News

Part-time workers in Japan saw their average pay surge by a record high of 6.53% during this year's spring labor negotiations, driven by a nationwide trend of wage increases and a severe labor shortage. This marks the highest increase since the labor union organization UA Zensen was established in 2012.

Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's office gave gift certificates worth 100,000 yen to parliamentary secretaries attending a social gathering at his official residence, raising questions about the practice within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. This revelation follows a similar admission by current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, suggesting the possibility of an established custom.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally returning to Earth after their nine-month stay on the International Space Station, thanks to the arrival of the SpaceX Crew-5 mission. The duo's extended mission was caused by problems with their Boeing Starliner capsule, which prevented it from docking with the space station as planned.

Asian markets were mixed on Tuesday, with Chinese markets retreating after a broad rally on Wall Street fueled by hopes the Trump administration may take a more targeted approach as it tees up a new round of tariffs on imported goods next week. The S&P 500 jumped 1.8% on Monday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.4%.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called for unity within the LDP to win two key elections this summer, acknowledging the public's distrust of politics and emphasizing the need for wage hikes and work-style reforms. The LDP faces an uphill battle to restore its strength after suffering a loss in the Lower House election last October.