Japan’s new PM will hope the Abe effect endears Trump to her at crucial talks

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Sanae Takaichi leads a minority government and needs a successful meeting with the US president on Tuesday. Thankfully her mentor, Shinzo Abe, is one of Trump’s ‘favourites’

Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, faces the first real test of her diplomatic and personal skills when she meets Donald Trump for talks in Tokyo that are expected to focus on trade and security.

Takaichi, who this month became Japan’s first female leader after winning a vote to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP), made her international debut at this weekend’s Asean summit.

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Hannah McGuire’s mother tells murderer she hopes he suffers ‘most intense pain imaginable’ for life

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Family members of young woman strangled to death by her former boyfriend in her own home have confronted killer Lachlan Young in court

A mother has confronted her daughter’s killer in court, saying she will never forgive him for taking away her vibrant and courageous girl.

Lachlan Young, 23, did not look at Hannah McGuire’s mother, Debbie McGuire, as she read her statement in the Victorian supreme court on Monday.

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Ukraine targets Moscow with dozens of drones, Russia says – Reuters

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  1. Ukraine targets Moscow with dozens of drones, Russia says  Reuters
  2. Ukraine war latest: Putin tests 'Skyfall' nuclear missile; Ukraine launches almost 200 drones into Russia  Sky News
  3. Russian air defence systems destroy two drones heading towards Moscow, mayor says  Reuters
  4. Ukraine launches major drone attack on Moscow; Russia closes airports, shoots down 28 drones  Mint
  5. Ukrainian drones target Moscow in overnight attack, mayor says  The Kyiv Independent
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Asian stocks soar to record peak on trade deal optimism – Reuters

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  1. Asian stocks soar to record peak on trade deal optimism  Reuters
  2. Trump’s Asia trip: US and China agree to framework of a trade deal | CNN Politics  CNN
  3. Trump says he expects to reach trade deal with China as his Asia trip continues  CBS News
  4. Xi Jinping is at his boldest and brashest. How will Donald Trump fare this week?  The Economist
  5. Why Any Deal at the Trump-Xi Summit Is Unlikely to Last  Time Magazine
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Four killed in Cameroon protests as results due in contested election – BBC

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  1. Four killed in Cameroon protests as results due in contested election  BBC
  2. Four killed in Cameroon as protests intensify ahead of presidential results  Al Jazeera
  3. Clashes with security forces in Cameroon kill 4 protesters ahead of election results  AP News
  4. Two dead and dozens arrested amid Cameroon election crackdown  The Guardian
  5. 2 protesters shot dead as tensions rise in Cameroon ahead of election results, opposition says  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
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Trump called Pence a ‘wimp’ before Jan. 6 attack, according to new notes – The Washington Post

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  1. Trump called Pence a ‘wimp’ before Jan. 6 attack, according to new notes  The Washington Post
  2. 'You'll go down as a wimp:' Pence's never-before-published notes key evidence in case against Trump, book says  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  3. Trump told Pence ‘you’ll go down as a wimp’ in January 6 phone call, book says  The Guardian
  4. "Wimp": Trump tried to bully Pence out of certifying election on Jan. 6  Salon.com
  5. Trump said Pence would ‘go down as a wimp’ in Jan. 6 call, book reveals  The Hill
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Archaeological dig to unearth wreckage of WW2 hero pilot crash under way

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Exclusive: Excavation, overseen by the US Department of Defense, will feature in More 4’s Hidden Wonders TV series

On 26 January 1944, a 23-year-old US pilot was flying a mighty P-47 Thunderbolt on a wartime training exercise when it crashed in Essex.

Locals witnessed the horror of 2nd Lt Lester Lowry’s aircraft diving to the ground and bursting into flames. Lowry was not seen to bail out and he has remained missing in action (MIA) for more than 80 years. Ironically, his plane was named “Lucky Boy”.

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Dutch voters eye return to centre after far-right experiment fails – Financial Times

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  1. Dutch voters eye return to centre after far-right experiment fails  Financial Times
  2. Geert Wilders failed in government, but the far right retains its grip on the Netherlands | Cas Mudde  The Guardian
  3. The Dutch go to the polls again in a snap election caused by anti-immigration lawmaker Wilders  AP News
  4. Nexperia Fallout Adds to Business Angst Ahead of Dutch Election  Bloomberg.com
  5. Dutch far-right leader Wilders says voters should decide on his future in government  Reuters
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Björn Andrésen, Swedish actor who starred in Death in Venice, dies aged 70

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Actor who also starred in Midsommar and became a musician was nicknamed ‘the most beautiful boy in the world’ – a title he struggled with all his life

Björn Andrésen, the Swedish actor best known for his breakout role in the 1971 film Death in Venice, has died aged 70.

At 15, Andrésen was cast in Italian director Luchino Visconti’s Death in Venice, based on Thomas Mann’s novella, in which he played Tadzio, a beautiful boy with whom an older man, played by Dirk Bogarde, becomes obsessed.

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Bear attack survival tips released in Japan as encounters surge

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Governor of one prefecture says he is considering asking the military for help to tackle increasing attacks amid thousands-strong bear population

Knowing what to do in the event of a close encounter with a bear was once a concern only for hikers and foragers in Japan. Now, however, people in populated areas are being urged to learn how to protect themselves following a spate of attacks, as the animals leave their natural habitats in search of food.

Bear encounters are generating almost daily headlines. In the past week in Akita prefecture, the animals attacked a jogger and a walker in built-up areas, while another terrorised four people before holing up inside a nearby house. None of the victims was seriously injured.

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Javier Milei hails ‘tipping point’ as his far-right party wins Argentina’s midterm elections

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The result falls short of giving Milei a congressional majority but has been widely described as surprising by Argentinian analysts

The party of Argentina’s far-right president, Javier Milei, has won Sunday’s midterm elections after a campaign in which US president Donald Trump announced a $40bn bailout for the country and made continued aid conditional on the victory of his Argentinian counterpart.

With more than 95% of ballots counted, Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, won 40.84% of the nationwide vote in an election widely seen as a de facto referendum on the self-styled anarcho-capitalist’s nearly two years in power.

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