Steve Price-Thomas

Working on poverty, inequality and the shift of power to the global south. Personal views; categorically not those of my employer. RTs are not endorsements.

[Scott Paul @ScottTPaul]

President Trump has issued an open call to commit war crimes. Targeting civilian infrastructure and threatening to wipe out a civilization violate international law and the U.S. Constitution.

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https://t.co/IdVf5xKGLb

[Steve Price-Thomas @stevept]

@Winnie_Byanyima @kizzabesigye1 So sorry to hear this @Winnie_Byanyima . All strength to you and @kizzabesigye1

[Winnie Byanyima @Winnie_Byanyima]

Second Statement: I am outraged by the blatant lies told to the public yesterday by the Uganda Prison Service spokesperson, Frank Baine, who claimed that Dr @kizzabesigye1 was not ill and that he had merely gone to a clinic for a routine medical check-up.

Today, the same Prison Service informed the court that Dr Besigye could not appear because he is ill, forcing the hearing to be postponed to 24 February. This contradiction exposes a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and conceal the truth about his deteriorating health.

I have just returned from Luzira Prison, where after more than two hours of haggling with the prison commander, I was finally allowed to see Dr Besigye. I found him huddled in a dirty plastic chair in a small room near his cell. He is extremely weak.

His symptoms have not improved. The prison doctor confirmed to me that Dr Besigye’s personal doctor had reported test results showing that the infection is worsening, not improving. Dr Besigye told me he is finding it difficult to walk and is experiencing significant pain in his legs. He is still unable to eat solid food and, in the past eight hours, had consumed only soup, an egg, and a slice of bread.

Despite his condition, prison authorities are refusing to transfer him to a fully equipped hospital where his personal doctor can properly monitor and treat him. Instead, they proposed admitting him to Murchison Bay Prison Hospital, a facility notorious for neglect and preventable deaths, and where the army would have full control over his treatment.

Dr Besigye has flatly refused this. He will not place his life in the hands of President Museveni and his personal army. He insists - reasonably and lawfully - on being treated at a private hospital where his doctor works, under prison guard if required.

I am deeply disturbed that a man who fell ill five days ago, whose condition is worsening, is still being held in a tiny, extremely hot cell and denied access to adequate medical care. This is cruel, dangerous, and unlawful.

The Officer-in-Charge of Luzira Prison and the NRM government must explain:
➡️ why Dr Besigye is being denied proper medical treatment,
➡️ the Prison Service lied to the public about his condition, and
➡️ a gravely ill detainee is being treated with such inhumanity.

I demand that Dr Kizza Besigye be released immediately and allowed to return home to be cared for by his family and doctors. I also demand that the trumped-up charges against him be dropped. His life is in danger. The responsibility will lie squarely with those who continue to deny him care.

Winnie Byanyima
Spouse of Dr Kizza Besigye
21 January 2026

[Oxfam International @Oxfam]

3K billionaires control $18.3 trillion, and this concentration of wealth is reshaping democracy itself. Billionaire money changes who gets heard, who decides, and who gets left behind.
Read the evidence: https://t.co/yNhJVW5KUR #RuleOfTheRich #FightInequality #TaxTheSuperRich

[Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand]

Absolutely extraordinary exchange between Israel and China 👇 I've never seen such a heated exchange come out of top-level forum in China (this is from the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum that started yesterday), this normally never happens.

The guy speaking is Yan Xuetong, the dean of the Institute of International Relations at Tsinghua University, the most prestigious university in China.

Speaking for Israel is a military officer apparently called Elad Shoshan.

Yan Xuetong truly doesn't hold back:
- When the Israeli officer tries to bullshit him around how Israel supposedly protects civilians in Gaza, he replies: "You killed more than 70,000 civilians!... The fact is not decided by you... It is not decided by your government. Your government has no legitimacy or the right to decide or defend what is fact"
- And when told that the war will end when Hamas release hostages he replies: "No, this kind of propaganda have too many. No one believe it! Too many! Too much! No one believe it, except a few Israelis"

[Oxfam International @Oxfam]

Peter Kamalingin, a visionary African leader and champion of justice, passed away on June 8. Known for his strategic brilliance, humility, and deep commitment to human rights, Peter inspired many with his clarity and courage. At Oxfam, he served as Country Director for Uganda and Pan Africa Programme Director. He was instrumental in decolonization efforts, leading a major Africa-wide conference in 2018 and contributing to Oxfam’s global strategy.

[Oxfam International @Oxfam]

This year let’s skip the chocolates and the cheesy card and go straight for the good stuff; equal rights/pay/representation please!

#FeministValentines

[ICRICT @icrict]

The super rich pay proportionally much less tax than the working class,’ says @LulaOficial at the #TaxJustice at the @VaticanNews.

[OxfamAmerica @OxfamAmerica]

Breaking: Oxfam America is joining the lawsuit to block the Trump admin's assault on humanitarian aid.

The attack on foreign assistance and USAID is an illegal & unconstitutional action that exacerbates humanitarian crises & will have life or death consequences for millions.

[Caroline Lucas @CarolineLucas]

Denying refugees citizenship simply on the grounds that they arrived here “illegally” on small boats *when there are no legal routes* for most of them to use takes cynicism to new heights. And such performative cruelty won’t see off Reform - it’s more likely to strengthen them

[Abby Maxman @abbymaxman]

Today, Oxfam America is joining Public Citizen, Democracy Forward, and others in a lawsuit to defend USAID from the Trump administration’s illegal attack on life-saving foreign assistance.
https://t.co/niSCy0Gprg

[Scott Paul @ScottTPaul]

Pres Trump's ban on funding UNRWA is a major blow to people in Gaza who still urgently need food, clean water & other necessities as they return to their homes in ruin - and to Palestinians throughout the region who rely on it for basic services like education & healthcare.

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[Abby Maxman @abbymaxman]

Gaza is home to the 2.2 million Palestinians who have suffered widespread bombardment and a cruel siege for 15 months. It is not a place for Israeli settlements or American imperial adventures.

https://t.co/0aIVXbP267

[Doug Ford @fordnation]

Starting today and until U.S. tariffs are removed, Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts.

Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario. U.S.-based businesses will now lose out on tens of billions of dollars in new revenues. They only have President Trump to blame.

We’re going one step further. We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy.

Canada didn't start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we're ready to win it.

[Stuart Parker @Stuparker7]

@stevept Courageous. Her plea for mercy for immigrants and others was an appeal for Christian values in a country where many claim to follow God but don’t act like it. More impact than a thousand other sermons.

[Steve Price-Thomas @stevept]

I admire Bishop Budde for her bravery in speaking truth to power https://t.co/905Gp5aOkN

[OxfamAmerica @OxfamAmerica]

This isn't ‘game over’ for fierce climate action in the United States.
Most Americans support climate action, and cities & states across the country are stepping up to fight for a sustainable future. The battle for our planet isn’t over—together, we can still win.

[OxfamAmerica @OxfamAmerica]

Oxfam data finds that the world is now on track to see 5 trillionaires within the next decade, while working families have been left behind for too long. But inequality is not inevitable; we must confront President Trump’s inequality agenda head on and build a more equal future.

[Angry Staffer @Angry_Staffer]

I absolutely hate that it came to this, but this is also the right move by Biden.

[Reem Alsalem UNSR Violence Against Women and Girls @UNSRVAW]

A very important and timely report by @Oxfam.

As one can imagine, the rich are getting richer. Women are increasingly bearing the brunt of this grim reality.

As the report mentions, 1 in 10 women live in extreme poverty, 24.3. million more women than men.

Racialized women living in poverty continue to subsidize the global economy. Women's care work is three times the financial value of the global tech industry.

Loss of women's political and economic autonomy has been liked to colonialism and Neo-colonialism