and in an exclusive interview with the bbc, sir salman rushdie speaks about the knife attack which almost ended his life. world leaders meeting in an emergency session at the un have warned that the middle east is on the brink — and that now is the time to de—escalate, after last night's attack on israel by iran. iran and iran—backed groups in iraq, syria and yemen launched an estimated 300 drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles towards israel. the vast majority of the projectiles were shot down by israel — with help from the us, the uk and other countries. iran said it was responding to an israeli strike earlier this month on its consulate in syria's capital damascus, that killed several iranian

military commanders. us officials say presidentjoe biden told israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, to think �*very carefully�* about his response — after israel vowed to exact a price from iran, at a time of its choosing. the un security council convened an emergency session on sunday to discuss the crisis. opening the meeting, the un's secretary—general, antonio guterres, told diplomats, it's vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the middle east. adding, "civilians are already bearing the brunt and paying the highest price". but israel's ambassador rejected the call for the violence to stop saying "this attack crossed every red line and israel reserves the legal right to retaliate." he said it was vital to israel's future

to respond to the attack. a nation of lions." but iran's ambassador defended his nation's actions — have a listen. we are never seeking to contribute to the spread of the conflict — contribute to the spread of the conflict in _ contribute to the spread of the conflict in the region, nor does _ conflict in the region, nor does it_ conflict in the region, nor does it wish to escalate or spread _ does it wish to escalate or spread for tensions through the entire _ spread for tensions through the entire region. live now to ambassador yossi amrani. he is israel's consul general to new york city. thank you for being with us. the day after the night before. hundreds of drones and missiles launched by iran last night. what is your assessment today of what israel encountered last night?

you have all seen the pictures live yesterday night, and that was an horrific night over the country when iran launched around 330 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles at israel and cruise missiles at israel and whatever the excuses made today about the iranian foreign minister and their ambassador to the un, they were targeting israel yesterday and it's the first time iran, a country sponsoring terrorism and the country behind terror, let's remember is responsible for the explosion of the embassy in bonn cyrus in the early 90s and all of us who are being told about the vienna convention and the sanctity of diplomatic missions, whatever the mission in damascus, iran is a country sponsoring terror and this time

for the first time it's not by proxy like hamas,, it's directly from iran targeting israel and fortunately because of the air defence capabilities of the air defence capabilities of inns —— of israel, the different multilayered systems and the incorporation of the international partners, the us, britain and regional partners we intercepted almost 99% and there was no serious damage in israel and one unfortunately, a bedouin girland we israel and one unfortunately, a bedouin girl and we are praying for her speedy recovery as she is in a critical condition in hospital, but altogether we overcame it and our defence proved efficient. that doesn't change the picture. the reality either. a, change the picture. the reality either. ., i. change the picture. the reality either. ., , ., ., change the picture. the reality either. ., ., either. may i ask you what you believe israel's _ either. may i ask you what you believe israel's next _ either. may i ask you what you believe israel's next step - either. may i ask you what you

believe israel's next step to i believe israel's next step to believe israel's next step to be when we know the united states for example has urged restraint? figs states for example has urged restraint?— restraint? as you know, the israeli cabinet _ restraint? as you know, the israeli cabinet empowered l restraint? as you know, the i israeli cabinet empowered the prime minister, minister of defence to take the necessary decision and israel is assessing the circumstances and the pros and cons of whatever action is. israel is always taking care directly of, and independently, its defence and i don't think this will change. you might ask about the timing but we are fighting terror. iran is a country sponsoring terror and we will continue to fight terror. the means, the methods, the time, this is something for the israeli government to decide and it will not be discussed in public and definitely not on the media. , ., , . media. the israeli defence minister — media. the israeli defence minister has _ media. the israeli defence minister has said - media. the israeli defence minister has said that - media. the israeli defence minister has said that the l minister has said that the campaign is not over yet. does that signalled that there likely will be a reprisal here?

well, the defence minister said it accurately and i can just reiterate what he said, and what i said earlier on, we have been fighting iranians terror over the last 30 plus years and iran made its efforts to procure weapons of mass destruction and nuclear capability is trying, through proxies, just so terror in israel and beyond, attacking and targeting israelis all over the world, israeli missions and offices and terror within israel so this missile attack or another, israel so this missile attack oranother, it's israel so this missile attack or another, it's an ongoing war and it means the timing it's something for the cabinet to decide on. something for the cabinet to decide on-— something for the cabinet to decide on. �* , ., ., , decide on. ambassador, many thanks for _ decide on. ambassador, many thanks for being _ decide on. ambassador, many thanks for being with - decide on. ambassador, many thanks for being with us - decide on. ambassador, many thanks for being with us and l decide on. ambassador, manyl thanks for being with us and we appreciate it. sir salman rushdie has

spoken in chilling detail to the bbc about the knife attack which almost ended his life. the acclaimed author was stabbed 12 times on stage in new york two years ago. he said he thought he was dying, and the loss of sight in one of his eyes upsets him every day. he was speaking to the bbc s alan yentob in new york, before the publication of his new memoir about the aftermath of the attack. oh, my god. author salman rushdie has been stabbed. more breaking news tonight after author salman rushdie was attacked. august 2022. one of the world's most famous authors is left fighting for his life. it has shocked the entire world. author salman rushdie attacked. he was dressed in dark clothing and he had like a black covid mask. and he just came sprinting up the stairs. in a major tv interview, he tells me what he remembers. i actually thought he'd punched me

very hard. i didn't realise there was a knife in his hand. and then. then i saw the blood and i realised there was a weapon. and then he just started, i think he wasjust slashing wildly at everything. so there was a very big slash here across my neck as well as the stab wound here. and there were wounds down by the middle of my torso, one, two, three like that and the two on the side over here. and then there was the wound in my eye, which was quite deep. it looked terrible. i mean, it was very distended, swollen, and it was kind of hanging out of my face, sitting on my cheek, like a soft boiled egg. and... and blind. while this was happening, something extraordinary happened and that the audience jumped onto the stage and... ..saved my life. talk about heroism. that's heroism. i was lying there on the ground, bleeding profusely.

and i'm thinking, i want my house keys. and i think that was that survival instinct that was saying to me, "you're going to live." live. ijust remember the sounds of. the machines and the ventilator breathing for him. that's what i remember. and i thought, - you know, at least he's come through this surgery. i thought at least i'm not . a widow, is what i thought. rushdie's life has been threatened before. in 1989, after the publication of the satanic verses, the iranian supreme leader, ayatollah khomeini, issued a death threat, a fatwa calling the book an insult to islam. i come to think of that whole episode as being ancient history, as i say in the book. so i felt like a time traveler.

i felt like somebody coming out of the past to attack me in the present. and so one of the first things i thought when i saw him coming at me and i thought, "oh, it's you, you know, so it's you." the man accused of carrying out the attack is hadi matar from new jersey. he pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. he took very little trouble to inform himself about the man he was planning to kill. he said he'd read a couple of pages. he didn't say of what, and that he'd watched a couple of youtube videos and decided that i was disingenuous, disingenuous and therefore right to kill. there's a sentence in the book where i say that language is a knife. you know, language is a way of cutting things open and revealing the truth. calling this book knife is notjust a description of the attack against me. the book is the knife. the book is my kmife and it's my way of fighting back. that was alan yentob.

well i spoke to alan earlier to talk more about his exclusive interview with sir salman. thank you for taking the time and speaking to us today. i understand that your friendship with sir salman rushdie goes back decades. i am just wondering in conducting this interview and having this conversation with him if there was anything you learnt about him this time, anything that surprised you. i him this time, anything that surprised you.— him this time, anything that surprised you. i don't know if it surprised _ surprised you. i don't know if it surprised me _ surprised you. i don't know if it surprised me but _ surprised you. i don't know if it surprised me but i - surprised you. i don't know if it surprised me but i tell - surprised you. i don't know if it surprised me but i tell you| it surprised me but i tell you what i felt was his incredible courage. he has faced up to this and it could have been something so devastating that he would have to give up writing and he considered that the wounds were extraordinary. there were 12 strikes the knife, slashing his face, his neck, his hand and his eye and he lost the sight in his right eye. it was devastating. but he

remains committed to the principles and values easel was hurt and that is for freedom of speech. you have known sir salman rushdie for such a long time, before the fatwa and afterwards as well.- time, before the fatwa and afterwards as well. and knowing all of the danger, _ afterwards as well. and knowing all of the danger, what - afterwards as well. and knowing all of the danger, what do - afterwards as well. and knowing all of the danger, what do you . all of the danger, what do you think it is that propels him and drives him? i think it is that propels him and drives him?— and drives him? i think his belief in — and drives him? i think his belief in the _ and drives him? i think his belief in the values - and drives him? i think his belief in the values that i belief in the values that writers should be allowed to write, that freedom of expression is essential, but it's more and more at risk as we are seeing what is going on around the world and freedom of speech is now more at risk than it was before and i have to say this is a horror story and a love story because he has been supported by his wife, eliza, throughout this, day and night for months on end and i think he's gratefulfor that

for months on end and i think he's grateful for that and i don't know if your listeners and viewers know that president biden gave an extraordinary speech supporting salman rushdie and praising those people who jumped rushdie and praising those people whojumped on rushdie and praising those people who jumped on stage and saying that this was the man who was a champion of freedom of speech and he needed to be protected and there was no one else quite like him.— else quite like him. talking about that _ else quite like him. talking about that courage - else quite like him. talking about that courage as - else quite like him. talking i about that courage as salman rushdie had been living under the fatwa for 25 years under the fatwa for 25 years under the spectre of a death threat and knowing him through that time, what it something where you felt he was cognisant of it the whole time? what would he have been feeling taking to the stage on that night? let have been feeling taking to the stage on that night?— stage on that night? let me exlain stage on that night? let me exnlain the _ stage on that night? let me explain the what _ stage on that night? let me explain the what happened l stage on that night? let me. explain the what happened in the early years for 12 or 15 years, he could go nowhere without security and men with guns by him. he literally had

to live with them and every time on the occasions that we saw him, myself and my wife visiting him there were always men with guns at the door and when he eventually went to america about 23 years ago, he went determined that he was going to recover his life and he was called a party animal and god knows what, but he did and god knows what, but he did and he had been used to being free and he had not expected what happened but there were no precautions that and as anybody knows in many organisations including the bbc normally you have to go through some kind of routine to get in and in fact it was discovered that the attack at had a bag of knives with him that were not discovered.— with him that were not discovered. ., , , , ., discovered. finally, because of

the friendship, _ discovered. finally, because of the friendship, the _ discovered. finally, because of the friendship, the enduring i the friendship, the enduring friendships that you have with sir salman rushdie, i understand he confided something in you with regards to a sense he had before the event. tell me that.- to a sense he had before the event. tell me that. two nights before the _ event. tell me that. two nights before the event, _ event. tell me that. two nights before the event, someone i event. tell me that. two nights before the event, someone had event. tell me that. two nights i before the event, someone had a dream, or i say a nightmare, in which he dreamt he was in amphitheatre and where this happened was in amphitheatre and he was attacked by a gladiator with a spear. it's a bit like the gladiator from our ridley scott and he woke up shouting and rolling around in his bed and his wife said that this was a premonition and he must not go. but in the end he realised he was there to speak about these values that were so important to him and in the end he decided to go and he went and what he had dreamt in this

nightmare that happened happened. nightmare that happened happened-— nightmare that happened ha ened. , .,., ., , happened. truly extraordinary. thank you _ happened. truly extraordinary. thank you very _ happened. truly extraordinary. thank you very much _ happened. truly extraordinary. thank you very much for i happened. truly extraordinary. | thank you very much for sharing your insights with us. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. the biggest names in theatre gathered for the 0livier awards at the royal albert hall in london. the 0liviers celebrate the best of british theatre and is the industry's most prestigious awards ceremony. mark gatiss won the best actor award for his role in �*the motive and the cue' and sarah snook won the best actress prize for her one—woman show, �*the picture of dorian gray'. she spoke about what it's like to act 26 different roles in the play. it's been a huge challenge and i've loved every moment of it. i've loved every moment of it. i think it's a very fulfilling challenge at the time to switch off on in no time to think about anything and if i do, i

have to drag myself onto the centre line because the show will slip and it's all over. and the prerecord keeps on rocking and i cannot step out of line. for a second year in a row, actress hannah waddingham hosted the awards. she is best known for her role in apple tv�*s comedy ted lasso. you're live with bbc news. for the first time in us history, a president will face a criminal trial. on monday the first of four criminal trials against donald trump gets under way in new york. monday's trial will examine 3a counts of fraud, related to hush money payments he paid to an adult film star before the 2016 election. prosecutors say he arranged payments to stormy daniels in an effort to buy her silence in the run up to the 2016 presidential election, and allege that he falsified business records in violation of campaign finance laws.

first, jury selection will take place. which could take days or even weeks. 12 chosen individuals will then consider what could be the only criminal case mr trump encounters before the 2024 us presidential election in november. mr trump, who is the presumptive republican presidential nominee, has pleaded not guilty in the case. he argues that the allegations he faces are not criminal. unlike previous civil cases he's encountered, mr trump is expected to attend almost every day of the court proceedings. that could disrupt his presidential campaign for the duration of the six—to—eight week trial. speaking alongside us house speaker mikejohnson on friday, the former us president said he's ready to testify on the stand. i testify and i will tell the truth and all i can do is tell the truth and the truth is they have no case, and again, you have no case, and again, you have to read the scholars, all of the legal scholars. i haven't seen one legal scholar that says this is a case and even new people said it was too

bad this is the first one. all of them are scams. they are all about election interference. it could be a tense trial. mr trump has expressed his hatred for manhattan supreme courtjustice juan merchan who is overseeing the trial. that resulted in a gag order against mr trump in late march, barring him from making public statements about court staff, jurors, witnesses and lawyers in the district attorney's office — or theirfamilies. yet — on saturday, donald trump attacked his former attorney, michael cohen. mr cohen is expected to be the prosecution's star witness. trump s press secretary during the 2020 presidential campaign — hope hicks. she could shed light on what was happening inside the political operation in the final weeks before the 2016 election. former playboy model, karen mcdougal — who told cnn she had an affair with the former president that began in 2006 — which trump denies. prosecutors in new york cited evidence of payments made

to her by trump. and of course, the woman at the center of the trial, stormy daniels. while no cameras will be allowed the courtroom, donald trump is expected to try to use the media attention to his advantage as he again eyes the white house. joining me live from new york is former federal prosecutor for the southern district of new york sarah krissoff. always good to help you with us. we are in unprecedented territory here in terms of a former or current president facing criminal charges, but what you expect in the weeks ahead? i what you expect in the weeks ahead? ~' ., ahead? i think the former president _ ahead? i think the former president is _ ahead? i think the former president is going - ahead? i think the former president is going to i ahead? i think the former president is going to use | ahead? i think the former i president is going to use this as a campaign opportunity and i think this is the weakest case against him so he will have a lot to say about this case from the courthouse steps if he follows up on this promise to testify within the court room as well. ., ~' , testify within the court room as well. ., ,, , , ., as well. how likely is it do ou

as well. how likely is it do you think _ as well. how likely is it do you think you _ as well. how likely is it do you think you will- as well. how likely is it do you think you will take i as well. how likely is it do you think you will take to l as well. how likely is it do i you think you will take to the stand? , ., ., ,, , stand? he is hard to keep auiet, stand? he is hard to keep quiet. so _ stand? he is hard to keep quiet, so ultimately i stand? he is hard to keep quiet, so ultimately his. quiet, so ultimately his lawyers might invite him one way or another and they may advise him not to do that given that they have to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the case that if the former president wants to testify, i assume he will do that and the choices is to make, ultimately. lets talk about the other side, alvin bragg, how will he go about the case? i alvin bragg, how will he go about the case?— alvin bragg, how will he go about the case? i think he has to be careful _ about the case? i think he has to be careful not _ about the case? i think he has to be careful not to _ about the case? i think he has to be careful not to use i about the case? i think he has to be careful not to use this i to be careful not to use this as a political opportunity because he will be facing more criticism there and he needs to speak to the facts of the case and keep the comments are limited to the facts of the case and not beyond that. i am sure he will be present in the courtroom but he won't be

handling the day to day operations of the trial. help us make — operations of the trial. help us make the _ operations of the trial. help us make the link, _ operations of the trial. help us make the link, because i operations of the trial. help us make the link, because the argument from donald trump is that this is not a criminal case because the charges are not such that when it comes to record—keeping that this can be seen as a misdemeanour budget all threads through with the 2016 presidential election with campaign financing 2016 presidential election with campaignfinancing and 2016 presidential election with campaign financing and so on, so help us make the link. yes, this conduct _ so help us make the link. yes, this conduct is _ so help us make the link. yes, this conduct is a _ so help us make the link. yes, this conduct is a high - so help us make the link. yes, this conduct is a high level i this conduct is a high level misdemeanour or low level felony, depending on how you charge it, so the district attorneys office have charges in the most aggressive way they can but it is the lowest level family in new york state and even frankly if there was a conviction, i would even frankly if there was a conviction, iwould be surprised if there was prison time following any conviction.

you are saying that you think donald trump, if he takes to the stand, will try to use this to his advantage in his campaign, so could also reflect badly or do you think donald trump has taken the art of trying to use it for campaigning purposes? the facts of this particular case so well known that we have known the story here for many years and they have vacillated back and forth on whether to charge and ultimately whether they do that, so i think there is little during the course of the case that would surprise the public will be new information that will sway people one way or the other. people already have their opinions and i think those are unlikely to change based on what we see unfold during the course of the trial. he is also facing three other

criminal cases, which are facing a number of delays. do you think they will come to trial before the election and could they pose a more serious threat to him? i could they pose a more serious threat to him?— threat to him? i think the federal cases _ threat to him? i think the federal cases pose i threat to him? i think the federal cases pose the i threat to him? i think the i federal cases pose the biggest threat and frankly the case in florida is, from what i can see from the outside a very strong case and that's probably the biggest threat to the former president but at this point it seems unlikely those will go forward before the election? and lastly, briefly, in terms of the testimony, who do you think will be some of the closely watched testimony, michael coen, stormy daniels, hope hicks as well.— hope hicks as well. some real celebrities _ hope hicks as well. some real celebrities testifying _ hope hicks as well. some real celebrities testifying in - hope hicks as well. some real celebrities testifying in this i celebrities testifying in this trial and there's also some real opportunists and opportunities for the defence attorneys because a lot of

these folks like michael coen and stormy daniels have spoken publicly about the issues many times so if they have prior statements that they can use to cross—examine the witnesses during the course of the trial, expected to be very heated in the courtroom.— expected to be very heated in the courtroom. always good to net our the courtroom. always good to get your thoughts _ the courtroom. always good to get your thoughts and - the courtroom. always good to get your thoughts and thanks l get your thoughts and thanks for being with us. thanks for your company, i will have more view on the top of the hour. join me then if you can. hello there. some turbulent weather ahead for the next day or two. low pressures driving in off the atlantic, giving heavy thundery and intense showers, spray, standing water. so tricky conditions on the roads, particularly adding in the strength of the wind. look at the tightly packed isobars. there will be strong to gale

force winds buffeting the uk during much of mundane into tuesday and it's coming down from the north—west. in fact, as we head towards tuesday, it starts to come down from the north. so it will feel much colder than it has, temperatures below average. so we've got some heavy showery rain pushing its way south. on the weather front and lots of heavy showers following behind in cold risk of snow over the mountains. it takes longest to get to southern and eastern areas, but temperatures hold up above freezing because of the strength of the wind, which takes us through the day today. this line of really intense rain is giving some tricky travel conditions, the winds picking up to strong gale force around the coasts in the west and the south and lots of showers with hail, with thunder, with snow over the hills and mountains across northern ireland, scotland, possibly the pennines. look at the temperatures, just 9—12 degrees celsius and it will feel colder still when you add on that wind that will be buffeting the uk. so squally winds near those showers which continue well into the night

and into tuesday. by that stage our low pressure is moving out into the north sea. so the winds come down from the north again, enough of it, we think, to prevent a frost in many areas, just like we'll see in the morning, the glens of scotland, really. but that cold northerly wind will continue to feed showers into particularly central and eastern areas, fewer further west. but there will be because of the north westerly, some coming into the west of scotland and into northern ireland, but perhaps fewer showers in the west generally compared with monday. but a bracing wind in the north sea coast, a0 or 50 mile an hour gusts of wind still holding on for the likes of east anglia. so again, it will feel cold despite — 12—14 inland. i suppose outside the wind, outside the showers with more sunshine around it will feel a little more like mid april. but we have to get to the end of the week to see high pressure building in because still on wednesday we've got low pressure in charge towards the east. these weather fronts rounding western areas, just giving patchy rain or drizzle. so things start to settle down later. in fact, temperatures pick up as we head

towards friday as well.

as tensions escalate in the middle east, we'll take a look at what it means for energy and financial markets, as well as airlines. plus, how india's prime minister is benefitting

from roads and bridges being built at breakneck speed. hello and welcome to asia business report. i'm mariko 0i. tensions in the middle east have escalated, after iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards israel. almost all the weapons were shot down by israeli, american and allied forces. iran's attacks were in response to a suspected israeli strike on iran's embassy compound in syria at the beginning of the month. this is the first time iran has attacked israel directly, although the two countries have been at loggerheads for years. all this will rattle investors and oil markets. the nikkei index is down by more than 1% this morning.