Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai tipped for Nobel prize

A teenage Pakistani activist shot by the Taliban and a Japanese author who writes about alienation and a fractured modern world are tipped to win Nobel Prizes ahead of the annual awards that start tomorrow.

Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban last year for demanding education for girls, gave a speech at the United Nations in July saying she would not bow to “terrorists” who thought they could silence her. The 16-year-old is a favourite for the peace prize among experts and betting agencies.

"I have Malala Yousafzai on top," said Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of Oslo-based peace research institute PRIO. One obstacle could be her age. Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni human rights activist and youngest winner to date, was 32 when she received the prize.

Facing threats
Some experts argue the prize would overburden such a young woman. Yousafzai lives in Birmingham, England, and still faces Taliban threats.

British bookmaker Ladbrokes has put Japanese author Haruki Murakami in pole position for the literature prize.

Murakami is very popular in Japan, but has also become well known abroad for his works which deal with isolation and love and bring the surreal into everyday life. – (Reuters)