Tokyo Gas plans to invest in U.S. downstream assets to lift earnings and reinforce the last leg of its energy supply chain. Japan's biggest distributor of the fuel is looking to deploy capital in assets like liquefaction plants, export terminals and the energy services sector, Tokyo Gas president Shinichi Sasayama told Bloomberg's Shery Ahn during an interview in Tokyo.

Tokyo

Tokyo Gas is prioritizing revenue from its existing shale gas investments in East Texas and is considering further expansion in the U.S. market. The company is also exploring opportunities in midstream and downstream sectors, including LNG liquefaction and export terminals, and has signed a letter of intent regarding the Alaska LNG project, though pricing and terms are still under review.

Despite international pressure, Tokyo Gas maintains that Russian gas imports remain crucial for Japan's energy stability, with any changes to this policy to be made in consultation with the Japanese government. The company continues to diversify its procurement sources, contract types, and supply routes, expanding its focus beyond the Asia Pacific region to include the Atlantic side.

Tokyo Gas eyes U.S. investments to drive growth

You've been investing in upstream gas assets in the United States. Do you expect more investment into that market? We're currently investing mainly in shale gas projects in East Texas. Our priority for the next midterm period is to ensure solid revenue from these existing investments. As for whether we will further increase our asset holdings we will assess that carefully based on conditions while ensuring solid returns from our upstream operations. We also want to invest in mid and downstream businesses to build out our portfolio. We've already made investments in midstream downstream areas such as marketing and trading. And we intend to raise its profitability for downstream. We're also considering opportunities and things like LNG liquefaction plants export terminals and the energy services sector. I know that you've been reviewing buying potentially from the LNG project in Alaska. Where are you at in that evaluation. My Alaska. No one can ask. I think it's going to be a good. Alaska has the advantage of being geographically close to Japan and LNG can be shipped without passing through geopolitical choke points which is a major benefit. However pricing and other terms are still unclear. So further examination will be necessary. When can we expect an announcement. Since it's a country home a little while ago we only just signed a letter of intent expressing our interest. The pricing and other terms will eventually be presented by the other party. Since the next step depends on the other party's timing it's difficult for me to say at this point when that will be. Tokyo Gas maintains that Russian imports of gas are important for the energy supply of Japan. And yet we continue to see international pressure to stop these purchases. Will you need to reassess. No you might think you need to meet. I'm not going to do it. We don't see any urgent need at this point to review our position in the short term. Sakhalin gas continues to contribute to Japan's stable supply. So any final decision will be made in consultation with the Japanese government. What sort of conversations are you having with the government on future purchases of Russian gas. And also perhaps. Can you tell us a little bit more about your diversification strategy as well. We're not fully aware of any details to the discussions taking place within the Japanese government. But we understand that the government recognizes Sakhalin gas as an important energy source that contributes to Japan's stable supply. We have long pursued three pillars of diversification strategy in procurement diversifying countries and projects diversifying contract types by combining long and short term deals and using different indices and diversifying supply routes. Traditionally our flows have been centered on the Asia Pacific region. But we're now also looking to the Atlantic side to broaden our supply channels.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prepared to renounce NATO membership if there are Western security guarantees. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are also present at the major Berlin meeting on the war in Ukraine.

Berlin

Zelenskyy ready to drop NATO bid in exchange for security guarantees

Israel has described a deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach as an attack on Jews, after gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event, killing at least 11 people.

Council of the City of Sydney

Israel calls Bondi shooting attack on Jews, urges action on antisemitism

Two gunmen attacked a Hannukah celebration on a Sydney beach Sunday, killing at least 11 people in what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitism and terrorism.

Bondi Beach

Gunmen kill several at Jewish gathering in Sydney's Bondi Beach

Providence police have detained a "person of interest" in connection with the Brown University shooting that left two students dead and another nine people wounded, as the Ivy League school said it had lifted a shelter-in-place order for its campus in Rhode Island.

Providence

Police hold person of interest after Brown University shooting

Belarus has freed more than 120 political prisoners in a major thaw in relations with the United States. The releases came in return for Washington lifting sanctions on potash, a key source of revenue for Belarus.

Minsk

Belarus releases 123 prisoners as U.S. lifts sanctions

Washington was still under a state of emergency on Saturday after torrential rains swamped communities. Plus, snow and dangerous cold are falling on some in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Nicole Valdes has more from Washington state.

Deming

Washington under state emergency as rains ease

China's plans for a massive new embassy in the British capital were delayed until January. Construction plans have proven controversial, with some raising espionage concerns. Ramy Inocencio has more from London.

London

Controversial Chinese embassy construction in London delayed

A United Airlines jetliner lost one of its engines during liftoff from Washington's Dulles Airport bound for Tokyo.

United Airlines flight loses engine during liftoff, sparks brush fire

Thailand says there is no ceasefire with Cambodia, and its military will continue fighting until it faces no further threat. That's despite the US president's earlier announcement that both sides had agreed to stop their attacks. Villages along the border are largely empty, except for a handful of volunteer security guards.

Phnom Penh

Fighting continues along Thai-Cambodia border

U.S President Donald Trump has threatened potential land strikes on Venezuela to target an illegal narcotics trade. Trump says the drugs are arriving on U.S shores and that President Nicolas Maduro is behind it. Maduro has denied the claim.

Caracas

Washington considers Venezuela land assault

King Charles III, who shared his cancer diagnosis with the world in February 2024, announced Friday that he would be scaling back his treatment after his doctors have seen success. The monarch also pushed for people to get early screenings, saying, "Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives."

King Charles to reduce cancer treatments

Belarus has freed more than 100 political prisoners, including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, in exchange for sanction relief on Belarusian potash, a U.S. statement said on Saturday.

Belarus releases political prisoners as U.S. lifts some sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he visited troops fending off Russian advances near the embattled city of Kupiansk that Moscow claimed to have captured last month, which Kyiv denies.

Kup'yans'k

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy visits troops as Ukraine claims gained ground near key city

In an audacious move, the EU has decided to indefinitely immobilize the Russian sovereign assets, pushing back against external pressure to release the funds before Moscow agrees to pay war reparations to Ukraine.

Brussels

EU locking in Russian assets for good

U.S. House Democrats released new images from the estate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that feature U.S. President Donald Trump and other high-profile people previously linked to Epstein.

Washington

House Democrats release more Epstein estate photos

For the first time, Amnesty International has accused Hamas and its allies of committing crimes against humanity, following an investigation into the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel. The organization found that 1,221 people were killed and said the mass killing of civilians amounted to extermination.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Amnesty accuses Hamas of 'crimes against humanity' for Oct. 7 attack

The “Architects of AI” were named Time's person of the year Thursday, with the magazine citing 2025 as when the potential of artificial intelligence “roared into view” with no turning back.

Rise of AI

Time magazine names 'Architects of AI' as person of the year for 2025

Message board website Reddit filed a lawsuit on Friday (December 12) asking Australia's High Court to overturn the country's social media ban for people under 16 as well as its inclusion in it, calling the law an infringement of free political expression.

Reddit sues to overturn Australian social media ban

As tensions rise with Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump said land operations could start "pretty soon." Sources tell CBS News the administration is also planning more tanker seizures.

Trump says Venezuela land operations could begin 'pretty soon'

One day after capturing an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, the U.S. has sanctioned three of Nicolas Maduro's nephews, along with six other oil tankers.

Trump ramps up pressure on Maduro with new sanctions

The EU has decided to keep the assets of the Russian Central Bank immobilised for the foreseeable future. The ban, which is based on a provision for economic emergencies, pushes back against external attempts to release the €210 billion in assets before Ukraine is compensated.

Moscow

EU triggers emergency clause to indefinitely immobilise Russian assets

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she planned to take her award back to Venezuela, but declined to say when she would return to her home country after leaving in great secrecy to receive the honor.

Nobel peace laureate Machado vows to take award home to Venezuela

Japanese authorities are assessing damage after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan, followed by multiple aftershocks. In response, officials have issued a warning about the possibility of a megaquake, defined as a magnitude 8.0 or higher event.

Japan alerts citizens about possible megaquake

A Maryland judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately release Kilmar Abrego Garcia from ICE custody. Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported to El Salvador and was later detained for potential deportation to another country.

Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia's immediate release from ICE custody

About 500,000 people are fleeing renewed clashes on the Thailand-Cambodia border. Over a dozen were killed as fighting shatters a US-Malaysia-brokered peace deal amid a decades-old temple land dispute.

Samraong

Half a million flee as Thailand-Cambodia border clashes escalate

The U.S. has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, ratcheting up tensions with Caracas.

Trump confirms seizing of Venezuelan oil tanker

The U.S. House has approved a bill to end all Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, sparking cautious optimism in Damascus as the measure moves closer to becoming law.

U.S. House votes to lift Caesar Act sanctions on Syria

Myanmar's military bombs a hospital in western Rakhine state, at least 31 people are killed and dozens injured.

Rakhine

Air strike in Myanmar killed at least 31 people, dozens injured

The U.S. military seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the ship had been used to violate sanctions on oil from Venezuela and Iran.

U.S. seizes oil tanker off Venezuela coast

The daughter of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her mother's behalf in Oslo, Norway. Machado, who lives in hiding in Venezuela, is set to make an address on Thursday.

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