While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, May 26 edition

Japan to join US, Australia war games amid growing China tensions

Japan will join a major US-Australian military exercise for the first time in a sign of growing security links between the three countries as tensions fester over China's island building in the South China Sea.

While only 40 Japanese officers and soldiers will take part in drills involving 30,000 US and Australian troops in early July, experts said the move showed how Washington wanted to foster cooperation among its security allies in Asia.

The Talisman Sabre biennial exercises, to be held in locations around Australia, will encompass maritime operations, amphibious landings, special forces tactics and urban warfare.

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Taiwan's president to propose peace plan for South China Sea

Taiwan's president will propose a peace initiative on Tuesday to resolve territorial disputes in the South China Sea that have put Beijing at odds with its neighbours and with the United States, the official Central News Agency reported.

It said President Ma Ying-jeou's plan would be along the lines of his 2012 proposal for the East China Sea, which called on claimants to temporarily shelve their disagreements to enable negotiations on resource-sharing.

Taiwan has so far played a marginal role in tackling the series of disputes between China and its neighbours in the South China Sea.

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Norwich City promoted to Premier League

Norwich City returned to the Premier League at the first attempt after beating Middlesbrough 2-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium on Monday.

Relegated a year ago, Norwich secured an immediate return to England's top tier thanks to two first-half goals in the space of three minutes from striker Cameron Jerome and winger Nathan Redmond.

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Tornado kills at least 11 in Mexico

At least 11 people died on Monday morning after a powerful tornado ripped through the northern Mexican border city of Ciudad Acuna, destroying dozens of homes and wrecking cars, Mayor Evaristo Lenin Perez said.

An estimated 180 people were injured in the whirlwind, which damaged as many as 350 homes, knocking down walls and ceilings, and slammed into vehicles in the city.

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Air France flight to New York's JFK airport escorted by US fighter jets after threat: Report

An Air France flight from Paris to New York was escorted by US fighter jets to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday after an anonymous threat was made against the flight, according to news reports.

Flight AF022 landed at JFK airport without incident and was later taken to a special area of the airport for a security check, an Air France official in Paris said.

Two US Air Force F-15 fighters were launched as precautionary measures to monitor the flight as it returned to New York.

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