Carmel Crimmins

Lai, a British citizen, has denied conspiring with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials.

But judges called him the mastermind of the conspiracies.

James Pomfretz covering the story in Hong Kong.

And James says diplomatic efforts in the US and UK to free Lai are now likely to be intensified.

And in Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takeuchi's historic election win clears the way for her to deliver tax cuts and bold spending plans.

That prospect is lifting Japanese shares to record highs, and the yen and bonds are keeping their cool.

Mike Dolan from our sister markets podcast, Morning Bid, is here to tell us why investors are taking things in their stride after weeks of volatility.

Thanks, Mike.

You can catch Morning Bid wherever you get your podcasts.

And meanwhile, in Thailand's general election, incumbent Anutan Chanvirakun has won with a sizeable lead, and coalition talks are expected in the coming days.

His victory signals approval of his conservative Bumchaitai Party, which capitalized on nationalist sentiment from the recent border conflict with Cambodia.

Analysts were surprised by the scale of the victory and pointed to his strategy of winning over politicians from rival parties in rural areas.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff has quit, saying he takes full responsibility for advising his boss to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.

Morgan McSweeney's departure follows the latest batch of Epstein emails which underline the extent of Mandelson's relationship with the convicted sex offender.

It's a major blow for Starmer, who's under mounting pressure.

UK political editor Elizabeth Piper has more.

Our reporter Julia Hart has been checking in monthly with 20 Trump voters to track what they want from his presidency.

As we enter his second year, almost all still back him, but they have some notes.

Julia explains.

While Trump's handling of immigration has been sinking in the polls, this group still backs him, but do want to see some reforms.