A suspect charged in Slovakia
A “lone wolf” fired at least four bullets at Slovak leader Robert Fico in an attempt to assassinate him, throwing the central European country’s troubled politics into the spotlight.
The suspect was quickly arrested Wednesday and charged with attempted premeditated murder, but authorities have not yet released his name. Slovak news media quoted police sources as describing him as a 71-year-old retiree with a passion for poetry and protests, and authorities said he acted alone.
Prime Minister Fico is pushing for reforms to the judiciary to limit the scope of corruption investigations, reshape the state broadcasting system to remove the government’s alleged liberal bias and crack down on foreign-funded NGOs.He opposes military aid to Ukraine, LGBTQ rights and the EU
context: Slovakia’s social and political culture is so divided that violence has become another club each side can use to defeat the other, in what onlookers describe as extreme polarization that has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
EU elections: Following the attack, calls grew louder in Slovakia for political parties to suspend campaigning.
Quote: “We are on the threshold of civil war,” Interior Minister Matous Sutaj Estok said. “The assassination attempt on the Prime Minister confirms this.”
NATO considers sending military trainers to Ukraine
NATO allies are gradually sending military trainers to Ukraine at the request of Ukrainian officials. The move could bring the United States and Europe more directly into a war with Russia.
The United States has so far insisted it will not station U.S. troops in Ukraine and has urged NATO allies not to do the same. But yesterday, top US military official General Charles Brown said NATO’s deployment of trainers seemed inevitable, even if such a move currently puts trainers at risk. “Over time, we will eventually get there,” he told reporters.
in front of: Ukraine’s situation has worsened as Russia has stepped up its attacks, especially in the northeast. Yesterday, President Zelensky traveled to the Kharkiv region and admitted that the situation there “remains extremely difficult.” “We are strengthening our forces,” he added.
Israel says it will send more troops to Rafah
Defying international pressure, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said the country would send more troops to support a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. More than a million displaced people have been sheltering there, and hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled in recent days.
So far, Israeli troops and tanks have conducted only a limited incursion into eastern Rafah, and on May 7 they captured the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, a key entry point for aid. Crossings remain closed, leaving sick and wounded patients in need of treatment abroad with nowhere to go, and hundreds of aid trucks piling up in Egypt.
American Politics: The House passed a largely symbolic bipartisan bill condemning President Joe Biden’s suspension of arms shipments to Israel.
More headlines
For decades, Israel has ignored violence by ultranationalist Jews against Palestinians in the occupied territories. A Time Magazine investigation shows how radical ideologies in Israeli society have moved from the fringes to the center of power.
In a video, author Ronan Bergman explains how failing to stop the crimes of Jewish settlers and ultranationalists threatens Israeli democracy. Below are the highlights of the investigation.
life experience: Photojournalist Daniel Kramer plans a one-hour shoot with Bob Dylan. It turned into a 366-day odyssey, capturing rare photos of Dylan at home, behind the scenes on tour and in the recording studio. Kramer died at the age of 91.
conversation starter
sports news
What’s changing: Premier League clubs are to vote on proposals to scrap the video assistant referee system.
PGA Championship: How good are Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and other contenders.
FIFA: Corruption scandals have brought about changes in football. Less than a decade later, interest in reform appears to have waned.
art and ideas
“Bridgerton” is back
Shonda Rhimes’ period drama “Bridgerton,” about eight siblings navigating relationships in early 19th-century London, is back for a third season on Netflix. Luke Newton, who plays Colin Bridgerton (pictured above), has become co-lead or top boss, while Nicola Coughlan has been promoted from supporting role to leading man.
learn more: Bridgerton’s vision of a Regency England ruled by a black queen and an anachronistically diverse royal court is one of many movies and TV shows that reimagine history as a multiracial dream world, our reviewer writes.
suggestion
bake: Celebrate the weekend with a luxurious strawberry cake.
read: “Henry Henry” is a retelling of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” that tells the modern story of a gay man’s struggle with abuse and guilt.
