Comment on Polish president unveils court reform in democratic litmus test

Secretary of State Antony Blinken followed up a pledge to support Ukraine in its war against Russia by playing a cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World” in a basement bar just off Kyiv’s main strip. Dressed in a black shirt and faded jeans and strapping on an electric guitar, the top US diplomat launched into Neil Young’s hit anthem.

Inside the well-secured Paris headquarters of France’s far-right National Rally party, an oversized poster in the stairwell shows two figures, their arms raised in triumph and smiling broadly. One is easily recognizable: Marine Le Pen, whose family has defined France’s virulently nationalist group for decades. The other is a tall, young man in a dark suit: Jordan Bardella.

LONDON — King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The larger-than-life painting by artist Jonathan Yeo captures the king with his hands clasped atop the hilt of his sword and a butterfly flitting above his right shoulder.

(BRATISLAVA, Slovakia) — Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon and taken to hospital. Reports on TA3, a Slovakian TV station, said that Fico, 59, was hit in the stomach after four shots were fired outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova, some 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, where the leader was meeting with supporters.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Singapore’s deputy leader Lawrence Wong was sworn in Wednesday as the nation’s fourth prime minister in a carefully planned political succession designed to ensure continuity and stability in the Asian financial hub. A U. S.-trained economist, Wong, 51, succeeds Lee Hsien Loong, 72, who stepped down after two decades at the helm.

As the summer climbing season approaches, local authorities in Japan have announced a new entry fee and daily visitor cap for their popular trail up Mount Fuji in an attempt to reduce congestion around the iconic mountain and curb the damaging effects of overtourism. The paid reservation system, officially unveiled on Monday, kicks in for those wishing to ascend Mount Fuji between July 1 and September 10, and slots can be booked online starting May 20. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] A Yamanashi prefecture government official told CNN in 2023 that “overtourism—and all the subsequent consequences like rubbish, rising CO2 emissions and reckless hikers—is the biggest problem facing Mount Fuji.” A booking, which costs 2,000 Yen (or about $13), covers entrance to the Yoshida Trail, which is used by about 60% of visitors and is one of four entrances to the mountain.