Overview
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday that supplies of chemicals made from naphtha should hold beyond a year as Japan ramps up purchases from the United States, Algeria and Peru outside the Middle East.
- The Education Ministry on Thursday named 51 local governments that will use a common written teacher hiring exam starting in 2027, while Tokyo and nearby prefectures chose not to join to retain their own testing tracks.
- Lawyers and citizens filed a criminal complaint Thursday with Tokyo prosecutors claiming Self-Defense Forces personnel broke Article 61 by singing the national anthem at an LDP convention, following a similar filing on Monday.
- The Seoul Central District Court extended Family Federation leader Han Hak‑ja’s temporary release to May 30 because of worsening health, even as she faces political funding charges brought last year by a special prosecutor.
- Former FBI director James Comey, re-indicted Monday, appeared in a Virginia federal court Wednesday with his lawyers calling the case retaliation for his Trump probe, and the judge declined stricter bail terms sought by the government.