Japan is making final arrangements to earmark a record defense budget of 7.7 trillion yen ($54 billion) for fiscal 2024 as part of an intense arms buildup plan amid the severe regional security environment, government sources said Saturday.The figure -- far exceeding the previous high of 6.8 trillion yen in the initial budget for the current fiscal year through March -- includes outlays for domestic long-range missiles, as part of a government plan to acquire capabilities to strike enemy territory.But work to compile the budget is continuing without a decision on the timing of tax hikes to …READ FULL ARTICLE
