is "shocking" that 2,809 farmers have taken their lives under their rule, he added.
