Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a landslide victory in snap elections on Sunday, potentially reshaping the political landscape and raising concerns in China, according to multiple news sources. Simultaneously, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to over seven additional years in prison after beginning a hunger strike, her supporters confirmed. Elsewhere, a march in San Francisco supporting California's billionaires drew a small crowd, while the Amazon documentary "Melania" saw a significant drop in its second weekend box office earnings.
Takaichi's ruling bloc was estimated to have secured a two-thirds majority in Japan's lower house, the best result for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2017, according to Euronews. This victory could potentially "rile China and worry financial markets," as noted by the same source. Sky News reported that Takaichi's decisive win was "a one-woman story" that could change Japan and the region.
The election results come as Takaichi capitalized on her honeymoon start as Japan's first woman premier. The victory's implications are significant, with Sky News suggesting that the outcome could threaten regional stability.
In Iran, supporters of Narges Mohammadi announced her sentencing on Sunday. Mohammadi, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, had been on hunger strike since February 2nd. Her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, confirmed the sentence, handed down by a Revolutionary Court in Mashhad, according to Euronews.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a march supporting California's billionaires drew only around three dozen attendees, according to TechCrunch. The event, organized to protest the Billionaire Tax Act, saw journalists nearly outnumbering demonstrators, Mission Local reported. Marchers carried signs with messages like "We ❤️ You Jeffrey Bezos."
In the entertainment world, the Amazon documentary "Melania" experienced a significant drop in its second weekend box office earnings. After a better-than-expected opening, the film's box office fell 67%, grossing an estimated $2.37 million in its second weekend, according to TechCrunch. The documentary has grossed a total of $13.5 million so far, making it unlikely to break even, given the $40 million acquisition cost and $35 million marketing budget.
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