Japan's Cabinet approved Friday a one-year extension of a Maritime Self-Defense Force mission to the Middle East for intelligence-gathering activities to help ensure the safety of a key oil shipping lane.The government decided to extend the mission through Dec. 26, 2021, as tensions remain high in the Middle East and continued efforts are needed to ensure the safety of Japan-related commercial shipping passing through regional waters.The MSDF's first long-term intelligence-gathering mission, approved by the Cabinet in December last year, kicked off in January amid increased tensions between…READ FULL ARTICLE
