Salman Rushdie 'stabbed in neck' on stage in New York

Author Salman Rushdie suffered a stab wound to his neck in an on-stage attack and has been airlifted to hospital, New York police said.

Sir Salman Rushdie, whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked on stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.

The Booker Prize Winner was attacked at the Chautauqua Institution event and was the first in a summertime lecture series hosted by the non-profit group.

An Associated Press reporter witnessed a man storm the stage and begin punching or stabbing Sir Salman as he was being introduced.

Police confirmed a stabbing but declined to immediately identify the victim – with a man being restrained by those on the scene.

Mr Rushdie's condition is not currently known.

The Indian-born novelist catapulted to fame with Midnight Children in 1981, which went on to sell over one million copies in the UK alone.

British author Salman Rushdie who was attacked on stage today during an event in New York.

Sir Salman’s book The Satanic Verses has been banned in Iran since 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous.

A year later, Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Sir Salman’s death.

The bounty over Mr Rushdie's head remains active, although Iran's government has distanced itself from Khomeini's decree.

Dozens of people died in the violence that followed the publication of The Satanic Verses, including murdered translators of the work.