FirstUp: National Shutdown Day in US, Trump to announce Fed chief... Today's big headlines

The documentary 'Melania', chronicling First Lady Melania Trump’s return to the White House, is set for a global release today. A National Shutdown Day will take place today across the United States to protest against the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by Ice agents in Minneapolis.

The trial of six Italian officials will begin in Italy's Crotone today regarding the alleged failure to prevent the 2023 Cutro migrant shipwreck. Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold will officially launch in the United States today. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a two-day visit to Assam from today.

Here is all that is set to take place across the world today.

'Melania' documentary to release globally

The documentary "Melania," chronicling First Lady Melania Trump’s return to the White House, is scheduled for a global theatrical release today. The film is slated to open in more than 2,000 US theatres and approximately 5,000 globally.

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Directed by Brett Ratner, the film marks his first major project since 2017. It was produced through Melania’s own company, Muse Films, in association with Amazon MGM Studios, which reportedly paid $40 million for the licensing rights. The 104-minute feature offers an intimate "fly-on-the-wall" look at the 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration.

Earlier on January 24, Melania hosted a private, black-tie screening at the White House for a guest list that included Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Andy Jassy, Mike Tyson, and Queen Rania of Jordan, among others.

National Shutdown Day

A National Shutdown Day has been announced to take place on January 30, during which a nationwide general strike in the United States will take place to protest the recent fatal shootings by federal immigration agents.

Organised under the slogan "No work, no school, no shopping," the movement seeks to disrupt daily commerce to demand an end to what activists call "Ice terror". Some of the demands of the organisers are the immediate withdrawal of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) agents from cities like Minneapolis.

A demonstrator holds an illustration of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on January 7, as people protest against the presence of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. File iimage/Reuters

Another demand of the protesters is an end to federal funding for immigration enforcement machinery, along with Independent investigations into the deaths of Pretti, Good, and others killed in federal custody.

Trump to announce his nominee for Federal Reserve chief

President Donald Trump will be naming his pick for the new Federal Reserve chair. Speaking at the premiere for “Melania,” the film about first lady Melania Trump, the president said the five-month odyssey of finding his pick to succeed current Chair Jerome Powell is about to end.

“I’ll be announcing the Fed chair tomorrow morning,” Trump said. Asked if he had actually settled on a choice, he replied, “I do, I better, otherwise I have to go to work very quickly.”

The choices are between former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, current Fed Governor Christopher Waller and BlackRock chief investment officer for fixed income Rick Rieder.

Italian officials go on trial over 2023 migrant boat disaster

The trial of six Italian officials will begin in Italy's Crotone to determine their responsibility in the 2023 Cutro migrant shipwreck tragedy.

Six officers, including four from the Guardia di Finanza (Customs Police) and two from the Italian Coast Guard, will be on trial. They face charges of negligent shipwreck and multiple counts of manslaughter for allegedly failing to activate search-and-rescue protocols despite warnings of a crowded vessel in distress.

Following a postponement on January 14 due to a courtroom scheduling conflict with a mafia trial, the case is now overseen by a new panel led by Chief Justice Alfonso Scibona. While journalists are permitted to attend, the judges have banned video recording or television cameras in the courtroom.

Samsung trifold phone to launch in US

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, the first triple-folding smartphone commercially available in the US, is set to launch. The device starts at $2,899 for the base model.

It will be sold exclusively through Samsung.com and Samsung Experience Stores. Mobile carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will not offer the device directly. In the US, it launches in Crafted Black with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

This launch follows the device's initial release in South Korea in December 2025. At nearly $3,000, it becomes the most expensive smartphone on the US market, significantly outpricing standard foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold7 ($2,000).

Amit Shah in Assam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is visiting Assam on a two-day tour starting January 29, 2026, with a packed schedule of official and cultural events.

At 11:00 am, Shah will lay the foundation stone for Assam’s second Legislative Assembly building and MLA residential quarters at Khanikar. This ₹284 crore project is a key step in developing Dibrugarh as the state's "second capital".

He will inaugurate Phase I of the ultra-modern Khanikar Multi-Disciplinary Sports Stadium, which has a 35,000-seating capacity. He will lay the foundation stone for the Institute of Wildlife Health & Research in Chabua to enhance veterinary care and research for the state's biodiversity.

Shah will conclude his visit at the Assam BJP office in Guwahati, where he will hold strategy meetings with senior party leaders and workers to review preparations for the upcoming 2026 Assam Assembly elections.

With inputs from agencies