Installation error

If you re-run the command, do you receive identical error messages?

A Status of "403 Forbidden" for the requests is very strange, because these files do not exist (should be "404" instead, but that is cared for by the package management system).
Do you have some specific internet connection that tries to reroute 404 messages to some kind of "did you mean xy?" page? Such service breaks the function of Ubuntu's package management system.

I get the same error when I run the command. A friend run the command on the same internet connection and it seemed fine.

I have no idea what the reason could be.

What output do you receive for the command

wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en

Below is the output for the command;

tim_pabi@timpabi-PC:~$ wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en
--2019-07-25 21:44:43-- http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en
Resolving archive.ubuntu.com (archive.ubuntu.com)... 91.189.88.149, 91.189.88.24, 91.189.88.31, ...
Connecting to archive.ubuntu.com (archive.ubuntu.com)|91.189.88.149|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 404 Not Found
2019-07-25 21:44:43 ERROR 404: Not Found.

This is the expected result. Error 404, and not Error 403.

I am sorry, I am at my wits' end. I have no clue what there is going on on your system.

The only recommendation that I can give is trying again, and maybe the problem is just temporary and disappears again.

Thank you very much Manfred.

Just an idea, what output do you receive for the commands

sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists
sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists
sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
sudo apt update

Please find below the outputs. The first three commands do not give any output.

tim_pabi@timpabi-PC:~$ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists
tim_pabi@timpabi-PC:~$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists
tim_pabi@timpabi-PC:~$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
tim_pabi@timpabi-PC:~$ sudo apt update
Get:1 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fenics-packages/fenics/ubuntu bionic InRelease [15.4 kB]
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic InRelease [242 kB]
Get:3 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security InRelease [88.7 kB]
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates InRelease [88.7 kB]
Get:5 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports InRelease [74.6 kB]
Get:6 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fenics-packages/fenics/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages [5268 B]
Get:7 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fenics-packages/fenics/ubuntu bionic/main Translation-en [3164 B]
Get:8 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages [1019 kB]
Get:9 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main Translation-en [516 kB]
Ign:10 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main amd64 Packages
Get:11 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main Translation-en [158 kB]
Get:12 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/restricted amd64 Packages [9184 B]
Get:13 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/restricted Translation-en [3584 B]
Get:14 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/restricted amd64 Packages [4296 B]
Get:15 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/restricted Translation-en [2192 B]
Ign:16 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:17 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe Translation-en
Get:18 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/multiverse amd64 Packages [4008 B]
Get:19 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/multiverse Translation-en [2060 B]
Ign:10 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:20 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:17 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe Translation-en
Ign:10 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main amd64 Packages
Ign:16 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:17 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe Translation-en
Err:10 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main amd64 Packages
  403 Forbidden [IP: 91.189.88.31 80]
Ign:16 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:17 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/universe Translation-en
Ign:21 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe Translation-en
Get:22 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/multiverse amd64 Packages [151 kB]
Get:23 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/multiverse Translation-en [108 kB]
Ign:24 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
Get:25 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main Translation-en [254 kB]
Get:26 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/restricted amd64 Packages [6996 B]
Get:27 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/restricted Translation-en [3076 B]
Ign:28 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:29 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe Translation-en
Get:30 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/multiverse amd64 Packages [6640 B]
Get:31 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/multiverse Translation-en [3556 B]
Get:32 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports/main amd64 Packages [2512 B]
Get:33 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports/main Translation-en [1644 B]
Get:34 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports/universe amd64 Packages [3736 B]
Get:35 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports/universe Translation-en [1696 B]
Ign:20 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:21 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe Translation-en
Ign:24 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
Ign:28 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:29 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe Translation-en
Get:20 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe amd64 Packages [11.3 MB]
Ign:21 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe Translation-en
Ign:24 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
Ign:28 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:29 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe Translation-en
Err:21 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/universe Translation-en
  403 Forbidden [IP: 91.189.88.31 80]
Err:24 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
  403 Forbidden [IP: 91.189.88.31 80]
Ign:28 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe amd64 Packages
Ign:29 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/universe Translation-en
Fetched 14.1 MB in 1min 11s (199 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
E: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en 403 Forbidden [IP: 91.189.88.31 80]
E: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic-security/main/binary-amd64/Packages 403 Forbidden [IP: 91.189.88.31 80]
E: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic-updates/main/binary-amd64/Packages 403 Forbidden [IP: 91.189.88.31 80]
E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

ok, still the same files with the 403 error.
Is there some kind of malware blocking service in place that might prevent downloading of the files?

What output do you receive for

wget --verbose http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en.gz
wget --verbose http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en.xz

I do not about any malware blocking service on my computer or connection.

the outputs are below;

tim_pabi@timpabi-PC:~$ wget --verbose http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en.gz
--2019-07-26 01:03:57-- http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en.gz
Resolving archive.ubuntu.com (archive.ubuntu.com)... 91.189.88.162, 91.189.88.24, 91.189.88.31, ...
Connecting to archive.ubuntu.com (archive.ubuntu.com)|91.189.88.162|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 403 Forbidden
2019-07-26 01:04:03 ERROR 403: Forbidden.

tim_pabi@timpabi-PC:~$ wget --verbose http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en.xz
--2019-07-26 01:04:22-- http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en.xz
Resolving archive.ubuntu.com (archive.ubuntu.com)... 91.189.88.24, 91.189.88.31, 91.189.88.149, ...
Connecting to archive.ubuntu.com (archive.ubuntu.com)|91.189.88.24|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 403 Forbidden
2019-07-26 01:04:27 ERROR 403: Forbidden.

Ok, there are also 403's.

What happens if you try downloading one of the files with your web browser (right mouse button, save target as…)

Have you tried selecting a different repository server?

I haven't tried downloading any file yet. Any url so that I can try?

I don't know how to go about a different repository server. I don't mind following the steps if you can recommend any different one.

Thanks

For the URLs use your web browser to visit https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/fenics/+question/682310 go to comment #9, and there you have two URLS in the wget commands.

To change the repository server you can use the program software-properties-gtk
Either select the country server for your country, or select some other repository in your vicinity (e.g. universities) from the dialogue box.

This is the message I get when I try to open the url; http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en.gz

Attention!
The transfer attempted appeared to contain a data leak!

URL: http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/bionic/universe/i18n/Translation-en.gz
User name: jtimpabi
Group name:

This must be some kind of malware prevention on your side, that interprets the file as false positive.
Perhaps Fortinet firewall, see https://forum.fortinet.com/tm.aspx?m=121224

Ohok, we do have fortinet on our internet. I checked the url but it doesn't have any apparent solution. Is there any other way out?
My problem is how my friend run it on his computer and it worked, probably because he is the IT guy.

Ohok, we do have fortinet on our internet. I checked the url but it doesn't have any apparent solution. Is there any other way out?
My problem is how my friend run it on his computer and it worked, probably because he is the IT guy.