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A8 U.S. NEWS
Monday 14 January 2019

Poland: Mayor stabbed on stage, condition very serious

By VANESSA GERA polita, reported that the
Associated Press man yelled after stabbing
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Adamowicz: "Hello! Hello!
The mayor of a city in Po- My name is Stefan, I was
land was in very serious jailed but innocent. ... Civic
condition after he was Platform tortured me, that's
stabbed on stage Sunday why Adamowicz just died."
during the finale of a large Police said he was a
charity event, and Polish 27-year-old with a criminal
media reported details that record and had carried out
gave the attack a political bank robberies.
element. Radio Gdansk reported that
Gdansk Mayor Pawel Ad- Adamowicz was stabbed
amowicz was attacked in the area of his heart, but
with a knife while he stood did not cite its source, while
on stage, held his belly and Rzeczpospolita described
collapsed during the "Lights his condition as "critical,"
to Heaven" fundraiser or- citing unnamed sources. A
ganized by the Great Or- spokesman for the hospital
chestra of Christmas Char- In this Saturday, April 21, 2018 file photo, the mayor of Gdansk, Pawel Adamowicz addresses a called his condition "very
ity, Poland's most important rally organized in protest against a recent gathering by far-right groups in this Baltic coast city, in serious."
charity. Gdansk, Poland. TVN footage showed Ad-
Polish President Andrzej Associated Press amowicz on stage just
Duda said he was informed before the attack with a
that "doctors succeeded dition is very difficult." He assailant shouted from the which the mayor formerly sparkler in hand telling the
in reanimating the heart of called on for people to stage that he was impris- belonged, despite being audience that it had been
the seriously injured Mayor pray for the mayor. oned under a previous na- innocent. He was arrested. a "wonderful day" and then
Pawel Adamowicz and Polish broadcaster TVN re- tional government led by Several Polish media out- the attacker coming to-
there is hope, but his con- ported that the suspected Civic Platform, a party to lets, including Rzeczpos- ward him.q

French far-right leader wants EU election to 'beat' Macron

political changeover has months could help her fice issued a "letter to the
come," Le Pen said of the populist party at the bal- French" from Macron on
hoped-for wins by national- lot box. The movement Sunday evening. He ex-
ist movements like hers. started to oppose fuel tax plained how he planned
"What we propose is a qui- increases but expanded to address the yellow vests
et transition from the Euro- to challenge government movement's concerns
pean Union to the Europe- policies seen as favoring through a three-month
an alliance of nations...that the wealthy. "grand debate" taking
will allow us to reconquer The movement appeared place through meetings
our border control, our leg- to gain new momentum in all the country's regions
islative, budget and mon- this weekend. The French starting this week.
etary sovereignty", she said. Interior Ministry said about In the letter, Macron en-
French voters will fill 79 of 84,000 people turned out couraged the public to
the European Union legis- on Saturday for the ninth use the debate to express
lature's 705 seats. Le Pen's straight round of demon- views on four main topics:
French far-right leader Marine le Pen delivers her speech during
a campaign meeting in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019. party placed first in France strations across Franc, up taxes, public services, cli-
Associated Press during the 2014 election from 50,000 the previous mate change and demo-
and has a good chance to week. cratic issues.
By SYLVIE CORBET During a speech in Paris, do the same this year. "Today, it's inevitable that "That's how I want to turn
PARIS (AP) — France's far- party leader Marine Le Pen National Rally's campaign the yellow vests are part of angers into solutions with
right National Rally party urged voters to seize the slogan was unveiled in gi- the national context and you," he wrote.
launched its campaign May 26 vote as a chance ant letters at Sunday's will influence, of course, the The French leader said the
Sunday for this year's Euro- to "beat" French President meeting: "We're coming." elections," National Rally debate would help the
pean Parliament election, Emmanuel Macron after Le Pen suggested the yel- activist William Courtin said government develop poli-
which it and other national- weeks of anti-government low vest protests against at the party meeting. "In cies and France's position
ist, anti-immigration move- protests. Macron's economic poli- our favor, I hope." on the European and inter-
ments hope to dominate. "The moment of the big cies during the last two The French president's of- national scene.q