Ugandan Court Charges Opposition Leader Besigye With Treason
(Bloomberg) -- A Ugandan court charged opposition leader Kizza Besigye with treason over an alleged plot to end President Yoweri Museveni's four-decade rule of the East African nation.
Trump to Halt NY Congestion Pricing by Terminating Approval
Airbnb Billionaire Offers Pre-Fab Homes for LA Fire Victims
Sorry, Kids: Disney's New York Headquarters Is for Grown-Ups
Trump Targets $128 Billion California High-Speed Rail Project
Child Migrant Watchdog Gutted in DOGE Cuts
Seated in a wheelchair, Besigye appeared in a magistrates court in the capital, Kampala, on Friday, three weeks after Uganda's Supreme Court barred his trial in a military tribunal for the same offense. The charge of treason carries the death penalty.
The court charged Besigye, as well as an aide and a military officer, with plotting to overthrow Museveni, his lawyer Caleb Alaka said by phone from Kampala. None of them were allowed to enter a plea because capital offenses can only be heard by the High Court, he said.
Video footage of the court appearance was tweeted by Winnie Byanyima, the head of UNAIDS and Besigye's wife. Besigye has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Uganda is preparing to hold elections in January 2026. Besigye, 68, has unsuccessfully tried to unseat Museveni — who has been in power since 1986 — in four elections. The opposition leader was abducted along with his aide in neighboring Kenya in November and driven to Kampala for trial.
The retired former soldier previously served as a personal physician to octogenarian Museveni during the war that brought him to power. He served as a minister in Museveni's initial government and held senior army positions before the two fell out before elections in 2001.
After being charged, Besigye ended a hunger strike that he had begun last week in protest at his 'illegal' detention without being charged, his lawyer Erias Lukwago said in remarks broadcast on Radio Simba. He's scheduled to appear in court again on March 7.
Japan Perfected 7-Eleven. Why Can't the US Get It Right?
How Med Spas Conquered America
The Undocumented Workers Who Helped Build Elon Musk's Texas Gigafactory
Crypto, Inflation, Bonds: Your Investment Guide to a Risky Year
Before DeepSeek Blew Up, Chatbot Arena Announced Its Arrival
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
8 hours ago
- Newsweek
Putin's Oil Empire Gets Double Boost
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. will not back an EU proposal to impose a price cap on Russian oil that seeks to curb revenues for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war machine, according to Bloomberg. Russia could also benefit from the spike in oil prices following Israel's attack on Iran, a major producer of the commodity. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment. A fuel tank farm of Russian oil pipeline giant Transneft on December 13, 2023. A fuel tank farm of Russian oil pipeline giant Transneft on December 13, It Matters Revenues from fossil fuels form the core of Russia's fiscal planning. As well as targeting Russia's natural gas, the European Commission's 18th sanctions package proposed lowering the cap on seaborne Russian oil from $60 to $45. The EU measures, which also target Russian businesses and banking, requires the backing of all 27 members. The proposal on Russian oil would need the support of the G7, which meets later this month. Bloomberg's report that Washington will not back the move deals a blow to Western hopes of limiting Moscow's means to fund its aggression in Ukraine, especially after oil prices rose following hostilities between Israel and Iran. What To Know The G7 introduced the $60-a-barrel cap that restricts the price Russia can earn from its seaborne oil. But it has not been effective in curbing the Kremlin's revenues since coming into effect in February 2023, partly because of Moscow's sanctions-busting "shadow fleet" of older vessels and a slump in oil prices. The European Commission proposed this week to drop the cap to $45, with High Representative Kaja Kallas suggesting that because Russian oil mostly transits the Baltic and Black Seas, U.S. support for the measure is not essential. An accord involving all G7 nations would be more effective because of the strength of U.S. enforcement, but the U.S. opposes dropping the price cap, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the St. George's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace on June 12. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the St. George's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace on June 12. Oil prices surged following Israel's strikes against Iran, and West Texas Intermediate crude futures advanced by more than 7 percent to settle near $73 a barrel, the biggest one-day jump since March 2022. The Institute for the Study of War said on Friday that the oil price rise may increase Russian revenue from oil sales and improve Russia's ability to sustain its war effort in Ukraine, delivering a boost to Putin. The Washington, D.C., think tank said Moscow might be able to leverage sudden oil price rises to weather economic challenges and finance a protracted war in Ukraine. This is notable given the concerns Putin previously voiced that any reduction in the oil price would likely risk destabilizing Russia's economy. Nikos Tzabouras, a senior market analyst at told Newsweek that although prices are set to rise, sustained hikes would require disruption to supply chains, and the U.S.'s denial of involvement in Israel's strikes keeps hope alive for a contained conflict, keeping downward pressure on oil. A sustained upside would require actual disruptions to physical flows, such as damage to Iran's oil infrastructure or a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global chokepoint, Tzabouras added. What People Are Saying The Institute for the Study of War said in a report on Friday: "Oil price increases following Israeli strikes against Iran may increase Russian revenue from oil sales and improve Russia's ability to sustain its war effort in Ukraine." Nikos Tzabouras, a senior market analyst at told Newsweek: "The U.S. denial of involvement offers a possible off-ramp, keeping hopes alive for a contained conflict and continuation of nuclear talks, which could pressure oil." Allen Good, the director of equity research at Morningstar, told Newsweek: "We expect, absent a wider war, today's rise in prices will likely prove to be a sell-the-news event. Oil markets remain amply supplied with OPEC set on increasing production and demand soft." What Happens Next The G7 summit is expected to discuss the oil price cap proposal when it meets in Alberta, Canada, from Sunday. The EU may try to proceed with the measure even if the U.S. rejects the proposal. U.S. President Donald Trump and his officials will make the final decision, Bloomberg reported. Meanwhile, markets continued to eye the effects the hostilities between Iran and Israel are having on oil prices.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Opinion - Our schools have a ‘boy problem' and we need to talk about it
These days it's impossible to avoid the avalanche of evidence about young men falling behind in America. Within the last month, the New York Times laid out the dismal data, the Wall Street Journal noted the rising misogyny among boys and Bloomberg documented their rising anger. One thing you won't read about the boys dilemma, this month or any other month: serious solutions to the problem. After a couple of decades as an education reporter, my first book was 'Why Boys Fail.' That was in 2011, one of several books written at the time about boys falling behind. Back then, it appeared we were on the cusp of finally doing something about it. But apparently not. Fourteen years later, all we have are more studies and op-eds. No solutions. Why? The boys dilemma has three components, and the reasons for inaction are different for each component. My focus for 'Why Boys Fail' was schooling. I traced the effects of well-intended education reforms that date back to the 1989 education summit in Charlottesville, Va., where President George H.W. Bush and 49 governors laid out a national plan for ramping up education achievement. The most notable goal was boosting early literacy skills to get all students on track for a shot at higher education. It was a noble goal, but President Bush and the governors overlooked a small but important detail: Girls are ready for early literacy challenges, but boys are not. Doubtful? Ask mothers of both boys and girls about who was the early reader. As schools pushed reading skills down by about two grades, boys faltered. They looked at the happy girls, who thrived on early reading, and concluded that school was for girls. Cue a massive school tap-out among boys, who found solace in video games. Why has nothing been done about this? Simply put, schools have no interest. Principals are overwhelmed by multiple challenges, boys being the least of them. Teachers, mostly women, have limited interest in the issue. They often see boys as discipline problems and prefer to focus on easier-to-teach girls. Groups such as the American Association of University Women (think of them as the 'thought leaders' behind the female-dominated teachers unions) see the boy problems as politically inconvenient. (It has to be a little awkward promoting women in higher education when, in fact, they are already dominating it to an almost embarrassing degree.) Second comes the problem of fatherless families, which by far hits Black males hardest. More than 70 percent of Black children grow up in families without a father. Strong mothers inspire the girls to pursue school success, but the boys appear to need more — far more. Why has nothing been done about this? That dilemma touches on issues that have long resisted solutions: race and economic inequity. Third, there's the self-image issue. Boys get thrown horribly off-track by confusing social cues. Are we supposed to be muscle-bound Jason Stathams, mowing down bad guys with punches and kicks, or sensitive Alan Aldas, whispering soothing life lessons to the ladies in his life? Why has nothing been done about this? Actually, there's been regression here. Do you really expect the current White House occupant, who brags about never having changed a diaper, praises the uneducated, bashes top universities and revels in UFC fights, to advise boys to tone down their masculinity? So, nothing gets done, and the spinoff problems fester. The biggest of those, the lack of 'marriageable mates' for women, is the little-mentioned driver behind the falling birth rate. Why would a woman take on a husband who is less likely to have a college degree than she is, and who has comparatively less to contribute to a family? Being realistic, the last two drivers of the boy problems may very well be intractable. That leaves schooling, which I would argue is the biggest factor and one that can actually be addressed. How? It all starts with convincing (in some cases, forcing) superintendents and principals to redirect schooling in boy-friendly directions. There's proof that it can be done. Roughly 15 years ago, when the alarm sounded that girls were falling behind in math and science schools engineered a turnaround for girls. Today, there's test evidence of that math-science gender turnaround everywhere. There are plenty of alarms sounding today about boys. So the question becomes: Why not do for boys what you already did for girls? Richard Whitmire is the author of six books on education issues. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates
(Bloomberg) -- Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel in response to an unprecedented attack on its nuclear facilities, escalating a conflict between sworn enemies that threatens to engulf the oil-rich Middle East. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban Do World's Fairs Still Matter? As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space The Islamic Republic targeted Israel with 200 missiles and about 200 drones in four waves of strikes starting Friday evening, according to Israel's military, some of which breached the country's air defenses. US forces helped shoot down the projectiles. Israel maintained its own airstrikes into Saturday, and Defense Minister Israel Katz warned in a statement that 'Tehran will burn' if Iran's assault continues. The intensity of the fighting represents a turning point for both Israel and Iran, testing new limits in terms of their aggression and willingness to escalate. When the pair targeted each other on two occasions last year, there was a greater time lag and a sense that after an exchange of fire, there would be a détente. Israel has indicated this operation — aimed at derailing Iran's nuclear ambitions — could last for weeks, while Tehran has signaled no letup in its retaliation. Three people were killed in the Tel Aviv area and at least 40 were injured in multiple strikes, according to police and emergency services. There was video footage of at least one large explosion in Tel Aviv and reports of blasts over Jerusalem. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Israel's air defense systems, including the Iron Dome and David's Sling, boast an interception rate upward of 90%. If combined at varying altitudes, the chance of a successful shoot-down increases exponentially. Israel, which killed top Iranian generals and badly damaged key military infrastructure with its first strikes overnight Thursday, targeted Iran's defense systems on Friday and early Saturday. Four sites in the East Azerbaijan province were struck on Saturday, while several residential buildings in Tehran's suburbs have been hit, according to Iranian media. Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, where Iran's air force has a base and Iran Air, the national carrier, is headquartered, also came under attack, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, said 78 people have been killed and more than 320 wounded so far across the country. More than 200 aircraft participated in Israel's initial operation that hit around 100 locations, and another 50 have been struck since then. Markets have taken another hit from the surge in tensions: The S&P 500 lost more than 1% on Friday, wiping out this week's advance. West Texas Intermediate crude futures surged more than 7%, the most since March 2022. Gold and the dollar rose. The fighting casts doubt on the future of US negotiations with Iran on a diplomatic solution to the standoff over Tehran's atomic activities. The two sides have held five rounds of talks on a deal to impose restrictions in exchange for sanctions relief, but an agreement hasn't been reached. 'The other side has done something that makes dialog meaningless,' Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, said, although he didn't specify whether renewed negotiations scheduled to take place in Oman on Sunday would be called off. 'The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities will undoubtedly influence the country's future nuclear strategy,' Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Iran's former nuclear negotiator, posted on X. 'In fact, NATO, Israel, and the International Atomic Energy Agency have all played a role in paving the way for this strategic shift.' Further escalation — particularly any targeting of American military or diplomatic facilities in the region — could rally domestic political support for Iran's rulers and dramatically intensify the conflict. It's unclear if Tehran is entertaining last-resort options — such as blocking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's vital oil arteries, a scenario that would ratchet up concern among investors. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to 'act forcefully' in a pre-recorded video message carried by state TV. Israel 'should not think that it is over. We won't allow them to escape unscathed from this great crime they have committed,' he said in a statement released after Iran started its retaliation. The semi-official Fars news agency citied an unnamed military official as saying the conflict will soon 'expand' beyond Israel to US bases in the region. So far, Iran has chosen to keep the US out of the conflict — a decision that an analysis by Bloomberg Economics suggested was the most likely since Tehran can't afford to go to war with the world's biggest economy and most powerful military. The damage to Iran's military command structure is considerable. The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, and the military's chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, were both killed in Israeli strikes. At least two other senior IRGC members died and several nuclear facilities were targeted. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace division, was also slain, Iranian state TV reported. While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday's attacks have derailed diplomacy, officials in the region are still pushing for a deescalation. In a phone call with Araghchi, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for 'the highest degrees of self-restraint' to prevent the circle of the conflict from widening. And Oman said its foreign minister is in contact with relevant countries to contain the 'tensions and the dangerous military escalation in the region caused by Israel's direct attacks on Iran,' according to the state-run news agency. Meanwhile, with the Group of Seven leaders gathering in the Canadian Rockies, the attention will focus on US President Donald Trump's reaction. Going into the summit, there was a common desire to keep fraught geopolitical issues off the table, but that will be difficult given the knock-on effects of a spike in oil prices on inflation and energy exports. The region is a big crossroads for shipping of oil and consumer goods, and any all-out war will further strain a global trading system disrupted by the trade tensions. Trump gave brief phone interviews to a smattering of journalists, but otherwise didn't take to the cameras to make public remarks. He warned Iran on social media to make a deal 'before it is too late.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone Friday to discuss the conflict, according to a White House official. --With assistance from Eltaf Najafizada, Galit Altstein, Jonathan Tirone, Dan Williams and Ethan Bronner. (Updates with details on strikes starting in second paragraph, comment from Israeli defense minister in third.) American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
