Slovakia’s chief was attacked
Robert Fico, Slovakia’s prime minister, was shot 5 occasions and critically wounded yesterday, essentially the most severe assault on a European chief in a long time. Officers mentioned the assault appeared to have been an assassination try and was politically motivated. The police mentioned a suspect had been detained.
Fico was rushed to a close-by hospital after which airlifted to a different hospital for emergency surgical procedure. Hours later, the deputy prime minister, Tomas Taraba, informed reporters that Fico’s life was not in peril and that he anticipated the prime minister to outlive.
Movies from the scene confirmed the gunman taking pictures Fico in Banikov Sq., within the middle of the city of Handlova. The attacker stood with different folks behind a barrier earlier than taking pictures Fico at shut vary as he greeted them.
Who’s Robert Fico? The 59-year-old politician is serving his third time period. He has aligned with the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, in opposing support to Ukraine and has sturdy ties to Russia’s chief, Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s momentum in Ukraine has U.S. nervous
The White Home is watching as Russia’s new offensive picks up pace in Ukraine’s northeast. U.S. officers are privately involved that it may change the trajectory of the struggle, maybe even reversing Russia’s once-bleak prospects. See maps of Russia’s advances.
Moscow’s digital warfare methods — which got here to the battlefield late — have taken out artillery and drones supplied by the U.S. and NATO. And the delay in U.S. support allowed Russia to achieve an enormous artillery benefit. Ukraine’s lack of air protection ammunition meant Russia may use its air energy with extra impunity.
Evaluation: Some specialists say that Moscow’s true objective in taking territory round Kharkiv is to drive Ukraine to strengthen the town, weakening entrance strains elsewhere. A thinly unfold Ukrainian navy may give Russia the possibility for an additional push in June.
Dutch right-wing events made a preliminary deal
After practically six months of negotiations, 4 right-wing events within the Netherlands mentioned that they’d reached a preliminary settlement to kind a authorities that may exclude Geert Wilders, a populist politician, from turning into prime minister.
If the settlement is accepted, the 4 events would work collectively in a kind barely completely different from what the Netherlands is used to: with a cupboard that features political outsiders and a main minister who will not be the chief of one of many governing events.
King Charles III’s crimson portrait
Royal portraits are typically predictable affairs. However a brand new official portrait of King Charles III, painted by Jonathan Yeo, has shocked even its topic — and has created one thing of an argument.
Some onlookers mentioned the king regarded as if he have been “burning in hell” or “bathing in blood,” whereas others in contrast it to a possessed portrait in “Ghostbusters II.” A reference to “colonial bloodshed” rounded out the theme.
This isn’t the primary polarizing royal portrait. Take a spin by another stunning or contentious work of royals.
