The last batch of Japanese troops arrived in Kuwait from southern Iraq today, completing Japan's biggest and most dangerous overseas mission since the Second World War, the Defence Agency said.

JAPAN and the United States will station advanced Patriot interceptor missiles on American bases in Japan for the first time to bolster missile defence.

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki presented his 28-point national reconciliation plan to parliament today, a document that calls for setting a timeline for Iraqi troops to take control of security throughout the country.

US spy satellites have detected what may be preparations for North Korea’s first test of a nuclear weapon, although analysts believe it could be a calculated ruse on Pyongyang’s part, a US defence official said today.