Japan's first long-range missile was deployed at a southwestern army camp, officials said this week, as the country pushes to bolster its offensive capabilities. The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles, developed and produced by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, became operational at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture. "As Japan faces the most severe and complex security environment in the postwar era ... it is an extremely important capability to strengthen Japan's deterrence and responsiveness," Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters.

The upgraded Type-12 missile has a range of about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), a significant extension from the 200-kilometre (125-mile) range of the original that would allow it to reach mainland China. The deployment of the long-range missile gives Japan a "standoff" capability, meaning it can strike enemy missile bases from afar, marking a break from the self-defence -only policy the country long followed under its pacifist constitution.

After weeks of fighting, Pakistan and Afghanistan held the first round of peace talks mediated by China on Wednesday (Apr. 1), according to two Pakistani officials. But even as the talks were held, Afghanistan accused Pakistan of firing mortars into its territory. Representatives from the two countries were meeting in Urumqi, in northern China, the officials told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media. Talks were expected to continue on Thursday, they said.

China has not commented. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs neither confirmed nor denied the talks were taking place. An Afghan official told AP the five-member Afghan delegation in Urumqi consisted of two officials from the foreign ministry and one each from the defence and interior ministries and from the country's intelligence agency. According to the sources, the latest round of talks began after both sides accepted China's offer to mediate to end the fighting.

The UK will convene 35 countries - excluding the US - to explore ways to reopen the strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping route for oil and gas that has been blocked by Iran. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the next phase of discussions in the joint British and French efforts to secure the waterway would be held on Thursday, with Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, alongside international leaders. Donald Trump has said it will be up to other countries to make the strait safe if the US ceases its strikes on Tehran, criticising the lack of backing for his war from European nations.

Starmer said the meeting would bring together 35 countries to "assess all viable diplomatic and political measures we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and to resume the movement of vital commodities". His office said it would be the first time the countries had convened to discuss a viable plan to reopen the strait.

South Africa's army has officially been deployed to several parts of the country to help overwhelmed police clamp down on violent crimes, including illicit mining and gangs. President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year announced the deployment of 2,200 soldiers to five of the country's nine provinces hardest hit by criminal activities. Authorities say the deployment, set to run for a year, is aimed at restoring order to crime-ridden areas, but critics warn that using the military in civilian policing rarely delivers lasting results.

An initial group of soldiers was deployed to several parts of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, in March. The second, and main cohort, will help with operations in the Eastern Cape, Free State, North West and Western Cape provinces from April 1 for a year. Illicit mining and gang violence are major problems in South Africa, which has one of the world's highest murder rates. According to the latest crime statistics, covering the period between October and December 2025, around 71 people were killed each day.