MOSCOW | TASS | Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent holiday telegrams to Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) national leaders, with the exception of Moldova, as well as the heads of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Kremlin press service reported. Among European leaders, he sent greetings only to Hungarian Prime …
Read More »High inflation persists as Nigeria enters New Year
ABUJA, NIGERIA | Xinhua | Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, enters the New Year amid internal and external difficulties challenging its “Renewed Hope,” with President Bola Tinubu vowing to tame stubborn inflation. The country is battling its highest inflation rates in nearly two decades. The latest data, from the National Bureau …
Read More »German authorities prepare for potential riots on New Year’s Eve
BERLIN | Xinhua | Drawing lessons from the riots and attacks on emergency services that occurred on New Year’s Eve 2023, Germany’s emergency services are preparing to be present in large numbers during the year-end festivities across the country, appealing to the public to be peaceful as the sale of …
Read More »Police clears 1970 venues for New Year’s fireworks display
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police have cleared 1970 venues to display end-of-year fireworks on Sunday night. The venues including churches, bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, guest houses, and tourism sites were cleared by the Inspector General of Police, Martin Ochola through the Directorate of Operations Services (OPS). OPS is headed …
Read More »FREEDOM CITY STAMPEDE: Who is to blame?
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | It is 16 days ever since the tragic New Year’s celebrations at Freedom City. However, there have been counter-accusations on who is to blame for the stampede that led to the death of 11 people. It is no longer news that police arrested and prosecuted …
Read More »FREEDOM CITY STAMPEDE: Police arrest Abitex boss
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police have named victims of a stampede that left 10 people dead at the Freedom City mall, along the Kampala-Entebbe road on January 1, 2023. The deceased were part of a crowd that converged to usher in the New Year. Preliminary police findings …
Read More »World leaders extend New Year greetings, hoping for peace, prosperity
Beijing, China | Xinhua | As people around the world are celebrating the New Year, world leaders delivered New Year messages to their citizens, reviewing the past year and hoping for peace and prosperity in 2023. “It was a year of truly pivotal, even fateful events. They became the frontier where …
Read More »Entertainment places in Kampala gear up for New Year celebrations
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hundreds of revelers have thronged Lubiri Grounds to attend the end of year party commonly known as ‘Enkuka Yo’Mwaka. The annual event was last celebrated in 2019. In 2020 and last year, the show was suspended following the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic. When URN …
Read More »Police records 59 deaths in New Year accidents, crime incidents
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At least 59 people lost their lives during celebrations to usher in the New Year, according to police records. Of these, 39 died in road crashes. According to the spokesperson of the traffic directorate Faridah Nampiima, 39 deaths resulted from 106 accidents recorded between December …
Read More »Kampala hotels usher in New Year despite ban on events
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Several hotels in Kampala on Friday ushered in the New Year with parties, despite police banning organizing events. A survey by URN reporters in the areas of Bukoto, Ntinda, Nakawa found some hotels filled with revelers celebrating the New Year. On Monday, the Police …
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