Ugandan TikTok user arrested for insulting president
A Ugandan court sentenced a 24-year-old man to six years in prison for insulting the president and the first family in a TikTok video.
Edward Awebwa was charged with hate speech and circulating “misleading and malicious” information against President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the military’s leader.
The court also heard that Awebwa had communicated abusive information and predicted an increase in taxes under President Museveni. He had admitted fault and asked for pardon. The presiding magistrate stated that, despite his plea for compassion, he did not appear contrite for his acts, and the language used in the video was “really vulgar”.
“The accused deserves a punishment which will enable him to learn from his past so that next time he will respect the person of the president, the first lady and the first son,” Stella Maris Amabilis, the judge, stated.
China responds to NATO’s charges against Russia.
China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, has responded to NATO’s “groundless accusations” that Beijing is assisting Russia in its conflict on Ukraine. He has also warned the Western alliance against inciting conflict. Mr Wang’s remarks, delivered during a phone chat with his Dutch counterpart, come hours after NATO leaders met in Washington, DC, and released a proclamation mentioning the battle.
In some of their strongest statements yet about Beijing, they accused China of being a “decisive enabler” of Russia through its “large-scale support for Russia’s defence industrial base”. They demanded that China cease “all material and political support” for Russia’s war effort, including the delivery of dual-use commodities, which are products that may be used for both civilian and military objectives.
Hollywood’s Democratic donors turn away from Biden
Hollywood has traditionally been a revenue generator for the Democratic Party. However, anxiety about US President Joe Biden’s candidature has not abated, despite a lengthy news conference on Thursday in which he stated unequivocally that he had no intention of standing down despite rising pressure from within his party.
Concerns about his age have led several loyal A-list contributors in one of the most liberal regions of the United States to abandon Mr Biden, with many publicly withdrawing their support and advocating for his replacement.
“I have always donated. “I have always donated more than I could afford,” she told the BBC. “But this is the first time I have ever decided to stop donating up and down the ballot as a means of indicating my – I think displeasure isn’t the right word – absolute, gut-curdling panic.”
Australian soldier accused of espionage for Russia
An Australian soldier and her spouse were detained and accused of spying for Russia. Investigators believe the couple, both Russian-born Australian citizens, obtained Australian Defence Force (ADF) material to share with Moscow. However, Australian authorities report that “no significant compromise” of military secrets has been detected.
It is the first time stronger foreign interference legislation, enacted by Australia in 2018, has been utilised to prosecute espionage cases. Kira Korolev, a 40-year-old army soldier, and her 62-year-old husband Igor Korolev appeared in Brisbane court on Friday, both charged with one count of preparation for an espionage offence, which carries a potential 15-year prison sentence.
According to Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Reece Kershaw, the pair had lived in Australia for more than a decade before the alleged offence and had both become citizens several years ago.
