Author: PTI

Fight of heavyweights in Sambalpur where farmers, weavers hold the key

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Unemployment and distress sale of paddy are the pressing issues in Odisha’s Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency, where Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan of the BJP and influential BJD general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das are poised for a showdown. The candidates’ attention is squarely on farmers and weavers, who are crucial in a region that encompasses the catchment area of the Hirakud reservoir and has a thriving handloom industry.

The majority of Sambalpur’s population, concentrated in five of its seven assembly constituencies, relies either on agriculture or the harvesting of Kendu and Sal leaves for their livelihoods. Pradhan, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, is contesting elections after a gap of 15 years. He had last unsuccessfully contested assembly elections from Parlahara assembly segment in 2009.

Das, on the other hand, is the sitting MLA of Jajpur seat in the coastal region. He is known to be an influential organiser of the party. The prestigious Sambalpur parliamentary constituency was represented by the BJD during its alliance with BJP three times in a row in 1998, 1999 and 2004.

In 2009, 2014 and 2019, however, voters of the constituency elected Congress, BJD and BJP candidates respectively. Pradhan, a resident of Talcher town in Angul district and son of former Union minister Debendra Pradhan, has been a central minister since 2014 and is banking on the initiatives of the Union government to register a victory.

“We are optimistic that people will vote on the lotus symbol. The BJP-led Centre has established IIM Sambalpur and people are happy with the developmental work of the Union government,” he said. Das, a three-term Jajpur MLA and son of former Janata Dal state president Ashok Dash, claimed that people love Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and have been benefited from the BJD governments’ schemes for farmers, weavers, students, youths and women.

“The BJD government’s Kalia scheme for farmers is very popular in this region,” Das said. Although a total of 14 candidates are in the fray, the contest is directly between Pradhan and Das.

Congress has nominated former BJD MP and ex-minister Nagendra Pradhan, who quit the ruling party in the state and joined the grand old party a few days before filing his nominations. The Congress had first named Dulal Chandra Pradhan from the seat but later changed its candidate to Nagendra Pradhan, who had won from the constituency in 2014 on a BJD ticket, after he joined the grand old party. Aggrieved by the party’s decision, Dulal Chandra Pradhan later joined the BJP.

Nagendra Pradhan was elected from the Athamalik assembly segment three times, in 1990 on a Janata Dal ticket and in 2004 and 2014 as a BJD candidate. He had also served in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet. The Sambalpur parliamentary constituency was reorganised in a delimitation exercise ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

It comprises Sambalpur, Rairhakhol, Kuchinda and Rengali assembly constituencies in Sambalpur district, Athamallik and Chhendipada assembly segments in Angul district and Deogarh assembly constituency in Deogarh district. BJD had won the Rairhakhol, Kuchinda, Chhendipada and Athamallik assembly seats, while the BJP bagged Sambalpur, Deogarh and Rengali assembly seats in the 2019 elections.

In the 2009, 2014 and 2019 elections, Sambalpur sent three different party candidates to the Lok Sabha. In 2009, the Congress won by a margin of 14,874 votes, while the BJD secured the seat in 2014, winning by 30,574 votes. The BJP bagged the seat in 2019 by a margin of only 9,162 votes.

The candidates of the three major parties were seen campaigning in the scorching heat, reaching out to representatives of various communities, entrepreneurs, artistes and sportspersons.

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Odisha: Fight of heavyweights in Sambalpur where farmers, weavers hold the key

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Unemployment and distress sale of paddy are the pressing issues in Odisha’s Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency, where Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of the BJP and influential BJD general secretary (organisation) Pranab Prakash Das are poised for a showdown.

The candidates’ attention is squarely on farmers and weavers, who are crucial in a region that encompasses the catchment area of the Hirakud reservoir and has a thriving handloom industry.

The majority of Sambalpur’s population, concentrated in five of its seven assembly constituencies, relies either on agriculture or the harvesting of Kendu and Sal leaves for their livelihoods.

Pradhan, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, is contesting elections after a gap of 15 years. He had last unsuccessfully contested assembly elections from Parlahara assembly segment in 2009.

Das, on the other hand, is the sitting MLA of Jajpur seat in the coastal region. He is known to be an influential organiser of the party.

The prestigious Sambalpur parliamentary constituency was represented by the BJD during its alliance with BJP three times in a row in 1998, 1999 and 2004.

In 2009, 2014 and 2019, however, voters of the constituency elected Congress, BJD and BJP candidates respectively.

Pradhan, a resident of Talcher town in Angul district and son of former Union minister Debendra Pradhan, has been a central minister since 2014 and is banking on the initiatives of the Union government to register a victory.

“We are optimistic that people will vote on the lotus symbol. The BJP-led Centre has established IIM Sambalpur and people are happy with the developmental work of the Union government,” he said.

Das, a three-term Jajpur MLA and son of former Janata Dal state president Ashok Dash, claimed that people love Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and have been benefited from the BJD governments’ schemes for farmers, weavers, students, youths and women.

“The BJD government’s Kalia scheme for farmers is very popular in this region,” Das said.

Although a total of 14 candidates are in the fray, the contest is directly between Pradhan and Das.

Congress has nominated former BJD MP and ex-minister Nagendra Pradhan, who quit the ruling party in the state and joined the grand old party a few days before filing his nominations.

The Congress had first named Dulal Chandra Pradhan from the seat but later changed its candidate to Nagendra Pradhan, who had won from the constituency in 2014 on a BJD ticket, after he joined the grand old party. Aggrieved by the party’s decision, Dulal Chandra Pradhan later joined the BJP.

Nagendra Pradhan was elected from the Athamalik assembly segment three times, in 1990 on a Janata Dal ticket and in 2004 and 2014 as a BJD candidate. He had also served in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet.

The Sambalpur parliamentary constituency was reorganised in a delimitation exercise ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

It comprises Sambalpur, Rairhakhol, Kuchinda and Rengali assembly constituencies in Sambalpur district, Athamallik and Chhendipada assembly segments in Angul district and Deogarh assembly constituency in Deogarh district.

BJD had won the Rairhakhol, Kuchinda, Chhendipada and Athamallik assembly seats, while the BJP bagged Sambalpur, Deogarh and Rengali assembly seats in the 2019 elections.

In the 2009, 2014 and 2019 elections, Sambalpur sent three different party candidates to the Lok Sabha.

In 2009, the Congress won by a margin of 14,874 votes, while the BJD secured the seat in 2014, winning by 30,574 votes. The BJP bagged the seat in 2019 by a margin of only 9,162 votes.

The candidates of the three major parties were seen campaigning in the scorching heat, reaching out to representatives of various communities, entrepreneurs, artists and sportspersons.

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UN raises India’s 2024 economic growth projection to nearly 7%

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The United Nations has revised upwards India’s growth projections for 2024, with the country’s economy now forecast to expand by close to seven percent this year, mainly driven by strong public investment and resilient private consumption.

The World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2024, released Thursday, said, India’s economy is forecast to expand by 6.9% in 2024 and 6.6% in 2025, mainly driven by strong public investment and resilient private consumption. Although subdued external demand will continue to weigh on merchandise export growth, pharmaceuticals and chemicals exports are expected to expand strongly.

The 6.9% economic growth projections for India in the mid-year update is an upward revision from the 6.2% GDP forecast made by the UN in January this year. The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2024 report that was launched in January had said that growth in India was projected to reach 6.2% in 2024, amid robust domestic demand and strong growth in the manufacturing and services sectors.

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The projection in January for India’s GDP growth for 2025 remains unchanged at 6.6% in the latest assessment of the economic situation. The update said that consumer price inflation in India is projected to decelerate from 5.6% in 2023 to 4.5% in 2024, staying within the central bank’s two to six percent medium-term target range.

Similarly, inflation rates in other South Asian countries declined in 2023 and are expected to decelerate further in 2024, ranging from 2.2% in the Maldives to 33.6% in Iran. Despite some moderation, food prices remained elevated in the first quarter of 2024, especially in Bangladesh and India.

In India, labour market indicators have also improved amid robust growth and higher labour force participation, it said. India’s government remains committed to gradually reduce the fiscal deficit, while seeking to increase capital investment.

South Asia’s economic outlook is expected to remain strong, supported by a robust performance of India’s economy and a slight recovery in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Regional GDP is projected to grow by 5.8% in 2024 (an upward revision of 0.6 percentage points since January) and 5.7% in 2025, below the 6.2% recorded in 2023.

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However, still tight financial conditions and fiscal and external imbalances will continue to weigh on South Asia’s growth performance.

In addition, potential increases in energy prices amid geopolitical tensions and the ongoing disruption in the Red Sea pose a risk to the regional economic outlook, it said.

The world economy is now forecast to grow by 2.7% in 2024 (an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the forecast in January) and 2.8% in 2025 (an increase of 0.1 percentage points). The upward revisions mainly reflect a better outlook in the United States, where the latest forecast points to 2.3% growth in 2024 (an upward revision of 0.9 percentage points since January), and several large emerging economies, notably Brazil, India and Russia.

It noted that several large developing economies Indonesia, India and Mexico are benefiting from strong domestic and external demand. In comparison, many economies in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean are on a low-growth trajectory, facing high inflation, elevated borrowing costs, persistent exchange rate pressures and lingering political instability.

The possible intensification and spreading of conflicts in Gaza and the Red Sea add further uncertainties to the near-term outlook for the Middle East, the mid-year update said. Global trade is expected to recover in 2024. The early boost to trade flows in the first months of the year can be attributed to destocking of the inventory that piled up amid supply-chain disruptions in 2021-22.

China’s foreign trade grew faster than expected in the first two months in 2024, driven largely by exports to emerging markets, particularly to Brazil, India and Russia, it said. However, persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and disruptions in the Red Sea, and escalating cost of freight continue to pose challenges to global trade, it added.

The mid-year update said global economic prospects have improved since January, with major economies avoiding a severe downturn, bringing down inflation without increasing unemployment. However, the outlook is only cautiously optimistic.

Higher-for-longer interest rates, debt sustainability challenges, continuing geopolitical tensions and ever-worsening climate risks continue to pose challenges to growth, threatening decades of development gains, especially for least developed countries and small island developing states. The outlook for China registers a small uptick with growth now expected to be 4.8% in 2024, from 4.7% projected in January.

China’s growth is projected to moderate to 4.8% in 2024, from 5.2% in 2023. Pent-up consumer demand released after the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions has largely dissipated. While enhanced policy support is expected to boost investments in public infrastructure and strategic sectors, the property sector poses a significant downside risk to the Chinese economy, it said.

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Entries open for NHRC’s 10th annual short films contest

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday said it has opened entries for its annual thematic short films competition online. The last date for entries is August 30, the NHRC said in a statement.

The aim of this competition is to encourage and acknowledge cinematic and creative efforts of the citizens, irrespective of their age, towards the promotion and protection of human rights, officials said.

NHRC, India invites entries for its 10th annual competition for short films on human rights.
Last date to apply: 30th August, 2024.
For more details scan the QR Code or visit: https://t.co/Lof9mW9xIp pic.twitter.com/8BctUaisDZ

— NHRC India (@India_NHRC) May 16, 2024

The short films may be in English or any Indian language with subtitles in English. The duration of the short film should be a minimum of three minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes and they can be in a documentary, animation or dramatised form.

The themes of short films should be based on various socio-economic, cultural, and political rights and may include issues specific to bonded and child labor, women’s and children’s rights, challenges faced by elderly persons, rights of persons with disabilities, manual scavenging, the right to healthcare, issues of fundamental freedoms, human trafficking, domestic violence, and human rights violations due to police atrocities, it said.

There is no entry fee or limit on the number of entries an individual can send to participate in the contest. However, participants must send each film separately with a duly filled-in entry form.

“The film, a duly filed entry form, and other requisite documents may be sent using Google drive at nhrcshortfilm@gmail.com,” the statement said.

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Delhi records hottest day of season at 42.5°C, heatwave likely on May 18

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The mercury soared to 42.5 degrees Celsius in the national capital on Thursday, the highest temperature recorded in the city so far this summer, according to the weather office.

The previous hottest day was May 8, with a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Thursday’s maximum temperature was two notches above normal, it said. The relative humidity during the day oscillated between 25% and 65%.

According to the IMD’s seven-day forecast, heatwave conditions are likely in isolated places in the capital on Saturday, with temperatures expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius.

Heatwave conditions occur when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees or more above normal temperature, reaching at least 45 degrees Celsius, according to the Met department.

There was no heatwave in May 2023 in Delhi, which recorded a highest temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius in the month last year. In 2022, the capital saw four heatwave days, according to IMD data.

For Friday, the weather office has forecast partly cloudy skies with the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to settle around 43 and 25 degrees Celsius, respectively.

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ICRA report says air passenger traffic in India to reach 407-418 million this fiscal year

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Air passenger traffic in the country is projected to touch record levels in the range of 407-418 million in the current financial year and the revenues of select airport operators together are estimated to rise 15-17% during the same period, rating agency ICRA said on Thursday, May 16. Surpassing the pre-Covid level by 10%, the traffic reached 376.4 million in the fiscal ended March 2024.

In a report, ICRA said the overall traffic is expected to see a healthy growth of around 8-11% year-on-year to around 407-418 million in FY2025, supported by strong pick-up in both leisure and business travel, improving connectivity to newer destinations in the domestic segment and the continued uptick in international travel. Indian airport operators’ revenue is anticipated to grow 15-17% on an annual basis in the current fiscal ending March 2025, it added.

ICRA’s sample set of airport operators include Airports Authority of India (AAI) as well as operators of Delhi, Hyderabad, and Cochin international airports. “The recovery in the Indian airport passenger traffic is one of the best compared to other major global counterparts. India accounted for 4.2% of the global passenger traffic in CY2023, and its share in passenger traffic has improved from 3.8% in CY2019.”

“While the global passenger traffic recovered to just 96% of global passenger traffic in CY2023, the Indian airport passenger traffic revived to 106% of the pre-Covid level owing to strong economic growth as well as the addition of new airport routes. The Indian air passenger traffic is expected to outperform the global trend,” Vinay Kumar G, Vice President & Sector Head, Corporate Ratings at Icra, said.

According to the rating agency, airport operators, regulators, and other stakeholders have made significant progress in resolving the long-pending issues — cost of equity, return on security deposits, forex losses, and treatment of real estate income.

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Indian national charged in connection with Nijjar’s murder appears before Canadian court

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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An Indian national charged in connection with the killing of a Khalistani separatist appeared before a Canadian court, which ordered him to re-appear on May 21 alongside three co-accused arrested in the high-profile case that has severely strained India’s relations with Canada.

Amandeep Singh, a 22-year-old suspect in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, appeared via video in a Surrey court on Wednesday, and the matter has been put forward to next week, local media reports said.

Nijjar, 45, was killed outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023. Amandeep was charged on May 11 with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, just over a week after identical charges were announced against three co-accused — Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and 28-year-old Karanpreet Singh.

Amandeep appeared in court in Surrey virtually from Ontario, where he was already in the custody of Peel Regional Police for unrelated firearms charges. A judge set his next court date for May 21 when he’ll appear alongside the other three men charged with conspiring to kill Nijjar.

His appearance before the court was marred by technical delays. More than two dozen people gathered outside the courtroom before Amandeep’s appearance, holding flags in support of Khalistan.

Amandeep, Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh are all Indian nationals. Police say Amandeep was splitting his time in Canada between Brampton, Abbotsford, and Surrey. They are allegedly members of a hit squad that investigators believe was tasked by the government of India to carry out the murder of Nijjar, according to the Canadian media.

Amandeep was already caught up in the Canadian justice system at the time of Nijjar’s death, CBC News reported. The Indian national, who entered Canada on a temporary visa, appeared in a Surrey courtroom to answer charges on an unrelated matter just two days before he lay in wait for Nijjar at the entrance to the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, according to the report.

Amandeep had been arrested in Surrey on a warrant after fleeing from police in March 2023. He was charged with flight from police and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and made a first court appearance on June 16, 2023. Court documents show that his case came up before the court again 19 days after the killing, on July 7, and was proceeding through the system toward a trial, scheduled for later this year, when he was arrested on separate firearms and drug charges in Brampton last November.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar. India has dismissed Trudeau’s charges as “absurd” and “motivated.” Nijjar, a Khalistani separatist, was wanted in India on various terror charges.

India has been asserting that its “core issue” with Canada remained that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country. Following Trudeau’s allegations last year, India temporarily suspended the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens. The visa services were resumed several weeks later.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had recently said that by allowing political space to Khalistani separatist elements, the Canadian government is sending a message that its vote bank is “more powerful” than its rule of law.

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Maliwal ‘assault’ case: Delhi police registers FIR, NCW summons Kejriwal’s aide

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Delhi Police on Thursday registered an FIR in connection with the alleged assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal by an aide of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, even as the BJP hit out at the AAP supremo for maintaining silence over the incident. Bibhav Kumar, the personal assistant of Kejriwal, has been named as an accused in the case, officials said.

He has also been summoned by the National Commission for Women (NCW) over allegations of assault of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.

The FIR was registered after Maliwal’s statement was recorded by a two-member team, led by Additional Commissioner of Police P S Kushwaha. It was at the Rajya Sabha member’s residence in Central Delhi for nearly four and a half hours.

Officials said the FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to violence against a woman. In a post on X after the police team left her residence, Maliwal said she has recorded her statement with the Delhi Police on what happened with her and urged the BJP to not indulge in politics. “Hope appropriate action is taken. Whatever happened with me was extremely bad,” said the MP.

She also said, “The past days have been very difficult for me. I thank those who prayed. Those who tried to indulge in character assassination, said that I was doing it at the behest of the other party, God bless them too.”

According to sources, in her police complaint, Maliwal has named Kumar as the “main person” who allegedly assaulted her when she had gone to meet Kejriwal on Monday.

The hearing of Bhibhav Kumar is scheduled for Friday at 11 am, according to the NCW summon.

The National Commission of Women (NCW) took suo moto cognizance of a media post titled, “Ex-DCW chief Swati Maliwal accuses Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary of assaulting her,” where she claimed that she was brutally assaulted at the Chief Minister’s residence by Bhibhav Kumar, Kejriwal’s Private Secretary.

In light of these accusations, the Commission issued a notice, emphasising that failure to comply could result in further actions as deemed necessary by them.

This incident has stirred controversy and speculation, as Kumar, a key figure in the Chief Minister’s office, faces serious allegations from a prominent public figure like Maliwal.

Maliwal on Monday went to the Civil Lines police station and alleged that a member of the Delhi chief minister’s personal staff “assaulted” her at the chief minister’s official residence, police officials had said earlier. She is yet to file a formal complaint in the matter.

On Tuesday, Sanjay Singh addressed a press conference and said the incident with Maliwal was a “highly condemnable” one.

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Fake ‘bomb’ note sparks panic on board Vadodara-bound flight

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Panic gripped a Delhi-Vadodara Air India flight at the IGI airport in the national capital after a crew member spotted a tissue paper with the word “bomb” written on it in the aircraft’s washroom, police said on Thursday.

The flight was searched after the note was discovered on Wednesday evening but nothing suspicious was found, a police officer said.

He said the aircraft was ready for take-off when the crew member spotted the tissue paper at 7 pm.

The officer said the Central Industrial Security Force and the Delhi Police were informed and passengers were asked to deboard the flight.

The aircraft was checked thoroughly but nothing was found, he said, adding that the passengers later departed for their destination on another aircraft.

.

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Slovakia PM Fico is expected to survive assassination attempt, says Deputy PM

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded on Wednesday, but his deputy prime minister said he believed Fico would survive.

The prime minister had been greeting supporters at an event when the attempted assassination took place, shocking the small country and reverberating across Europe weeks before an election.

“I guess in the end he will survive,” Tomas Taraba told the BBC, adding: “He’s not in a life-threatening situation at this moment.” Doctors fought for Fico’s life several hours after the pro-Russian leader, 59, was hit in the abdomen, Defense Minister Robert Kalina told reporters at the hospital where Fico was being treated.

Five shots were fired outside a cultural centre in the town of Handlova, nearly 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital, government officials said. Fico was shot while attending a meeting of his government in the town of 16,000 that was once a centre of coal mining.

A suspect was in custody, and an initial investigation found “a clear political motivation” behind the assassination attempt, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said as he briefed reporters alongside the defence minister.

Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond, but his return to power last year on a pro-Russian, anti-American message led to even greater worries among fellow European Union members that he would lead his country further from the Western mainstream.

Kicking off his fourth term as prime minister, his government halted arms deliveries to Ukraine, and critics worry that he will lead Slovakia — a nation of 5.4 million that belongs to NATO — to abandon its pro-Western course and follow in the footsteps of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Thousands have repeatedly rallied in the capital and across Slovakia to protest Fico’s policies.

A message posted to Fico’s Facebook account said he was taken to a hospital in Banská Bystrica, 29 kilometers (17 miles) from Handlova, because it would take too long to get to the capital, Bratislava.

The attack comes as political campaigning heats up three weeks ahead of Europe-wide elections to choose lawmakers for the European Parliament. Concern is mounting that populist and nationalists similar to Fico could make gains in the 27-member bloc.

But politics as usual were put aside as the nation faced the shock of the attempt on Fico’s life.

“A physical attack on the prime minister is, first of all, an attack on a person, but it is also an attack on democracy,” outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, a political rival of Fico, said in a televised statement. “Any violence is unacceptable. The hateful rhetoric we’ve been witnessing in society leads to hateful actions. Please, let’s stop it.” President-elect Peter Pellegrini, an ally of Fico, called the shooting “an unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy. If we express other political opinions with pistols in squares, and not in polling stations, we are jeopardising everything that we have built together over 31 years of Slovak sovereignty”.

The recent elections that brought Fico and his allies to power have underlined deep social divisions, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, Slovakia’s neighbour to the east.

Gábor Czímer, a political journalist at Slovakian news outlet Ujszo.com, said Fico’s return to power had uncovered signs that “Slovak society is strongly split into two camps” — one that is friendly toward Russia and another that pushes for stronger connections with the EU and the West.

“At the same time, I couldn’t imagine that it would lead to physical violence,” Czímer said.

Estok, the Slovak interior minister, told reporters outside the hospital that the country was “on the edge of a civil war” from the political tension.

“Such hateful comments are being made on social networks today, so please, let’s stop this immediately,” he said.

US President Joe Biden said he was alarmed by the assassination attempt. “We condemn this horrific act of violence,” he said in a statement.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg posted on the social media platform X that he was “shocked and appalled” by the attempt on Fico’s life. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it a “vile attack”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the violence against a neighbouring country’s head of government. “Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form or sphere,” he said.

Slovakia’s Parliament was adjourned until further notice. The major opposition parties, Progressive Slovakia and Freedom and Solidarity, cancelled a planned protest against a controversial government plan to overhaul public broadcasting that they say would give the government full control of public radio and television.

Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka called on all politicians “to refrain from any expressions and steps which could contribute to further increasing the tension”.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala wished the premier a swift recovery. “We cannot tolerate violence, there’s no place for it in society.” The Czech Republic and Slovakia formed Czechoslovakia until 1992.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow