EGN NEWS DESK
Slovakia’s chief was attacked
Robert Fico, Slovakia’s prime minister, was shot 5 occasions and critically wounded yesterday, essentially the most critical assault on a European chief in a long time. Officials 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, instructed reporters that Fico’s life was now not at risk and that he anticipated the prime minister to outlive.
Videos from the scene confirmed the gunman capturing Fico in Banikov Square, within the heart of the city of Handlova. The attacker stood with different individuals behind a barrier earlier than capturing Fico at shut vary as he greeted them.
Who is 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 assist to Ukraine and has sturdy ties to Russia’s chief, Vladimir Putin.
Russia’s momentum in Ukraine has U.S. anxious
The White House is watching as Russia’s new offensive picks up pace in Ukraine’s northeast. U.S. officers are privately involved that it might change the trajectory of the conflict, 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. assist allowed Russia to achieve an enormous artillery benefit. Ukraine’s lack of air protection ammunition meant Russia might use its air energy with extra impunity.
Analysis: Some specialists say that Moscow’s true aim in taking territory round Kharkiv is to pressure Ukraine to strengthen the town, weakening entrance strains elsewhere. A thinly unfold Ukrainian navy might give Russia the possibility for one more push in June.
Dutch right-wing events made a preliminary deal
After almost six months of negotiations, 4 right-wing events within the Netherlands mentioned that that they had 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 authorized, 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 prime minister who just isn’t the chief of one of many governing events.
King Charles III’s purple portrait
Royal portraits are typically predictable affairs. But a brand new official portrait of King Charles III, painted by Jonathan Yeo, has stunned even its topic — and has created one thing of an argument.
Some onlookers mentioned the king seemed 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 just isn’t the primary polarizing royal portrait. Take a spin by another stunning or contentious work of royals.
