Knighthoods for Rushdie, Botham

One is best remembered for winning the Ashes for England at Headingley 26 years ago. Another had a fatwa declared on him by Iran's spiritual leader for writing the Satanic Verses.

Ian Botham and Salman Rushdie have received knighthoods in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Novelist Rushdie, 59, spent almost a decade in hiding from 1989 after Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini called for his assassination.

His book Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize in 1981.

Botham's award is as much in recognition of his charity fundraising as it is for his cricketing achievements.

The cricketer, 51, is regarded as England's greatest all-rounder. He has raised around £10 million for Leuaemia Research and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Other honours include a CBE for Barry Humphries, creator of Dame Edna Everage, and an OBE for Manchester United and Wales winger Ryan Giggs, who recently announced his international retirement.

Cancer sufferer Jane Tomlinson was awarded a CBE and KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky received a CGB.

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