Overview
- The OECD ministerial meeting opened in Paris on Wednesday and has focused on how to curb unfair state subsidies and strengthen supplies of rare earths and other critical minerals.
- Japan reported that it spent ¥310 billion on gasoline subsidies in April and that the reserve fund for fuel support stood at about ¥670 billion at the end of last month, highlighting the fiscal cost of keeping pump prices down.
- The Diet passed a revised Regional Public Transport Act that allows school, hospital and shuttle buses to be used for resident transport, a change designed to plug service gaps and slated to take effect by the end of the year.
- Osaka police placed 28‑year‑old Tomoki Fujiwara on a public wanted list on suspicion of organizing thefts linked to an anonymous, mobile crime group and said he is suspected of directing teenage accomplices while investigations continue.
- Obihiro city reported it found no evidence to support allegations of name‑lending in its local ban'ei horse racing but declined to publish the full report, a decision that leaves questions about transparency and next steps for oversight.