President Trump insists the economy is thriving. So, how does he explain why so many voters view the economy negatively? Also, the Federal Reserve considers whether to cut interest rates today. Will concerns over inflation keep rates as is or will unemployment worries prompt another cut? Plus, the unraveling of the Afghan man accused of gunning down two National Guard members. How are other Afghans in the US who fought for the CIA navigating the stress and despair that commonly haunt frontline soldiers?
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Rafael Nam, Luis Clemens, Alice Woelfle, and Arezou Rezvani.
It was produced by Kaity Kline, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange
Mary Chilima still struggling to understand her husband’s death
…….Mary says she still struggles to understand the death of her husband
MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-Mary Chilima, widow of Malawi’s former Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima, says she is still grappling with the pain and unanswered questions surrounding her husband’s death one year and six months after the tragic military aircraft crash that claimed his life.
Dr. Chilima, along with eight other Malawians, died on June 10, 2024, when a Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 aircraft crashed in the Chikangawa Forest in Nkhata Bay District.
The delegation was en route to attend the funeral of former Attorney General Ralph Kasambara, a close friend of the late vice president.
In a heartfelt post shared on her social media page this morning, Mary Chilima expressed that the loss remains deeply painful.
“One year, six months. Tidakalirabe Saulos… A painful death. An incomprehensible death. Aaah” she wrote.
Her remarks come as the nation continues to wait for clarity on the crash investigation.
Last month, Minister of Justice Charles Mhango told Malawi Parliament that his ministry was in the process of reviewing all available reports regarding the aircraft accident involving Dr. Chilima.
Mhango said once the review is complete, the ministry will submit its findings to President Lazarus Chakwera and advise whether a further investigation is necessary.
But how will Mary going to be consoled over her husband’s death?
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading…
Discover more from The Maravi Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi is still grappling with the goal Six of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that promotes clean water and sanitation.
Goal six is ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. But the case is different in Malawi.
The observation comes amid recent report that 24% of healthcare facilities lack access to a basic water supply in Malawi that Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services remain in dare state.
This has prompted WaterAid Malawi to raise an alarm on existing gaps continue to expose mothers and newborn babies to preventable infections and avoidable deaths.
Addressing the Annual General Meeting for the WASH Media Forum in Dowa, WaterAid’s Head of Advocacy and Communication, Chandiwira Chisi observes that persistent lack of clean, safe water in health facilities undermines national efforts to improve maternal and newborn health.
Chisi therefore emphasised the need for sustainable and collective efforts in improving access to safe water in hard to reach communities.
“While we are looking at the general outlook of WASH, it’s high time the nation prioritized in promoting neonatal and maternal health”, appeals Chisi.
In his presentation, Kasungu District Director for Health and Social Services Dr. Emmanuel Golombe attributed challenges affecting WASH to inadequate funding in the district hospitals.
Echoing the same, the Deputy Director for the Reproductive Health Directorate, Juliana Kanyengambeta Mubanga, revealed that 24% of maternal deaths in Malawi are caused by infections—many of which result from poor hygiene, contaminated water, and unsafe delivery environments.
Mubanga reaffirmed the government’s commitment to collaborating with partners like WaterAid to strengthen WASH systems and safeguard mothers and babies.
Therefore WASH Media Forum Chairperson Meclina Chirwa urged journalists to amplify citizens’ concerns, ensuring authorities address long-standing problems affecting health service delivery.
With full financial support from WaterAid, the three day WASH Media Forum AGM has attracted journalists across the country.
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading…
Discover more from The Maravi Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The United Nations Headquarters as seen from First Avenue in New York City. Credit: UN News/Vibhu Mishra
KATHMANDU, Nepal, Dec 10 2025 (IPS) – The election of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations comes at a highly inopportune moment in 2026, when the UN is being bypassed, and multilateralism—with the UN at its core—is under increasing challenge from some of the world’s most powerful states and leaders.
The new Secretary-General, taking office in 2027, will inherit an unprecedented financial crisis and a pressing need for major institutional reorganization simply to keep the UN afloat. At first glance, this hardly seems like the right moment for a new SG to advance a bold vision—one capable of winning over powerful leaders who appear lukewarm toward strengthening genuine multilateralism and instead prefer a multipolar order where each can guard its own sphere of influence.
Yet history reminds us that some of the boldest ideas have emerged during periods of great upheaval—wars, revolutions, and global crises. It is therefore conceivable that a visionary new UN leader could break new ground, introduce innovative ideas, and help plant the seeds for a rejuvenated, rules-based world order.
Kul Gautam
While many of today’s most powerful leaders may be ambivalent about multilateralism, the world’s general public—especially the digitally savvy younger generation—has a strong sense of global interdependence.
They increasingly identify as global citizens, eager to thrive in a borderless world, and are more likely to embrace visionary proposals for UN reform that meet the realities of the 21st century.
A promising starting point would be the election of the first-ever female Secretary-General of the UN. Another essential reform would be restructuring the UN’s financing system to make it more broad-based and less dependent on the whims of a few wealthy, powerful states.
Some consolidation of the UN’s sprawling architecture—much of it underfunded—is already underway through the current SG’s UN80 Initiative. A new SG could accelerate this effort, earning the support of both critics and cynics.
Still, even a dynamic and visionary new SG will require the backing of Member States. At present, leaders of the most powerful states, particularly the veto-wielding P5, seem disinclined to empower the world’s top diplomat as a true global leader.
While many enlightened global citizens—especially Gen Z—hope for a bold, inspiring figure at the helm, the major powers may prefer a more compliant “Secretary” rather than a strong, strategic “General.”
With the rise of the Global South and groupings such as BRICS+ and the G20, the balance of power—especially soft power—is shifting away from the states that founded the UN 80 years ago.
One hopes this evolving landscape will help strengthen the UN and reinvigorate multilateralism, which remains the only viable way to confront such transcendental issues as climate change, war and peace, pandemics, widening inequalities, and the profound opportunities and risks of the AI revolution.
The world urgently needs a more effective UN to address these pressing global challenges—none of which any nation, however rich or powerful, can tackle alone. It is to be hoped that world leaders, attuned to their peoples’ aspirations, will choose a highly capable new Secretary-General and empower her to help build a more peaceful and prosperous world for present and future generations.
Kul Gautam is a former UN Assistant Secretary-General, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and author of Global Citizen from Gulmi: My Journey from the Hills of Nepal to the Halls of the United Nations.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi First Lady Gertrude Mutharika has expressed profound gratitude after receiving the distinguished Arise Women of Africa (AWOA) award during the inaugural AWOA Continental Summit held at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) on Friday, December 5, 2025.
She said the recognition is a deeply humbling honour that celebrates her contributions towards advancing women’s empowerment, visibility, and development across Malawi.
The award, she noted, is not merely a personal accolade but a symbol of the collective effort of all women and stakeholders committed to uplifting the status of women in the country.
Mutharika shared the prestigious honour with Zimbabwean First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa, who was also recognised for her outstanding work in championing women’s welfare.
The ceremony further celebrated four exceptional women whose impact has been felt across the region—Joan Muwende, Tilotenda Tiwalala, and Jayn Mandeule from Malawi, alongside Emma Nyerere from Tanzania.
She emphasized that the AWOA award acknowledges the powerful and unified push being made by women across Africa to strengthen recognition, leadership, and development on the continent.
Mutharika reaffirmed her commitment to continue contributing to women’s empowerment initiatives that open doors, create opportunities, and amplify the voices of African women in all sectors.
She highlighted that such recognition serves not only as a personal encouragement but also as a continental call for all women to rise, participate, and lead with confidence and purpose.
In her remarks, she extended heartfelt appreciation to organisers of the AWOA Summit for providing a platform that celebrates African women who are driving social and economic transformation.
Mutharika concluded by thanking God for the honour and blessing, praying for continued unity, strength, and progress among African women as they shape the continent’s future.
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading…
Discover more from The Maravi Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-Second Vice President Enock Kanzingeni-Chihana, on Tuesday evening arrived at Grand Palace Hotel in Mzuzu to preside over the 2025 Human Rights Defenders Awards Dinner, an event marking this year’s commemoration of Human Rights Day.
The occasion brings together activists, institutions and leaders to reflect on the country’s progress in protecting and promoting fundamental freedoms.
The annual awards celebrate individuals who have shown outstanding courage in defending human rights, often under difficult and hostile circumstances.
This year, two defenders were recognised for their contributions over the past twelve months.
Chairperson of the Independent Awards Panel, Justice Redson Kapindu, urged human rights advocates not to relent in their mission, stressing that Malawi must never slide back into the era of oppression.
He said the role of human rights defenders remains central to safeguarding democracy, justice and accountability.
According to Justice Kapindu, this year’s awardee is someone who demonstrated remarkable bravery and consistency despite facing significant challenges in the field.
The 2025 Runner-Up Award went to Silvester Namiwa of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), honoured for his resilience and outspoken advocacy on governance and civil liberties.
The Human Rights Defender of the Year Award was presented to Maggie Kathewera Banda, recognised for her exceptional leadership in championing the rights of women, girls and other marginalized groups.
Kapindu noted that Kathewera Banda’s work has been instrumental in pushing for equality and amplifying the voices of vulnerable communities.
Over the past years, the awards have highlighted notable defenders.
In 2023, CHREEA claimed the top award with Tusaiwe Yana as runner-up, while in 2024, lawyer Alexious Kamangira was honoured as Human Rights Defender of the Year.
This year’s ceremony reaffirmed the critical role defenders continue to play in strengthening Malawi’s human rights landscape, reminding the nation of the ongoing need for vigilance, courage and commitment.
Share this:
Like this:
LikeLoading…
Discover more from The Maravi Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
