Friday Briefing – The New York Times
A suspect was charged in Slovakia
An assassination by a “lone wolf” who fired at least four bullets at Robert Fico, the leader of Slovakia, has cast a spotlight on the Central European country’s troubled politics.
Suspect was caught promptly on Wednesday and was charged with attempted murder, but authorities have not yet publicly named him. Slovak news agencies, citing police sources, identified him as a 71-year-old retiree who writes poetry and protests, who authorities say acted alone.
Prime Minister Fico is pushing to reform the judiciary to limit the scope of corruption investigations, reshape the national broadcasting system to purge what the government calls liberal bias and suppress pressure on foreign-funded non-governmental organizations. He opposes military aid to Ukraine, LGBTQ rights and the EU
Background: Slovak society and political culture The division was bitter that violence has become another club in which each side can beat the other, amid what viewers say is extreme polarization, exacerbated by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
EU elections: Calls are increasing in Slovakia for Political parties suspended election campaigns after the attack.
Can quote: “We are on the threshold of a civil war,” said Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok. “The assassination of the prime minister is confirmation of that.”
NATO is considering sending military trainers to Ukraine
NATO allies are getting closer send military trainers to Ukraine at the request of Ukrainian officials. This move could draw the US and Europe more directly into war with Russia.
Up to now, the US is still determined not to send US troops to Ukraine and calls on its NATO allies not to do the same. But yesterday, General Charles Brown, a top US military official, said that the deployment of NATO trainers appeared inevitable, even if for now such a move would puts the trainers in danger. “Eventually, we will get there over time,” he told reporters.
In front of: Ukraine’s position has worsened as Russia has stepped up its offensive, especially in the northeast. Yesterday, President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the Kharkiv region and admitted that the situation there “is still extremely difficult.” “We are strengthening our units,” he added.
Israel said it would send more troops to Rafah
Despite international pressure, Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defense Minister, said that the country will send more troops to support its ground invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. More than a million displaced people have taken refuge there and hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled in recent days.
So far, Israeli troops and tanks have launched only a limited offensive into eastern Rafah, and on May 7 they seized the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, an entry point importance of aid. The route remains closed, leaving injured and sick people needing treatment abroad with no escape route, while hundreds of aid vehicles pile up in Egypt.
US Politics: House passed a largely symbolic, bipartisan bill reprimanded President Biden for temporarily halting arms shipments to Israel.
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SPORTS NEWS
Changes taking place: Premier League clubs will vote on a proposal abolish the video assistant referee system.
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ART AND IDEAS
‘Bridgerton’ is back
Shonda Rhimes’ period drama Bridgerton, which follows eight siblings as they navigate relationships in early 19th-century London, is now back for a third season on Netflix. Luke Newton, who plays Colin Bridgerton, above, has taken on the role of co-lead actor, or group leaderand Nicola Coughlan were also promoted from support player to lead.
For more: With its vision of a regency England ruled by a black queen and a temporally diverse royal court, Bridgerton is one of many films and television shows re-imagining history as a multi-racial dream worldour reviewer writes.
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