Japan unveils record defense budget

Japan announced its biggest defense budget on Wednesday as it prepares plans to scrap the constitutional ban on military operations overseas.

The 4.98 trillion yen ($42 billion) budget was announced as talks took place between China and Japan on maritime crisis management.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet approved the budget - an increase of 2 percent on last year's and the third consecutive rise after a decade of military spending cuts.