Japan has relaxed decades-old restrictions on its arms exports, clearing the way for it to sell weapons to more than a dozen countries. The announcement on Tuesday marks a milestone in Tokyo's shift away from the pacifism that has characterised its post-war defence policy. It also comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region.

Japan on Tuesday unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons.

The approval clears a final set of hurdles for Japan's postwar arms sales and facilitate its future sale of weapons such as a next-generation fighter jet and combat drones.

Japan has endorsed scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports, a major change of its postwar pacifist policy as the country seeks to build up its arms industry and deepen cooperation with defense partners.

Japan's two biggest airlines have brought forward an increase in fuel surcharges for international flights to May. The companies previously said the hike would kick in from June, but now say the surge in crude oil prices has driven up fuel costs to an abnormally high level.

Japan is on high alert after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off its northern coast, triggering widespread concern over a possible larger seismic event. Authorities issued evacuation advisories for over 180,

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made an offering to a shrine seen by Japan’s neighbors as glorifying its wartime past, in a move that stops short of a visit but may still anger China and other neighboring nations.

A big military exercise in the South China Sea is getting Beijing’s back up. It’s part of a bigger shift in regional security. Choppy waters. When thousands of troops from the