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BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia—Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico remains in serious condition and still faces risks of complications but has stabilised, officials said on Saturday, following Wednesday’s assassination attempt. The prime minister, 59, was shot at five times at point-blank range in an attack that sent shockwaves through Europe and raised concerns over the polarised state of politics in Slovakia, a central European country of 5.4 million people. “We have not won yet, that is important to say,” Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak said, giving an update on Mr. Fico’s condition in front of the hospital in the town of Banka...

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot earlier this week in an assassination attempt, predicted that the ‘New World Order’ would attempt to kill him just last month.Fico warned that his opposition towards the World Economic Forum could result in his own murder.During a recorded message, The prime minister blamed the mainstream media for also wanting him dead.“I am not exaggerating by a millimeter,” Fico said in the video.Modernity.news reports: The Slovakian government has blasted the opposition and left-wing media, with Ľuboš Blaha, the deputy speaker of the Slovak parliament urging “You have made us all targets.”“You have spread...

As you’ve probably heard, the populist Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot five times by a crazed pro-Ukrainian, radical left-wing activist in a foiled assassination attempt. ... In today’s era of violent, pro-war leftists, advocating for peace has become dangerous—and potentially deadly. Fico was vehemently against supporting Ukraine in the dustup with Russia. The Slovakia anti-Ukraine history runs long and deep, as this 2023 article explains. Politico: Slovakia’s new leader Robert Fico made waves during the country’s recent election campaign by warning that he would not send “another bullet” to help Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion. His dramatic...

The populist prime minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, was in life-threatening condition Wednesday after being shot in an "attempted assassination," his office said. Fico’s Facebook page said in an update: “He was shot multiple times and is in a life-threatening state.” It said that he was being taken to a hospital in the city of Banská Bystrica rather than in the capital, Bratislava, because "it would take too long considering the urgency of the matter." The country’s president confirmed the attack shortly after the news broke. “Utterly shocked by today’s brutal and reckless attack on #Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico,...

Conservative-Populist Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot today and wounded at a government meeting. According to reports Prime Minister Fico is alive and in a helicopter on his way to a hospital in Bratislava. There is video of Robert Fico being dragged to this car after he was shot. BREAKING: Slovak PM Robert Fico taken to his car after being shot several times. He was later picked up by an ambulance helicopter and flown to a hospital. His current condition is unknown pic.twitter.com/bKoJfwgqgz — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 15, 2024 The Gateway Pundit heard from our close friend in...

HANDLOVA, Slovakia, May 15 (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and wounded in the abdomen after a government meeting on Wednesday, Slovak media reported. A Reuters witness heard several shots fired after the meeting in Handlova northeast of the capital Bratislava. Police detained a man and security officials pushed someone into a car and drove off, the witness said. Slovak news agency TASR quoted parliamentary vice-chairman Lubos Blaha as saying Fico had been shot and hurt. Broadcaster TA3 reported four shots were fired, one hitting Fico, 59, in the abdomen. Emergency services said a helicopter had been...

Changes in how the most widely used credit score in the U.S. is calculated will likely make it harder for many Americans to get loans. Fair Isaac Corp., creator of FICO scores, will soon start scoring consumers with rising debt levels and those who fall behind on loan payments more harshly. It will also flag certain consumers who sign up for personal loans, a category of unsecured debt that has surged in recent years. The changes will create a bigger gap between consumers deemed to be good and bad credit risks, the company says. Consumers with already-high FICO scores of...

Back in August 2014, we reported that in what appeared a suspicious attempt to boost the pool of eligible, credit-worthy mortgage recipients, Fair Isaac, the company behind the crucial FICO score that determines every consumer's credit rating, "will stop including in its FICO credit-score calculations any record of a consumer failing to pay a bill if the bill has been paid or settled with a collection agency. The San Jose, Calif., company also will give less weight to unpaid medical bills that are with a collection agency." In doing so, the company would "make it easier for tens of millions...

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico says he expects a divorce between the European Union and Britain to be painful — for Britain. Fico, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, says the EU has to emerge as the more successful from negotiations about future EU-UK relations, because otherwise Brexit could set an example for other countries to follow.Speaking to students on Tuesday, Fico asked: “Was it us who expelled Britain? Didn’t we do enough for it to stay?” …

Parliamentarians in Slovakia enshrined marriage as a “unique bond between a man and a woman” in the country’s Constitution May 4, with 102 National Council members backing the amendment, 18 opposing it, and three abstentions. The amendment was brought to the National Council by the Christian Democrats, and supported by the government, despite the latter being led by the socialist SMER party. A government spokesman told a press conference that the proposal simply upholds the existing situation. “The marriage amendment will not bring about any drastic changes, it only seals in the constitution what is already defined by law,” said...

Are lenders' credit score requirements for home buyers this spring too high — out of sync with the actual risks of default presented by today's borrowers? The experts say yes. What experts? The developers of the credit scores used by virtually all mortgage lenders. Executives at both FICO, creator of the dominant credit score used in the mortgage industry, and up-and-coming competitor VantageScore Solutions confirmed that mortgage lenders could reduce today's historically high score requirements without raising their risks of loss. In the process, many prospective buyers who currently can't qualify might get a shot at a loan approval. ....

NEW YORK – The credit scores of millions more Americans are sinking to new lows. Figures provided by FICO Inc. show that 25.5 percent of consumers — nearly 43.4 million people — now have a credit score of 599 or below, marking them as poor risks for lenders. It's unlikely they will be able to get credit cards, auto loans or mortgages under the tighter lending standards banks now use. Because consumers relied so heavily on debt to fuel their spending in recent years, their restricted access to credit is one reason for the slow economic recovery. "I don't get...

As banks shy away from making risky consumer loans, a mediocre credit history just won't cut it anymore. To get the best rates on mortgages, credit cards and auto loans, you need a killer score. Your FICO score is a numerical measure of your creditworthiness that ranges from 300 to 850. While there are a few different credit scoring systems available, it's the FICO score, created by the Fair Isaac Corporation, that most lenders look at when they check your credit. Lenders have already raised their standards by about 20 to 40 points this year, according to Barry Paperno, consumer...

I have been job-hunting for some time now and applying for jobs online. I applied for one job in particular which is an office job and received the following email in response to my application and resume: "I have reviewed your resume and I am very interested in hiring you. Before I can setup an appointment, I would need your recent credit score. Your credit score is required because the position you applied for includes handling company cash and using a company credit card. Don't worry, if your score is low for a legitimate reason, you will have an opportunity...

Q: Is it true that if I use my credit card at fast food places, my credit score will decrease or that it will affect my score in some way because it looks like I cannot afford to buy food? I pay my bill in full every month. -- Burger and Fries Lover A: Dear Burger: The fast answer is no, where you eat doesn't have an impact on your credit score, but that's not the full story. Your credit score is just one of the many factors that issuers use when making lending decisions, and while paying plastic for...

Credit scores have been getting a lot of attention lately, as lenders tighten credit standards and contend with new legislation that has, among other things, reined in how credit-card issuers can raise rates. Meanwhile, several firms, preying on our insecurities, are pushing credit scores and credit-score-tracking services for a monthly fee. For all the attention they generate, though, credit scores are largely misunderstood. For instance, your precise score matters only when you're in need of new debt, like a home, auto or education loan or a new credit card, which should be a fairly rare occurrence. You don't have just...

Thursday, January 22, 2009 COF: "Strikingly high FICO customers" Defaulting by CalculatedRisk on 1/22/2009 08:27:00 PM From the Capital One conference call, on Closed End Unsecured Loans (hat tip Brian): Analyst: When you look at the closed in loans that are clearly under performing at this stage, what is it about either the underwriting or the characteristics of that group of loans which makes that different than say a normal revolving credit card or what would you suppose is maybe leading to the worse than expected performance at this point? COF CEO: There are several factors involving the closed in...

Government plans new credit, mortgage programs By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer 19 mins ago WASHINGTON – The government introduced a pair of new programs Tuesday that will provide $800 billion to help unfreeze the market for consumer debt and to make mortgage loans cheaper and more available.

Washington--The government is working on a new loan facility to help companies that issue credit cards, make student loans and finance car purchases. The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve will unveil the program Tuesday, according to people familar with the plan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal announcement has yet to be made. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has said he plans to use a "relatively modest share" of the $700 billion financial bailout money to pay for the new program. It's the latest effort by the government to break through a dangerous credit clog that has...

Think your credit score only matters when you want to purchase a home or car? In the very near future, it may also affect your medical care. The health industry recently revealed their plans to create their own score to judge patients' ability to pay. The new medFICO score is being designed by Healthcare Analytics, a Massachusetts-based health technology firm, along with the financial assistance of Fair Isaac Corp. of Minnesota and Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Texas. Additionally, venture capital firm North Bridge Venture Partners, also of Massachusetts, is chipping in on the project. Each of the partners have put...