Glen Wood has come to symbolise a growing fight against "paternity harassment" in Japan. In of the of the country's very first cases of its kind, Wood alleged on-the-job harassment and unlawful dismissal from his position at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley after taking parental leave when his son was born prematurely in 2015. Last month, the Tokyo High Court rejected the Canadian native's appeal. In a 21-page ruling, the court defended the company's actions as "inevitable".
China is the world's last major economy still imposing a draconian zero-Covid strategy, responding to small numbers of cases with strict lockdowns and tough testing campaigns. However, the measures have taken a heavy toll on the world's second-biggest economy and residents are voicing their frustration. Beijing has repeatedly defended its strategy and this week sent another 1.7 million people into lockdown in central Anhui province.
Finally, India has banned 19 single-use plastic items, including straws, cups and cigarette packets, all to combat worsening pollution. It is a radical move and the first such nationwide ban. India uses about 14 million tons of plastic annually, but the country lacks an organised system for managing plastic waste, leading to widespread littering.
