Tokyo lifts ban on lethal weapons exports after decades

Today’s headlines: 25 killed in explosion at fireworks factory in Tamil Nadu. South Korea and India to double trade volume. At least 10 Maoist guerrillas killed by government forces in central Philippines. New report estimates billion over 10 years for the reconstruction of Gaza.

JAPAN

Sanae Takaichi’s government has lifted the ban on the export of lethal weapons, marking a significant shift from the pacifist constitution adopted by Japan after the Second World War. Takaichi did not specify which weapons Japan now intends to sell abroad. However, according to Japanese newspapers, the changes would cover fighter jets, missiles and warships. The regulations were introduced in 1967 and came into force in 1976. Japan will continue to restrict arms exports to countries where conflicts are ongoing, but exemptions are provided for in ‘special circumstances’.

INDIA

At least 25 people have died in an explosion at a fireworks factory in the state of Tamil Nadu; a further four have been seriously injured. The explosion occurred at the Vanaja Fireworks Industry in Virudhunagar. The factory was due to be closed, but around 50 workers were present at the time of the incident. According to local authorities, 22 of the 25 victims have been identified so far, most of whom are women.

SOUTH KOREA - INDIA

India and South Korea have announced that they will strengthen their economic ties in the sectors of energy, strategic minerals, shipbuilding, semiconductors and steel, with the aim of doubling their trade volume to billion by 2030. President Lee Jae Myung is in India on a three-day visit, the first by a South Korean president to the country in eight years. He is accompanied by around 200 business leaders. He will then travel to Vietnam.

PHILIPPINES

Government forces in central Philippines have killed at least 10 Maoist guerrillas – the figure could be as high as 19 – in several firefights, in a resurgence of the decades-long insurgency. The country is the scene of one of the world’s longest-running Maoist-inspired insurgencies, which has been ongoing since the late 1960s. On 19 April, troops fought against the rebel group New People’s Army (NPA) near the municipality of Toboso, on the island of Negros.

GAZA

According to a new report, over the next 10 years, more than billion is needed for reconstruction in Gaza, following the war waged by Israel. In the Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), the EU and the UN state that the conflict has had a “catastrophic impact on human development”. In the first 18 months of reconstruction, .3 billion is needed to restore essential services, critical infrastructure and support economic recovery. Gaza is subject to a fragile “truce” agreed in October.

JAPAN

Japan is on high alert for a “massive” second earthquake, following the lifting of the tsunami warning. The authorities issued the alert after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the north-eastern coast, prompting an evacuation order and a warning of 3-metre-high tsunami waves. Thousands of people have been asked to leave coastal areas and head for higher ground; the quake struck off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, 530 km north of the capital Tokyo.

RUSSIA

In 2026, local authorities in several Russian regions are cutting payments under military contracts due to budget deficits. Some cities have also begun cutting childcare subsidies and even firewood allowances for military families. The Kemerovo region has reduced the one-off regional allowance for the families of fallen soldiers by a factor of three, from 3 million to 1 million roubles.

KAZAKHSTAN

The Kazakh government has decided to allocate special state subsidies, as it faces a shortage of shepherds, milkers, machinery operators and vets due to low wages, poor social protection and precarious living conditions in rural areas. It has therefore decided to increase workers’ incomes, reduce taxes and increase scholarships and grants for students specialising in agriculture, with some of these measures already proving effective.