Author Salman Rushdie stabbed at event in New York - Financial Times

Salman Rushdie, the author who has lived under a death threat from Iran for several decades, has been stabbed on stage during a literary event in the US.

Police said Rushdie, 75, suffered an apparent stab wound to the neck and was taken by helicopter to a hospital. “His condition is not yet known,” they said.

Rushdie’s agent Andrew Wylie said the author was alive and in surgery, Reuters reported.

The writer was scheduled to speak at the Chautauqua Institution, about a 90-minute drive south-west of the city of Buffalo in western New York state, on Friday.

“At about 11am, a male suspect ran up on to the stage and attacked Rushdie and an interviewer,” New York state police said in a statement.

The suspect had been taken into custody by a state trooper who was assigned to the event, the police said. No additional information about the attacker was available.

The Chautauqua Institution said Rushdie was at the event for a discussion about the US “as asylum for writers and other artists in exile and as a home for freedom of creative expression”. He was joined on stage by Henry Reese, co-founder of a Pittsburgh-based group that houses writers living in exile, who suffered a minor head injury according to police.

Salman Rushdie is loaded on to a medical evacuation helicopter after the attack © Horatio Gates/AFP/Getty Images

Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses, first published in 1988, generated controversy for how it depicted the Islamic prophet Mohammed. The book was banned in Iran and the supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie in 1989.

Following the death threat, Rushdie went into hiding. He lived with armed guards and adopted the alias Joseph Anton.

Twitter temporarily banned Iran’s current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2019 for tweeting that Ayatollah Khomeini’s fatwa against Rushdie was “solid and irrevocable”.

The venue at which Rushdie was attacked opened in 1874 as a venue to teach Methodist Sunday school teachers, before becoming the centre of a wider educational movement.

It is known for its summer programme, which hosts well-known authors, musicians and religious leaders, and for bringing together a variety of religious faiths. A Chautauqua representative could not be reached for comment on Friday.

“It happened at a place that is very familiar to me,” said New York governor Kathy Hochul. “This is a place ideally suited for him to be able to speak and that’s what he was attempting to do, just in the last hour before he was attacked.”

The governor, who hails from western New York, said she will provide more information on the identity of the perpetrator and a case will be brought.

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2022-08-12 21:04:39Z
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Novelist Salman Rushdie stabbed on stage - BBC News - BBC News

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2022-08-12 16:33:18Z
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Donald Trump: Mar-a-Lago search warrant could be unsealed - BBC

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The US Department of Justice is asking a Florida court to unseal the warrant that let FBI agents search former President Donald Trump's home.

If granted, the request would make the documents available to the public.

Attorney General Merrick Garland also revealed he personally approved the warrant, which was executed at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago property on Monday.

The justice department has so far not revealed the reason for the search - but the unsealed warrant could.

Mr Trump has until Friday to object to the unsealing - or could release details of the warrant himself.

According to the Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, classified documents relating to nuclear weapons were among the items FBI agents were looking for in the Mar-a-Lago raid.

The sources did not tell the newspaper whether the information involved US weapons or some other nation's, nor whether any such documents were recovered.

Monday's FBI search is believed to be connected to an investigation into whether the former president removed classified records and sensitive material from the White House.

Until now, the justice department has followed its normal practice of remaining silent during an investigation - and documents such as search warrants traditionally remain sealed during a pending investigation.

But Mr Garland said he was asking a court to make documents connected to the search warrant available in the public interest.

He said his decision was also influenced by Mr Trump announcing the search had taken place.

"The public's clear and powerful interest in understanding what occurred under these circumstances weighs heavily in favour of unsealing," Justice Department lawyers said in a motion filed in federal court on Thursday.

Monday's search was the first time in American history that a former president's home has been searched as part of a criminal investigation. It was condemned by Mr Trump and other Republicans as politically motivated.

Reuters

But speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Mr Garland defended FBI agents and justice department officials from the accusations.

"I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked," Mr Garland told reporters.

He also said the decision to search was not taken lightly. "Where possible it is standard practice to seek less intrusive means," he said.

In a statement on Thursday the former president said his team was "cooperating fully" with the with federal investigators.

Garland fights back

There was no detail in Merrick Garland's press conference about what the search warrant contained, what was found, or whether it was - as media reports have suggested - an inside Trump source that provided the FBI with the key information.

But not nothing either. The attorney general revealed he had personally authorised the search warrant. And he said that the DOJ is seeking a court order to have the warrant and the list of items taken from Mar-a-Lago made public.

Prosecutors don't tend to reveal their cards in public during an ongoing investigation - something Mr Garland made clear was for good reason.

But the accusations from the Republican movement - and from Donald Trump himself, of course - that the department is being weaponised by the Democrats, have been damaging.

And without any formal statement, it's a narrative that's been left largely unchallenged.

This was Mr Garland insisting that far from being an assault on the law, the search was the law taking its proper course.

Trump records probe timeline

• January 2022 - The National Archives retrieves 15 boxes of White House records from Mar-a-Lago, and says some of the documents it received at the end of Trump administration had been torn up
• February - Reports emerge that classified files were found in the Mar-a-Lago cache and National Archives has asked DoJ to investigate
• April - US media report the FBI has begun a preliminary investigation into how allegedly classified material ended up at Mar-a-Lago
• 3 June - A senior DoJ official and three FBI agents travel to Mar-a-Lago to review the items in a basement and Mr Trump drops by to say hello, according to reports
• 8 June - Federal investigators reportedly write to a Trump aide to request a stronger lock be used to secure the room storing the items in question. Trump says that request was quickly fulfilled
• 22 June - The Trump Organization reportedly receives a DoJ legal summons for CCTV footage from Mar-a-Lago
• 8 August - Dozens of agents execute a search warrant of Mar-a-Lago, removing about 10 boxes from the property

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2022-08-11 23:12:32Z
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Zaporizhzhia nuclear workers: We're kept at gunpoint by Russians - BBC

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Staff at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have described to the BBC being kept at gunpoint while Russian troops use it as a military base.

Invading forces have occupied the site, the biggest nuclear plant in Europe, since early March. However, it's still operated by Ukrainian technicians.

Moscow has recently been accused of using the plant "as a shield" while its troops launch rockets from there towards nearby locations.

And on Thursday, more shelling was reported - and the head of the UN issued a new warning about fighting near the nuclear site "leading to disaster".

Now two workers have told the BBC about the daily threat of kidnap, as well as their fears of either "radioactive contamination of the wider region" or a nuclear catastrophe.

• UN alarm as Ukraine nuclear plant shelled again

In the southern city of Nikopol is one of the most dangerous vantage points in Ukraine.

On the banks of the Dnipro River, it's possible to see the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant 10 miles across the water.

It's a place which has seen heavy shelling over the past couple of weeks, with up to 120 rockets being reported in a single night.

They come from the direction of Enerhodar, the city where the plant is situated.

In turn, Enerhodar - and the power station - have also come under heavy fire.

The UN's nuclear watchdog claims there's a "real risk of nuclear disaster" unless the fighting stops and inspectors are allowed access.

Ukraine and Russia blame each other. The picture is murky, but the risks are crystal clear.

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"My working day is a constant stress," says Svitlana, who's contacting us over text.

She and fellow worker Mykola can only use Russian Sim cards now and signal is very limited. We're not using their real names for their safety.

"I can't work like I used to," says Svitlana. "The last week I haven't even been able to come to my workplace - it's dangerous.

"On Saturday, there was shelling of the nitrogen-oxygen station, which caused a fire. By some miracle, the people working there survived."

Another Enerhodar resident tells us that shop and pharmacy prices are now four times higher than in territory that Ukraine still controls, as well as there being a shortage of doctors. Most ATMs are closed, too.

Svitlana has worked at the plant for many years, and says shells have been landing close to it every day.

"The psychological situation is difficult," she adds. "Soldiers are walking everywhere with weapons and everyone is actually kept at gunpoint."

Russia is accused of basing about 500 soldiers there. Recent footage has showed military vehicles being driven inside, and Svitlana is in no doubt it's being used as a base.

"Every day they drive back and forth in their military vehicles," she says.

"They positioned their military equipment right at the station buildings, to make it impossible for Ukrainian armed forces to strike."

A text comes in from Mykola: "The staff are now hostages of the Russians," it reads.

"They turned off the internet, left only landline phones, and food is available only in one single dining room. They turned the others into their bases."

Ukraine is concerned Russia has started shelling the area it occupies to try to create a false narrative, such as: "Ukraine is attacking you - so better vote to join Russia so we can take root and protect you."

Moscow-installed politicians for the Zaporizhzhia region have just signed an order for a referendum to be held soon. Russia has staged sham votes in the past, such as with Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

Mykola continues: "Access to all roofs is prohibited, they made their observation points there. The training building also became their barracks.

"Now, more and more often, staff are kidnapped just when leaving the shift at the security gate."

It's not known why the kidnapping takes place - but residents paint a picture of intimidation as Russians look to lay down down law.

Svitlana and Mykola also describe rubbish being left everywhere by the Russians - but they say staff are still able to monitor the reactor properly.

Zaporizhzhia: How the crisis unfolded

• March 2022: Shortly after the start of their invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops seize the plant. Its management is told it now belongs to Russian state nuclear power company Rosatom. Ukrainian staff continue to operate the plant under Russian control
• July: Russian forces reportedly deploy rocket launchers in the complex, turning it into a military base
• 3 August: The International Atomic Energy Agency says the plant is "completely out of control" and needs an inspection and repairs
• 5 August: Ukraine's nuclear agency, Enerhoatom, says two rounds of Russian rocket fire prompted its operators to disconnect a reactor from the power grid
• 8 August: Ukraine says renewed Russian shelling has damaged three radiation sensors and injured a worker. Local Russian-backed authorities say Ukrainian forces hit the site with multiple rocket launchers
• 10 August: Foreign ministers from the G7 group of nations say Russia must immediately hand back control of the plant to Ukraine
• 11 August: More shelling of the plant is reported, with Ukraine and Russia again blaming each other

Hryhoriy Plachkov, former head of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, tells us the risks are "great" as long as the Russians controls the Zaporizhzhia power plant.

He admits it would take "two to three" months for the Russians to re-direct power back to their own grid, if that was their goal.

Enerhodar is part of a southern front line which has seen more intense fighting in recent weeks.

There is, however, still very little movement - suggesting Europe's biggest nuclear power station will continue to slip from Ukraine's control.

Additional reporting by Daria Sipigina and Hanna Chornous.

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2022-08-11 18:36:16Z
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Trump refuses to answer questions in New York state probe - Financial Times

Donald Trump refused to answer questions at a deposition in a New York state probe into his businesses on Wednesday, invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination amid deepening legal woes.

Trump said in a statement that the “current administration and many prosecutors across the country have lost all moral and ethical bounds of decency”, leaving him with “no choice” but silence. The former US president’s comments followed a search of his Mar-a-Lago property in South Florida by FBI agents on Monday as part of a separate investigation.

“Accordingly, under the advice of my counsel and for all of the above reasons, I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution,” Trump said.

Trump’s refusal to answer questions under oath represents a major U-turn for the former president, who once said only guilty members of the “mob” would claim their right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment of the US constitution.

But it comes as the former president and many of his Republican followers have adopted an increasingly defiant stance, attacking US judicial and government institutions when confronted with multiple legal probes by federal and state authorities as he weighs a new bid for the presidency in 2024.

Trump had been resisting providing testimony in the civil case being brought by Letitia James, the New York state attorney-general, but had finally agreed to be deposed on Wednesday. The probe relates to allegations that Trump provided “fraudulent and misleading financial statements”, including inflated valuations of his properties.

The former president’s decision comes as a legal and political firestorm has enveloped him in the wake of Monday’s FBI raid, which was related to a separate federal investigation into his handling of classified records from his time at the White House that were found at Mar-a-Lago.

The US justice department and the FBI have so far failed to explain the rationale behind the search, the first in US history at the home of a former president. However, the move would have to have been approved by a federal judge on the basis of “probable cause” that a crime was being committed at the site of the search.

Speaking to reporters in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday, FBI director Christopher Wray said: “Well, as I’m sure you can appreciate that’s not something I can talk about.”

Trump and his lawyers have harshly criticised the search as unnecessary, but they have not publicly released the warrant that would include additional details in the case.

Since the FBI raid, many Republicans have rushed to Trump’s defence and criticised US law enforcement agencies for executing a political vendetta and failing to provide any explanation for the unprecedented search, even though it is standard practice not to comment on ongoing investigations.

A group of House Republicans met with Trump on Tuesday night at his golf club in New Jersey to express their support and encourage him to plough ahead with a 2024 bid. “He is not deterred. He’s not fazed at all by what the DoJ has done to him,” Jim Banks, the Indiana Republican, told Fox News.

“House Republicans are unified more than ever before to fight alongside president Trump to save this country . . . And the sooner he gets out and starts campaigning, the better he helps Republicans in the midterm elections,” he added.

 

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2022-08-10 20:00:40Z
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John Bolton: Iranian man charged in US over alleged assassination plot - BBC

Reuters

An Iranian man has been charged by the US with plotting to kill former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton.

US officials said Shahram Poursafi, a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRG), was in Iran and wanted over the alleged plot.

They said Mr Poursafi was likely seeking revenge for the US strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, Iran's most powerful military commander.

Soleimani spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East.

The 62-year-old headed the IRG's elite Quds Force. He was killed at Baghdad airport in Iraq in January 2020 in a strike ordered by President Donald Trump.

An Iranian government spokesperson told state media that the allegations were "baseless".

In its announcement of the charges, the US Department of Justice said Mr Poursafi, aka Mehdi Rezayi, 45, of Tehran, had "attempted to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 (£245,000) to carry out the murder in Washington DC or Maryland".

AFP/Getty

The charges detail how the Iranian operative had asked a US resident who he had met online to take pictures of Mr Bolton, allegedly for a book he was writing. The unnamed resident had then introduced Mr Poursafi to another individual who was later asked to kill Mr Bolton and provide video evidence of the murder.

In a statement, Mr Bolton thanked the FBI and the justice department for their work.

"The justice department has the solemn duty to defend our citizens from hostile governments who seek to hurt or kill them," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G Olsen.

"This is not the first time we have uncovered Iranian plots to exact revenge against individuals on US soil and we will work tirelessly to expose and disrupt every one of these efforts."

• Why the US had Soleimani in its sights
• A brief history of US-Iran relations
• How Ayatollah Khamenei became Iran's most powerful man

At the time of his death, Soleimani was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in Iran, behind Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Quds Force, an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, reported directly to the ayatollah and Soleimani was hailed as a heroic national figure.

But the US classifies the Quds Force as terrorists and holds them responsible for the deaths of hundreds of US personnel.

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2022-08-10 20:50:43Z
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John Bolton: Iranian man charged in US over alleged assassination plot - BBC

Reuters

An Iranian man has been charged by the US with plotting to kill former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton.

US officials said Shahram Poursafi, a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRG), was in Iran and wanted over the alleged plot.

They said Mr Poursafi was likely seeking revenge for the US strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, Iran's most powerful military commander.

Soleimani spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East.

The 62-year-old headed the IRG's elite Quds Force. He was killed at Baghdad airport in Iraq in January 2020 in a strike ordered by President Donald Trump.

In its announcement of the charges, the US Department of Justice said Mr Poursafi, aka Mehdi Rezayi, 45, of Tehran, had "attempted to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 (£245,000) to carry out the murder in Washington DC or Maryland".

AFP/Getty

The charges detail how the Iranian operative had asked a US resident who he had met online to take pictures of Mr Bolton, allegedly for a book he was writing. The unnamed resident had then introduced Mr Poursafi to another individual who was later asked to kill Mr Bolton and provide video evidence of the murder.

In a statement, Mr Bolton thanked the FBI and the justice department for their work.

"The justice department has the solemn duty to defend our citizens from hostile governments who seek to hurt or kill them," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G Olsen.

"This is not the first time we have uncovered Iranian plots to exact revenge against individuals on US soil and we will work tirelessly to expose and disrupt every one of these efforts."

• Why the US had Soleimani in its sights
• A brief history of US-Iran relations
• How Ayatollah Khamenei became Iran's most powerful man

At the time of his death, Soleimani was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in Iran, behind Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Quds Force, an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, reported directly to the ayatollah and Soleimani was hailed as a heroic national figure.

But the US classifies the Quds Force as terrorists and holds them responsible for the deaths of hundreds of US personnel.

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2022-08-10 16:28:11Z
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