 "FirstUp: Japan PM to call snap elections, Minneapolis to mourn Renee Good... The headlines today")
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will dissolve parliament and call a general election to seek voter backing for her spending plans and other policies. Meanwhile, Minneapolis will observe an official mourning day for Renee Nicole Good today.
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is scheduled to hold its 39th special session to address the human rights situation in Iran. Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to address a media gathering.
The funeral of legendary Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani is set to take place in Rome today. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Kerala and flag off four new trains.
Here is all that is set to take place today across the world.
Japan PM to dissolve Parliament, call for elections
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will dissolve parliament on Friday and call a general election to seek voter backing for her spending plans and other policies.
The announcement of a snap election comes just three months after she became the nation’s first female prime minister. Addressing a news conference on Monday (January 19), she said, “Today, I, as the prime minister, have decided to dissolve the lower house on January 23.”
By calling an early election, she could ride a wave of public support to consolidate her control of the LDP and reinforce her coalition’s shaky majority.
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View AllMinneapolis day of mourning for Renee Good
Community members, labour unions, and faith leaders in Minneapolis and across Minnesota will be participating in a “Day of Truth and Freedom” to mourn the death of Renee Nicole Good. Good was shot dead by an Ice official, Jonathan Ross, on January 7.
Residents are urged to participate by observing a day of no work, no school, and no shopping. A major peaceful march and rally is scheduled for 2:00 pm in downtown Minneapolis. The action seeks to demand the immediate removal of Ice from Minnesota, justice for Renee Good, and an end to federal funding for immigration enforcement surges in the state.
UNHRC to hold urgent meeting on Iran
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold its 39th special session on Friday to address the "deteriorating human rights situation" in Iran. The session is scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm in the Assembly Hall at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
While figures vary, Iranian state media reported at least 3,117 deaths as of January 21. Human rights organisations and some media outlets estimate the toll could be significantly higher, ranging from 3,400 to 20,000 fatalities in ongoing protests in the country.
Meanwhile, Iran’s diplomatic mission has refuted these reports, claiming the clashes followed armed attacks on security forces and accusing foreign powers of inciting the unrest.
Sheikh Hasina to address media gathering
Ousted former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to deliver a major address via an audio message on Friday. The message will be played at an event titled “Safe Democracy in Bangladesh” at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) of South Asia in Delhi.
The gathering will feature in-person participation from Human Rights Watch Secretary General Engineer Mohammad A. Siddique and former Education Minister Nowfel, with other senior Awami League figures appearing virtually. Earlier, there were rumours of a personal appearance, but reliable sources later confirmed that Hasina will not attend in person. Instead, her recorded audio message will open the programme.
Valentino’s funeral to take place
The funeral for legendary Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani will be held in Rome today. The designer died at the age of 93 on January 19.
The funeral will be held at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica. The ceremony is expected to draw leading figures from the international fashion industry, cultural institutions, and public life, alongside the designer’s longtime partner, Giancarlo Giammetti.
A public lying-in-state was held on Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22, at the headquarters of his foundation in Rome. Mourners, including his creative successor Alessandro Michele, visited to pay their respects next to a wooden coffin topped with a single red rose.
PM Modi to visit Kerala
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Kerala on Friday, where he will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate, and flag off various developmental projects in Thiruvananthapuram.
In a major boost to rail connectivity, Prime Minister Modi will flag off four new train services, including three Amrit Bharat Express trains and one passenger train. These include the Nagercoil-Mangaluru Amrit Bharat Express, Thiruvananthapuram-Tambaram Amrit Bharat Express, Thiruvananthapuram-Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express, and a new passenger train between Thrissur and Guruvayur.
With inputs from agencies
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