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Uganda’s first Oscar-nominated film tells story of Bobi Wine persecution

Kampala, Uganda – This January, when Bobi Wine learned that the film documenting his 2021 Ugandan presidential bid had been nominated for an Academy Award, he was hiding from the police. The swaggering popstar-turned-opposition leader had been on the run for five days, not sleeping or showering. This was after security forces cordoned off his home in response to his calls for protests over the poor road conditions in Uganda as the Non-Aligned Movement’s summit held in the capital Kampala. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was shocked by the nomination. “I screamed,” he said. “If there was any police officer nearby, I would have been arrested immediately.” The nomination of Bobi Wine: The People’s President for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars marks the first time a Ugandan film has earned recognition from the Academy Awards. But while it has led to celebration within Wine’s camp, the film is also a surreal reminder of the many challenges the 41-year-old politician has had to confront in his relatively short political career. Filmed over five years, it begins with singer Wine’s election to the Ugandan parliament in 2017 and shows his meteoric rise through politics, becoming the face of a vibrant youth movement. In impassioned speeches, the newly minted politician decries a constitutional amendment abolishing presidential age limits. But despite his opposition, the bill passed and allowed incumbent Yoweri Museveni, who seized power in 1986, to run for another term. Another scene follows Wine through the Kamwookya slum where he grew up, as he sings of freedom and calls on people to rise. A year later, the documentarians are with as Wine as he recovers from torture and a failed assassination attempt, briefly travelling to the United States for treatment. “Museveni used to be my favourite revolutionary,” he tells filmmakers in a car rolling through downtown Washington, DC. “I would really love to have a frank and honest conversation with him.” A disputed election A desire for change propelled Wine to challenge Museveni for the presidency in what he hoped would be Uganda’s first democratic election, excitedly announcing his candidacy shortly after returning home in July 2019. But the result was a bloody and contested vote as the ruling party clamped down on the opposition. Even before the election, at least 54 people were shot after riots broke out following Wine’s temporary detention in the city of Jinja in November 2020. Other supporters were jailed or attacked on the campaign trail. In the film, the camera zooms in as Wine dodges bullets and teargas, wavering only when the documentarians have to duck for cover themselves. “I was arrested a few times. I was interrogated,” said Moses Bwayo, a Ugandan journalist and one of the film’s directors. In the final days of the campaign, he was shot in the face with a rubber bullet. Still, Bwayo kept recording. “All these threats and everything that was happening really emboldened me to tell this story, and carry the task forward,” he said. As election day approached, he moved into Wine’s home. Afterwards, Bwayo filmed Wine and his wife Barbie Kyagulanyi listening to a radio broadcast announcing Museveni as victor. Their faces are numb with shock and disbelief. Wine called for more protests over the election results, but large-scale demonstrations never materialised following a brutal campaign and disappointing result. Deciding he was no longer safe in Uganda, Bwayo captured a final scene of Bobi Wine once again singing songs of freedom in Kamwookya. Then, Bwayo escaped Uganda with his wife. “We fled like we were going on a small trip,” he said. “We landed in the United States, and we applied for political asylum.” They are still awaiting a decision. Ugandan opposition politician Bobi Wine stands near a mural of an associate killed during police raids in December 2020, in Kampala, Uganda [Sophie Neiman/Al Jazeera] Documenting repression This week, Wine told Al Jazeera that the film is a documentation of all he suffered and the challenges still facing his homeland. “We’ve been able to present the reality in Uganda, uncensored and unedited, to the international community,” the opposition leader said. “It showcases the brutality of the Museveni regime, but also the resilience of the Ugandan people in pushing back against impunity, against injustice,” added David Lewis Rubongoya, secretary-general of Wine’s National Unity Platform political party. The threat of harsh repression still hangs over the Ugandan population, analysts assert. But Museveni, who has now been in power for some 38 years, is becoming increasingly paranoid as another election looms on the horizon. “[Violence] may have succeeded in the short run, in terms of preventing … a wide protest movement from emerging after the polls,” Michael Mutyaba, a Ugandan academic at SOAS University of London, said of the 2021 vote. “But if you look at it in the long term, I don’t think it succeeded.” “What it did was expose the regime more to international criticism and reveal things that it had maybe successfully concealed for a long time,” Mutyaba told Al Jazeera. [embedded content] ‘Our story’ Meanwhile, Bwayo and Christopher Sharp, the film’s other director, trimmed 4,000 hours of footage to just a few hours of runtime The documentary debuted at the 79th Venice Film Festival in 2022. It was then acquired by National Geographic, which supported a theatrical release last year. The Oscar nomination followed this year. The filmmakers hope their work will bring renewed attention to Uganda and its citizens. “We’re fooling ourselves in the West, and we’re being very disrespectful to the people of Uganda, to pretend that they’re living in a democracy, that those elections are anything other than a sham,” said Sharp, who is also one of the documentary’s producers. For Wine, the film is a lifeline. “The more our story is out there, the more we are able to live and see the sun the following day,” he told Al Jazeera. On Friday, which also marks the anniversary of Museveni taking power, Wine and his followers attempted to mount

‘Illegal and invalid’: Kenya court halts deployment of police to Haiti

The court ruling comes despite the UN Security Council giving the go-ahead for the Kenya-led mission in Haiti. A Kenyan court on Friday ruled against the government’s plan to deploy police to Haiti to lead a UN-backed multinational mission aimed at restoring peace and security in the Caribbean nation struggling with gang violence. On Friday, judge Enock Chacha Mwita ruled that “any decision by any state organ or state officer to deploy police officers to Haiti… contravenes the constitution and the law and is therefore unconstitutional, illegal and invalid”. “An order is hereby issued prohibiting deployment of police forces to Haiti or any other country,” he said. The ruling comes as the Haitian government calls for the urgent deployment of a multinational force to help its overwhelmed police battle rampant violence. Haiti, the Western hemisphere’s poorest nation, has been in turmoil for years, with armed gangs taking over parts of the country and unleashing brutal violence, with the economy and public health system in tatters. Gang-related violence has spiked since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise almost three years ago. Between January and September 2023 alone, Haiti recorded 3,000 homicides and more than 1,500 kidnappings for ransom according to the UN. That has led to protests as citizens call for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry over failure to tackle the insecurity. In October, the United Nations Security Council gave the go-ahead for the Kenya-led mission. President William Ruto had described the Kenyan undertaking as a “mission for humanity” in a nation ravaged by colonialism. But the planned deployment of 1,000 officers has faced criticism at home, with opposition politician Ekuru Aukot filing the petition at the Nairobi High Court last year. On Thursday, Haiti’s foreign minister pleaded for the deployment to be speeded up, telling the UN Security Council that gang violence in the country was as barbaric as the horrors experienced in war zones. “The Haitian people cannot take any more. I hope this time is the last time I will speak before the deployment of a multinational force to support our security forces,” Jean Victor Geneus told the council. The Haitian and Kenyan governments are yet to react to the ruling, as of time of publication. Adblock test (Why?)

India celebrates Republic Day showcasing military might, cultural heritage

Thousands of people lined a ceremonial boulevard in the heart of India’s capital to watch a colourful parade showcasing the country’s military power and cultural heritage to mark its 75th Republic Day. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the parade on Friday as the chief guest at the celebration of the adoption of the country’s Constitution on January 26, 1950, following India’s independence from British colonial rule. Indian President Draupadi Murmu escorted Macron in a ceremonial British-era horse-drawn carriage from the nearby president’s palace to the viewing stand. It was the first time the carriage has been used at the parade since it was abandoned by the government 40 years ago in favour of a car. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wearing a saffron-and-yellow turban, greeted Macron at the viewing stand. India traditionally invites foreign leaders to witness the spectacle. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was the guest of honour last year, former French President Francois Hollande in 2016 and former US President Barack Obama in 2015. Ten Southeast Asian leaders watched the parade in 2018. Tanks, missile systems, infantry combat vehicles and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems were displayed, with hundreds of police and military personnel marching with them. Stunt performers on motorbikes, including more than 250 women, also participated. Macron accepted India’s invitation at short notice after US President Joe Biden couldn’t make it, reportedly because of his State of the Union address and re-election bid. “A great honour for France. Thank you, India,” Macron said on X. Adblock test (Why?)

First-ever chief White House diversity advisor leaving Biden administration

The White House’s first-ever chief diversity and inclusion officer is leaving the administration.  Michael Leach, who has served in the position for three years, is departing President Biden’s administration but called it the “honor of a lifetime.” “President Biden promised to build an administration that looks like America and delivers for the American people,” White House deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon said.  FAA’S DIVERSITY PUSH INCLUDES FOCUS ON HIRING PEOPLE WITH ‘SEVERE INTELLECTUAL’ AND PSYCHIATRIC’ DISABILITIES She added, “From the campaign to now, Michael Leach was an instrumental partner to us in fulfilling this promise.” Former chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci told the Associated Press that Leach was a crucial part of the administration as diversity becomes central to its mission. “As we’re getting deeper and deeper into the issue of diversity, equity and inclusion, a lot of people have skepticism,” said Fauci.  BIDEN ADMIN PROBED AFTER FOX NEWS DIGITAL SHOWS IT MAY HAVE FABRICATED PAPER TRAIL TO SHUTTER CHEMICAL PLANT “But I have found in my own experience, having lived through both eras — the era when there was no diversity, there was no equity and there was no inclusion, versus now when we’re seeing a fair amount of it — it is a value and has made us really better off.” Leach previously worked for the National Football League’s Chicago Bears as an assistant to the head coach. Biden’s administration does not have a replacement prepared but has launched an effort to fill the position. Biden has touted his administration as the most diverse in U.S. history — approximately half of White House staffers are considered people of color. Additionally, almost 60% of staffers are women, according to a White House staff report from 2023.

PA Gov. Shapiro to address state’s struggling higher education system in upcoming budget proposal

Gov. Josh Shapiro plans next month to propose steps toward fixing a higher education system in Pennsylvania that is among the worst in the nation in affordability, his administration said Friday. The administration didn’t release many specifics and said the Democratic governor would give more details in his Feb. 6 budget address. By just about every measure there is, Pennsylvania is ranked at the bottom among states in the level of higher education aid, size of student debt and affordability of its colleges. Pennsylvania spends less per capita on higher education aid than any other state except New Hampshire, Shapiro’s administration said. PENNSYLVANIA POISED TO ALLOW LONGER SCHOOL DAYS, SHORTER WEEKS This year’s spending of about $2 billion on higher education is about the same as it was 15 years ago. In his budget, Shapiro will propose “significant” aid for state-owned universities, community colleges and their students, the administration said. The 14 state-owned universities and 15 independent community colleges should be united under a governance system that improves coordination between the schools and limits the competition and duplication between them, the administration said. After that, Shapiro wants to cut tuition and fees to more than $1,000 per semester for Pennsylvania students who attend a state-owned university and have a household income under the state median of about $70,000. DEMOCRAT-BACKED REPORT CLAIMS PENNSYLVANIA OWES DISTRICTS $5B IN EDUCATION FUNDING The administration could not immediately say how much money that would require, or where that amount of aid would place Pennsylvania in state rankings. Eventually, the state would develop an aid formula rewarding higher education institutions for factors including growing enrollment and graduation rate, the administration said. Schools would get incentives to recruit and support students to complete degrees and earn credentials in growing fields and fields with workforce shortages, the administration said. The ideas sprang from a working group of college and university presidents that were assembled last year by the Shapiro administration.

Meet ‘Nariyal Amma’, chosen for Padma Shri for organic coconut farming, she is from…

In this remarkable journey from a remote village to national recognition, she has become a symbol of resilience, innovation, and sustainable farming practices.

Texas companies reported releasing 1 million pounds of excess pollution during recent cold snap

Called “upset” events, companies are required to tell the state when they emit pollution above what their permits allow.

Hispanic and teen fertility rates increase after abortion restrictions

More than 16,000 babies were born in Texas in 2022 than in 2021, a new study from the University of Houston shows.

In Hong Kong, decades of wealth gains evaporate on China’s watch

Taipei, Taiwan – Like many Hong Kongers, accountant Edelweiss Lam spent the last week watching the city’s stock market wipe out 14 months of gains as the Hang Seng Index fell below the psychological threshold of 15,000 points. It was not the first time Lam, who has been investing on and off in Hong Kong stocks since the late 1990s, had seen it happen. The index dropped below 15,000 points during SARS in 2003, the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, and zero-COVID lockdowns in 2022. But while ebbs and flows are part of the investment game, Lam said watching the key measure of Hong Kong’s stock market tumble “back to square one” felt different this time. “It seems I cannot see the future,” Lam told Al Jazeera by phone from Hong Kong. The reason, Lam said, is China. As Beijing increases its control over all aspects of life in Hong Kong, including the economy, and gloom persists about the state of China’s post-pandemic recovery, investors have been voting with their money and looking to other markets. More than a quarter-century after Hong Kong’s return to China, the Hang Seng is more or less back to where it was during its final days as a British colony. On Friday, the index hovered below 16,100 points – lower than it was on July 1, 1997, the day of the handover. Over the same period, stocks in the United States, Japan and other popular markets have flourished. Investors in the SP500, the most popular measure of the performance of the US market, have seen their money grow nearly 10-fold since 1997. Hong Kong’s stock market has seen big losses over the last year [Al Jazeera] “If there’s any new announcement from the Chinese government about regulations or the control of some industry, then the market can fluctuate very seriously,” said Lam, whose investment portfolio includes blue chip stocks, fixed-term deposits and property. “The relationship between Hong Kong and China is closer and closer, the control is tighter, so we cannot ignore what they are doing in China.” Hong Kong has had a front-row seat to China’s crackdowns in recent years, from the imposition of a draconian national security law on the city to tightening regulation of corporate giants such as Alibaba and Tencent and raids on foreign companies on the Chinese mainland. Many of China’s biggest companies are dual-listed in Hong Kong and China and make up a large portion of the Hang Seng Index along with Chinese banks and other tech companies. At the same time, China’s economy has struggled to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and Beijing’s harsh pandemic restrictions, amid nagging structural issues including a shrinking population, high local government debt, and a slow-moving real estate crisis. Gross domestic product officially grew 5.2 percent in 2023 – the weakest performance in decades, excluding the pandemic. Despite Beijing’s insistence that China is open for business, foreign investors’ confidence is waning. Last year, China recorded the first drop in foreign direct investment in 12 years, with inflows declining 8 percent to $157.1bn. “When we look at broader business sentiment both for the financial sector and for the general economy – first and foremost, economic fundamentals both in Hong Kong and in China are not doing very well at the moment,” Chim Lee, a China analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told Al Jazeera. Lee said China hitting its economic growth target last year was “not particularly impressive” as Beijing set a relatively weak target. Analysts estimate that some $6 trillion – the equivalent of over one-quarter of the output of the US economy – has been wiped off stock markets in China and Hong Kong since early 2021. China’s CSI 300 Index, which measures the top 300 companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, has fallen more than 40 percent over the past three years, while the Hang Seng has fallen 50 percent over the same period, according to Bloomberg data. Investors are instead flocking to other markets like Japan and the US where analysts predict a bullish 2024. The Nikkei 255 Index, an index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s top companies, posted highs not seen in over 30 years last week, while the S&P 500 in New York closed at an all-time high for the sixth day in a row on Thursday. Investor confidence in Hong Kong has taken a hit amid China’s crackdowns [File: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images] “[Hong Kong’s] economy may now be no more than a large rounding error on China’s GDP but it still plays an important role in finance and capital market transactions for and with the Mainland. So it’s self-evident that bearish sentiment and beaten up stock price valuations in China proper wash over into [Hong Kong] too,” George Magnus, an associate at Oxford University’s China Centre and Research Associate at SOAS, London, told Al Jazeera. Hong Kong’s declining rights and freedoms – which are supposed to be guaranteed until 2047 under an agreement known as “one country, two systems” – have added fuel to the crisis of confidence. Since the passage of the national security law in 2020, the city’s political opposition and independent media have been all but wiped out and hundreds of people have been arrested for non-violent offences related to activism and speech. Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers have left the city amid Beijing’s tightening control along with their money. Lam said she decided last year to move her pension fund overseas and she plans to sell her remaining stock investments in Hong Kong at a loss. “They say they want to do something, but we don’t see real action,” Lam said of the government’s policy on the economy. In October, Hong Kong slashed stamp duty on property sales and stock transfers, but consumption and tourism have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. The US stock market has seen big gains as Hong Kong’s bourse has stagnated [Al Jazeera] Analysts say that reviving both Hong Kong and China’s

Gyanvapi mosque security heightened post ASI report release

The authorities were keen on avoiding any misinformation or unnecessary panic. However, there was a conscious effort to manage any potential conflicts in the area.