"Rushdie's Upcoming Book on Attack May Postpone Assailant's Trial"

Salman Rushdie's upcoming memoir, "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder," detailing his near-fatal stabbing in August 2022, may cause a delay in the trial of his alleged attacker, Hadi Matar. The defense has been granted the opportunity to review the book, which is not yet published, potentially postponing the trial set to begin with jury selection on January 8. Matar, who has been held without bail, is accused of the attack that severely injured Rushdie, resulting in the loss of an eye and other serious injuries. The incident occurred at the Chautauqua Institution, and Matar was apprehended on-site. The defense argues for access to all materials related to Rushdie's memoir, while the prosecution has been denied an advance copy due to intellectual property rights. The judge has given Matar's attorney until a pre-trial conference to decide on seeking a delay.