2026-02-09
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Here's today's free edition.
This is The World In Brief from The Economist.
Our top stories.
Takayichi 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 super-majority of seats in the lower house.
Meanwhile, in a much tighter contest in Thailand,
a Newton-Chan vertical the Prime Minister claimed victory for his conservative Bumjai Dai 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.
He was convicted in December.
The 78-year-old media mogul has already spent more than 1,800 days behind bars for unauthorised assembly and fraud.