The Slovakian president-elect, Peter Pellegrini, said the prime minister, Robert Fico, had ‘very difficult hours and days’ ahead of him as he recovers from an attempted assassination. At least five shots were fired at Fico, 59, on Wednesday as he met a small group of supporters after a government meeting in the town of Handlová, about 90 miles (150km) north-east of the capital, Bratislava. Pellegrini told reporters Fico's condition was still ‘very critical’, but he had managed to have a short conversation with him in hospital
