Doctors removed author Salman Rushdie's ventilator and began speaking as he recovers after being stabbed in the United States.
And the British “PA Media” agency quoted a tweet by the British-American writer Ayesh Tayseer, which was later deleted, that “the ventilator was lifted and he was talking - and joking -” about the 75-year-old, which was confirmed by the author’s agent, Andrew Wylie.
Willie had said earlier, that Salman was on a ventilator, and he might lose one of his eyes after he was injured in his arm and liver during the attack.
The Indian-born Briton, whose novel "The Satanic Verses" led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was about to give a lecture in New York State on Friday when he was attacked.
Hadi Matar, the man accused of stabbing him, pleaded not guilty on Saturday to the attempted murder and assault charges.
Matar's lawyer, 24, presented the arguments on his behalf during a formal hearing in Western New York Court.
According to the police, Salman was stabbed at least once in the neck and in the stomach before he was taken to hospital.