Early voting in the special election runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District will run from January 21–27, 2025, in Harris County, where Democratic candidates Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards will compete to fill a vacant U.S. House seat, with Election Day set for Saturday, January 31, 2025.
Novak Djokovic opened his 2026 Australian Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Spain’s Pedro Martinez, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. The victory marked Djokovic’s 100th career match win at the Australian Open and advanced the 10-time champion to the second round. Tournament organizers confirmed that the 38-year-old Serb, who is pursuing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, will next face Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli.
Houston will host its first MLK Unity Parade in downtown Houston as two long-running Martin Luther King Jr. parades merge into one event. The Black Heritage Society and MLK Grande Parade partnered with the City of Houston to create a unified celebration featuring more than 300 parade units and an estimated crowd of up to 400,000 people. Mayor John Whitmire, Charles White, and radio personality Madd Hatta serve as grand marshals. Organizers plan to make the Unity Parade an annual tradition.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta on Monday opposed the plan of Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste to publicly release the contents of the “Cabral files” during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, calling such action improper under committee procedures. Authorities retrieved the documents from the late DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, and the files allegedly detail budget allocations for infrastructure projects across legislative districts from 2023 to 2026. Marcoleta said the Senate has not fully validated the materials and must first confirm their authenticity and relevance before any disclosure. He added that the committee will control the timing and manner of any release.
Filipino actors Richard Gutierrez and Barbie Imperial confirmed that they are in a relationship during an exclusive ABS-CBN News interview on January 19, 2026, at a promo event for their upcoming drama “Blood vs Duty.” The pair addressed two years of romance rumors and clarified that they did not hide their relationship but chose to keep it private until they were ready to speak publicly. The interview took place during official promotional activities for the series, where Gutierrez and Imperial appeared together as co-stars. Their confirmation followed sustained public and media speculation about their status. ABS-CBN News released the interview as part of its coverage of the “Blood vs Duty” media launch.
Adela-Mae Marshall, a professional model and “Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 6” runner-up, has been named Miss Universe Philippines Muntinlupa 2026 by pageant camp Aces and Queens. The camp announced on January 17, 2026, that Marshall will represent Muntinlupa City in the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 national pageant. Marshall will undergo training with Aces and Queens as she prepares for the competition, where she will vie for the national crown and the chance to represent the Philippines at Miss Universe. Official details on the full roster of candidates and the coronation date for Miss Universe Philippines 2026 have yet to be released by the organizers.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league has held talks with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid about joining a proposed NBA-backed European basketball league planned for 2027 in partnership with FIBA. Speaking during a trip to London and Berlin, Silver said the NBA is meeting potential investors and clubs as it develops the league’s structure, ownership rules, and competition format. He confirmed PSG as the latest major football club to express interest in the project and said discussions with European organizations remain ongoing. The NBA announced its intention in 2023 to launch a pan-European competition aligned with the global basketball calendar and coordinated with domestic leagues and international events.
BTS will release their fifth full-length album “Arirang” on March 20 in multiple physical versions, their agency Big Hit Entertainment announced. First revealed on Jan. 5 via Weverse, the album will explore the emotional journey and introspection of the group’s seven members and draw on the cultural weight of the Korean folk song “Arirang.” The traditional song, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, exists in thousands of variations and serves as a key symbol of Korean identity, history and resilience.
Texas families will be able to apply for Education Freedom Accounts, the state’s new voucher-style program, starting February 4, 2026. The article explains eligibility rules, income-based priority groups, disability considerations, and funding caps. It details how private school enrollment, contract terms, and deposit deadlines interact with state award timelines. It also reports rising private school interest in the Houston area and outlines steps families can take to research schools, verify accreditation, and plan for tuition costs if funding is not guaranteed.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday in Paris condemned reported tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump against European countries that oppose American efforts to acquire Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory. Macron posted on X in French and English that such threats are “unacceptable,” pledged a united and coordinated European response if they are confirmed, and vowed to uphold European sovereignty. The remarks came amid wider European discussions on how to address potential U.S. trade measures linked to the Greenland issue.