While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 12
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Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (right) and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a bilateral meeting at the Tower of London.
PHOTO: AFP
Britain, Japan sign defence pact during PM Kishida visit
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida signed a defence agreement in London on Wednesday that will allow the countries to deploy forces on each other’s soil, the latest move towards closer security ties.
Mr Kishida and Mr Sunak signed the reciprocal access defence agreement, agreed in principle last May, a month after the two countries teamed up with Italy on a new fighter jet programme.
The visit and agreement form part of Britain’s Indo-Pacific tilt in foreign policy strategy as it builds security and trade ties in the region.
Underpinning the desire for closer ties, Britain and Japan have also both described China as a challenge in the Indo-Pacific region.
Poland plans to give Ukraine Leopard tanks as part of coalition
AFP
Poland has decided to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition, the Polish president said on Wednesday, as Warsaw seeks to play a leading role in reaching a consensus among Western allies on such support.
Kyiv has been requesting heavy military vehicles such as the German-made Leopard 2, which would represent a significant step-up in Western support to Ukraine.
“A company of Leopard tanks will be handed over as part of coalition-building,” Mr Andrzej Duda said during a visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
Russia’s Wagner Group says it found body of missing Briton
Forces from Russia’s Wagner Group on Wednesday found the body of one of two British voluntary aid workers reported missing in eastern Ukraine, the private military firm said in a statement.
It did not mention the name of the dead man but said documents belonging to both Britons had been found on his body.
A photo posted alongside the statement appeared to show passports bearing the names of Andrew Bagshaw and Christopher Parry, the two missing workers.
Osaka announces pregnancy and promises return in 2024
AFP
Former world number one Naomi Osaka announced on Wednesday that she is pregnant and will be taking a break from tennis until 2024.
“I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch my matches and tell someone, ‘That’s my mom’ haha,” she wrote on Twitter, accompanied by a picture of a pregnancy scan.
“2023 will be a year full of lessons for me, and I hope I’ll see you guys at the start of the next one cause I will be back at the Australian Open 2024. Love you all infinitely,” she added.
Man City exit League Cup after shock loss to Southampton
REUTERS
Champions Manchester City crashed out of the League Cup after suffering a shock 2-0 defeat at struggling Southampton in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Southampton, bottom of the Premier League table, scored twice in the first half through Sekou Mara and Moussa Djenepo and City never seriously threatened to get back into the match.
Mara scored his first goal for Southampton in the 23rd minute as he connected well with a whipped cross by Lyanco and the hosts doubled the lead five minutes later when Djenepo spotted City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega off of his line and curled a stunning effort into the top corner.
