International
In prison the aggressor of the Danish Prime Minister, who perpetrated “a spontaneous act”
The Frederiksberg court (Denmark) decreed pre-trial detention this Saturday, until June 20, for a 39-year-old Polish citizen for assaulting the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, yesterday in the center of Copenhagen, in what the police described as an “isolated and spontaneous act.”
“We see it as an isolated and spontaneous act, and at this moment we do not have the hypothesis of our investigation that it will be a planned attack against the Prime Minister,” the inspector of the Copenhagen Police, Trine Møller, told the Ritzau agency after the hearing with restrictions held today.
The individual, accused of assault against a public official, denied the charges during the hearing, and according to the police report, he was clearly influenced by alcohol and other drugs when he was arrested, a minute after hitting Frederiksen in the arm with his fist and pushing her.
A doctor defined the suspect as a mental imbalance.
Frederiksen was treated last night at the Kingdom Hospital in Copenhagen and was diagnosed with a “slight whiplash,” the Prime Minister’s office reported.
For this Saturday, the planned participation of the prime minister in events in Herlev, Rødovre, Roskilde, Holbæk and Slagelse was canceled.
During the interrogation held last night, the individual, who has lived in Denmark for a few months, admitted to having recognized Frederiksen and said he did not remember much of what happened, but denied having beaten her.
In his statement today before the judge, the individual, who needed an interpreter, showed his sympathy for Frederiksen and assured that she was a “very good” prime minister.
“At the moment our main hypothesis is not that it was a politically motivated act. We don’t have any more comments about the case,” the Police had pointed out in their account on social network X.
The incident has provoked numerous reactions of condemnation and solidarity with the assault by members of the Danish Government and the leaders of the main local political parties and the institutions of the European Union.
Frederiksen, 46, has been head of government since June 2019: the first legislature, at the head of a center-left coalition; and since December 2022, at the head of a center executive with two right-wing forces.
The incident provoked numerous reactions of condemnation and solidarity with the assault by members of the Danish Government and the leaders of the main political parties.
“Oh, no, what a surprise. That’s not Denmark. We don’t attack our prime ministers. I send my best thoughts to Mette,” the vice president and minister of Defense, the liberal Troels Lund Poulsen, wrote on the social network X.
Leaders of other countries, such as the prime ministers of Portugal and Italy and the president of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, also sent messages of support to Frederiksen.
Mette Frederiksen, 46, has been head of government since June 2019: the first legislature, at the head of a center-left coalition; and since December 2022, at the head of a center executive with two right-wing forces.
The high representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, also condemned the attack on the Prime Minister of Denmark, the Social Democratic Mette Frederiksen.
“Shocked by another physical aggression against a democratically elected leader. I condemn it. My solidarity with Mette Frederiksen. Violence will not determine our political options,” Borrell said in a message disseminated through the social network X.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was also “very shocked” after learning of the aggression against Frederiksen and condemned “this despicable act that goes against everything we believe and what we fight to make Europe.”
“I wish you strength and courage, I know you have plenty,” Von der Leyen told the Danish Prime Minister in X, on account of this attack that occurred in the course of the European Parliament elections from June 6 to 9, after which German politics aspires to remain at the head of the Community Executive.
The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, described the aggression against Frederiksen as “atrocious”, asserted that “violence has no place in politics” and asked the Danish leader to “stain strong,” through a publication in X.
The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, was “indignant” by the aggression committed and “vehergically” condemned this “cowardly” act, also through the social network X.
“All my thoughts are with you and your family, dear Mette, and I hope you will soon overcome this horrible attack,” said Michel, who chairs the EU body that brings together the presidents and prime ministers of the Twenty-seven.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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