News

Hard Numbers: Japan's same-sex marriage ruling, British Uber drivers, EU-Mercosur trade pact under pressure, Atlanta shooting spree

Plaintiffs' lawyers and supporters show a banner that reads 'Unconstitutional decision' after a district court ruled on the legality of same-sex marriages outside Sapporo district court in Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan March 17, 2021

13: A Japanese court ruled for the first time that the government's failure to recognize same sex marriage is unconstitutional after 13 gay couples filed coordinated lawsuits in February 2019. It's unclear, however, how the government will act: on Wednesday, Tokyo reiterated that its stance did not violate the Constitution. To date, Japan is the only G7 country that does not recognize same-sex marriage.

70,000: After a major legal defeat in Britain's Supreme Court, Uber will now have to provide more legal protections to its 70,000 British drivers. The ruling is a massive blow for Uber, which has long lobbied against greater labor rights for its drivers, and could influence ongoing labor battles with gig economy companies in the EU and the US.

450: More than 450 NGOs have called for the EU to abandon a draft free trade deal with Mercosur countries — a bloc including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay — which they say would give rise to an increase in deforestation and other livestock trade harmful to the environment. The 2019 deal, which would create a trade bloc spanning roughly 750 million people, has stalled, as France and Germany express concerns over Brazil's lack of protection of the Amazon rainforest.

8: Eight people — six of whom were identified as Asian women — were killed Tuesday in a shooting rampage at several spas in Atlanta, Georgia. Although the police has yet to determine whether race was the motive for the attacks, crimes against Asian Americans in the US have surged since the pandemic began a year ago.

More For You

- YouTube

In this episode of ask ian, Ian Bremmer explains why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enters his latest White House meeting with President Trump in a stronger position than he did just a few months ago.

Competitive pay. 401(k) contributions upon employment and 6% company match once eligible. Up to 16 weeks of combined paid maternity and parental leave. These benefits and more inspire generations – Daidrian’s 18-year Walmart journey motivated her son Jonothan to launch his own career as a Walmart associate. Learn more.

Last week, Microsoft joined more than 100 companies to publish an open letter on the importance of open-weight AI models in expanding access to AI and giving organizations greater control over the technology they use. The paper draws parallels to the open-source software movement, positioning open-weight models as an important foundation for a broad and competitive AI ecosystem while emphasizing the need for responsible safeguards. Read the letter here.