Uganda court tosses anti-gay law
KAMPALA, Uganda – A Ugandan court on Friday invalidated an anti-gay bill signed into law earlier this year, pleasing activists and watchdog groups who called the measure draconian and wanted it repealed.
The Constitutional Court declared the law illegal because it was passed during a parliamentary session that lacked a quorum.
Activists erupted in cheers after the court ruled the law “null and void,” but some cautioned that the fight was not over: The state could appeal the ruling in the Supreme Court, and legislators might try to reintroduce new anti-gay measures.
WHO officials warn of Ebola catastrophe
CONAKRY, Guinea – An Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 700 people in West Africa is moving faster than efforts to control the disease, the head of the World Health Organization warned as presidents from the affected countries met Friday in Guinea’s capital.
Dr. Margaret Chan, the WHO’s director-general, said the meeting in Conakry “must be a turning point” in the battle against Ebola, which is now sickening people in three African capitals for the first time in history.
“If the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives but also severe socio-economic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries,” she said, as the WHO formally launched a $100 million response plan that includes deploying hundreds more health-care workers.
Associated Press
