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page 34 UGANDA Uganda bans media coverage of election result protests Uganda has banned live media coverage of opposition protests against the re-election of President Yoweri Museveni. The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has called for a “defiance campaign” against the 71-year-old leader extending his 30-year rule. Security forces have sealed off the home […]

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UGANDA

Uganda bans media coverage of election result protests

Uganda has banned live media coverage of opposition protests against the re-election of President Yoweri Museveni.

The opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has called for a “defiance campaign” against the 71-year-old leader extending his 30-year rule.

Security forces have sealed off the home of its leader Kizza Besigye, who described February’s vote as a “sham”.

The government says media organisations could lose their licence if they cover the protest.

Those who cover the event on social media would also be punished, the head of Uganda’s Communications Commission said.

Last week, a court ruled that what the opposition is calling a “defiance campaign” against the election result was illegal, but the FDC has insisted on going ahead with its activities.

Mr Museveni’s victory was upheld by the Supreme Court in March.

Media organisations have been told not to carry out live interviews with opposition members or show their activities in real time during their protests.

ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe to print own version of US dollar

Zimbabwe is set to print its own version of the US dollar in order to ease a cash shortage in the country.

Central bank governor John Mangudya said the cash, known as bond notes, will be backed by $200m (£140m) support from the Africa Export-Import Bank.

The specially-designed two, five, 10 and 20 dollar notes will have the same value as their US dollar equivalents.

Zimbabwe introduced the US dollar after ditching its own currency in 2009 following sustained hyperinflation.

Since then Zimbabweans have been using the dollar as well as a number of other foreign currencies including the South African rand and the Chinese yuan.

KENYA

Rescuers free four people trapped under rubble for six days

Rescue workers on Thursday freed four people who had survived under the rubble of a building in Kenya’s capital for six days after it collapsed, the Kenya Red Cross said.

A woman was the first to be found, surviving in a cavity of broken masonry of the building that crumbled last Friday night. Doctors had given her oxygen and fed her by intravenous drip until workers using their hands and power tools to free her.

Later in the day, the Kenya Red Cross said three more people had been recovered alive from the debris in the poor Huruma district of Nairobi, where the building collapsed after days of heavy rain.

The death toll from the disaster has reached 36, the leader of the operation Pius Masai told reporters. About 140 people have now been rescued, based on the four freed on Thursday.

TURKEY

PM Davutoglu bows out as Erdogan aims at stronger presidency

Ahmet Davutoglu announced on Thursday that he was stepping down as leader of Turkey’s ruling AK Party and therefore as prime minister, bowing to President Tayyip Erdogan’s drive to create a powerful executive presidency.

In a speech defending his record but also vowing loyalty to Erdogan, Davutoglu said he had kept his party and the government intact during a tumultuous period and pledged that “strong” AKP government would continue.

After a leadership meeting of the party founded and dominated by Erdogan, Davutoglu told reporters that, under the current circumstances, he would not run again for leader at an extraordinary party congress on May 22.

“I am telling our members, up until today I was leading you. From now on, I am among you,” he said.

Davutoglu’s departure plunges the NATO member into political uncertainty just as Europe needs its help in curbing a migration crisis and Washington needs support in fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

UK

Voters head to polls across UK for ‘Super Thursday’ elections

Voters went to the polls in a series of elections across the UK on what has been dubbed “Super Thursday”.

Elections took place for the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly of Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly and for 124 councils in England.

Mayors will be elected in London, Bristol, Liverpool and Salford, with UK parliamentary by-elections held in Ogmore and Sheffield Brightside.

Police and crime commissioners are also being elected in England and Wales.

Problems were reported in Barnet, North London, where the council apologised after some people were unable to vote on Thursday morning.

The Electoral Commission said some polling stations did not have the correct lists of people’s names.

Later in the morning, the council said the correct registers had been delivered and those denied a vote should come back.

UNITED STATES

Former Republican presidents will not endorse Trump

Former US presidents George H W Bush and George W Bush will not endorse Donald Trump’s candidacy for president, aides have told local media.

This marks a first for the 91-year-old former president Bush, who had endorsed Republicans in the past five elections.

Republican politicians are struggling to define their support, or lack thereof, for Donald Trump.

Mr Trump’s remaining opponents dropped out earlier this week leaving him as the presumptive Republican nominee.

They had each supported past Republican presidential nominees John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012.

Although neither former president has openly attacked Mr Trump or his policy proposals, George W Bush made a veiled criticism at a campaign event for his younger brother saying, “The strongest person usually isn’t the loudest one in the room”.

BRAZIL

Court suspends Lower House Speaker

Brazil’s top court has suspended Lower House Speaker Eduardo Cunha from his mandate, following a request by the country’s attorney general, officials say.

He has been accused of trying to obstruct corruption investigations against him and intimidate congressmen.

Mr Cunha is an outspoken critic of President Dilma Rousseff and has led an impeachment drive against her.

She is likely to be suspended from office for 180 days in a Senate vote next week.

Mr Cunha is formerly accused of bribery and money laundering as part of Operation Car Wash, or Lava Jato, which looks into a corruption scheme at the state-owned oil company, Petrobras.

He is accused of taking $5m (£3.2m) in bribes to secure contracts with the company. He denies the allegations.

Under Brazil’s constitution, he was the third in line for the presidency.

BANGLADESH

Opposition leader loses death penalty appeal

The head of Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party has lost a final appeal against his death sentence for atrocities committed during the war of independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Motiur Rahman Nizami, 72, was seeking a review of the Supreme Court decision to uphold a war crimes tribunal verdict.

He was convicted of genocide, rape and torture, charges the defence said were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Unless he seeks clemency from the president he could be hanged in days.

His party responded to the Supreme Court decision by calling a nationwide strike for Sunday and has said it will hold street protests. Security has been tightened across the country.

SYRIA

Uneasy calm in Aleppo as partial truce declared

An uneasy calm has been reported across the divided Syrian city of Aleppo after a partial truce came into effect.

Some residents said they had ventured on to the streets for the first time in days after the 48-hour “regime of calm” began early on Thursday.

However, state media and monitors said one person had died in shelling by rebels overnight.

Fighting in Aleppo has threatened a nationwide cessation of hostilities aimed at bolstering peace talks.

Nearly 300 people have died in the past two weeks as pro-government forces and rebels battled for control of Syria’s second city.

ISRAEL

Military carries out air strikes on Gaza

The Israeli military said it has carried out air strikes on four Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Thursday in response to what it said were mortar rounds fired into its territory.

The Gaza Health Ministry said three children and a 65-year-old suffered light-to-moderate wounds in a strike that hit a metal workshop in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The Israeli army said it hit what it called “terrorist infrastructure sites” early on Thursday and the sites belonged to Hamas, which governs Gaza.

Palestinian media said an outpost of the Islamic Jihad group was also targeted.

Israel also said it struck five Hamas targets on Wednesday, in what it said was a response to a mortar shell fired towards its forces near the Gaza.