Salman Rushdie is tended to after he was attacked during a lecture on Friday at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York | AP KALABURAGI  SATURDAY  AUGUST 13, 2022  `9.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION HORROR AS RUSHDIE STABBED IN THE NECK AT NEW YORK TALK SHOW EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI-BORN British author Salman Rushdie, whose writings had drawn death threats from Iran and was under heavy security cover, was on Friday stabbed in the neck by an assailant just before he was to speak at a talk show at a New York event. The assailant got on to the stage at the Chautauqua Institution’s event and punched or stabbed him 10-15 times as he was being introduced to the gathering, a witness said. Rushdie fell to the floor and was treated onstage before airlifting him to hospital. His condition was not known at the time of going to press. Rushdie’s interviewer, with whom he was to do the talk show, suffered some minor head injuries. The audience tackled the suspect after which he was taken into custody . “This guy ran on to platform and started pounding on Rush- die. At first you’re like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then it became abundantly clear in a few seconds that he was being beaten,” Rabbi Charles Savenor, who was in the audience, told AP. He said the attack lasted about 20 seconds. A bloodied Rushdie was quickly surrounded by a small group of people who held up his legs, possibly to send more blood to his chest. Rushdie’s fourth book, in 1988, The Satanic Verses, forced him into hiding for nine years after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa demanded his execution for the book’s blasphemous content. Iran offered a bounty of over $3 million to anyone who killed Rushdie. He emerged after nine years of seclusion and cautiously resumed public appearances, while continuing to be outspoken about religious extremism. The author’s first brush with fame was when his 1981 novel Midnight’s Children won the Booker Prize. But it was The Satanic Verses and the subsequent fatwa that made him really wellknown across the world. CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Retail inflation falls below 7% for 1st time in 3 months India-China ties are tense, situation may turn dangerous, says Jaishankar BA L A C H AU H A N @ Bengaluru INDIA-CHINA relationship is very “tense” and it could be a “dangerous situation” because of the border issue, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar in a media interaction in Bengaluru on Friday evening. While fielding questions, he said the relationship between India and China “cannot be normal” under the present circumstances. “Despite 16 rounds of commander-level talks between us on the Chinese disengagement along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, the issue re- RECRUITMENT Priyank: Sexual favours, bribes asked from aspirants E N S @ Kalaburagi KPCC’s communication wing head, Priyank Kharge has urged the state government to take steps to constitute fast-track courts for trials into scams related to PSI-CET exams, and KPTCL and PWD recruitment. Speaking at a press conference here on Friday Kharge , made serious charges that youngsters these days do not get jobs without bribing and young women candidates are even asked for “sexual favours” by the authorities concerned. He said CID has arrested many people including police higher-ups in the PSI-CET scam and has also filed chargesheets. There are reports of a similar scam in the recruitment to the posts of Assistant Engineers (AEs) and Junior Engineers (JEs) in KPTCL and PWD. The former minister alleged that in recruitment for posts of AEs and JEs in KPTCL, authorities concerned have demanded Rs 30 lakh for the post of JE and Rs 50 lakh for AE’s post. Fo r s p e e dy j u s t i c e, fast-track courts are essential, he said. P4 mains unresolved. The Indian Army has been holding its ground for the past two winters, which shows our resolve on standing our ground. We have made some substantial progress in terms of the troops pulling back from places, where they were very close. There are still some places, where they have not,” said the EAM. He added that “India has consistently maintained its position that if China disturbed peace in the border areas it will impact on our bilateral relationship with them.” Regarding India’s security concerns against the Chinese E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi Despite 16 rounds of commanderlevel talks between us on the Chinese disengagement along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, the issue remains unresolved S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister Week on, NDRF saves stranded sheep, 2 shepherds from islet S H R E E PA D A AYA C H I T @ Koppal IT was a harrowing time for a shepherd, his son, and over 100 sheep that were stuck on an islet, surrounded by roaring waters of the Tungabhadra river, near Gangavathi in Koppal district for over a week. When a 16-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), summoned from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, finally pulled out Hanumappa and his son Hanumesh using boats, the feeling of gratitude overwhelmed them. Their precious sheep too were pulled out to safety by the team. It was on Thursday that the shepherds from Mallapura village ventured onto the islet to graze their sheep. The waters rose fast and by evening, they were unable to cross the rapidly flowing river as the authorities had released 1.80 lakh cusecs of water from the Tungabhadra reservoir. The two shepherds made an SOS call from their mobile phone to the authorities, pleading for a rescue. The district administration rushed the fire and emergency services personnel to the spot. But despite trying hard, they NDRF team rescues scores of sheep, two shepherds in Gangavathi taluk of Koppal district on Friday | EXPRESS could not rescue the shepherds and their sheep because of the strong current in the river. District officials then contacted the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said Assistant Commissioner Basave n n ap p a K a l a s h e t t y o n Friday . The shepherds had taken shelter under a temporary roof and they were rescued along with their sheep on Friday morning. In fact, the district administration and Tungabhadra Project authorities have been cautioning people along the river basin not to venture into the river or proceed to nearby islets in Gangavathi taluk. JAB-O-METER TAKE YOUR SHOT Aug 11 14,02,341 doses Aug 12 20,13,564 doses TOTAL: 2,07,68,05,074 Another migrant labourer gunned down in Valley from Bihar’s Madhepura. He received multiple bullet injuTWO contrasting bits of ries and was taken to a infor mation came in hospital, where he sucfrom the Valley on Fricumbed to injuries. day one depressing and , This was the second the other promising. targeted killing of miWhile there was yet angrant labourers in the other targeted killing Valley in the last eight of a migrant labourer, days. news filtered in that Multiplex in Amrez and his two Srinagar Kashmir’s first-ever siblings, one of whom multiplex will open Kashmir’s first is Mohammad Hamid, next month. At present, were staying in a rented multiplex is the Valley has no cine- coming up in a c c o m m o d a t i o n i n ma halls. Around midShivpora area of Soadnara. “ Back to the depress- Srinagar. It will night, my young er ing news, militants brother woke me up have three shot dead a 19-year-old auditoriums. “In saying there was firing migrant labourer from the first phase, and that Amrez was not Bihar in north Kash- we’ll have two there in the room. When mir’s Bandipora dis- auditoriums,” its we went outside, we saw trict, on T hursday him lying in a pool of owner Vikas night. Mohammad Amblood,” Hamid said. Dhar said rez was gunned down As for the multiplex, from close range at Soadnara, a its owner Vikas Dhar said it police officer said. He hailed has 520 seats in all. F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship ‘Yuan Wang 5’ against docking at the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, Jaishankar reiterated MEA spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi’s views on the issue in which he said, “security concerns are the sovereign right of every country We will make the best . judgement in own interest.” On a question regarding China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Jaishankar said, it violates our sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Our view on the BRI has been consistent and I don’t need to vindicate my stand,” he said. AUTHORITIES ISSUE ALERT FOR VILLAGERS The district administration and Tungabhadra Project authorities have been cautioning people along the river basin not to venture into the river or proceed to nearby islets in Gangavati taluk NATIONWIDE AUG 11 AUG 12 KARNATAKA AUG 11 AUG 12 Fresh cases 16,299 16,561 Recoveries 19,431 18,053 Deaths 53 49 Fresh cases Recoveries Deaths 1,691 1,982 6 2,032 1,686 5 EXPRESS READ ED attaches `300 cr worth assets Mantri Group for ‘cheating buyers’ Bengaluru: The ED issued a Provisional Attachment Order attaching immovable assets worth B300.4 cr in a money laundering case against Mantri Group for “cheating home buyers of Mantri Serenity, Mantri Web City & Mantri Energia residential projects”. Smoking in public: K’taka highest in collecting fines Bengaluru: Karnataka has registered the highest number of people fined for smoking in public spaces in the past three years, touching 35 per cent of the total people fined in India. Despite the fine, public smoking continues and activists say they only marginally helped enforce the ban. After 27 surgeries, acid attack victim Aasha discharged from hospital Bengaluru: Acid attack victim Aasha (name changed) has been discharged from hospital after being admitted for more than three months. Aasha had suffered 36 per cent burn injuries and has undergone 27 surgeries. IN a relief to the common man as well as policy makers, retail inflation seems to have begun moderating as the headline inflation rate measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased to 6.71% in July from 7.01% in June. This is for the first time since April that retail inflation has fallen below the 7% level. The lower inflation in July was largely driven by easing of food and beverage prices, and miscellaneous items. While housing, pan, tobacco and intoxicant prices showed moderate growth, clothing and fuel prices continue to expand sharply year-on-year. On a month-on-month basis, however, vegetable prices fell marginally as the food and beverages index remained flat, also benefiting from corrections in prices of edible oils, and meat and fish. The drop in inflation in July was on expected lines as fears of global recession and fresh geopolitical uncertainties led to correction in global commodity prices, easing the domestic inflation pressure. However, analysts and economists warn against letting the guards down on inflation. “CPI headline inflation for July has moderated in line with our expectations led largely by food inflation, while the core inflation remains el- evated and sticky The coming . few readings are expected to be a tad above 7% with inflation likely to hover above RBIs upper threshold limit of 6% until January 2023,” said Upasana Bhardwaj, chief economist, Kotak Mahindra Bank. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its August monetary policy statement retained its inflation projection for 2022-23 at 6.7%. RBI is mindful of the Industrial production down, but remains in double digits 19.6% May June 12.3% STRONG SECTORS Manufacturing 12.5% Power Mining 16.4% 7.5% fact that spillovers from geopolitical shocks are imparting considerable uncertainty to the inflation trajectory. The central bank also said that it is watchful of the shortfall in paddy sowing. However, analysts believe there would be no pause in rate hike. Aditi Nayar, chief economist of ICRA, expects another rate hike of 10-35 bps in the September 2022 policy meeting. GOING THROUGH THE ROOF In just one month, tur dal price shot up by `5-22 while urad dal prices soared by as much as `10-44 STAPLE TUR, URAD DAL GO NORTH BA N SY K A L A P PA @ Bengaluru MULTIPLE factors are at play in pushing inflationary trends that are in turn causing prices of commonly consumed tur and urad dal to rise upwards, much to the misery of the common man. Worse, these trends are set to continue due to the prevailing inflationary trends over the days to come. The price of tur dal has increased by about `15-20 per kilogram. In the retail, it was selling at `150-170 kg for the packed variant which attracts 5 per cent GST, while the loose variant was selling at `135-145 per kg which does not attract GST. Wholesale market prices were about `120 per kg. This price hike has been gradual over the past three weeks and was capped after the GST was hiked. Urad dal has been soaring since it was imported and was selling in retail for about `160 per kg and wholesale at about `130 per kg also similarly over the past about three weeks. Compounding this, power tariffs have gone up and monthly bills on an average in most middleclass households have increased by about `200 per month. The price of rice, which is the staple diet of people of the state has increased by about 8-10 per cent thanks to a variety of reasons, including 5 per cent GST on packed rice, while steamed rice which is used by commercial eateries has been about 8-10 per cent higher. P5