Wednesday: Brexit defeat thrusts Britain into further chaos

Terrorism in Kenya, huge alleged bribe, gay penguins View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Wednesday, January 16, 2019 [NYTimes.com »]( Europe Edition [Your Wednesday Briefing]( By PENN BULLOCK Good morning. British Parliament rejects Theresa May’s Brexit plan, Germany moves against a far-right party, and gay penguins in Sydney learn to co-parent. Here’s the latest: [Anti-Brexit demonstrators on Tuesday reacting after the results of the vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal were announced in Parliament Square in London.]Anti-Brexit demonstrators on Tuesday reacting after the results of the vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal were announced in Parliament Square in London. Frank Augstein/Associated Press Parliament overwhelmingly rejects Brexit plan British lawmakers [voted 432 to 202 against Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan]( to leave the E.U. It was the biggest defeat in the House of Commons for a prime minister in recent history, and it appeared to rip the mast off the ship of state. Impact: Much of Mrs. May’s own party deserted her, and her plan looks less likely than ever to be realized. With a historically straitjacketed Parliament now seizing control of the situation, [a new kind of British governance is taking shape]( with a diminished prime minister and a dynamic of gridlock reminiscent of America. What’s next? The opposition Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, put forward a motion of no confidence in Mrs. May, which Parliament will debate and vote on Wednesday. If the motion is successful, a new government will need to be formed in [14 days](. But Mrs. May is seen as somewhat likely to survive that vote. Meanwhile, she must now prepare to return to Parliament by Monday with a backup withdrawal plan. And if nothing is approved by March 29, Britain will make a “no-deal” exit from the E.U., which lawmakers have warned could be a disaster. [Here are some other ways this could all shake out](. Go deeper: Here’s [a visual journey through Brexit]( from the moment Britain voted to leave the E.U. in 2016 to the final vote today. ______ [Civilians fled as security forces aimed their weapons at the buildings of a hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya.] Civilians fled as security forces aimed their weapons at the buildings of a hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya. Khalil Senosi/Associated Press Kenya reels from a coordinated terrorist attack The Shabab, an Islamist extremist group with ties to Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for [an assault on a luxury hotel and office complex]( in Nairobi that killed as many as seven people. Details: The coordinated attack began with a bomb explosion at a bank. A suicide bomber detonated himself in the lobby of a nearby seven-story hotel, and a number of gunmen swarmed as panic spread. The government said that security forces responded quickly, but it has not provided a death toll. Background: The Shabab controls areas of southern and central Somalia. It has been fighting the United Nations-backed government in the capital, Mogadishu, for years, and carried out a recent rash of attacks in Kenya. Quote: “I tried to escape with a friend but she fainted as we ran away from the gunshots,” one woman told a Kenyan television station. “So I had to leave her and hide in one of the bathrooms until the police came and rescued me.” ______ [President Emmanuel Macron of France addressed on Tuesday some 600 mayors who were to relay concerns aired by residents in their towns and villages.]President Emmanuel Macron of France addressed on Tuesday some 600 mayors who were to relay concerns aired by residents in their towns and villages. Philippe Wojazer/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images In France, airing grievances as unrest deepens Let them talk. That’s President Emmanuel Macron’s latest answer for France’s contagion of unrest since the Yellow Vest movement emerged in December. On Tuesday, [he inaugurated what his government calls the Great National Debate](. But the way it went off revealed the depths of the country’s disorder. The police blockaded the village where he was to speak, and it came under virtual siege from Yellow Vests. Details: The French people will be given two months to complain about the state of things in an airing of grievances that Mr. Macron hopes will be a political salve. Big picture: However much Mr. Macron wants calm, there is a growing sense of emergency and menace. Members of Parliament have been targeted with violence, threats of violence and anti-Semitic and racist slurs. Vandalism and random violence is occurring through Paris and other cities, television journalists have been beaten, and Mr. Macron, his approval rating around 30 percent, is an increasingly bunkered-down figure — public appearances are now largely deemed too risky. History: Some historians are comparing the atmosphere to that of the 1930s, when fascistic leagues threatened France’s democracy and marched on the National Assembly. ______ [Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany, arriving for a news conference in Berlin on Tuesday. ]Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany, arriving for a news conference in Berlin on Tuesday. Odd Andersen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Germany puts a far-right party on notice For the first time in Germany’s postwar history, the country’s domestic agency [will formally observe a party seated in Parliament](. It’s a step toward placing the party, the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, under surveillance as a threat to the democratic order. Leaders of the AfD question democracy, but the party, the third-largest in Parliament, threatened legal action and insinuated that the move was politically motivated. What happened: The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, an agency whose founding mission after World War II was to protect against the rise of political forces like another Nazi party, announced that it would start observing the AfD’s youth wing and a group of prominent party members, including a co-leader, and that it had found indications that at least parts of the party harbored anti-democratic views. Another angle: The agency’s previous president reportedly advised AfD members on how to evade observation and was removed from the post of interior minister for playing down far-right violence. ______ Here’s what else is happening El Chapo trial: In an incendiary accusation at Joaquín Guzmán Loera’s trial, a former cartel leader accused former President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico of taking [a $100 million bribe from drug traffickers](. William Barr: President Trump’s nominee for attorney general [assured senators at his confirmation hearing]( that he was determined to resist any pressure from the president to use law enforcement for political purposes. U.S. shutdown: The partial government shutdown ended its 25th day with theatrics but no sign of a solution in Washington, and Mr. Trump [ordered thousands of workers to return]( without pay to keep the government running. His White House acknowledged that the partial government shutdown [was inflicting far greater damage on the U.S. economy]( than previously thought. Venezuela: The National Assembly, the opposition-controlled legislative body, [declared President Nicolás Maduro illegitimate]( setting in motion an uncertain plan to create a caretaker government until new elections can be held. North Korea: The country is pursuing biological weapons that could present a more immediate threat to the world than its nuclear weapons program, according to a [new military analysis](. Ivory Coast: The International Criminal Court in The Hague [said that it had acquitted]( the former president of the country, Laurent Gbagbo, and one of his aides of crimes against humanity and a litany of other charges. [A gay penguin couple in Sydney with their baby.]A gay penguin couple in Sydney with their baby. Sea Life Sydney Aquarium Gay penguins: Two male penguins in Australia are raising a chick together, [capturing the hearts of a nation]( that made same-sex marriage legal just over a year ago. “Love is love,” said a manager at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. Chang’e-4: Here’s a look at what China’s spacecraft has learned about the [far side of the moon](. ______ Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. Jospeph De Leo for The New York Times Recipe of the day: Pair spicy kimchi with mozzarella in a [grilled cheese](. Many women are reluctant to discuss reproductive health. Here are [five issues we should be talking about](. Puerto Rico is [our No. 1]( recommended spot to visit this year. The island is facing the consequences of climate change and [deserves your attention](. Back Story By some estimates, China’s population of 1.4 billion is [nearing its peak](. To feed that many people, while using less land and water, the government is appealing to taste buds. For several years now, official policy has aimed to make the humble potato a culinary staple, alongside rice, wheat and corn. [Potato farmers at a vegetable market outside Beijing in 2009.]Potato farmers at a vegetable market outside Beijing in 2009. David Gray/Reuters Potatoes can tolerate cold, drought and poor soil, and need less water, fertilizer, pesticide and labor. Since the 1990s, China has [outstripped all other countries in production](. Potatoes are hardly new to China. They were introduced about [400 years ago]( and feature in beloved regional dishes, like the shredded Sichuan specialty called [tudousi](. But for starch, Chinese consumers prefer rice and noodles. One workaround is to process the tubers into potato flour, which is then mixed with wheat flour to make steamed bread, noodles and cakes. The government also promotes regional potato dishes, and supports the production of fries and potato chips. Claire Fu (付欣怡), a news researcher in our Beijing Bureau, wrote today’s Back Story. ______ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings. [Check out this page]( to find a Morning Briefing for your region. (In addition to our European edition, we have Australian, Asian and U.S. editions.) [Sign up here]( to receive an Evening Briefing on U.S. weeknights, and [here’s our full range of free newsletters](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [europebriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:europebriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Europe)). LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. FOLLOW NYT [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( Prefer a different send time? 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