Ugandan president signs anti-gay bill

Uganda's president signed a controversial anti-gay bill that allows harsh penalties for "homosexual offences".
"The president has just signed the anti-homosexuality bill," said presidential spokeswoman Sarah Kagingo, calling it a "landmark" law, the Reuters news agency reported.
Earlier in the day, Ugandan Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said, the president "wants to sign it with the full witness of the international media to demonstrate Uganda's independence in the face of Western pressure and provocation."
The bill is popular in Uganda, but rights groups have condemned it as draconian in a country where homosexuality is already illegal.
Museveni's decision to sign the bill comes less than a week since he announced plans to put the bill on hold to give scientists a chance to prove that homosexuality could be triggered by genes and is not a "lifestyle choice".
"Aggravated homosexuality"
The law punishes first-time offenders with 14 years in jail. It also sets life imprisonment as the penalty for acts of "aggravated homosexuality".The bill originally proposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts, but that was later removed amid international criticism.
US President Barack Obama has urged Museveni not to sign the bill, saying doing so would "complicate" the east African country's relationship with Washington.
Uganda is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamic extremism in Somalia where Ugandan troops have formed the backbone of the African Union peacekeeping force battling al Qaeda-aligned fighters.