the demonstrations are taking place against planned tax increases. earlier, protesters breached the kenyan parliament, breaking through cordons and setting the complex alight. some mps reportedly sheltered in the basement of the building. and for several hours today, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as thousands of protesters marched through the streets. about a0 people are being treated in hospital. we are expecting a statement from kenya's president william ruto imminently — we'll bring it to you as and when it happens. but first, our correspondent merchuma has been following developments throughout the day. she spoke to us earlier from outside a hospital in nairobi. this is the accident and emergency unit at the kenyatta national hospital here in nairobi, the biggest referral facility in the county and country. and the whole day, the medics here have been on standby to receive casualties from the protests that have been happening in town.

initially, there were two other medical camps set closer to the central business district, with volunteer medical personnel taking care of the injured people, giving them emergency treatment before referring them here, but those have now been closed. we saw earlier the general service unit getting into one of the camps — that was at the all saints cathedral — and asking the medical providers to pack up and leave, and also everybody who was in that compound was asked to leave, so this is now the main area where casualties and people injured from the protests are coming to get treatment. mercy has also been out on the streets, where protesters continue to march. she sent this short update. quite a busy day in the nairobi central business district today, with thousands of the anti—finance bill 2024 demonstrators lining up every major street in the cbd. they are making antigovernment

and anti—finance bill chants... we reject, we reject! ..but in equal measure, there are dozens of police officers on these streets as well. and it has been a game of cat—and—mouse between these protesters and the police. tear gas has been... they have been sprayed by water from the police cannons, but they are still not leaving the streets, and they say they will be here even in the coming days if this finance bill is passed by the parliament. mercy merchuma there, a little bit earlier, outside with protesters, and like i said earlier, we are for the president to make, to give a speech on this, to update us on the situation with this. with me is bbc newsroom's africa editor, will ross. just explain where we are with this bill, because the strength of feeling against it as evidence. yes. feeling against it as evidence. yes, the mps in —

feeling against it as evidence. yes, the mps in the _ feeling against it as evidence. yes the mps in the parliament approved the mps in the parliament approved the bill, and now it goes to president william ruto. absolute a olo . ist president william ruto. absolute apologist and _ president william ruto. absolute apologist and we _ president william ruto. absolute apologist and we are _ president william ruto. absolute apologist and we are going - president william ruto. absolute apologist and we are going to - president william ruto. absolute l apologist and we are going to cross over and if you hearfrom apologist and we are going to cross over and if you hear from the president himself.— over and if you hear from the resident himself. . ., president himself. right and freedom of sible . president himself. right and freedom of sibley. demonstration _ president himself. right and freedom of sibley. demonstration ticketing - of sibley. demonstration ticketing and petitioning of public authorities by a section of law—abiding citizens of the republic of kenya was infiltrated and hijacked by a group of organised criminals. most regrettably today's attack on kenya's constitutional order has resulted in the loss of lives. also the destruction of property and desecration of institutions and emblems... today's events mark a critical turning point on how we respond to

grave threats to our national security. i assure the nation that the government has mobilised all resources at the nation's disposal to ensure that a situation of this nature will not recur again. at whatever cost. i think our security officers who were on duty today for applying themselves to the best of their abilities in the defence of kenya and its people —— i thank. accordingly i have directed all the organs of our national security to deploy measures to thwart any attempt by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country. as the people of

kenya go to bed tonight, i give you my assurance that your security, that of your families and property, remains my utmost priority. to do young people of kenya who i must thank for helping our country organised our democratic discourse around issues, ithink organised our democratic discourse around issues, i think you and i assure you that the conversation you have begun around pertinent issues of our nation will continue to inform our policy and governance positions. as i promised on sunday, this conversation will not be in vain. i will not only championed for the cause of issue based, policy oriented and tribalists engagement on critical national issues, but

also provide a framework for this conversation to be processed and its outcomes implemented. however, our national conversation on any subject matter must be conducted in a manner that respects and honours the foundational values upon which our nation is established, namely constitutionalism, the rule of law and respect. for institutions. it is very painful for kenya that a conversation this crucial was hijacked by dangerous people, who have cost us the kind of loss we have cost us the kind of loss we have incurred as a nation today. it is possible that the criminals who

reigned tabor on innocent people and attempted to challenge our law enforcement deployments are still determined to continue with their dangerous behaviour. i assure the nation of the government's determination to fulfil its constitutional duty of protecting the people of kenya against all forms of harm. i hereby put on notice the planners about financiers, orchestrator is and the updaters of violence and anarchy that the security infrastructure established to protect our republic and its sovereignty will be deployed to secure the country and restore normalcy. it is not in order or even

conceivable that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reigned tabor against the people, their elected representatives and institutions established under our constitution and expect to go scott free —— reign terror. we must isolate crime from the aquatic expression and separate criminals from people exercising the freedom of expression and divergent opinion —— democratic expression. i shall continue to lead a government thatis shall continue to lead a government that is fully committed to maintaining the integrity of our state, promoting the unity of our nation and enhancing the peace and security of all citizens and their livelihoods. i am

security of all citizens and their livelihoods. iam bound security of all citizens and their livelihoods. i am bound under a sacred... livelihoods. i am bound under a sacred---_ livelihoods. i am bound under a sacred... ~ . ., . , sacred... we are watching president ruto's sacred... we are watching president rut0's address _ sacred... we are watching president ruto's address to _ sacred... we are watching president ruto's address to the _ sacred... we are watching president ruto's address to the nation - sacred. .. we are watching president ruto's address to the nation of- ruto's address to the nation of kenya, live it now, and strong words, he is talking to the anti—tax protesters, this tax hike that has angered so many people across enya, he described the protesters being infiltrated and hijacked by organised criminals. much more on this. the first of all we will turn to sophie raworth for the national news. candidates over alleged bets on the timing of the general election, and labour suspends one of its candidates. with the election next week, craig williams and laura saunders will still be on ballot papers but without the conservative party's support. meanwhile, labour's kevin craig has admitted betting against himself to win in a suffolk constituency, and five more police officers

are being investigated. also tonight, the plea deal that means wikileaks founder julian assange is flying to freedom ia years after he published classified us military documents. medics in kenya say several people have been shot dead by police during huge protests against planned tax rises. an allergy to horsehair means the empress ofjapan is masked during a ceremonial welcome at the start of the state visit. iam here i am here pitch side in cologne as england get ready to face slovenia in the euros. and stay with us here on bbc news for continuing coverage and analysis from our team of correspondents in the uk and around the world.

good evening. the betting controversy is growing tonight. with just over a week to go until the election, the conservative party has withdrawn support for two of its candidates — craig williams and laura saunders — over alleged bets on the timing of the general election. and tonight a labour candidate — who's also a party donor — has also been suspended. kevin craig has admitted betting against himself winning in the suffolk constituency he was standing in — something he now says he deeply regrets. meanwhile, the metropolitan police have announced that five more officers are being looked into over alleged bets. our political editor chris mason is here. quite extraordinary and who would have thought we would be talking about this with the election next week? �* , ., �* , about this with the election next week? �* , ., �*, ., , ., week? blimey, that's the only word i scribbled into _ week? blimey, that's the only word i scribbled into a _ week? blimey, that's the only word i scribbled into a notepad as _ week? blimey, that's the only word i scribbled into a notepad as i came i scribbled into a notepad as i came down to talk to you. it is extraordinary, here we are so close to the election. i thought i wouldn't be surprised by politics any more, by what we have seen of the last couple of years and frankie

what we have seen over much of the last decade, and then we get days like today where we are well into the couldn't make it up territory. and here is the thing, there is every prospect that there is more to come, and what are we, just a week and a couple of days away from polling day. it is astonishing. this is craig williams, a friend and parliamentary aide to the prime minister. he turned down my request for an interview but said this on social media this afternoon. i remain on the ballot paper on the 4th ofjuly and i hope to secure your support after years of delivery. i committed an error of judgment, not an offence, and i want to reiterate my apology directly to you. to reiterate my apology directly to ou. . ., ., ., , you. that video followed this statement — you. that video followed this statement from _ you. that video followed this statement from the - you. that video followed this - statement from the conservative party this morning. and so on the radio at lunchtime,

one key question. with; and so on the radio at lunchtime, one key question.— one key question. why has this decision been _ one key question. why has this decision been taken _ one key question. why has this decision been taken now, - one key question. why has this decision been taken now, not l one key question. why has thisj decision been taken now, not a one key question. why has this - decision been taken now, not a week or more _ decision been taken now, not a week or more ago? — decision been taken now, not a week or more ago?— or more ago? well, look, i'm as disappointed — or more ago? well, look, i'm as disappointed and _ or more ago? well, look, i'm as disappointed and angry - or more ago? well, look, i'm as disappointed and angry as - or more ago? well, look, i'm as disappointed and angry as the l or more ago? well, look, i'm as- disappointed and angry as the prime minister is, and various other conservative spokesmen who have commented on this in recent days. these bets should not have been placed and it is right that we've had this internal process and that has, you know, those inquiries have led to the decision today to suspend these candidates. here led to the decision today to suspend these candidates.— these candidates. here is where crai: these candidates. here is where craig williams _ these candidates. here is where craig williams was _ these candidates. here is where craig williams was the - these candidates. here is where craig williams was the mp - these candidates. here is where craig williams was the mp and l these candidates. here is where| craig williams was the mp and is hoping to be re—elected, this is welshpool in palace. i hoping to be re-elected, this is welshpool in palace.— hoping to be re-elected, this is welshpool in palace. i think craig williams has _ welshpool in palace. i think craig williams has been _ welshpool in palace. i think craig williams has been incredibly - welshpool in palace. i think craig i williams has been incredibly stupid for such_ williams has been incredibly stupid for such a _ williams has been incredibly stupid for such a small amount of money, for such a small amount of money, for any— for such a small amount of money, for any amount of money, but for a few hundred — for any amount of money, but for a few hundred pounds, i mean, he's an idiot. _ few hundred pounds, i mean, he's an idiot, basically. few hundred pounds, i mean, he's an idiot, basically-— idiot, basically. well, ithink it's 'ust all idiot, basically. well, ithink it's just all blown _ idiot, basically. well, ithink it's just all blown out _ idiot, basically. well, ithink it's just all blown out of— idiot, basically. well, ithink it's just all blown out of proportion. | idiot, basically. well, ithink it's. just all blown out of proportion. a far more — just all blown out of proportion. a far more terrible _ just all blown out of proportion. a far more terrible things _ just all blown out of proportion. a far more terrible things have - just all blown out of proportion. a| far more terrible things have been done _ far more terrible things have been done in _ far more terrible things have been done in the — far more terrible things have been done in the house _ far more terrible things have been done in the house of— far more terrible things have been done in the house of commons i far more terrible things have been. done in the house of commons than this. �* , , ., ., , this. and this is laura saunders, the conservative _ this. and this is laura saunders, the conservative candidate - this. and this is laura saunders, the conservative candidate in - the conservative candidate in bristol north west who is now also

no longer supported by the conservatives. i asked herfor comment today too and she hasn't replied. it comment today too and she hasn't relied. . , comment today too and she hasn't relied. .,, . ~ comment today too and she hasn't relied. ., ., ~ , ,, ., ~ replied. it has taken rishi sunak the best part — replied. it has taken rishi sunak the best part of _ replied. it has taken rishi sunak the best part of two _ replied. it has taken rishi sunak the best part of two weeks - replied. it has taken rishi sunak the best part of two weeks to i replied. it has taken rishi sunak| the best part of two weeks to act replied. it has taken rishi sunak i the best part of two weeks to act on this. that is just weak leadership. but hang on a minute, labour are disowning this guy tonight, a candidate and a donor. i’m disowning this guy tonight, a candidate and a donor. i'm kevin crai: and candidate and a donor. i'm kevin craig and it _ candidate and a donor. i'm kevin craig and it is — candidate and a donor. i'm kevin craig and it is the _ candidate and a donor. i'm kevin craig and it is the honour - candidate and a donor. i'm kevin craig and it is the honour and i candidate and a donor. i'm kevin| craig and it is the honour and the privilege — craig and it is the honour and the privilege of— craig and it is the honour and the privilege of my life to be labour's parliamentary candidate here in central— parliamentary candidate here in central suffolk and north ipswich. he is— central suffolk and north ipswich. he is also— central suffolk and north ipswich. he is also being investigated by the gambling commission, a labour spokeswoman said. in a statement mr craig said... it has been quite the day. guard of

honour! amid _ it has been quite the day. guard of honour! amid all— it has been quite the day. guard of honour! amid all the _ it has been quite the day. guard of honour! amid all the political- honour! amid all the political shenanigans _ honour! amid all the political shenanigans the _ honour! amid all the political| shenanigans the metropolitan honour! amid all the political- shenanigans the metropolitan police has confirmed that another five of its officers are alleged to have placed bets on the timing of the election. we learnt of one last week. 0h, election. we learnt of one last week. oh, and the emperor ofjapan is in london on a state visit. a yen for his thoughts on all of this stuff. chris mason, bbc news. and you can find the list of candidates in all of those constituencies on the bbc news website and app. and there's more. our correspondentjoe pike is in westminster, and yet another twist in this story? exactly, another name in the frame. in the last few minutes we have broken the story of the cabinet minister who claimed he had won over £2000 betting on the date of the election, that cabinet minister is the scottish secretary alisterjack, just as he is leaving parliament and standing down he seems to be making headlines. he did tell the bbc he

had won £2100 after a series of bets on a possiblejune orjuly election, including one bet at 25—1. more recently when i challenged mrjack on this he said he was joking and recently when i challenged mrjack on this he said he wasjoking and he was pulling my leg. today he said he has not broken any gambling rules. he said this in a statement. i'm very clear that i have never on any occasion broken any gambling commission rules will stop i did not place any bets on the date of the general election during the may period of investigation by the commission shall suffer the more i am not aware of any family and friends placing bets. i have nothing more to say on the matter. the gambling commission will not comment on individuals as part of the investigation. of course, mrjack says he has done nothing wrong but clearly there will be questions about whether someone so senior, someone in the cabinet, someone at rishi sunak�*s top table should be placing a bet on something at the heart of british politics. joe placing a bet on something at the heart of british politics.— heart of british politics. joe pike with the latest _ heart of british politics. joe pike

with the latest from _ heart of british politics. joe pike l with the latest from westminster, thank you. the founder of wikileaks, julian assange, has flown out of the uk after spending five years in belmarsh prison fighting extradition to the united states. he's struck a deal with prosecutors, and will stop in a us territory, the northern mariana islands, to plead guilty to a charge of espionage on his way home to australia. mr assange uploaded classified us military files to his website nearly 15 years ago. our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley reports. julian assange, a polarising figure, was already airborne when the world learned of the deal that secured his release — the end of an extraordinary international legal drama. after five years in belmarsh, a maximum securityjail, he strode out yesterday in the afternoon sun to board a private jet bound for bangkok. it followed a bail hearing in london last week, kept secret until today. a plane ride to freedom after he agreed to plead guilty

to one charge of conspiring to illegally obtain classified us military information. his punishment, the time he's already served injail. it's a whirlwind of emotions. i mean, i'm just elated, frankly. it's just incredible. i don't know... it feels like it's not real. it was this footage released by wikileaks in 2010 that brought julian assange international attention. it shows an american helicopter gunship shooting unarmed iraqi civilians. it was part of a flood of classified material — military files and diplomatic cables — spilt by wikileaks that year. months later, an international arrest warrant was issued. sweden wanted to question him about allegations of sexual assault made by two women. to avoid extradition, he sought refuge in ecuador�*s london embassy. he spent seven years there, but in 2019, a dramatic moment after

the ecuadorian government withdrew his political asylum. he's jailed for skipping bail. soon, it was the americans asking for his extradition. backed by his supporters he fought against it in the courts and lost. julian assange kept appealing until this deal allowed him to fly out of the uk. we don't have the full details of negotiations to secure his release but australia, his home country, had been pushing hard for it. regardless of the views that people have about mr assange's activities, the case has dragged on for too long. there's nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to australia. the charges were first brought under donald trump. his former vice president, mike pence, said julian assange had endangered lives and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. here, on a little—known pacific island that's us territory, there's one last legal

procedure to be done. away from the holiday—makers, a judge must approve his guilty plea before he can reunite with his family — a bizarre final twist in this long—running saga. caroline hawley, bbc news. several people have been shot dead by police in kenya during protests against the introduction of new taxes. some protesters broke through police cordons and entered the parliament building in nairobi starting a fire and damaging parts of the complex. from nairobi, barbara plett usher sent this. explosion. they'd called for a total shutdown, and in towns across kenya today tens of thousands took to the streets. in nairobi by lunchtime there were running battles as police tried to hold back the tide of fury. but then this, hundreds of demonstrators pushed through the gates of parliament, overwhelming officers lined up outside. gunfire. the response was quick

and brutal, live shots fired. reports of five killed in the street and dozens more wounded. others made it inside, challenging the government's authority in the building where mps had been voting on the contentious finance bill. this is as close as we feel it is safe to get to parliament because police are firing live rounds there. the government had warned protesters to stay away from parliament and this has been the response. but the fact that the protesters were able to breach the building and that there have been casualties could galvanise them further. it may also increase the pressure for a government crackdown. this is uncharted territory for president ruto. those on the streets were united in anger. i am so mad at the government. the government is taking money from kenyans. and the reason that they are taking this money is to spend on their own families. i want to demand that our leaders give us accountability. it has been too many years of the system going round and round.

we never get accountability from these leaders such that it has come to a point where we as a people can tell them no, and they still go ahead and do what they want to do. this evening the wounded were being treated in hospital as the streets began to calm. tough choices for kenya's president, whether to back off from his bill or double down. the country faces its biggest challenge to authority since independence in 1963. barbara plett usher, bbc news, nairobi. england are about to take on slovenia in germany tonight in their final group match of the euros. they kick off in just over half an hour. they've already qualified for the next round, so tonight's result will determine who they'll play next. from cologne, nesta mcgregor sent this report. on a scorcher of a day in cologne, england fans finding ways to stay hydrated. and with the team having already qualified, under the shade, the hot topic... avoid germany at all

costs or bring it on? we did germany last time in the round of 16, and that's one of the best matches we ever had, so, i mean, who's to say we can't do it again? the weather is hot. we can't cope in this heat and we're walking around. for them to be playing that many minutes in the match, you know what, fair play to them. but top of the table, for sure. commentator: and a big chance for kane! _ led by harry kane, the team's performances so far have been below par. and gareth southgate's team selection and tactics have come under scrutiny. had we played better and had fewer points there'd be a different discussion. if we had more points and we played worse there'd be a different discussion again. so you're always trying to find what is the right approach for this moment. the focus may be on the now but despite producing generations of talented players, it's been 58 years since england's men won a major trophy. you two are in hot water out here! i don't think so. two former captains, gary lineker and alan shearer,

among the most outspoken about the team's current poor form. we are there to analyse i and our analysis was critical. although some fans say it's not helpful to the team. i think it's probably, you know, 0k forfans, it's what you expect, but you can turn your social media off. but that will get fed back so that was a bit of a blow, i imagine, for the dressing room. all my life it'sjust been negativity. it's got us absolutely nowhere. i think we've just got to get behind the team and crack on. yeah, it was a bad performance, as simple as that, but they're professionals, hopefully they will put it behind them and move forward. england's followers expect the slovenia test is one that the team should pass easily. but the fans and the team know that tougher challenges await. nesta mcgregor, bbc news in cologne. well, let's nowjoin andy swiss, who is pitchside in cologne stadium. andy, how much pressure are england under tonight? well,

are england under tonight? sophie, in fact, you ca the well, sophie, in fact, you can see the england players they're warming up the england players they're warming up behind me. the good news for england, of course, is they have already safely qualified for the knockout stage, but they are under pressure. firstly, they need to win here tonight to ensure they come top of their group and avoid germany in the next round, and secondly, they need a performance, because they have not been impressive so far in germany, and remember, they arrived here as one of the tournament favourites. in the last few minutes, england have named their team. they have made one change to their starting line—up. conor gallagher comes in trent alexander arnold. as for their opponents, comes in trent alexander arnold. as fortheir opponents, on comes in trent alexander arnold. as for their opponents, on paper, slovenia are the weakest team in england's group, but they have drawn their opening two matches, so they will certainly be no pushovers. kick here is at 8pm your time. it should be some atmosphere. indeed it should. thank you.

the time is 7:26. our top story this evening: the conservative party withdraws its support from two candidates being investigated over alleged bets on the timing of the general election. and labour suspends a candidate to bet against himself losing. accusations of post—pandemic waste for taxpayers as the bbc discovers more than a billion pounds' worth of personal protective equipment has been destroyed. and stay with us here on bbc news for continuing coverage and analysis from our team of correspondents in the uk and around the world. throughout the election campaign, we've been finding out how it is shaping up across the uk. in a moment we'll hear from bbc oxford's political reporter, olivia wilson, who's in wantage town centre. but first let's go to bbc devon's political reporter, miles davis, who's on the promenade in sidmouth for us. miles.

hello. i'm here on devon's south coast in part of the newly created constituency of honiton and sidmouth. it's a fairly wealthy area, and historically, this part of east devon has been a conservative stronghold. but that changed a couple of years ago when the honiton conservative mp neil parish had to resign after he admitted watching pornography in the house of commons. a fiercely—fought by—election saw former army major richard foord take the seat for the liberal democrats. mr foord's conservative opponent is simonjupp, who was the mp for exmouth and east devon. we're surrounded by the sea here with sidmouth flanked by huge red sandstone cliffs. one of the issues that comes up often is water quality down the coast in brixham. we've had the water parasite outbreak that meant residents had to boil their water. with more and more people enjoying open water swimming, there's more and more concern about the amount of sewage that goes into the sea and what political parties are doing

to hold water companies to account. miles, thank you. and now let's head to wantage town centre in oxfordshire. olivia. well, here in oxfordshire, the blue wall dominates this patch. but polling suggests that this could all change, and it seems that the lib dems might be challenging some conservative seats here. and perhaps rishi sunak knows that — earlier this month he visited a football club here in wa ntage pretty early on in his campaign trail. but the issues that matter to residents here seem to reflect the national picture. long gp and dentist waiting times are something that comes up time and time again, and in didcot, they're building a 3,000—home estate without a local gp. affordable housing is also a huge issue in oxfordshire. it isa it is a very expensive place to live, and many are being priced out of the area.

with election day right around the corner, i think voters in oxfordshire will be listening very carefully to how candidates say they will address some of these problems. olivia wilson, thank you. and you can find a full list of all candidates standing in the general election on the bbc news website. over the last few weeks, the bbc�*s your vote, your voice has heard from thousands of you about what the biggest issues are this election, and more than one in ten of those responses concern immigration. last year, net migration was over 680,000, three times higher than it was in the last election in 2019. our uk editor ed thomas has been to peterborough, a city where almost a third of residents were born outside the uk, to find out what people there are feeling. the increase of population does not measure up to the increase of services. we've got more than enough on our plate, and i don't think we can take any more. we are not numbers, we're human beings that definitely do something for this country.

peterborough is a city transformed. bbc news, we're doing a story about immigration. no speak... you don't speak english? where are you from? more than one in four people were born overseas. why did you come to england? to work. work? work and live. drawn to warehouse, logistical and factory packing jobs. excuse me, bbc news. oh, hello. there's been generational change. it seems like every nationality lives here, and they don't respect our country. these streets have been cleaned by mike and graham for more than two decades. i don't see much integration. they keep themselves to themselves. yeah, they don't... but whether that's just because of where they have to live, because of the hmos they're given and all the things like that, i don't know. would you stop all immigration? you can't stop it. because then you'll have an empty hospital. these chats with people like mike and graham are revealing. yes, they've got real concerns about high levels of immigration, but when it comes to services like the nhs, they are acutely aware