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An official within Japan's prime minister's office said Thursday that Japan should possess nuclear weapons, a controversial stance at odds with the country's long-standing non-nuclear principles and could trigger backlash at home and abroad, several Japanese media outlets have reported.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever attends a European Union summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Dec. 18, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)Using frozen Russian assets is legally complex and politically sensitive, commented Fabian Zuleeg, chief economist at the European Policy Center.BRUSSELS, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- EU leaders are meeting in Brussels from Thursday to Friday for a European Council summit, sparking once again heated debate among member states.One of the most closely watched items is whether the bloc can move beyond tapping interest from frozen Russian assets and start leveraging the principal to support Ukraine. The debate has run for years, but why does the EU still hesitate at this moment?HOW MUCH HAS BEEN FROZENAfter the Ukraine crisis escalated in February 2022, Western countries moved to freeze roughly 300 billion U.S. dollars in overseas assets belonging to Russia's central bank, with most of that amount located in Europe. European Commission data put the total frozen inside the EU at about 210 billion euros (about 246 billion U.S. dollars).Around 90 percent of the frozen assets in the EU are held via Euroclear, the Brussels-based international central securities depository. The pool generates about 3 billion euros in interest per year.In May 2024, the Council of the EU adopted a package enabling the net proceeds generated by immobilized Russian assets to be used to further support Ukraine, including support for Ukraine's defense industry and reconstruction.In June 2024, G7 leaders agreed to provide Ukraine with a 50-billion-U.S.-dollar loan backed by the proceeds generated by frozen Russian assets. Since then, the EU's internal debate over how to use the assets, and how far it can go beyond, has continued to intensify.Photo taken on Dec. 18, 2025 shows the headquarters of Euroclear, the Brussels-based international central securities depository, in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo: Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)WHAT IS EU WORRIED ABOUTAnalysts say the bloc's reluctan...

CAIRO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) said Thursday that the recently announced natural gas deal with Israel is strictly commercial and carries no political implications, dismissing media reports that suggested otherwise.In a statement, SIS Chairman Diaa Rashwan said the deal is a purely commercial transaction based on economic and investment considerations, involving international energy companies such as U.S.-based Chevron and specialized Egyptian firms, without direct government intervention.He said the deal supports Egypt's strategic aim of cementing its position as a regional gas trading hub, underpinned by advanced liquefaction plants and gas transport infrastructure.Rashwan cautioned against what he called hostile media campaigns that seek to politicize the deal, noting that its timing does not change its commercial nature.He also reiterated Egypt's firm and unwavering stance on the Palestinian cause, including support for a two-state solution and opposition to forced displacement, highlighting Egypt's diplomatic role in Gaza reconstruction efforts.On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had approved a gas deal worth 112 billion shekels (about 34.7 billion U.S. dollars) under which Israel will supply natural gas to Egypt, calling it the largest gas deal in Israel's history.Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, speaking alongside Netanyahu, described the approval of the agreement as a historic moment for Israel, both diplomatically and economically.Back in August, Egyptian authorities clarified that the deal is an amendment to an earlier agreement in 2019, extending Israeli gas supply to Egypt until 2040.

BAGHDAD, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's Interior Ministry said on Thursday that its anti-drug forces seized 64 kg of narcotics and nabbed a suspect in the Iranian city of Abadan, close to Iraqi borders, in coordination with Iranian authorities.The operation was carried out by Iraq's General Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs in close cooperation with the Iranian anti-narcotics directorate, the ministry said in a statement.The statement added that joint security operations, based on international agreements and treaties with friendly nations, have proven effective in delivering decisive blows to drug networks and preventing the spread of these poisons that target the security and stability of society.Years of chaos and conflict following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion have hindered Iraq's efforts to combat narcotics. The Iraqi government has stated that drug trafficking remains a significant source of funding for terrorism, while the circulation of drugs thrives in the shadows of terrorism.The Iraqi Interior Ministry said in November that the country had dismantled 1,201 drug trafficking and distribution networks over the past three years, including 171 international rings, and had seized more than 14 tonnes of narcotics.