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 from GZERO Media

Proud Source Water became a Walmart supplier in 2021. Today, their team has grown 50%, and they're the largest employer in Mackay, ID. When local suppliers work with Walmart, their business can grow. In fact, two-thirds of Walmart's product spend is on products made, grown, or assembled in America. By working with Walmart, local businesses like Proud Source Water can reach more customers, hire more people, and help their communities thrive. Explore the positive impact of Walmart's $350 billion investment in US manufacturing.

Economists categorize technologies into two types: single-purpose tools and “general-purpose technologies,” or GPTs. A single-purpose tool, like a smoke detector or lawn mower, excels at one specific task. But general-purpose technologies, like electricity or personal computers, have multiple applications and can be utilized across every economic sector. It’s almost certain that AI will be regarded by economists as the next great GPT. Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith emphasizes the importance of developing national strategies to harness AI’s potential and the need for widespread adoption across various sectors to drive economic growth. Read more in his latest article.

- YouTube

With reports of North Korean troops in Kursk, what is the likelihood of NATO directly intervening in the Ukraine-Russia war? Moldova's pro-Western President secured a second term after narrow runoff win. Does her victory reflect Western strength against Putin? How is the political rift between Bolivia's government and the former President Evo Morales affecting the country's stability and economy? Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.

File Photo: Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris speaks to reporters after meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 9, 2024.
REUTERS/Nathan Howard

Thankfully, not every election campaign lasts for two years.

Aubrey and Taylor Endicott cast their votes while their children, from left, Sterling, 5, Adelaide, 3, and Lincoln, 7, wait patiently under the voting tables at Shawnee Heights Middle School on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
USA Today Network via Reuters

For the US and other countries with elected leaders, Tuesday’s election represents a referendum on the future of democracy. Will it come away battered, or will it remain intact?

The Meta logo is seen on a mobile phone with the Chinese flag in the background in this photo illustration.
Photo by Jaap Arriens / SIpa USA via Reuters

But because of Meta’s openness, Chinese researchers were able to develop their own AI model — for military use — using one of Meta’s Llama models.

An FPV drone with an attached portable grenade launcher is seen during a test flight conducted by Ukrainian servicemen of the 'Bulava' Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Unit of the Separate Presidential Brigade at their position near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, on Oct. 11, 2024.

REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Ukraine is reportedly using new AI-powered drones to fly explosives toward Russian targets.

Pens for the diabetes drug Ozempic sit on a production line to be packaged at the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's site in Hillerod, Denmark.
REUTERS/Tom Little

Armed with a bunch of Ozempic money, the Novo Nordisk Foundation — along with Denmark’s Export and Investment fund — is bankrolling a new AI supercomputer called Gefion, which launched on Oct. 23 and is run by a new company called the Danish Centre for AI Innovation.

DALL-E

While neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor former President Donald Trump has given much attention to artificial intelligence on the campaign trail — and AI hasn’t completely disrupted the election process as some experts feared — there are still important questions surrounding AI and the election.