International
Robert Fico, Slovak Prime Minister, in serious condition after being shot
Slovakia is shocked by the attempted assassination of the prime minister, the populist Robert Fico, who is in a “critical” state after receiving several shots when he approached to greet a group of citizens in the town of Handlova, in the center of the country.
“He has been shot multiple times and currently his life is in danger,” says Fico’s Facebook account, which indicates that he was transferred by helicopter to the town of Banská Bystrica, about 65 kilometers from Handlová, where the attack took place.
The attack occurred at 13.00 GMT, after a council of ministers in the town of about 17,000 inhabitants, when Fico went to greet dozens of neighbors who were next to the Casa de la Cultural – where the government meeting was held – and who were behind a fence.
At that moment, when he had the politician very close, a 71-year-old man pulled out a gun and fired four or five times at Fico. The aggressor, who was arrested after the shooting, has a gun license and had previously shouted to Fico: “Robo (Robert), come closer.”
One of the bullets hit the politician in the abdominal cavity, although some witnesses claimed that he was hit on the sternum.
The prime minister was evacuated by his local bodyguards and transferred by helicopter to the hospital of Banská Bystrica, the regional capital. A statement from the Government points out that his condition is critical and that “the next few hours will be decisive.”
According to the Minister of Defense, Robert Kaliniak, the Prime Minister of Slovakia “fights for his life” in a “very complicated” operation at the Roosevelt Hospital in Banská Bystrica.
“His condition is extremely serious,” Kalinak added in an appearance before the press in which he indicated that the intervention lasted for three and a half hours.
Kalinak described the intervention as “very complicated” and added: “We all pray that the good constitution of the prime minister and modern medicine will do their job.”
Fico suffered a “polytrauma”, which affects two or more organs or that produces at least one wound that endangers the patient’s life, after being shot five times, and the politician continues to “fight for his life,” according to the head of Defense.
The police have identified the aggressor as Juraj C., from Levice, a city in the southwest of the country, and with a weapons license.
According to the Slovak press, the alleged attacker was a member of a literary club and in the past had worked as a security guard in a shopping center.
Eight years ago he announced on the internet that he was collecting signatures to create a political party called the Movement against Violence. “Violence is often a reaction of people, as a form of expression of discontent with the situation. We can be dissatisfied, but not violent!” he wrote then.
The acting president, Zuzana Caputová, strongly condemned the attack and called for calm and a stop to the rhetoric of hatred in the country, deeply polarized between supporters and opponents of the Government, formed by left-wing and far-right nationalists.
“I’m shocked. We are all shocked by the horrible attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. A physical attack on the prime minister is first and foremost an attack on a person, but also an attack on democracy,” the president said.
“Any kind of violence is absolutely unacceptable. The rhetoric of hatred that we witness in society leads to acts of hatred. Please, let’s stop her!” he added.
Parliament suspended its sessions until May 21 and increased security measures.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, condemned on Wednesday the “vile attack” against the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, who was shot today.
“I strongly condemn the vile attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. These acts of violence have no place in our society and undermine democracy, our most precious common good. My thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family,” Von der Leyen published on social network X.
The president of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, was also “horrified and outraged by the attack” against the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, and expressed Spain’s support for the politician, his family and that European country “in these extremely difficult times.”
“Nothing can justify violence,” Sánchez added in a message on the social network X published in Spanish and English.
“I am deeply moved by the news of the attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. I strongly condemn this horrible act of violence. Our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico, his family and the Slovak people,” said the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, on the social network X.
The head of the Slovenian government has also expressed his dismay at the attack. “I am dismayed by what has happened in Slovakia. I strongly condemn the attack on my Slovak colleague Fico and wish him a speedy recovery,” Robert Golob wrote on the X network.
The prime ministers of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, and Ireland, Simon Harris, were “impacted” after learning of the attack against their Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico.
“Impressed to hear this horrible news. All our thoughts are with Prime Minister Fico and his family,” Sunak wrote on his account on the social network X, a message that was reposted by the country’s head of Foreign Affairs, David Cameron.
Meloni expressed on behalf of the Italian Government the “strongest condemnation of all forms of violence and attack on the fundamental principles of democracy and freedom.”
Likewise, Russian President Vladimir Putin has also described the attack as a “horrible crime.”
International
Trump signs order to end federal funding for NPR and PBS
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to halt federal funding for two public media outlets, PBS television and NPR radio, accusing them of being biased.
NPR and PBS are partially funded by American taxpayers but rely heavily on private donations.
Trump has long maintained a hostile relationship with most media outlets, which he has referred to as the “enemy of the people.”
An exception is the conservative Fox News channel, some of whose hosts have played important roles in the administration of the Republican magnate.
“National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” Trump said.
“Therefore, I direct the CPB board and all executive departments and agencies to cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” he added.
The Republican leader argued that “neither of these entities provides a fair, accurate, or impartial portrayal of current events to the taxpayer citizens.”
At the end of March, Donald Trump called on Congress to end public funding for these two “horrible and completely biased networks.”
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
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