Uganda condemns 16 opposition members for ‘treachery’/node/2576242/world
Uganda condemns 16 opposition members for ‘treachery’
The prosecution alleged that the 16 members of the National Unity Platform, as well as others still on the run, were found in possession of explosives between November 2020 and May 2021, while elections were underway. (File: AFP)
Uganda condemns 16 opposition members for ‘treachery’
Updated 22 October 2024
AFP
KAMPALA: A Ugandan military tribunal Monday convicted 16 members of an opposition party of “illegal possession of explosive devices and treachery,” according to a defense lawyer, who said the proceedings were suspect.
The prosecution alleged that the 16 members of the National Unity Platform, as well as others still on the run, were found in possession of explosives between November 2020 and May 2021, while elections were underway.
“Circumstances surrounding their plea of guilty to the charges they had denied previously was questionable,” Shamim Malende, a defense lawyer, told AFP.
Former singer and opposition figure Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, claimed the group had been forced to plead guilty and seek a presidential pardon.
Journalists were barred from attending the session.
The 16 have spent four years in jail, and will appear in court Wednesday for their sentencing.
Uganda has been ruled since 1986 by Yoweri Museveni.
The last presidential elections in 2021 were marred by fraud, and demonstrations against yet another arrest of Bobi Wine were violently repressed by the police, resulting in at least 54 dead.
“Whatever Museveni’s government is doing, one day all those under him including himself will be called to account,” Bobi Wine told AFP, saying the accused had been “blackmailed by state agents.”
Ethiopia, Somalia reaffirm ties after diplomatic row
Updated 18 sec ago
Reuters
MOGADISHU: Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited Somalia on Thursday and met with its President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to reinforce their fragile reconciliation after a row over ties to a separatist region. They discussed topics “including peace and security, economy, diplomacy and potential to build joint infrastructure,” Ahmed said in a message on X afterwards. The Somali government said in a statement ahead of the meeting that they would also discuss “the fight against terrorism in the region.” Residents reported mortar attacks in areas near Mogadishu airport shortly after the visiting delegation passed through it en route to the presidential palace. It was unclear whether the attacks were linked to Abiy’s arrival. Security officials at the airport said Abiy’s delegation safely left the airport without incident. Somalia’s security situation is highly volatile, with the Islamist Al-Shabab group maintaining a presence in the country. “Two rounds of mortar shells landed in Bulohubey neighborhood. An elderly woman was wounded after the shell exploded close to her house,” local resident Abdiraham Hassan told AFP. A member of Ethiopia’s delegation told AFP they had not been aware of any mortar attacks. Tension between the two countries mounted last year after Ethiopia struck a deal with the Somali breakaway region of Somaliland to gain access to the sea. But they announced a full restoration of diplomatic ties in January following a deal mediated by Turkiye. The two countries said in a joint statement that Thursday’s visit “reinforces the normalization of bilateral nations.” Abiy said in his post after the meeting: “Regional thinking and collaboration are essential, and we are ready to work with Somalia to make this a reality.” A source in the Somali presidential palace told AFP on Wednesday, on condition of anonymity, that Abiy’s visit was “part of a broader effort to complete and implement the Ankara agreement,” referring to the deal struck in the Turkish capital in December. Somaliland said its January 2024 deal with Ethiopia would have led to Addis Ababa recognizing its independence — though that was never confirmed — in exchange for a long-desired naval base for the land-locked nation. Mogadishu was furious over the deal and withdrew its ambassador from Ethiopia. Following the rapprochement, the fate of Ethiopia’s deal with Somaliland remains uncertain.
8 killed in Philippine fire that gutted a residential building in less than an hour
Updated 26 min 53 sec ago
AP
MANILA: Eight people were killed in a nighttime fire in the Philippine capital region that gutted a three-story residential building early Thursday in less than an hour, officials said.
The fire, which also injured at least one resident, broke out after midnight in the building, which was mostly made of wood, as people slept in San Isidro Galas village in suburban Quezon city, officials said.
An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Two of the dead were found on the ground floor and six others were recovered on the second floor, where the fire apparently started, senior fire officer Rolando Valeña told The Associated Press, citing witnesses.
The blaze happened just two days before the Philippines marks fire-prevention month in March, when the government launches an annual campaign to raise awareness about fire hazards ahead of the onset of the scorching summer season.
Many deadly fires in the Philippines have been blamed on poor enforcement of safety regulations, overcrowding and faulty building designs.
A 1996 disco fire in Quezon city killed 162 people, mostly students celebrating the end of the school year, in one of the deadliest nightclub fires in the world in recent decades.
They were unable to escape because the emergency exit was blocked by a new building next door.
France threatens to review longstanding accords with Algeria
The threat to cancel the agreement with Algeria on free movement came after a deadly knife attack in which the main suspect is a man of Algerian origin
Updated 35 min 6 sec ago
AFP
PARIS: French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou threatened to cancel a longstanding agreement with Algeria on free movement after a deadly knife attack in which the main suspect is a man of Algerian origin.
The row is just the latest in a series of disputes that has heightened tension between France and its former colony.
Bayrou spoke following a Cabinet meeting held days after Saturday’s knife attack in Mulhouse in which one person was killed and several others wounded.
Prosecutors say the 37-year-old suspect is an Algerian-born man who was on a terrorism watchlist and subject to deportation orders.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has said that France had repeatedly attempted to expel him, but Algeria refused to accept him.
Bayrou said Wednesday: “The victims we saw in Mulhouse this weekend are the direct victims of the refusal to apply these agreements” between the two countries.
The suspect had been presented to the Algerian authorities 14 times and on each occasion they had refused to take him back, he added.
Under the 1968 accords between the two countries, Algerians enjoy favorable treatment on immigration matters in France.
But Algeria has in recent months refused on several occasions to accept its citizens when France has expelled them.
Bayrou said France would ask Algiers to examine how the relevant agreements between the two countries were being applied, giving them a month to six weeks to comply.
If there was no response, then canceling the existing agreements would “be the only possible outcome,” he added — even though “this is not the one we want.”
On Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced travel restrictions on Algerian dignitaries.
On Wednesday, Barrot said those measures, involving several hundred people, had been in place for several weeks.
Algiers has denounced the new measures as a “provocation.”
This new dispute is just the latest in a series between two countries feeding the tension between Paris and Algiers.
Trump says he trusts Putin, as UK PM pushes Ukraine guarantees
Trump walked back comment about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky being dictator
Britain and France have both offered to deploy peacekeeping troops for Ukraine but want US guarantees of help
Updated 27 February 2025
Reuters
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump said he trusted Russia’s Vladimir Putin to stick to any Ukraine ceasefire Thursday, as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried to win security guarantees for Kyiv — with the help of a royal invitation to visit Britain.
Trump struck a friendly tone as he and Starmer met in Washington, and even walked back a comment about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky being a dictator that alarmed European capitals, saying: “Did I say that?“
But Trump also insisted that he trusted Putin to honor any truce with Ukraine, contradicting Starmer’s warnings that a lack of a US “backstop” for a deal would encourage Putin to stage a repeat of his February 2022 invasion.
Britain and France have both offered to deploy peacekeeping troops for Ukraine but want US guarantees of help, including aerial and satellite surveillance and possible air power.
“I think he’ll keep his word,” Trump told reporters as he sat alongside Starmer in the Oval Office when asked about Putin.
“I spoke to him, I’ve known him for a long time now, I don’t believe he’s going to violate his word.”
Trump added that Britain can “take care of themselves, but if they need help, I’ll always be with the British.”
Starmer had said on the plane to the US capital that a “ceasefire without a backstop” would let Putin “wait and to come again” at Kyiv.
The British premier told Trump at the White House that he wanted to “work with you to make sure that peace deal is enduring” but that it was also a “deal that nobody breaches.”
Starmer then handed Trump — a long-term fan of Britain’s royals — a letter from King Charles III inviting him for an unprecedented second state visit by a US president.
“This has never happened before, this is unprecedented,” said Starmer.
The invitation was a clear attempt to woo Trump amid growing concerns in Europe that the US leader is ready to sell Kyiv short and take Russia’s position on a deal.
Those fears intensified last week when Trump called Zelensky a “dictator without elections” — but with Starmer at his side, Trump jokingly downplayed the jibe.
“Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that,” Trump responded when asked whether he stood by the comment he made on his Truth Social network. “Next question.”
Trump will host Zelensky at the White House on Friday where the two leaders are expected to sign a deal giving Washington access to Ukraine’s rare minerals, which Trump has demanded as payback for US military aid.
Zelensky had hoped the deal would contain US security guarantees but it appears to omit them.
Starmer’s visit comes days after a similar visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, who came away effectively empty handed despite saying there had been a “turning point” with Trump.
Trump has long pushed for European nations to take more of the burden for Ukraine’s defense, and their own.
A senior Trump administration official said the backstop was “obviously very high on our European allies’ agenda” but said securing a proper ceasefire first was more important.
“The type of force depends very much on the political settlement that is made to end the war. And I think that trade-off is part of what the leaders today are going to be discussing,” the official told reporters.
The meeting promised to be a clash of styles between the mild-mannered Labour leader, a former human rights lawyer, and the brash Republican tycoon.
Starmer, who will hold a joint press conference with the US president, has pitched himself as a “bridge” between Trump and Europe on Ukraine.
The British premier came bearing another gift for Trump — an increase in defense spending.
A Trump administration official said they were “very pleased” by Starmer’s announcement on Tuesday that UK defense spending will rise to 2.5 percent by 2027.
LONDON: The UK’s capital, London, was illuminated with festive lights to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for the third consecutive year this week.
Mayor Sadiq Khan switched on over 30,000 LED bulbs to celebrate Ramadan, which is set to start on Friday evening, bringing joy to residents and curious tourists on Coventry Street, off London’s Piccadilly Circus.
The vibrant center of the British metropolis was illuminated with a sign that read “Happy Ramadan,” alongside shapes of stars and crescent moons. This festive display will shine brightly from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. until March 29. After that date, it will change to convey the message “Happy Eid,” which will be displayed until April 6.
For the residents of the Big Smoke, who have endured weeks of bitter cold and near-zero temperatures, Ramadan lights provided respite between Christmas and the anticipation of Easter.
Eric, a London resident, was enchanted by the interactive Ramadan lights in Leicester Square, near the Mary Poppins statue. He wanted to “learn more” about the Muslim holy month and celebrate the multicultural atmosphere of London. He was carrying a battery-operated cardboard lantern, a symbol of Ramadan since the Egyptians used it in the 10th century to brighten the path for the Muslim Caliph.
London was the first major European city to adorn its central streets with Ramadan lights, a trend later embraced by Frankfurt in 2024. This is the third year the Aziz Foundation has organized the fasting month lights, which has become part of the city’s calendar over the years alongside Hanukkah and Diwali.
Ramadan lights installation in Leicester Square features the message “Spread the Light” that shines when pressed. (Arab News\Bahar Hussain)
Rahima Aziz BEM, a trustee at the Aziz Foundation, told Arab News that the interactive Ramadan lights installation in Leicester Square is a new addition featuring the message “Spread the Light” that shines when pressed.
“This is our message for this year. We really want Muslims to feel involved in the whole process. You come to (London’s) West End not just to see the (Ramadan) lights but also to immerse yourself in the experience,” she said.
Councillor Robert Rigby, the lord mayor of Westminster, led a lantern parade of schoolchildren in Leicester Square before jointly switching on the lights of the interactive installation on Wednesday afternoon. Not far away, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were doing their part to mark the upcoming Ramadan period by helping to pack food donation parcels at an Indian restaurant in Soho.
Rigby expressed his pride in seeing Westminster, Britain’s political and cultural center, as a diverse and welcoming city. “We are home to many different faiths, Muslims included, and we are very grateful for any visitors coming to this wonderful city ... from all over the world,” he told Arab News.
The crowd gathered on Coventry Street in the early evening to watch Khan switch on the lights.
Hatem Al-Shammari, a tourist from Hail in Saudi Arabia, was passing by with a friend when they paused to admire the lights. This was his second visit to London, and he was surprised to discover that all the festivities were in celebration of Ramadan. He told Arab News that in the past, such an event in a European city was unheard of.
“You could see people (from various faiths) celebrating together, not just Muslims; this is something beautiful, and the vibes are very nice. May Allah bless us in Ramadan,” he said.
The lord mayor of Westminster led a lantern parade of schoolchildren in Leicester Square before switching on the lights of the interactive installation. (Arab News\Bahar Hussain)
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside the Shahada, a profession of faith, prayer, giving alms, and performing Hajj. This March, British Muslims are expected to fast for approximately 13 hours each day, from sunrise to sunset. However, when Ramadan occurs in the summer, the fasting period can last nearly 19 hours, and these hours vary between countries. Starting from this Saturday’s sunrise, Muslims will refrain from food, drink, and some activities, such as sex and smoking, during daylight for 30 days as a way to reflect on religion, life, and empathize with the poor.
Sara, a university student, believes that Ramadan brings the British Muslim community closer and helps them connect with their faith. She told Arab News that she is excited about the events at her university, including the bring your dish iftar meals.
For Yousef, one of the schoolchildren who illuminated the “Spread the Light” interactive installation, Ramadan is about coming together despite the long hours of fasting. He said that exams are approaching at his school, and although he will feel hungry during the day, what matters most to him is “breaking the fast at iftar with family and friends.”
