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Sanae Takaichi makes history as Japan’s first female prime minister
Sanae Takaichi has been elected Japan’s prime minister by parliament, making her the first woman to hold the office.
The 64-year-old won a clear majority on Monday – 237 votes in the powerful Lower House and another 125 in the Upper House – as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
A staunch conservative and admirer of the late former British PM Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi takes over at a challenging economic moment as Japan grapples with rising cost-of-living and a frustrated public.
It’s also been an uncertain time for the world’s fourth-largest economy. She is the fourth PM in just five years, after her predecessors’ terms were cut short by plunging ratings and scandals.
Although she defeated four men to win the LDP race in early October, her path to the top job appeared to be blocked when the LDP’s long-time coalition partner, the Komeito party, withdrew support.
But a last-minute deal on Monday night with another opposition party – the right- leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP), known as Ishin – saved her. She and the LDP will face voters next in 2028.
Meanwhile aside from domestic challenges, she faces tricky relationships abroad. South Korea, which had started to mend historically delicate ties with Japan, is wary because of her right-wing politics, which lean nationalist. And, like some of her predecessors, including the late former PM Shinzo Abe, she is seen as hawkish when it comes to an increasingly powerful China.
But the most important relationship is with the US and a test is around the corner – a meeting with US President Donald Trump next week.
While both sides have reached a tariff deal, Trump’s past comments questioning the value of a security treaty between them and demanding Tokyo pay more for defence have raised concerns – Takaichi must navigate these alongside an unpredictable US administration.
At the age of 64, Takaichi is no stranger to Japanese politics.
A known ally of Abe, she has held several ministerial roles over her career and has run for the PM job before.
She was elected LDP leader after former PM and LDP leader Shigeru Ishiba resigned following major losses in midterm elections.
Nicknamed the “Iron Lady” for her admiration of Thatcher, Takaichi is known for conservative views, including her opposition to same-sex marriage and a growing demand to allow married women to keep their maiden surnames.
This has made some young women sceptical of the significance of her win.
“Everyone’s like, ‘Wow, she’s the first female prime minister in Japanese history and that’s a great opportunity for women’s empowerment’,” said 21-year-old student Ayda Ogura.
“[But] if you look into her political beliefs and what she stands for, you realise that some of the things are very traditional. Instead of creating structural change, she rather perpetuates the patriarchal system.”
During her recent campaign she proposed expanded hospital services for women’s health and giving household support workers greater recognition.
She still has a major task ahead of her – to rebuild the trust of the public in the LDP.
The party has governed Japan for most of the past seven decades, but under Ishiba it lost its majority in the lower house for the first time in 15 years. Then it lost its majority in the upper house in July, amid public anger after a fundraising scandal.
In electing Takaichi, the LDP had hoped to win back conservative voters, many of whom had gravitated towards the far-right Sanseito party after being disillusioned with the usual options.
But first Takaichi has to turn her attention to public anger as prices continue to soar. An ongoing rice shortage, for example, has resulted in record prices for the Japanese staple.
Local media are reporting that she may apppoint Satsuki Katayama as finance minister, yet another historic first for a woman. Like Takaichi, Katayama too is a protege of Abe.
While concern over Japan’s rising debt and lacklustre growth has been worrying investors, her win seemed to offer some optimism to the markets.
[BBC]
Josh Hoey had said he was excited to take a shot at the world 800m short track record in Boston and he was right on target as he clocked 1:42.50* to improve the 28-year-old mark at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix – the first World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of the season – on Saturday (24).
Seven weeks on from setting a world 600m short track best, also in Boston, the US world indoor champion made more history as he took 0.17 off the world record of 1:42.67 set by Wilson Kipketer at the World Indoor Championships in Paris in 1997.
Hoey went into the race as the second-fastest indoor 800m runner of all time thanks to the North American record of 1:43.24 he ran at the US Indoor Championships in New York last year. But paced by his brother Jaxson, he leapt to the top of that all-time list, winning the race by more than two seconds.
Jaxson led his brother through the first 200m in 24.81 before 400m was reached in 50.21. Jaxson then stepped aside and Josh passed 600m in 1:16.19, holding on to cross the finish line in 1:42.50.
“We did a lot of pacing work,” said Josh, reflecting on his preparations for the race. “Just kind of kept steadily improving, taking it week by week, block by block, and we were able to make
this work.”
A world best had been set earlier in the programme, USA’s 2024 world indoor 1500m bronze medallist Hobbs Kessler clocking 4:48.79 to break the 2000m short track world best of 4:49.99 set by Kenenisa Bekele almost 19 years ago.
World short track 3000m record-holder Grant Fisher also dipped under the old world best, finishing second in 4:49.48.
[World Athletics]
US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if the country strikes a trade deal with China.
“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.,” Trump said on Truth Social.
It is unclear what deal Trump is referring to in his social media post. Last week, Canada’s Prime Minister Carney announced a strategic partnership with China, and agreed to reduce tariffs.
At the time, Trump called the move “a good thing”. But tensions between the US and Canada have grown in recent days, after Carney said in a speech in Davos that the US-led world order had been ruptured.
Carney also urged other “middle powers” to band together in the face of economic coercion by “greater powers”, though he did not mention Trump by name.
Trump responded to the remarks in his own speech the next day, saying: “Canada lives because of the United States.”
The US president also withdrew an invitation for Canada to join his new Board of Peace.
On Saturday, Trump said in his social media post that if Carney “thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken”.
The BBC has contacted the White House and Carney’s office for comment.
Canada’s US trade minister Dominic LeBlanc said in a statement: “There is no pursuit of a free trade deal with China.”
“What was achieved was resolution on several important tariff issues.”
LeBlanc said the government was focused on building a stronger Canadian economy and strengthening trade partnerships “throughout the world”.
Canada has been seeking to diversify trade away from the US, its largest trade partner, following the uncertainty caused by Trump’s on-again-off-again tariffs.
Under the agreement reached between Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, China will lower levies on Canadian canola oil from 85% to 15% by March, while Canada will tax Chinese EVs at the most-favoured-nation rate, 6.1% – down from 100%.
The deal was seen as a breakthrough after years of strained ties and tit-for-tat tariffs, and could see more Chinese investments in Canada.
Carney said the progress made with China sets Canada up “well for the new world order”.
[BBC]
Foreign News
Naqvi casts uncertainty on Pakistan’s participation in T20 World Cup after Bangladesh ouster
Pakistan’s participation at the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has been thrown into uncertainty after the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said a final decision would be made after talking to Pakistan’s government. Speaking shortly after the ICC officially removed Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup owing to their refusal to play in India, Naqvi accused the ICC of “double standards” favouring India, and termed what happened to Bangladesh “an injustice”.
“Our stance on World Cup participation will be what the government of Pakistan instructs me,” he said. “The Prime Minister is not in Pakistan right now. When he returns, I’ll be able to give you our final decision. It’s the government’s decision. We obey them, not the ICC.”
Over the past week or so, Pakistan has firmly thrown its support behind Bangladesh in their dispute with the ICC demanding a venue outside of India to play their T20 World Cup matches. At an ICC meeting last week, the PCB was understood to be the only board to back the BCB in their stance. The tournament is jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, but Bangladesh’s games were all scheduled in India. Bangladesh, however, have said it is no longer safe for them to play in India after the BCCI, on January 3, instructed Kilkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman rom their IPL 2026 squad.
Though no reason was stated for that directive, it came amid deteriorating relations between India and Bangladesh. On January 4, the BCB wrote to the ICC after consultation with the government that the Bangladesh team would not travel to India for its T20 World Cup matches due to security concerns, a stance it stuck to through several subsequent discussions with the ICC.
The ICC has repeatedly refused Bangladesh’s request, and earlier this week gave them an ultimatum demanding them to accept the schedule as it was, or face being removed from the tournament. On Saturday, with Bangladesh sticking to their position, the ICC formally announced Bangladesh would not be part of the T20 World Cup, and would be replaced instead by Scotland.
Naqvi was critical of the decision, calling it an injustice to Bangladesh. “I think Bangladesh has been hard done by,” he said. “You can’t have double standards. You can’t say for one country [India] they can do whatever they want and for the others to have to do the complete opposite. That’s why we’ve taken this stand, and made clear Bangladesh have had an injustice done to them. They should play in the World Cup, they are a major stakeholder in cricket.”
While there have been local, unverified reports that the PCB would refuse to participate in the World Cup in solidarity with Bangladesh should they be removed, the PCB has declined to confirm to ESPNcricinfo when approached. Naqvi’s comments to the media on Saturday was the first time anyone at the PCB has directly addressed the issue, where he repeatedly said the decision was no longer in the hands of the PCB.
“If the government of Pakistan says we mustn’t play, then maybe the ICC will bring in a 22nd team (after Scotland). It’s up to the government.”
No specific reason was given by Naqvi other than to support Bangladesh, as to why government permission would now be required for an event that starts in two weeks. Last year, both BCCI and PCB, with the approval of ICC, signed up to a hybrid model agreement by which both countries would play each other on neutral territory for all global events in the 2024-27 rights cycle.
Pakistan play all their games in Sri Lanka for this event (which already was a co-hosted event) and are scheduled to play the opening game of the tournament, against Netherlands on February 7. They are scheduled to play India on February 15 in Colombo in their group stage clash.
[Cricinfo]
Josh Hoey breaks world 800m short track record with 1:42.50 in Boston
Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariffs if it ‘makes a deal with China’
Showers will occur at times in the Northern, North-central, Eastern and Uva provinces and in Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Engineers draw red line as CEBEU warns of union action over appointed date
Navam Perahera and sacred relics exhibition at Gangaramaya
CID sleuths still plodding on with their probe into controversial Grade 6 English module
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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