Thursday Briefing: Slovakia’s leader was shot

May 16, 2024

	By Amelia Nierenberg

Good morning. We’re covering the shooting of Slovakia’s prime minister and Russian momentum in Ukraine.

Plus, mixed reviews for King Charles’s portrait.

Slovakian security officers in suits run around a black sedan.

Security officers moved Prime Minister Robert Fico in a car after the shooting. Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters

Shooting left Slovakia’s leader in ‘life-threatening’ condition

Robert Fico, Slovakia’s prime minister, was shot five times and critically wounded yesterday. Officials said the attack appeared to be an assassination attempt and was politically motivated. Police said a suspect had been detained.

The interior minister said Fico was still in surgery hours after the shooting and remained in critical condition. Here’s the latest.

Videos from the scene showed the gunman shooting Fico in Banikov Square, in the center of the town of Handlova. The attacker is seen standing with other people behind a barrier before shooting Fico at close range when he came to greet them.

Who is Robert Fico? The 59-year-old politician is serving his third term. He has aligned with the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, in opposing aid to Ukraine, and has strong ties to Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin.

Several small boats moving through the water, with grass and hills in the background.

Philippine fishing boats headed out yesterday to protest China’s control of a shoal. Francis R Malasig/EPA, via Shutterstock

China sent dozens of ships to confront Filipino fishing boats

China has deployed dozens of coast guard and maritime militia ships toward Scarborough Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, to block a fleet of about 100 small Filipino fishing boats. While such confrontations have become commonplace as Beijing tries to assert control over a region far from its borders, this was an escalation.

“What we’re seeing this time, I would say, is definitely of another order,” said the director of SeaLight, a group that monitors the sea. He called China’s response a show of “overwhelming force.”

Background: The Filipino group organizing the flotilla of fishing boats said it wanted to assert the Philippines’ claims to Scarborough Shoal. The shoal, which Beijing calls Huangyan Island, has been under Chinese control since 2012. Filipino fishermen had long worked there, but since then their access has been restricted and sporadic.

Honor guard members walk down a red carpet in the center of a large hallway as people look on from either side.

The inauguration of President Vladimir Putin earlier this month. Nanna Heitmann

Russia’s momentum in Ukraine has the U.S. worried

The White House is watching as Russia’s new offensive picks up speed in Ukraine’s northeast. U.S. officials are privately concerned that it could change the trajectory of the war, perhaps even reversing Russia’s once-bleak prospects.

Moscow’s electronic warfare techniques — which came to the battlefield late — have taken out artillery and drones provided by the U.S. and NATO. And the delay in U.S. aid allowed Russia to gain a huge artillery advantage. Ukraine’s lack of air defense ammunition meant Russia could use its air power with more impunity.

Analysis: Some experts say that Moscow’s true goal in taking territory around Kharkiv is to force Ukraine to reinforce the city, weakening the front lines elsewhere. A thinly spread Ukrainian military could give Russia the chance for another push in June.

For more: These maps show Russia’s advances.

WAR IN GAZA

Two satellite photos of a study area. In the one on the left, there are small white and blue dots in one area, labeled as tents. In the one on the right, of the same area, those places are empty. It’s labeled “tents cleared”

The New York Times

Rafah: Israel directed many Palestinians to a “humanitarian zone.” Satellite imagery shows an overcrowded area that is damaged by strikes and lacking medical care.
Arms: The Biden administration told Congress that it intended to sell Israel more than $1 billion in new weapons.
Military: The leaders of Israel’s armed forces are frustrated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because he has yet to develop a plan to govern Gaza after the war.

MORE TOP NEWS

Singapore: The prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, stepped down after 20 years. He oversaw a rise in prosperity — and discontent.
Hong Kong: YouTube said it would block the access of Hong Kong users to the protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong,” complying with a court order.
New Caledonia: After deadly riots broke out, France moved to declare a state of emergency in the South Pacific territory, which has long tried to gain independence.
U.S. election: President Biden and Donald Trump have agreed to debates in June and September, which would be their first onstage clashes in more than three years.
Orcas: The whales sank another boat near the Strait of Gibraltar.

MORNING READ

Kei Kobayashi, wearing a white chef’s coat, stands in the dining room of a restaurant, his arms crossed.

Kei Kobayashi, 46, is trying to become a brand. Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times

Kei Kobayashi was the first Japanese chef to earn three Michelin stars in Paris. Now, he has come back to Japan to try to build an empire.

Lives lived: A.T. Ariyaratne, a Sri Lankan who fought to alleviate poverty in his country, has died at 92.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Talk about Bumbling: The dating app Bumble apologized after an ad campaign enraged women, its target audience.
The Bridgerton glow-up: Characters receive makeovers as they move from the sidelines of the plot into the spotlight.

Real estate: Some luxury buildings in the U.S. are offering at-home IV drips as an amenity.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

ARTS AND IDEAS

A portrait of King Charles III in a room. His face and hands look photographic; the rest is bathed in a bright red.

Aaron Chown/Agence France-Presse

King Charles III’s red portrait

Royal portraits tend to be fairly staid, with symbols of state, of office, of pomp and lineage.

Which is why the new official portrait of King Charles III, painted by Jonathan Yeo, has created such a controversy. Some said he looked as if he were “burning in hell” or “bathing in blood.” A reference to “colonial bloodshed” rounded out the theme. Others compared it to a possessed portrait in “Ghostbusters II.”

This is not the first polarizing royal portrait. Take a spin through some other surprising or contentious paintings of royals.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A white bowl holds coconut-miso salmon curry. A small bowl of lime wedges for squeezing are nearby.

Julia Gartland for The New York Times.

Cook: Make a light coconut-miso salmon curry.

Read: In “Chasing Hope,” Nicholas Kristof recounts the highs and lows of his career as a Times correspondent.

Listen: This year marks the 50th anniversary of Cass Elliot’s death. This playlist highlights her range as a vocalist.

Block: Stop buying citronella candles. Try these effective mosquito repellers instead.

Heal: I was prescribed a long-term antibiotic. Is that safe?

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

P.S. My colleague David Pierson, who covers China, shared five things he’s enjoyed in Hong Kong.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Amelia

Email us at briefing@nytimes.com.

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