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☆ Scaled-Back but Determined Protests in Kenya Call for President to Resign
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Protesters returned to the streets of Kenya on Thursday, some of them demanding the resignation of President William Ruto, despite his announcement a day earlier that he was abandoning a tax bill that drew large-scale demonstrations in which nearly two dozen people were killed. On Thursday, a heavy police and military presence was visible across the capital, with officers in cars and trucks and on horseback guarding the roads leading to Parliament, the president’s official residence and several downtown streets. Much of the central business district remained closed as police officers chased and tear-gassed smaller crowds waving white roses. Some activists and opposition political leaders had urged demonstrators not to march toward the president’s official residence in Nairobi on Thursday for fear of more bloodshed. But others said the killings, shootings and abductions of those opposing the tax increases in recent days — which activists said were some of the bloodiest days in Kenya’s recent history — would not deter them from pushing Mr. Ruto to resign.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto Locations: Kenya, Nairobi

☆ Tension and Tear Gas Linger in Kenya After Tax Protests Turn Deadly
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In downtown Nairobi, the capital, the strong smell of tear gas still wafted through the air after the clashes between protesters and the police. Large rocks and a burned car were strewed next to the City Hall offices that protesters had breached. Police officers also cordoned off the streets leading to Parliament and were not allowing pedestrians to pass. Although businesses were slowly reopening across Kenya, newspapers being sold on the streets of Nairobi captured the chaos of the previous day. “Pandemonium,” the front page of the Daily Nation newspaper said.

Persons: William Ruto Organizations: City Hall, Police, Daily Nation, The Star Locations: Kenya, East, Nairobi

☆ Anti-Tax Riots Rock Kenya, as President Vows Crackdown on ‘Treasonous’ Protesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and some broke into Parliament and briefly set fire to the entrance on Tuesday, after lawmakers approved tax increases that critics said would drive up the cost of living for millions. During the protests, the police fired tear gas and guns, plunging the capital into turmoil. At least five people were fatally shot and 31 others injured, according to Amnesty International and several prominent Kenyan civic organizations. The independent Kenya Human Rights Commission posted a video that showed police officers firing as protesters marched toward them. As tear gas wafted through the streets, some protesters climbed through the windows of Parliament after lawmakers voted 195 to 106 in favor of the tax bill on Tuesday, with supporters saying it would raise revenue for education and other essential services.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, ” Organizations: Amnesty International, Kenyan, Kenya Human Rights Locations: Kenya’s, Nairobi, Kenya

☆ Foreign Police Officers Land on the Ground in Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Frances Robles | Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Foreign law enforcement officers began arriving in Haiti on Tuesday, more than year and a half after the prime minister there issued a plea to other countries for help to stop the rampant gang violence that has upended the Caribbean nation. Footage shared on social media showed dozens of armed men in military fatigues filing out of a Kenya Airways plane at Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The officers are part of a deployment of police officers from eight nations who will fan out across the capital in an effort to wrest control of the city from dozens of armed groups that have attacked police stations, freed prisoners and killed with impunity. Since the appeal for international help went out in October 2022, more than 7,500 people have been killed by violence — more than 2,500 people so far this year alone, the United Nations said.

Persons: Haiti’s Toussaint Organizations: Kenya Airways, United Nations Locations: Haiti, Caribbean, Port

☆ Protests Driven by Younger People Aim to Push Kenya to Scrap Tax Rises
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Before Tuesday’s demonstration, several activists who are prominent critics of the bill were abducted, according to the Law Society of Kenya. The abductors’ identities were not publicly known, but some were believed to be intelligence officers, said the Law Society’s president, Faith Odhiambo. Lawmakers in Parliament are set to debate and vote on proposed amendments to the bill on Tuesday. President William Ruto’s governing alliance has enough votes to pass it, although opposition leaders have rejected the measure in its totality. Once the bill has parliamentary approval, Mr. Ruto can sign it into law or send it back for amendments.

Persons: Faith Odhiambo, William Ruto’s, Ruto Organizations: Amnesty International, Law Society of Kenya Locations: Kenya, East

☆ Obama’s Half Sister Is Among Those Tear-Gassed During Protests in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | More About Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Auma Obama, an older half sister of former President Barack Obama, was tear-gassed on Tuesday while being interviewed live on CNN during protests in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. The protests were against the passage of a finance bill that raises taxes on many basic goods. They are demonstrating with flags and banners.”Ms. Obama then began choking in a spreading cloud of tear gas lobbed by the police. “We are being tear-gassed.”Ms. Obama grew up in Kenya and returned there as a community activist after studying and living in Germany and the United Kingdom. Her foundation in Kenya, Sauti Kuu, or Powerful Voices, serves children and young people, particularly from urban slums and rural communities.

Persons: Auma Obama, Barack Obama, Obama, “, ”, “ Young, Ms, Sauti Organizations: CNN, Kenyan Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Germany, United Kingdom

☆ Live Updates: Casualties Reported as Police Fire on Protesters in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The police used live fire and tear gas on protesters who marched on the Parliament building in an attempt to stop a vote on a contentious finance bill. The police used tear gas in an attempt to keep the protesters from approaching Parliament, and the sound of live fire rang out. Before Tuesday’s demonstration, several activists who are prominent critics of the bill were abducted, according to the Law Society of Kenya. But protesters have denounced other taxes, including on imported goods, and have urged the government to abandon the draft legislation. Image President William Ruto promised to be a champion of the poor, but critics say his administration has been marred by extravagant spending.

Persons: Faith Odhiambo, Odhiambo, Martha Koome, ”, Kasmuel McOure, William Ruto, Urs Flueeler, Ruto, Instagram, Mike, “, Kimani Ichung’wah, It’s, Anita Barasa, McOure, Mr Organizations: Amnesty International, Law Society of Kenya, Mr, Kenyan, Observers, KFC, Protesters Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, East, reneging, ”

☆ Former Colonies Want France Out. This African Nation Says, Bienvenue!
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | Guillem Sartorio | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After decades of wielding political, military and economic power across Africa, France is scaling back its presence on the continent as it faces significant resentment in many of its former colonies. Yet one nation has emerged as an exception: Rwanda. In return, French companies are scaling up their investments in Rwanda. The détente, which is being championed by Rwanda’s longtime leader, Paul Kagame, has garnered France a much-needed security partner in Africa and secured Rwanda millions of dollars in development and trade funds. “We have a partner in Kagame,” Hervé Berville, a French minister of state, said in an interview in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

Persons: Rwanda’s, Paul Kagame, Emmanuel Macron, Kagame, ” Hervé Organizations: France Locations: Africa, France, Rwanda, Paris, French, Rwandan, Kigali

☆ Heavy Rains and Floods Sweep Cities Across East Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At least 200 people were killed and dozens more were injured across East Africa in recent days, officials and aid groups said, as torrential rains, floods and landslides pummeled towns and cities in a region already grappling with the devastating effects of the climate change crisis. The extreme rains unleashed a wave of destruction across Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi, flooding homes, demolishing businesses and leaving many people stranded on rooftops. The downpours exposed yet again the bad roads and poor drainage systems in some of the region’s biggest cities, which residents have persistently complained about. They also revealed how poor people, who live in sprawling shantytowns without access to proper roads, water or power, bear the biggest brunt of destructive floods.

Organizations: East Locations: East Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi

☆ How Mark Zuckerberg is reimagining the classroom
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Later this year, Meta will launch new software for educators that aims to make it easier to use its VR headsets in the classroom. The tools will let teachers manage and program multiple Quest headsets at once, give them access to a range of education-related apps and provide greater oversight and control of how students are using the devices. CNN reporter Clare Duffy interviews Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg in virtual reality, using a Meta Quest 3 headset, alongside Meta spokespeople, on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Questions about VR in the classroomThe cost to incorporate VR headsets in the classroom could be a hurdle to adoption for the many schools already struggling with limited resources. While cheaper than some other headsets on the market, Meta’s Quest 3 devices still start at $499 each.

Persons: Shakespeare, ”, Global Affairs Nick Clegg, Clegg, Vincent Quan, Abdul Latif Jameel, ” Quan, Clare Duffy, Meta spokespeople, ” Clegg, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Magic School, Meta, Globe Theatre, Global Affairs, VR, CNN, New Mexico University, Morehouse College, Quest Locations: New York, Ancient Rome, Meta, Manhattan, London, “

☆ Ugandan Court Upholds Draconian Anti-Gay Law
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday largely upheld a sweeping anti-gay law that President Yoweri Museveni signed last year, undermining the efforts of activists and rights groups to abolish legislation that drew worldwide condemnation and strained the East African nation’s relationship with the West. The legislation, which was signed into law by Mr. Museveni in May, calls for life imprisonment for anyone who engages in gay sex. But the law was popular in Uganda, a landlocked nation of over 48 million people, where religious and political leaders frequently inveigh against homosexuality. The fallout for Uganda will be watched closely in other African countries where anti-gay sentiment is on the rise and anti-gay legislation is under consideration, including Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania and South Sudan. In February, Ghana’s Parliament passed an anti-gay law, but the country’s president said that he would not sign it until the Supreme Court ruled on its constitutionality.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Museveni Organizations: East, West, World Bank Locations: Uganda’s, Uganda, United States, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, South Sudan, Ghana’s

☆ Shabab Gunmen Penetrate Heavy Security to Besiege Hotel in Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Five assailants with the terrorist group Al Shabab stormed a hotel in a highly fortified area close to Somalia’s presidential palace on Thursday night, engaging security forces for about 12 hours in sustained fighting that left three people dead and injured 27 — including members of parliament — before the militants were finally killed, according to Somali officials. The attack underscored Al Shabab’s enduring capacity to stage attacks on a high-profile target in the capital, despite an aggressive counteroffensive by the Somali government, backed by the U.S. military. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud promised to eliminate the group by fighting it militarily, ideologically and financially, when he came to power in mid-2022. The militants with Al Shabab, a Qaeda-linked group, stormed the SYL Hotel in central Mogadishu after 9:30 p.m. local time, a police spokesman, Kasim Ahmed Roble, said Friday. Video footage broadcast on local television showed mangled cars and widespread destruction near the hotel’s entrance, while debris and blood covered the hotel’s floors inside.

Persons: Al Shabab, —, Al, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Kasim Ahmed Roble Organizations: U.S . Locations: Somali, Mogadishu

☆ A California man charged with smuggling greenhouse gases hints at the revival of a decades-long black market
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But there's also a blooming black market in greenhouse gases. HFCs are commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners, but they're also potent greenhouse gases. There's been a thriving black market for climate-altering refrigerant chemicals since the 1990s, at times as lucrative as selling cocaine. KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty ImagesThe black market "comes with the territory" of regulation, Doniger said. At the height of the CFC black market, many cars still used those refrigerants for their air conditioners.

Persons: there's, hydrofluorocarbons, they're, Adrees Latif, Michael Hart, Tara McGrath, There's, Hart, Carlo Allegri, David Doniger, HFCs, Avipsa, Victor Molina, KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI, Mahapatra, Doniger Organizations: Service, Department of, Business, Facebook, Department of Justice, Reuters, Natural Resources Defense Council, NASA, Environmental Investigation Agency, Getty, EPA, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, DOJ, US Attorney's, Southern, of, New York Times, CFC Locations: San Diego, Mexico, Port of Miami, Montreal, Elk Grove Village , Illinois, AFP, United States, of California, HFCs, Europe

☆ Somalia Faces ‘Pivotal Year’ as Crises Open on Several Fronts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | Brian Otieno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A 10-year defense and economic deal with Turkey to protect its seacoast and bolster its naval force. An agreement with the United States to construct five military bases for over $100 million. An enhanced defense cooperation accord with Uganda to boost the fight against the terrorist group Al Shabab. The three security pacts signed by Somalia in recent days underscore the increasing perils the Horn of Africa nation faces both internally and externally. Equally worrisome, tensions are growing between Somalia and its western neighbor, Ethiopia, over Somalia’s coastline — the longest in mainland Africa — threatening to set off a new conflict in a vital global shipping route in an increasingly volatile region.

Persons: Al Shabab Organizations: African Union Locations: Turkey, United States, Uganda, Somalia, of Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia’s, Africa

☆ Shaken by Grisly Killings of Women, Activists in Africa Demand Change
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A photograph of Grace Wangari Thuiya, a 24-year-old beautician who was killed in Nairobi, Kenya, in January. Her boyfriend assaulted and repeatedly stabbed her, police told her mother. Credit... Natalia Jidovanu for The New York Times

Persons: Grace Wangari Thuiya, Natalia Jidovanu Organizations: The New York Locations: Nairobi, Kenya

☆ ‘We’re Going to Stand Up’: Queer Literature is Booming in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As a queer teenager growing up in northern Nigeria, Arinze Ifeakandu often found himself searching for books that reflected what he felt. He scoured the book stands in Kano, the city where he lived, hoping to find stories that focused on L.G.B.T.Q. Ifeakandu wanted more. “I knew I wanted to write characters who are queer. That’s the only way I am going to show up on the page.”

Persons: Arinze Ifeakandu, Ifeakandu, “, ” Ifeakandu, ” Locations: Nigeria, Kano

☆ Italy donates 3D-printed replica of statue destroyed by ISIS to Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( James Imam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Italy has donated a reconstructed Assyrian statue to Iraq in a gesture former culture minister Francesco Rutelli described as a “miracle” of Italian cultural diplomacy. Constructed in the ninth century BC, the 5-meter-tall (16-foot) “Bull of Nimrud” was destroyed by ISIS fighters in 2015, before Italian artisans made a copy of the monument using 3D-printing technology. The replica, which was previously displayed at the Colosseum in Rome and the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, has now been permanently relocated outside the entrance to the Basrah Museum in the Iraqi city of Basra. "The Bull of Nimrud," a full-sized reconstruction of the bull figure from the ancient Assyrian city Nimrud, on display in the "Reborn from Destruction" exhibition at the Colosseum in October 2016. The “Bull of Nimrud,” which stood at the site and is a symbol of the Assyrian civilization, was among the destroyed monuments.

Persons: Francesco Rutelli, Nimrud, ” Gennaro Sangiuliano, ” Rutelli, Civiltà, meanwhile, Klaus Blume, Nicola Salvioli, ”, Shalmaneser III, Ashurnasirpal, Abdul Latif Rashid Organizations: The Art, CNN, CNN —, ISIS, UNESCO, Basrah Museum, Associazione, Facebook, of Bel Locations: CNN — Italy, Iraq, Rome, Paris, Iraqi, Basra, “ Italy, Nimrud, Mosul, Ashurnasirpal, Palmyra, Ebla, Italy

☆ Where to see April’s total solar eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —The total solar eclipse passing over a swath of North America is less than two months away. The August 2017 total solar eclipse is seen from John Day Fossil Beds National Monument near Mitchell, Oregon. There’s a lunchtime Solar Eclipse Watch Party in downtown Dallas on eclipse Monday with live music and food trucks. Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is located along the center line of the path of totality for the April 8 total solar eclipse. The city’s last total solar eclipse was nearly 100 years ago on January 25, 1925, according to a Rochester eclipse website.

Persons: it’s, Airbnb, “, John, Adrees Latif, Dave Clark, that’s, Clark, Michael Zeiler, GreatAmericanEclipse.com, Jay Anderson, ”, ” Anderson, Cerra, David Esquivel, Esquivel, El, Natalia Silyanov, There’s, Christopher Roth, Anderson, Adam Stiles, Catharines, Geoff Robins, haven’t Organizations: CNN, Reuters, CNN Travel, Planetarium Torreón, Astronomical Society of Mazatlán, Llano Visitor Center, Chamber of Commerce, Enchanted, Natural Area, Natural, ., Dallas , Texas Dallas, Eclipse Watch Party, Dallas, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Arboretum, Botanical, Sixth, Eclipse, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASA, Indy, Euclid, Great Lakes Science Center, NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Circle, Cleveland Museum of, Wade, Wade Oval, Destination Cleveland, Rochester Museum & Science Center, Niagara Falls Tourism, Niagara Parks, . Parks, Getty Locations: North America, Mexico, Canada, Texas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Missouri , Illinois , Kentucky , Indiana , Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York , Vermont , New Hampshire, Maine, Texas, Mitchell , Oregon, Torreón, Mexican, Coahuila, That’s, las, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, El Faro, Llano , Texas, Llano, Enchanted Rock, Dallas , Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Dealy, Russellville , Arkansas, Russellville, Indianapolis , Indiana Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Cleveland , Ohio Cleveland, Lake Erie, Edgewater, Euclid Beach, There’s, Cleveland, Independence, North Olmsted, Beachwood, Westlake, Destination Cleveland . Rochester , New York Rochester, Rochester, Ontario, Niagara, Niagara Falls, The City, St, ., AFP

☆ Kenyan Cult Leader Is Charged in the Deaths of 191 Children
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | More About Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A doomsday cult leader whom the Kenyan authorities say ordered his congregants to starve themselves to death was charged on Tuesday, along with 29 others, with the murder of 191 children — in a case that has drawn global attention and brought widespread scrutiny over religious freedoms in the East African nation. The decision, by a court in the coastal town of Malindi, was handed down almost a month after a judge ordered that the cult leader, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, and his co-accused undergo mental health evaluations before facing any charges. Mr. Mackenzie, a pastor, and the other accused pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to appear before a court in early March. Since last April, hundreds of bodies have been exhumed from the 800-acre Shakahola Forest, where Mr. Mackenzie and his followers lived, with many buried in shallow graves. Dozens of other followers have been rescued, and hundreds more are missing, according to local officials.

Persons: Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, Mackenzie Locations: East, Malindi

☆ Kenya Plans to Bypass Court Order in Haiti Deployment
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kenya’s government will not await a court of appeal ruling before deploying its forces to Haiti, a senior government official said, further underscoring the government’s determination to move ahead with the proposed multinational force aimed at bringing stability to the gang-ravaged Caribbean nation. Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, the principal secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The New York Times in an interview that Kenya and Haiti were working to finalize a bilateral agreement in the next two weeks and that, once in place, Kenyan forces would immediately deploy. The declaration from Mr. Sing’Oei comes just a week after the country’s High Court blocked the deployment of 1,000 police officers, saying it could go ahead only if there was a “reciprocal arrangement” detailing the framework under which Kenyan forces can operate in Haiti. Mr. Sing’Oei said the High Court provided a legal pathway for the deployment, namely the bilateral reciprocal arrangement with Haiti. But he said the government was appealing the decision to a higher court anyway to seek clarifications on some findings the government “finds problematic.”

Persons: Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, Sing’Oei, Kenya’s Organizations: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, New York Times, Kenyan Locations: Haiti, Caribbean, Kenya

☆ Pakistan accuses India of extrajudicial killings on its territory
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A top Pakistan official on Thursday accused India of killing two Pakistani nationals on its soil, citing what he called “a pattern” of alleged Indian assassination plots overseas and raising tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. India has long accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists, particularly in the disputed and heavily militarized region of Kashmir, which both countries claim in its entirety. Qazi on Thursday compared the alleged killings in Pakistan to other purported recent Indian assassination plots in North America. India and many other countries have publicly warned Pakistan cautioning that it would be consumed by its own culture of terror and violence,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The Indian government has denied involvement in the American and Canadian cases and has set up a high-level committee to investigate the accusations in the US.

Persons: Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Muhammad Riaz, Shahid Latif, ” Qazi, –, Qazi, “, Randhir Jaiswal, Justin Trudeau Organizations: CNN, Pakistan, India’s, External Affairs, Canadian, American Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Kashmir, Sialkot, New Delhi, India, North America, Canada, United States, American

☆ At climate summit, Turkey, South Africa hit out at Israel over Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan delivers a national statement at the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023. "The current situation in Gaza constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity; those responsible must be held accountable under international law," he said. The war against the innocent people of Palestine is a war crime that must be ended now," he said in his address. The "international youth delegate" said he would try to raise awareness at the COP28 conference of the Palestinian cause. The assault sparked outrage in the Arab world, though most Western leaders have supported what they say is Israel's right to defend itself.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Al Sudani, Israel, Cyril Ramaphosa, Jordan's King Abdullah, Mohammed Ursof, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Rishi Sunak, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Isaac Herzog, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Herzog, Oded Joseph, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Abdul Latif Rashid, Gustavo Petro, Alexander Cornwell, Nadine Awadalla, Jana Choukeir, Huseyin Hayatsever, Mai Shams El, Richard Valdmanis, William Maclean Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Hamas, United, U.S, State Department, Palestinian Authority, Dubai, UAE, Foreign Ministry, Reuters COP28, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Africa, Palestine, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, COP28

The Kaunda suit has become a choice attire for African celebrities, elders and politicians in recent years, including one particularly high-profile convert — Kenya’s president, William Ruto. A single-breasted safari jacket with short or long sleeves and patch pockets — often worn with matching pants — it was initially made popular in the 1960s by Kenneth Kaunda, the first post-colonial president of Zambia. But the Kaunda suit was banned from the Kenyan Parliament this week, along with other forms of traditional African dress and tightly-fitted clothing for women. The Kenyan speaker of Parliament decreed that such attire violates the parliamentary dress code — which largely conforms to a modern Western working wardrobe. A fashion trend like the Kaunda suit “does not accord with the seriousness of the proceedings of the house and its committees,” Moses Wetangula, the speaker of the Parliament, said in a speech on Tuesday.

Persons: Kaunda, —, William Ruto, Kenneth Kaunda, “, ” Moses Wetangula Organizations: Kenyan Locations: Zambia

[1/2] Migrants, most from Venezuela, stand near razor wire while surrendering to authorities after wading across the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 30 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday rejected a bid by Texas to block federal immigration authorities from destroying razor wire fencing that the state placed along the border with Mexico to deter illegal border crossings. Moses denied the state's motion to block federal officials from destroying the wire fencing pending the outcome of the state's lawsuit filed in October. The judge last month had ordered the federal government to temporarily refrain from cutting or removing the razor wire while she considered the state's motion. A federal judge at the Biden administration's request in September ordered the 1,000-foot (305-meter) barrier removed, but an appeals court allowed it to remain in place temporarily while Paxton's office pursues an appeal.

Persons: Adrees Latif, Alia Moses, Biden, Moses, Ken Paxton, “, ” Paxton, Greg Abbott, Daniel Wiessner, Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department of Justice, Republican, Texas National Guard, Lone Star, Republican Texas, Customs, Border Protection, Biden, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Rio Grande, United States, Mexico, Eagle Pass , Texas, U.S, Texas, Del Rio , Texas, Rio, Albany , New York

☆ Kenya’s Leader Lifts His Global Profile. At Home, the Public Fumes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | More About Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He has taken dozens of trips abroad boosting his credentials on climate change, while raising taxes at home. He pledged to send his country’s police to quash gang violence in Haiti, though they stand accused of brutality at home. And he recently hosted an eight-course state dinner for King Charles III, amid skyrocketing food and fuel prices. Kenya’s president, William Ruto, is facing searing criticism and mounting public anger just over one year since he took power after a tightly contested election. Mr. Mwaniki, who had worked closely with Mr. Ruto and his allies, said he’s been apologizing to constituents he had convinced to vote for Mr. Ruto.

Persons: King Charles III, William Ruto, Ruto, ”, Antony Ikonya Mwaniki, Mwaniki, he’s Locations: Haiti, Kiambu County, Nairobi

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