China likely to top agenda at Shangri-La talks
Annual security talks known as the Shangri-La Dialogue get underway in Singapore, with China's growing assertiveness in focus and US tariffs in the background.
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SoraNews24
4 hours ago
- SoraNews24
7-Eleven Japan releases new must-try sweets that are a hit with customers
Convenience store chain has frozen surprises waiting for you this summer. For the past year or so, a lot of 7-Eleven stores in Japan have been expanding their frozen food sections, rolling out new own-brand products that include frozen sweets, two of which have quickly become hot favourites with customers since their spring debut. ▼ Part of the company's 'Premium' line, the two hot products are Mille Crepe Rolls… ▼…and Matcha Cream-Filled Pancakes. So what makes these two sweets so popular? Let's start by taking a closer look at the Mille Crepe Rolls, which come in a pack of three for 430 yen (US$2.95). ▼ Each rolled crepe is a good size, at around 10 centimetres (3.9 inches) in length. The only thing you need to do to prepare these crepes is let them thaw naturally, at room temperature (around 25 degrees Celsius) for about 5–10 minutes. ▼ Depending on how you like your sweets, though, you could probably eat these straight out of the freezer. Cutting them in half to check out the fillings, we found there was no skimping on the cream, with a good amount of it inside. We'd never seen anything quite like these at a convenience store before so we felt a flutter of excitement as we picked up the chocolate for a taste. It had a gentle sweetness and surprisingly, a refined taste. The balance between cream and crepe was perfect, giving it a moreish, delicious flavour. The plain variety was also mildly sweet and easy to gobble up, with the cream oozing out and melting on the tongue in an addictive way that was reminiscent of ice cream. The ice cream-like texture is so devilishly good it feels like it's melting your brain, and the strawberry flavour didn't disappoint either. ▼ They were all so good we couldn't choose a favourite out of the three. The next sweet goes by the name 'Matcha Cream-Filled Pancakes' in English, but the Japanese on the pack calls them 'Imagawa-yaki', a popular dessert similar to pancakes that's often found at festivals and street food stalls. M ade with a pancake-like batter, these sweets are traditionally baked in a cast-iron mould and filled with sweet red bean paste, but this variety is filled with matcha sourced from Kyoto's Uji, Japan's premier matcha-producing region. These should be heated up for a short time in the microwave so the filling becomes nice and melty for ultimate deliciousness, and at 140 yen apiece, they're totally worth the calories, with the chewy exterior contrasting beautifully with the soft and creamy filling. After trying the sweets, we can understand why customers have been raving about them as they're some of the best we've tried at the chain. So next time you find yourself at 7-Eleven, perhaps shopping for a senbero drinking session, be sure to keep an eye out for them in the freezer section. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Japan Times
9 hours ago
- Japan Times
‘Squad' defense chiefs meet with eye on countering China
The defense chiefs of 'the Squad' grouping, which brings together Japan, Australia, the U.S. and the Philippines, met Saturday in Singapore for talks on the sidelines of a regional security summit as the four looked to push back against Chinese military assertiveness in Asia. In opening remarks ahead of the meeting, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called the grouping the most 'strategically positioned to manifest deterrence, to bring about peace' amid 'an unprecedented military buildup by China.' 'That is our shared goal,' he said during the gathering, which included the top military commanders of each country. 'That's what we talk about when the cameras are here. That's what we talk about when the cameras are not here.' The quadrilateral grouping — a play on words based on 'the Quad' composed of the U.S., Australia, India and Japan — is one of a number of U.S.-led regional security partnerships that have emerged in recent years. The defense chiefs of the Squad met for the first time in June 2023 on the sidelines of the same security conference, the Shangri-La Dialogue. The grouping has conducted joint maritime patrols within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, most recently in February, amid ongoing tensions between Manila and Beijing over claims in the South China Sea. Defense officials say the grouping also provides a chance to ensure that the defense capabilities of their militaries become increasingly interoperable, allowing them to work more efficiently together in the event of conflict — including any potential invasion of Taiwan by China. According to Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, the grouping has made 'much progress' since it was formed. Though he did not offer details, Teodoro signaled that one future endeavor of the bloc might be expansion. 'We feel that this is not an exclusionary grouping, but an inclusive one with an open and transparent architecture on the basis of global order, based on international law,' he said. His remarks echoed those of Philippine military chief Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, who said last month that Manila and the other Squad members were looking to invite India and South Korea to join. China views so-called minilateral groupings such as the Squad as attempts by Washington to surround and contain it, and it remains unclear whether Seoul and New Delhi would be interested in joining at the expense of hurting already strained ties with Beijing. Saturday's meeting comes after a former senior U.S. defense official made the case for going even further than the Squad, formalizing the bloc into a U.S.-led collective defense pact in Asia. Writing in Foreign Affairs magazine, Ely Ratner, who served as assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs under President Joe Biden, said that the current minilateral defense initiatives 'remain too informal and rudimentary.' 'In the face of continued Chinese military modernization, true deterrence requires the will and capability that only a collective defense arrangement can deliver,' he wrote. 'Such an alliance — call it the 'Pacific Defense Pact' — would bind those countries that are currently most aligned and prepared to take on the China challenge together: Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. Additional members could join as conditions warrant.'
NHK
10 hours ago
- NHK
Japan, US defense chiefs agree to strengthen cooperation in cyberspace
The defense chiefs of Japan and the United States have agreed to strengthen cooperation in cyberspace. The agreement was made in a meeting between Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Singapore on Saturday. It comes as the United States is drawing up a national defense strategy, which will serve as a guideline for its national security policy. Nakatani and Hegseth agreed to closely work together so that the priorities in the two countries' strategies can be aligned. Nakatani explained to Hegseth that Japan has enacted legislation to implement what is called "active cyber defense" that is designed to preempt possible cyberattacks. The two officials pledged to work together to strengthen deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance. They also agreed to coordinate on plans to hold a "two-plus-two" meeting of the foreign and defense chiefs of both countries. Nakatani was asked by reporters after the talks whether the US secretary referred to a possible increase in Japan's defense spending. The minister declined to comment on what exactly his US counterpart talked about. Nakatani said that he told Hegseth it is important for Japan to fundamentally strengthen its defense capabilities based on its own decisions and responsibilities.
