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On July 1, according to Kyodo News, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced on the 30th that it will provide 387.3 billion yen (approximately $2.38 billion) to support a new company led by SoftBank, which is dedicated to developing domestic artificial intelligence (AI) foundational models, as part of the development commission for the fiscal year 2026. The ministry will support research and development in the field of physical AI that combines robotics and AI technology, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Japan's manufacturing sector, where it holds a competitive advantage. The new company, named 'Noetra' (formerly Japan AI Foundational Model Development), is established with SoftBank, NEC, Honda, and Sony Group as core members. In addition to advanced Japanese language understanding and reasoning capabilities, it will also focus on developing foundational models that can recognize images, videos, audio, and physical spaces. The company has been selected for a support project under the 'New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization' (NEDO) affiliated with the ministry.

Gelonghui, July 1st | On June 30th local time, a statement showed that Shell’s subsidiary, Shell Offshore Inc., has agreed to sell its interests in an oil platform and adjacent oil fields in the Gulf of America for $1.7 billion to Talos Energy Inc. and Ridgewood Energy. The effective date of the transaction is July 1, 2025, and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, pending regulatory approval.

Lotte Hotel and Lotte Hotel Busan jointly hold a 61.18% stake in Lotte Rental, and this entire equity stake is up for sale; the valuation of this transaction is around 1.5 trillion Korean won.