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Here's today's free edition.

This is the World In Brief from The Economist.

Our top stories.

Takaiichi Sanaya won a landslide victory in Japan's snap election. The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, who became Prime Minister a few months ago,

is thought to have secured a two-thirds supermajority of seat in the lower house.

Meanwhile, in a much tighter contest in Thailand, a Newton-chan

Viracle, the Prime Minister, claimed victory for his conservative Bumjai Party over the

reformist opposition. Jimmy Lai, one of Hong Kong's most famous pro-democracy advocates,

was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison for collusion with foreign forces and

sedition, crimes under the Territory's national security law. It was convicted in December.

The 78-year-old media mogul has already spent more than 1,800 days behind bars for

unauthorized assembly and fraud. Morgan McSweeney resigned as Sarkier-Starmer's Chief of Staff.

He had encouraged the Prime Minister to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to

America, despite Lord Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr. McSweeney was an architect of Labour's resounding electoral victory in 2024.

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