Japan's ultra-conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is poised to consolidate power after a snap election, while Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi faces an additional seven years in an Iranian prison, and a new U.S.-India trade deal aims to ease tensions, according to reports released on Sunday, February 8, 2026.
Exit polls indicated that Takaichi's coalition is expected to secure a significant majority in the lower house, with predictions ranging from 302 to 366 of the 465 seats, as reported by Sky News. This outcome, according to Sky News, would give her government a strong mandate. This potential victory has raised concerns about regional stability, with one Sky News analysis suggesting that "China is watching."
Meanwhile, in Iran, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to over seven additional years in prison after beginning a hunger strike on February 2nd, her supporters confirmed. Her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, confirmed the sentence, which was handed down by a Revolutionary Court in Mashhad, according to Euronews.
In other international developments, the United States and India have finalized a framework for an interim trade agreement, as reported by NPR. The deal, which followed months of negotiations, is being met with mixed reactions, with some in India expressing disapproval.
Elsewhere, the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha is currently discussing the regional impact of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The forum is focusing on the power shifts created by the conflict, with delegates examining the post-war situation and the expected governance changes in Gaza. A new committee of technocrats is expected to be in charge of Gaza's governance, overseen by the newly formed Board of Peace, headed by US President Donald Trump, according to Al Jazeera.
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