p class=”readrate”>The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in the Caribbean that it says has links to Venezuela. The Department of Justice has released a limited number of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And, an analysis by NPR finds thousands of immigrants without legal status aren’t showing up to immigration court, leading to a rise in deportation removals.
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p class=”readrate”>(00:00) Cold Open (01:37) Introduction (02:34) Coast Guard Pursues Tanker (06:53) Epstein Files Release (10:42) Immigration Court No-Shows
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p class=”readrate”>Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
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p class=”readrate”>Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tara Neill, Anna Yukhanonov, Lisa Thomson and Adriana Gallardo.
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p class=”readrate”>
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p class=”readrate”>It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
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p class=”readrate”>
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p class=”readrate”>We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Cape Town welcomes 2026 on a high note – January is peak summer, and the city comes alive with an unbeatable mix of concerts, festivals, sport, culture and outdoor experiences. From iconic events like the Cape Town Minstrels Street Parade and the King’s Plate to international music tours, open-air theatre and cricket at Newlands.
Cats, the Musical
2-11 January 2026 Artscape Theatre, Cape Town
Pieter Toerien and GWB Entertainment in association with Cape Town Opera by arrangement with The Really Useful Group presents CATS. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s world-famous musical Cats brings iconic songs, choreography and theatrical magic to the Artscape stage. Tickets from R180 on Webtickets.
WAV Festival by AfroNation
2 January 2026 Green Point Track, Cape Town
A festival R&B lovers cannot miss! Amapiano’s Kelvin Momo brings his deep, emotional sound to the festival, while Shekinah’s golden voice is set to light up the stage. The lineup also includes Mariah the Scientist, Wale, Langa Mavuso, and Kujenga. Cape Town, get ready for a high-energy stadium showcase featuring the best in R&B. Find ticket information here.
Milk & Cookies Festival
3 January 2026 Kenilworth Racecourse, Cape Town
This multi-genre festival celebrates music, food, and community. From amapiano to R&B, house to hip-hop, Milk and Cookies blends global sounds with local culture for one unforgettable celebration. Vibrant stages, curated food vendors, immersive art installations, and the kind of energy that turns a crowd into a community – it’s a gathering where culture, connection, and creativity meet. For tickets go to Howler’s website and for more information visit the official page here.
Step into the New Year with Blanche; an All-white outdoor celebration, curated by AfroFuture and PVO. This signature experience blends live music, an unmatched atmosphere, and the most vibrant crowd. Presented by Martell, set against Cape Town’s stunning backdrop. Click here for ticket information.
Freshlyground Reunion Concert
4, 11, 18 January 2026 Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Freshlyground reunites for a special open-air concert at Kirstenbosch, delivering feel-good hits in one of Cape Town’s most popular outdoor venues. Find more information and ticket information.
Cape Town Minstrels Street Parade
5 January 2026 Somerset Road & Fan Walk, Green Point
The iconic Cape Town Minstrel Carnival returns to the Mother City on 5 January 2026. The annual event fills the streets with colour, music and tradition, continuing into DHL Stadium for the Kaapse Klopse Choral Competition. Tap here for the latest event information.
St Tropez presents: Uncle Waffles – The ultimate day time escape
5 January 2026 Cabo Beach Club, Cape Town
Turn on the glitz and glamour at this epic Cabo Beach experience. Headlined by global sensation Uncle Waffles, expect nothing less than an unforgettable day of pulsating beats, high-energy performances, and pure sophistication. The event promises world-class local DJs spinning infectious sounds that keep the energy flowing from noon until sunset. Get your tickets now.
MI Cape Town vs Joburg Super Kings
6 January 2026 Newlands Cricket Grounds
Catch SA20 cricket action as MI Cape Town face the Joburg Super Kings at the historic Newlands Cricket Ground. For ticket info, email info@ticketpro.co.za or visit the website here.
Cape Town Jazzathon
9-11 January 2026 Amphitheatre, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Celebrating its 29th anniversary this year, the Cape Town Jazzathon is South Africa’s longest-running music festival. Often referred to as “The People’s Festival,” the event will feature performances daily, from 12.30pm to 8pm. Enjoy a rich variety of styles including Afro Jazz, Cape Jazz, Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae, Neo Soul, and Straight Ahead packed into three days of non-stop entertainment… and its free!!! Learn more.
L’Ormarins King’s Plate
10 January 2026 Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse
The Running of the 165th King’s Plate – the L’Ormarins King’s Plate is one of South Africa’s most prestigious horse racing events, combining elite racing, high fashion and a vibrant atmosphere. The King’s Plate is a totally blue and white affair where guests can enjoy some of the country’s best racing, wine, food, antique car displays and renowned after party in the peak of Cape Town’s summer. Tickets start from R600. For more information visit here.
Maynardville Open-Air Festival
From 13 January 2026 Maynardville Park, Wynberg
Cape Town’s premier open-air theatre experience returns, featuring live performances in a magical forest setting. Opening on 13 January, the Shades of Blue Chamber Concert will feature music from composers influenced by the rhythms and harmonies of jazz. Next up is Jazz in the Park (14 to 15 Jan), a new two-day celebration featuring local jazz legends from Cape Town’s rich jazz tradition. From 16 to 17 January, another crowd-favourite Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra returns with a stirring classical programme. See the full festival programme.
Calum Scott – The Avenoir Tour
14 January 2026 Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
International singer-songwriter Calum Scott performs live at Kirstenbosch as part of his global Avenoir Tour. Gates open at 6pm. Concert starts 7pm. For more information, go to Big Concert’s website.
Sheer City Festival
17-18 January 2026 Harrington Street Precinct
Sheer City is launching its inaugural two-day inner-city festival bringing together Cape Town’s most influential underground nightlife crews with international acts like Horse Meat Disco, Tama Sumo & Lakuti, Make A Dance, Freudenthal, and more. It’s a multi-venue, walkable block party across Harrington Street and the City Bowl fringe, a celebration of Cape Town’s creative pulse, queer culture, music, fashion, performance, and community. Expect six venues, over twenty artists, a full weekend immersion in the city’s next cultural moment.
Sheer Drop at Texas – 2pm to 10pm Sheer Delight at The Electric – 5pm to 2am Sheer Disco at Harringtons – 6pm to 4am Sheer D.O.G at Zer021 Social – 8pm to 4am Sheer Assembly at District – 8pm to 4am Sheer Dive at Surfa Rosa – 9pm to 4am
Long, lazy afternoons, cool beats and Cape Town’s most iconic views. Summer at Durbanville Hills is super chilled, and with it, the popular cellar’s much-loved Sundaze Summer Series. DJ Stefanos will be spinning tracks from 2pm to 6pm while you enjoy crisp wines, cocktails, craft beer, wine slushies, and a mouth-watering selection of eats from the Olive Grove Bistro. Set against panoramic vistas of Table Bay and Table Mountain, Sundaze is the perfect way to vibe with friends and family. Tickets cost R100pp and available via Webtickets.
Shxtsngigs: Daddy’s Home – South Africa Tour
27 January 2026 Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town
The viral podcast duo James and Fuhad bring their Daddy’s Home live show to Cape Town, blending comedy, culture and crowd interaction. Whether you’re a die-hard Cult Baby or just discovering the podcast that’s racked up millions of streams and laughs worldwide, this live experience is your chance to see the boys like never before – live, loud, and uncut. Tickets from R440 via Ticketmaster.
DHL Stormers vs Vodacom Blue Bulls
27 January 2026 DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Get ready for a major rugby showdown as the DHL Stormers face the Vodacom Blue Bulls in one of the season’s most anticipated fixtures. Cape Town is set to bring the gees – get your tickets today on the Stormer’s website.
World Sports Betting Cape Town Met
31 January 2026 Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse
Prepare for the grand return of the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met, where the thrill of elite horse racing converges with a multisensory celebration unlike any other. The 2026 theme Symphony of Style combines fashion, music, and immersive moments. Book your tickets via Computicket.
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Dec 22 2025 (IPS) – Myanmar is heading for an election, beginning on 28 December, that’s ostensibly an exercise in democracy – but it has clearly been designed with the aim of conferring more legitimacy on its military junta.
Almost five years after its February 2021 coup, the regime continues to fight pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed organisations, barely controlling a fifth of Myanmar’s territory. The junta has acknowledged that voting won’t be possible in much of the country.
The upcoming election fails every test of democratic legitimacy. The main democratic parties — the National League for Democracy and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy — are banned. What remains is the Union Solidarity and Development Party, the military’s puppet party, plus minor groups that won no seats in the democratic election held in 2020. Independent media outlets have been crushed, journalists are arrested and intimidated daily and internet access is heavily restricted. In areas that resist military rule, civilians face escalating violence and arbitrary detention.
This election is designed not to reflect the popular will but to entrench military power. It comes as the regime continues its systematic campaign of violence against civilians: weeks before the junta announced the vote, Myanmar’s air force bombed a school in Oe Htein Kwin village, killing two teachers and 22 children, the youngest only seven years old.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has confirmed 6,231 civilians have been killed by the military since the coup, though true figures could be much higher. Nearly half of all civilian deaths are estimated to have been caused by airstrikes. These are not indiscriminate military operations where civilians are collateral damage; they are deliberate attacks where civilians are the targets. The majority of locations of airstrikes have been sites with protected status under international law: camps for displaced people, churches, clinics and schools, often with no presence of armed groups nearby.
The junta has some powerful international allies. China backs it with billions in aid and advanced weapons. Russia supplies the fighter jets that drop bombs on civilians. India quietly sells arms. The three have long provided diplomatic cover and shielded the junta from international accountability. Meanwhile, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) continues pursuing its failed Five-Point Consensus agreed with the regime in April 2021, despite its systematic violation of every commitment. Regional powers have negotiated exclusively with the junta without input from the National Unity Government — the government in exile formed by democratically elected lawmakers — effectively treating the military regime as Myanmar’s legitimate rulers.
Now recent decisions by the Trump administration threaten to tip the balance decisively in favour of legitimising military rule. Trump has lifted sanctions, cut independent media funding and eliminated the protections formerly afforded to Myanmar’s refugees in the USA. Consistent with his transactional approach, he’s choosing access to rare earth minerals over democracy.
The concern now is that ASEAN member states may follow suit, using the sham election as justification to normalise relations with the military regime. Some have already started moving in this direction, with the junta leader invited to regional meetings.
Myanmar’s pro-democracy forces continue to resist despite the shifting international context. The People’s Defence Forces and ethnic armed groups maintain coordinated operations across most of the country. Civil society continues documenting violations, providing aid to displaced people and advocating for international action. They deserve better than to watch the world legitimise their oppressors.
The junta’s control on the ground remains tenuous, but its diplomatic position is strengthening. Whether this consolidation continues depends on how the world responds to the election. The international community must be clear that treating the election as legitimate would signal to authoritarians everywhere that democratic institutions can be overthrown with impunity, war crimes carry no real consequences and regimes that bomb schools and imprison elected leaders can secure international acceptance.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Board Chairperson of the Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC) Foundation, Mary Chilima has called on different stakeholders to embrace the 2025-2026 tree planting season to combat climate change.
Chilima made the appeal on Saturday, December 20, 2025 when the SKC Foundation in conjunction with C’ Steinweg Bridge Group, planted 800 tree seedlings at Nanjati Primary School in Lilongwe.
Chilima said planting trees is a simple yet effective solution to address change impacts such as floods among others.
“We are all feeling the effects of climate change and planting trees is the easy solution that we all can take part in.
“People die when floods or storms hit, so by planting trees we can make sure that these challenges are addressed”, said Chilima.
She also revealed that the Foundation has adopted Nanjati Primary School as a model school for environmental conservation, as they plan to reach different areas across the country to plant trees.
“We plan to go across the country mainly in rural areas where deforestation is a real concern to make sure that we plant as many trees as we can”, said Chilima.
On his part, Environmental Health and Safety Specialist at C’ Steinweg Bridge Group, Wamaka Neba said they thought of partnering with SKC Foundation through their Environmental, Social-Governance program which aims at afforestation.
“We work with different partners in order to reach our target of planting 100,000 trees by the end of 2025 hence assisting the government to successfully achieve the Malawi 2063 development agenda, focusing on environmental sustainability enabler”, said Neba
Esther Banda, a teacher at Nanjati Primary School thanked the SKC Foundation for taking the tree planting activity to the school and has pledged to care for the planted trees and ensure that they all survive through the school’s Wildlife club.
The Ministry of Natural Resources Mining and Energy, through the Department of Forestry launched the 2025-2026 national forestry season on 15 December 2025, and almost 41,000,000 trees have been targeted to be planted during the season nationwide.
This year’s tree planting season is themed ‘Trees and Forests for Community Resilience’ and is expected to end on 15 April, 2026.
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BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-FDH Bank Plc has partnered with Lions Club Malawi in a nationwide tree-planting initiative, committing MK12 million towards the procurement of seedlings as part of its environmental sustainability efforts.
The initiative was launched during the District Tree Planting Day at Sankhani Primary School at Chitedze in Lilongwe and falls under the bank’s sustainability programme, FDH Cares: Our Environment Pillar, which promotes environmental protection and climate resilience.
Speaking at the launch, FDH Bank Senior Manager for Government and International Organisations, Eugene Chinkhandwe, said the bank remains committed to promoting a green and resilient environment.
“As FDH Bank Plc, we continually recognise the importance of a green environment, and we have over the years reinforced our commitment to championing a sustainable and resilient green environment that will foster the development of the country and nurture it against various environmental and economic forces, such as climate change,” said Chinkhandwe.
He said the partnership with Lions Club aligns with the bank’s broader sustainability agenda.
“Through our sustainability programme, FDH Cares Our Environment Pillar, we are honoured to partner with Lions Club in a tree-planting drive across the country, and we applaud Lions Club for this noble and honourable commitment to a pro-green environment,” he said.
Chinkhandwe noted that the initiative builds on earlier environmental commitments by FDH Group, whose holding company, Financial Holdings Limited, successfully planted one million trees by 2024 in line with Malawi 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Lions Club District Governor for District 412B Malawi and Mozambique, Gladson Kuyeri, described the event as a demonstration of service and shared responsibility in environmental protection.
“Today we gather at Chitedze to demonstrate service in action. We are not just planting trees, we are planting hope, responsibility, and a sustainable future for our communities,” said Kuyeri.
He said the partnership with FDH Bank shows how corporate institutions and community organisations can work together to address environmental challenges.
“We are deeply grateful to FDH Bank for their generous sponsorship of K12 million. This partnership shows how corporate leadership and community service can work together to address challenges such as deforestation and climate change,” said Kuyeri.
During the event, a total of 2,000 trees were planted at Chitedze, with organisers urging stakeholders to ensure the trees are protected and nurtured to guarantee long-term environmental impact.
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DK Metcalf might have nerves of steel … but, a Detroit Lions fan got on his last one — and video shows him taking a swing at the guy! The wild moment went down late in the second quarter of the Lions matchup against DK’s Pittsburgh Steelers ……
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