Japan ruling parties agree to plan to drop ban on collective self-defence - lawmaker

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's ruling parties agreed on Tuesday to a government proposal to end a ban that has kept the military from fighting overseas since World War Two, a ruling party lawmaker told reporters, a major step away from post-war pacifism and a political victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The change, expected to be adopted in a cabinet resolution later in the day, will significantly widen Japan's military options by ending the ban on exercising "collective self-defence", or aiding a friendly country under attack. It will also relax limits on activities in U.N.-led peace-keeping operations and "grey zone" incidents short of full-scale war, according to a draft of a cabinet resolution expected to be adopted later in the day.