Japan's ruling party is set to sign a new coalition deal on Monday, paving the way for Sanae Takaichi to become the country's first woman prime minister, media reports said.

Takaichi became leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) earlier this month, but her bid to become premier was derailed by the collapse of her ruling coalition.

Since then, the LDP has been working to cobble together a different alliance, putting her chances back on track.

Takaichi and her counterpart Hirofumi Yoshimura from the reformist, right-leaning opposition Japan Innovation Party (JIP) are set to sign a coalition agreement on Monday, Kyodo News reported Sunday, citing unnamed senior officials from both parties.

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper also said Takaichi and Yoshimura were "likely to sign a c

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