LILONGWE (Maravipost): Chief Secretary to the Government, Justin Saidi, has called for strengthened efforts in managing urbanisation to boost job creation and tackle challenges brought by climate change.
Speaking in Lilongwe during the 4th Session of the Malawi Urban Forum, held from 28th to 29th October, Saidi emphasized the importance of proper urban management and localisation in fostering sustainable national growth.
He highlighted that about 20 percent of the global population now lives in urban areas, noting that Malawi must enhance its urban development strategies to build climate-resilient and inclusive cities.
“Urbanisation presents both challenges and opportunities. If managed well, it can drive job creation, economic development, and improved living standards,” Saidi said.
This year’s forum was held under the theme: “Strengthening Local Actions for Sustainable and Resilient Cities and Human Settlements: Accelerating the Implementation of MIP-1 and Sustainable Development Goal 11.”
UN-Habitat’s Regional Representative, Anaclaudia Rossbach, commended Malawi for hosting the session, describing it as a vital platform for aligning national urbanisation efforts with global sustainability goals.
“This forum offers an opportunity to enhance coordination, share knowledge, and ensure that urbanisation contributes positively to people’s livelihoods,” Rossbach said.
Among the notable dignitaries in attendance was Kenyan Ambassador Culista Munthalika, who was honoured for gracing the occasion.
The Malawi Urban Forum serves as a key platform for policymakers, local authorities, development partners, and urban planners to discuss strategies that can make Malawi’s cities more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient in the face of rapid urbanisation and climate change.
Season 2 of Watson reintroduced Ingrid as someone putting in the work to better themselves, so how worried should viewers be after NCIS: Hawai’i‘s Noah Mills was introduced as a possible pot stirrer?
During the Monday, October 27, episode of the CBS series, Ingrid (Eve Harlow) returned to the Holmes Clinic to a lackluster reaction from the rest of the team. The neurologist, however, was determined to make amends and even made progress with Stephens (Peter Mark Kendall) and Sasha (Inga Schlingmann) but trouble was clearly on the horizon with the introduction of Beck Wythe (Mills).
“The biggest obstacle was introduced with Beck. Ingrid is stepping into this therapy group — trying to be better — and all of a sudden the thing that she’s trying to reject is put right in front of her,” Harlow exclusively told Us Weekly. “This is someone who is very similar to her and someone who is saying, ‘Actually, you should embrace your nature and stop trying to push it away. That is who you are so why would you want to throw it away?’”
“She wants to be good and to listen to the angel on her shoulder, which is her therapist. But all of a sudden the little devil pops up,” Harlow teased. “Ingrid knows that it’s fun and it’s also easier for her because that’s her nature. So I think that Beck is the biggest obstacle at this point.”
Watson, which premiered in January, revolves around Dr. John Watson (Morris Chestnut) at his medical practice, where he treats patients with strange and unidentifiable issues. He receives help from his team, which now once again includes Ingrid. Her return in season 2 came after Ingrid previously revealed she kept crucial details about her past from them and inadvertently worked with Watson’s nemesis Professor James Moriarty (Randall Park).
Sergei Bachlakov/CBS
“The thing that makes humans interesting is the ambiguity and the gray area. Very rarely do people make choices that are completely black or completely. That exploration is the most interesting and also the most relatable,” Harlow noted to Us about where Ingrid is destined to end up. “We’re all trying to be good people [but we make mistakes].”
Harlow still went into season 2 not trying to make Ingrid come off as inauthentic, adding, “For me it would have made it far less interesting if I went into it thinking that this is all for show and [her therapy] isn’t real. I am going into it from a space of very much good faith that Ingrid would like to change.”
“It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. We all fall prey to our old habits,” the actress added. “As much as she is truly trying, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the old Ingrid is completely gone. There’s always going to be a kernel of that in her — it’s her nature.”
Harlow continued: “Last season, she was very closed off. It was only as the season progressed that there were little cracks with Sasha trying to get in and Watson trying to make it a safe space for Ingrid to express herself. There was a lot of resistance to all of it. Whereas with this season, she’s actively open to change and wanting to change in a way that she almost doesn’t really know how to, which is why she starts in with this therapy group because she knows that she needs help.”
Watson airs on CBS Mondays at 10 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.
The pop superstar, 35, and Brittany, 30, were spotted in a private suite at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, as the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Washington Commanders on Monday, October 27, per social media footage.
Swift rocked a red turtleneck and signature red lip for the occasion, her hair swept back in a low bun with her engagement ring fully on display. Brittany also opted for a red top, wearing her curly blonde locks down around her shoulders. Both women could be seen smiling, hugging and pointing as they supported their respective partners on the field. (Swift’s fiance, Kelce, is a tight end for the Chiefs, while Brittany’s husband, Patrick, is the team’s quarterback.)
Although Swift has maintained a lower profile this NFL season than in years past, she hasn’t missed a Chiefs home game yet, supporting Kelce, 36, in person amid his team’s September loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and victory over the Baltimore Ravens and October wins against the Detroit Lions and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Shortly before the 2025-2026 NFL season began, Swift and Kelce announced their engagement, captioning proposal photos via Instagram in August, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
During her press tour for her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, Swift revealed that Kelce popped the question after they recorded her “New Heights” debut in August.
“I think, for Travis, the podcast was just sort of a distraction, sort of ruse, to keep me not looking out the windows of the house,” she said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this month, recalling that she thought to herself at the time, “Every time he does the podcast, it’s not like he blacks out all the windows.”
Kelce’s anxiety over Swift’s podcast episode made her even more suspicious in the moment.
David Eulitt/Getty Images
“I kinda realized that he’s walking around sorta nervous about the podcast, [saying], ‘My heart is racing. … I know how much this means to you. I just really want this to be what you’d hoped it would be.’ Because we’d been talking about doing the podcast and announcing the album,” she explained. “And he’s like, ‘My heart’s just racing.’ I’ve never seen this dude nervous. Ever. He’s professionally not a nervous person.”
Swift realized that Kelce was nervous about proposing once he invited her to “walk around the backyard and have a glass of wine” with him, where he got down on one knee.
Earlier this month, Swift emphasized that she and Kelce were holding off on planning their nuptials for the time being given their busy schedules.
“I want to do the album stuff first, and the wedding is what happens after in terms of planning,” she noted on The Graham Norton Show. “I think it will be fun to plan.”
One thing Swift doesn’t have to worry about is the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. With Bad Bunny set to headline the performance, Swift explained earlier this month why she couldn’t take on the gig because she’s “in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field.”
“That is violent chess,” she said on The Tonight Show. “That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”
She continued, “Can you imagine if, like, he’s out there every single week putting his life on the line doing this very dangerous, very high-pressure, high-intensity sport and I’m like, ‘I wonder what my choreo should be. I think we should do two verses of ‘Shake It Off’ into ‘Blank Space’ into ‘Cruel Summer.’”
Swift noted that Kelce “would love” for her to do the halftime show, but even with his support, she couldn’t commit to it.
“This has nothing to do with Travis,” she added. “I’m just too locked in.”
Justin Bieber is among the stars in the house for Game 3 of the World Series … and even though it’s in Los Angeles … JB is cheering his native country’s Blue Jays. We got video of Justin entering Dodgers Stadium on Monday night … and it…
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Thom Mpinganjira, President of Mighty Wanderers, has expressed dissatisfaction over the revenue generated from the recent encounter between FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers at Kamuzu Stadium over the weekend.
The match reportedly brought in MK138 million, a figure Mpinganjira believes falls short of expectations.
“When you consider the number of people who attended the stadium and the prices they paid for tickets, the revenue should reflect more than what was reported,” Mpinganjira said, emphasizing the need for a more equitable distribution of match-day earnings.
In contrast, Albert Chigoga, CEO of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets, said he is satisfied with the revenue, citing low attendance.
“The turnout was not as high as anticipated, especially when compared to the first round games. Given the number of fans who actually came, the revenue is acceptable,” Chigoga explained.
Charles “Grandmaster” Nyerenda, a sports analyst, added perspective, pointing out that ticket sales were limited due to pricing and accessibility issues.
“Many fans bought the cheaper tickets in advance, while fewer people purchased tickets on match day because of higher prices. This clearly impacted the total revenue,” Nyerenda noted.
On the pitch, Wanderers secured a comfortable victory, defeating Bullets 3-0. Adam Wallace and Blessings Singini added two goals to seal the win.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Select Financial Services, one of Malawi’s lending institutions, has called for stronger collaboration between the government and the microfinance sector to sustain financial inclusion amid Malawi’s current economic challenges.
Founded in 2007, Select Financial Services provides credit and financial solutions to both public and private sector employees.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Akuzike Kafwamba said that despite inflationary pressures and currency fluctuations, the microfinance sector continues to play a vital role in helping Malawians build financial resilience, hence the need for collaboration.
“We have seen how access to affordable financial services can transform lives. Our focus remains on providing practical solutions that help individuals and businesses stay afloat, even in difficult economic times,” said Kafwamba.
Kafwamba said the institution’s 17 years of experience have deepened its understanding of Malawi’s financial realities, enabling it to serve clients often excluded by traditional banking systems.
“Our goal is not only to lend money but to empower people with financial knowledge and tools that promote stability and growth,” said Kafwamba.
He urged policy makers to establish frameworks that support innovation, reduce barriers to access, and promote collaboration between regulators and financial service providers.
“If we work together, government, private sector, and communities, we can build a more inclusive financial system that works for every Malawian,” added Kafwamba.
A finance expert and senior lecturer in accounting and finance at Millennium University, Richard Tembo commenting on the matter, stressed Select Finance Services’ call on the importance of collaboration between the government and microfinance institutions.
“The government provides policy direction and ensures financial stability, while microfinance institutions turn those policies into real financial access for people. Working together ensures support mechanisms like consumer protection, financial literacy programs, and responsible lending standards are well aligned.”
“During economic turbulence, timely access to small loans allows households to manage shocks, maintain consumption, and invest in small ventures. That’s where institutions like Select come in handy,” said Tembo.
Select Financial Services operates in all the four regions in Malawi and is part of the broader Select Africa Group, which offers microfinance products in multiple African countries including Lesotho, Eswatini, Kenya, Uganda, and Namibia.
More than 40 million Americans will soon be without federal food assistance because SNAP benefits are set to expire on November 1 as the government shutdown drags on. President Trump signs a trade deal in Japan to secure rare earth minerals, a key bargaining chip ahead of his meeting with China’s president later this week. And Hurricane Melissa bring over 170 mile per hour winds as it barrels towards Jamaica, and threatening other island nations in the Caribbean.
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p class=”readrate”>Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Dana Farrington, Padma Rama, Tara Neil, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle .
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p class=”readrate”>It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Christopher Thomas
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p class=”readrate”>We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Affleck, 26, uploaded a TikTok on Monday, October 27, that featured her and pro Ravnik, 30, during a break from DWTS rehearsal. The video was titled, “Me When Anyone Talks Trash About Jan.”
In the clip, the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star could be seen furiously typing away on her phone hitting back at haters before Ravnik stepped in and stopped her.
“Take it down. Take it down. Take it down. We need it gone,” Ravnik mouthed over a pre-recorded audio snippet. “That doesn’t represent me or what we need to be doing.”
Fellow DWTS pro Ezra Sosa quickly showed support for Affleck defending her partner, writing in her comments section, “I’ll ride at dawn for this man.”
While neither Affleck nor Ravnik specified what — or who — they were responding to, the video comes shortly after Chmerkovskiy, 45, made comments about being unimpressed with Ravnik’s inaugural season on the ABC dance series.
“Dancing With the Stars is a worldwide phenomenon. … I’m sorry, Jan has absolutely no business being a pro on Dancing With the Stars,” Chmerkovskiy claimed during the Friday, October 24, episode of wife Peta Murgatroyd’s “The Penthouse With Peta” podcast. “There’s zero foundation technique, quality, understanding of the partnership. Bro, I’m getting emotional. It is absurd, and this is unreal how blind we have to be and God forbid say what’s obviously there.”
Chmerkovskiy — who was a DWTS pro himself on and off from 2006 to 2018 — pointed to Ravnik and Affleck’s foxtrot during last week’s Wicked Night to support his argument, claiming that Ravnik had “no idea” what the dance style entitled. (Ravnik and Affleck ultimately earned at 32 out of 40 from the judges for the performance.)
“How are you going to expect him to teach it and deliver that message in a format that is completely different from even ballroom dancing?” Chmerkovskiy continued. “We had this criticism weeks ago, and I’m like, ‘Bro, is anybody going to explain it to him?’”
Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
Murgatroyd, for her part, agreed that she didn’t “love the foxtrot elements” of Ravnik’s choreography — which was set to the tune of Wicked’s “As Long As Your Mine” — but argued that he is “learning slowly” throughout his first season and should be given an amount of “grace.” (Murgatroyd, 39, joined DWTS in 2011, serving as a troupe member for two years before becoming a pro. She stepped away in 2024 to welcome her and Chmerkovskiy’s first baby.)
Chmerkovskiy disagreed with his wife’s assessment, stating that Ravnik’s dance from the previous week for Dedication Night — where he and Affleck danced a Viennese Waltz to Lauren Daigle’s “Rescue” — delivered “some sort of direction” before going “off the cliff” the following week.
The former pro added that he has nothing against Ravnik and it’s “not his fault,” but reiterated that Affleck “has no partner.”
Murgatroyd then suggested that Ravnik should have been put in the “troupe” for a year before becoming an actual pro on the show. She claimed that there was an “obvious” reason he was granted pro status so quickly, hinting at Ravnik’s previous job as Taylor Swift’s dancer on her worldwide Eras Tour.
“Apart from that he’s a lovely guy, he looks great, he obviously is a great dancer,” she added, before noting, “Hiring a non-ballroom dancer to teach ballroom dancing to a celebrity as a job is outrageous.”
She continued, “He should’ve learned, gone to ballroom classes. Look, what I would do if I were him — and I don’t know what he’s doing behind the scenes, let’s be honest. … But I would do my four hours in the studio, whatever I needed to do, and then I would take [Jen] for another four hours and go elsewhere.”
Prior to his time on DWTS and the Eras Tour, Ravnik won multiple National, European and World champion titles. He also won the Best Dancer of Slovenia award twice and an award for the Best Trainer/Choreographer from the Slovenian Olympic committee.
Since joining DWTS for season 34, Ravnik and Affleck have remained in the middle of the pack with scoring, but have seen some criticism from the judges over their choreography.
Ravnik, however, has taken it in stride. “They’re just obsessed with me or something,” he joked to Us Weekly exclusively after Disney Night earlier this month. “I mean, look, I am new, so I’m gonna take every note that they’re giving to me. I don’t think it’s in a bad way that they’re always saying.”
Affleck, meanwhile, has maintained her excitement over being paired with Ravnik. “I am so excited,” she previously told Us. “There’s a lot of energy. We’re both newbies, and I’m just so excited.”
Ravnik and Affleck will next dance together for DWTS’ Halloween Night on Tuesday, October 28, where they will perform a contemporary to Swift’s. “Look What You Made Me Do.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
More surprises are in store for Seeking Sister Wife fans as season 6 continues — and Us Weekly has an exclusive first look at the drama still to come.
In the bombshell Monday, October 27, midseason teaser, Reise and Billie Jean Williamson meet up with another woman as they navigate dating as polygamists. “Obviously, she’s first wife,” Reise says, gesturing to Billie Jean and asking if the other woman “would be OK” with that arrangement.
Her response comes with some hesitation. “You know, I am not sure,” she tells the couple, before explaining to the camera, “Two dominant women in a relationship with one man could cause problems.”
Elsewhere in the clip, Nick Davis tries to reassure girlfriend Teresa that her “insecurities are unfounded” as she tries to find her footing in the plural family. “I do feel like I’m worthless,” she confesses. “And I hope that I can get to a point where I’m as confident as the other girls are.”
Teresa was a friend of Nick and his wives, April and Jenny Davis, for 14 years before taking her relationship with the family to the next level. The Davises aren’t the only ones with a possible new addition on the horizon, however.
Dani Peralta sits down with prospective sister wife Jackie, who says she feels like she’s “getting closer to” Dani’s husband, Yessel. The conversation takes an emotional turn when Dani brings up the topic of children.
TLC
“The last time we talked about kids, you definitely want more,” Dani says, struggling to hold back tears. “I don’t think I’m able to handle him having another baby with another woman.”
Dani previously expressed her hesitations to Yessel, already a father of two from former relationships, after making their debut on Seeking Sister Wife season 6. “It doesn’t matter to me if they already have a child versus not,” Dani explained. “But if they don’t, I don’t want another woman to have a child with you. … For me, that’s a non-negotiable.”
The tension seemingly comes to a head later this season. “You can be with us, but if your plans are to sabotage the relationship, that’s a no-go,” Yessel tells Dani, who declares she’s “done.”
Fellow season 6 newcomers Matt and Anjelica Johnson might also face a shake-up in their relationship with girlfriend Shanay. In the midseason trailer, Shanay asks Matt if he’s been dating other women — and he says yes.
“I feel hurt and betrayal,” Shanay admits as she storms off.
Seeking Sister Wife debuted on TLC in 2018 following different couples who are looking for another spouse or adjusting to life with a polygamous relationship. Season 6, which kicked off in September, has given fans an even closer look at how each household navigates the highs and lows of finding a potential new sister wife.
Among the challenges? Telling other friends and family about choosing a polygamous lifestyle. “So you’re swinging?” Anjelica is asked in the season 6 teaser while breaking the news to her inner circle that she and Matt have been dating other people.
All new episodes of Seeking Sister Wife air on TLC Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
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