Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi on course for lower house win, exit poll shows

NHK says Ms Takaichi’s ruling coalition, led by her Liberal Democratic Party, could win more than two-thirds of the 465-seat lower house, the more powerful of the country’s two-chamber parliament. The huge jump from the pre-election share could allow Ms Takaichi to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan’s economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China and she tries to nurture ties with Washington. Ms Takaichi took office in October as Japan’s first female leader. She is hugely popular, but the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of the last…