Ugandan president signs 'harsh' anti-gay bill

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law a bill toughening penalties for gay people.

The bill includes life sentences for gay sex and same-sex marriage, but a proposed sentence of up to 14 years for first-time offenders has been removed.

According to the BBC, the new law has defined homosexuality, which includes touching another person 'with the intention of committing the act of homosexuality'.

According to the report, the offence of 'aggravated homosexuality', which includes having sex with 'a person living with HIV' or being 'a serial offender,' will also lead to life imprisonment.

The new law also makes it a criminal offence to conduct a marriage ceremony between persons of the same sex, or to promote homosexuality in any form, the report said.

President Obama described the new law as 'more than an affront, and a danger to, Uganda's gay community.

He warned it could complicate Washington's relations with Uganda, which receives a reported 400 million dollars in annual aid from the US, the report added.