Briefly
JAPAN
Ruling party backs strike capability
Japan took a step closer to acquiring weapons able to strike foreign targets on Friday after a ruling party committee approved proposals to consider acquiring strike capability to halt ballistic missile attacks. Giving long-range munitions to Japan's Self Defense Forces is a controversial issue for a country that renounced the right to wage war after its defeat in World War II. The proposal is also likely to anger its Asian neighbors, which could fall within range of any new strike weapons. The proposals, crafted by senior Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers including former defense minister Itsunori Onodera, will be presented to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as early as next week.