Wednesday Briefing: Major protests in Nairobi

June 26, 2024

	By Amelia Nierenberg

Good morning. We’re covering the violence in Kenya and Julian Assange’s plea deal with the U.S.

Plus, great pizza in American cities.

A tear-gas canister explodes in a cloud of flames and red and white smoke. Nearby, two people try to pick up a person who is lying on the ground.

A tear gas canister exploded as protesters tried to help injured people outside Kenya’s Parliament. Luis Tato/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Major protests rocked Kenya

Kenya’s president, William Ruto, deployed the military yesterday to crack down on what he called “treasonous” protesters, after demonstrators furious over the passage of a package of tax increases stormed the Parliament building in the capital, Nairobi, climbed in windows and set fire to the entrance.

The police fired tear gas and guns. At least five people were reported dead from gunshot wounds, and more than 30 others were wounded, according to a joint statement by Amnesty International and several Kenyan civic organizations. The numbers could not be independently confirmed.

Here is the latest.

Kenyans have widely criticized the bill, saying it would drive up the cost of living for millions. But the government has argued that the legislation was crucial to secure revenue for important initiatives.

What’s next: Ruto now has two weeks to sign the legislation into law or send it back to Parliament for revisions.

Other protests: The demonstrations seemed to be spreading beyond Nairobi, as protesters blocked streets with burning tires in Nakuru, a city some 100 miles from the capital. Last week, at least one person was killed and 200 others were injured across the country, Amnesty International said.

Photos: Here’s what it looks like on the ground.

A man wearing a purple shirt walking off an airplane.

An image of Julian Assange posted by WikiLeaks yesterday. Wikileaks, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Assange agreed to a plea deal

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count in exchange for his release from a British prison, ending his long standoff with the U.S.

During a hearing today in a U.S. court in the Northern Mariana Islands, Assange is expected to be sentenced to about five years, which he has already served in Britain. He is then expected to return to Australia.

Assange became alternately celebrated and reviled for revealing state secrets in the 2010s, including material about U.S. military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as confidential diplomatic cables. Here’s what we know about Assange and his plea deal.

What’s next: Assange’s plea deal could set a chilling precedent for press freedoms in the U.S., my colleague Charlie Savage writes in an analysis.

A man in a black coat and hat stands in front of a building with barred windows. In the foreground is a sign that says “recruiting office” in Hebrew and English letters.

A military recruiting office in Jerusalem. Abir Sultan/EPA, via Shutterstock

Israel’s top court ruled on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously yesterday that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men. The decision has threatened to split Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, which depends on two ultra-Orthodox parties.

All nine judges agreed that there was no legal basis for the military exemption. The issue, which has long been a source of tension between secular Israelis and the ultra-Orthodox community, has only grown more heated as the war in Gaza continues and reservists are called to serve second and third tours.

What’s next: There’s no timeline for conscriptions, but any such move is almost certain to meet fierce religious resistance. As a means to pressure the ultra-Orthodox community to accept the judgment, the court said that the government could suspend subsidies for religious schools that do not adhere to the ruling.

Hunger in Gaza: A U.N.-backed panel of experts said that almost half a million people face starvation and that the war had created a catastrophic lack of food.

MORE TOP NEWS

Russia-Ukraine

Gen. Valery Gerasimov and Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s former defense minister, stand close to each another. Both are in dark green uniforms.

Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik

The Hague: The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Gen. Valery Gerasimov, above left, Russia’s most senior military officer, and Sergei Shoigu, a top member of its Security Council — a sharp but mostly symbolic condemnation of the war in Ukraine.

E.U.: The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia and its proxy security forces had committed multiple violations during the decade-long occupation of Crimea.

Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky removed Yurii Sodol, a top general, from his post amid criticism that his decisions had led to excessive casualties.

Other News

U.S.: The surgeon general declared gun violence a public health crisis in the country and recommended an array of preventive measures.
South Korea: A blaze at a battery plant that killed 23 people underscores the harsh conditions that South Korea’s migrant workers endure.
Haiti: The first wave of a 2,500-member international force sent to restore order in the gang-plagued nation arrived yesterday. Critics worry the plan will fail.
China: The country hasn’t had a hot initial public offering on Wall Street in a long time. It’s a sign of how hard it is for China’s companies to find a foreign market where a listing might not be jeopardized by political scrutiny.

MORNING READ

A pizza on a metal peel bakes in a wood-fired oven.

A pizzeria in Nashville. William DeShazer for The New York Times

Wood-fire-oven pizzerias, once rare outside Italy, are now fixtures in many American cities. The result? Pizza in the U.S. is better than it has ever been, writes my colleague Brett Anderson — who ate dozens of pizzas in 18 states to report this article.

Planning a trip? Here are 22 of the best pizza restaurants across the U.S.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Too many chess grandmasters? There are about 1,850 holders of the game’s top title. Some players wonder if the designation matters anymore.
In Kew Gardens: London’s famous gardens have long had links to Japan. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will tour them tomorrow as part of a state visit to Britain.
Pets aren’t people: Animal-welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists say we’re humanizing our pets too much.

SPORTS NEWS

Hockey: The Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup.
Tennis: Roger Federer’s graduation speech at Dartmouth College has become a hit: “The truth is, whatever game you play in life, sometimes you’re going to lose,” he said.
Baseball: Read about how an obsession with strikeouts changed the sport.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

SPACE

Four men in gray jackets and visors stand around a large piece of metal that is scorched on one side. They are outside, and a Chinese flag flies over them.

The Chang’e-6 moon probe landed yesterday. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

China’s trip to the dark side of the moon

China is now the first country to retrieve soil from the far side of the moon and bring it back to Earth. The sample, which landed in Inner Mongolia yesterday on the Chang’e-6 lander, could hold clues about the origins of the moon and Earth.

The far side of the moon is something of a mystery: It never faces Earth, so direct communication with landers on the lunar far side is nearly impossible, making the area difficult to reach successfully. Some scientists hope China’s missions could advance the global scientific understanding of the solar system.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A yellow cake with pink frosting, topped with sliced strawberries, sits on a plate. A piece of cake has been cut, and the piece has been put on its own plate with a fork.

Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.

Cook: This strawberry lemonade cake is a project, but the effort is worth it to spice up a weekend party.

Listen: This week’s playlist includes a duet by Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift.

Dress: How short is too short for a skirt? Our fashion critic offers advice.

Monitor: Fitness trackers provide a stream of heart-rate data. Here’s how to make sense of it.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Amelia

Email us at briefing@nytimes.com.

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