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Japanese Companies Are Banning Women Wearing Glasses at Work

Wearing glasses at work has become a touchy subject in Japan following reports that some firms have told female employees to remove them. Several companies have been confirmed as banning eyewear for female employees for a variety of reasons. Among them, some retail chains believe female assistants who wear glasses make a cold impression. The subject has sparked heated discussions on Japanese social media over dress practices and women in the workplace. The Nippon TV network looked into how firms in different industries prohibit women from wearing glasses. They included safety reasons for airline workers, or being unable to see make-up properly for women working in the beauty sector. It wasn’t clear whether the so-called “bans” were based on company policies, or simply reflected what was socially acceptable in those workplaces. Kumiko Nemoto, Professor of Sociology at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, said people in Japan are reacting to "outdated" policies. "The reasons why women are not supposed to wear glasses really don't make sense. It's all about gender. It's pretty discriminatory,” she said.

Sweden is Preparing Prisons For Underage Killers

A surge in gang-related shootings over the last decade — dozens of which were carried out by minors — has motivated Sweden to get tough by sending children under 15 to prison rather than turning them over to social services. Police estimate that there are 17,500 active gang members and 50,000 associates, and they’re using social media to recruit teenagers. Under a new proposed law, the age of criminal responsibility will be lowered from 15 to 13, and minors convicted of the most serious crimes will be locked up in special prisons designed for housing minors. Rosersberg Prison (pictured), north of Stockholm, is being rebuilt for ‌the most violent ⁠teenage offenders. Life behind bars there will focus on schooling. In their free time, prisoners may watch television, play video games, or train in the gym. Cells will be locked from 8 p.m. each evening. Until now, Sweden's worst juvenile offenders have been dealt with by social services, but that system is widely seen as a failure.

Uber Releases Its List of Strangest Lost-and-Found Items

Every year, Uber releases a list of lost items left behind by riders. Phones, wallets and keys are among the items most commonly forgotten. It turns out that people forget lots of weird and offbeat items as well — even down to…….no, not the kitchen sink, but a kitchen sink faucet. It’s the 10th year Uber has released its list of lost items. Among the trends this year, more riders left behind Labubus — the widely popular collectible toys — as well as fitness- and workout-oriented items, vapes and e-cigarettes, and — strangely enough — teeth. Other offbeat items include human hair, a Donny Osmond group picture, a package of live butterflies, and a wizard wand. Uber said it's rolling out changes to its app to help customers more easily retrieve their missing items. The new feature allows customers to report lost items on the app and request a return trip from their driver to have the item returned. The new feature is available now in California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC. The company plans to roll it out nationwide by the end of the year.

Act of Kindness Turns Into Gifts From the Sky

When Leah Wilson learned that an injured crow was trapped in a home's rain gutter, she couldn't ignore it. Overhead, a flock of crows was already sounding the alarm, circling and dive-bombing the area as if calling for help. Leah knew she had to do something about it. Nobody had a tall enough ladder, but she managed to find a fire crew nearby and persuaded them to come and help. After the rescue, Leah personally drove the crow to a wildlife rehabilitation center, and during the trip something happened that she remembers vividly. "He latched onto my finger and held on," she said. "That was life changing.” A few days later, Leah learned that the crow had recovered and been released back into the wild. Soon afterward, she experienced something she never expected. While walking her dog, a crow swooped down and dropped what she describes as a beautiful bundle of feathers at her feet. "I was like, 'Wow! This crow has given me a thank-you gift'." That first gift was only the beginning. Since then, Leah has received more than half a dozen offerings from crows, including sticks, balls of moss, and even a small bird's nest. What might seem unusual to others has become a meaningful reminder of her connection with the natural world. Today, Leah’s walks have become more meaningful. She can easily identify the crow she helped save because it now wears a metal band on its leg following its rehabilitation. What started as a simple rescue has become a remarkable example of how compassion can create unexpected connections.