A Japanese zoo, Healing Pavilion, has made headlines by banning solo male visitors due to repeated harassment incidents targeting the female owner and female guests. Located in Tochigi Prefecture, the interactive zoo offers a unique experience, allowing visitors to interact, feed, and bond with various animals, South China Morning Post reported. The ban, which has sparked a mixed online reaction, was announced by Director Misa Mama on January 26. 

She wrote on X, ”From today, we will not allow men to visit alone. This is not out of arrogance or misunderstanding. Many people have ulterior motives, and recently, my heart has been hurting from stress. We are not a cabaret club, so if you really want to interact with animals, please come with friends or family.”

See the post here:

本日より　勝手ながら
男性1人での来園はお断りさせて頂きます

自惚れてるとか勘違いではなく

私目的の人が多く
最近ストレスで心臓が痛いです
うちはキャバクラじゃありませんので
どうしても動物と触れ合いたかったら
お友達や家族をお誘い合わせの上
ご来店お願いいたします。

— ミサママ(癒され亭の園長 (@misamama1010) January 25, 2025

A sign at the entrance clearly states the new policy, requiring solo male visitors to be accompanied by family or friends. According to Director Misa Mama, the zoo’s typical demographic has been families and couples, but a subset of unaccompanied male visitors has consistently made female staff and guests uncomfortable. These individuals have initiated unwanted conversations, exhibited flirtatious behaviour, and even made inappropriate comments, prompting the zoo to implement the ban to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.

She also shared the challenges she faced in dealing with unwanted advances from solo male visitors. As a hospitality-oriented business, she felt obligated to maintain a friendly demeanour, even when confronted with uncomfortable situations. In defence of her policy, Ms Mama said she prioritizes creating a safe and respectful space for all visitors, particularly women and families.

“This rule isn’t based on arrogance or a misunderstanding of men. Too many have come with harmful intentions, causing me significant stress. I feel as if my heart is in pain,” she clarified. 

The policy sparked debate online, with some arguing that it was unfair to single out and restrict solo male visitors, suggesting that it was discriminatory.

One user wrote, “This is blatant gender discrimination. Many individuals like me simply wish to enjoy the company of animals alone and mean no harm.” 

In response, she said, “If I could, I would only prohibit those who misbehave. But as a woman managing the zoo alone, I fear potential retaliation, leaving me no choice but to enforce this rule.”

She clarified that her policy was not driven by a bias against men, but rather a practical response to the challenges she faced as a solo female operator of the zoo. She appealed for public understanding and empathy. Many expressed sympathy and support for her decision, acknowledging the difficulties she faced in maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all visitors.

Pune:

A 45-year-old man on Saturday allegedly killed his wife and minor son by administering them a heavy dose of sleeping pills before attempting suicide due to “harassment” by moneylenders, police said.

The man, Vaibhav Hande from Chikhali near Pune city, is being treated in a hospital and police have booked four persons, identified as Santosh Kadam, Surekha Kadam, Santosh Pawar and Javed Khan, in connection with the deaths, the official said.

In his complaint, Vaibhav said he gave several sleeping pills to his wife Shubhangi Hande, 36, and their 9-year-old son Dhanraj in the morning, resulting in their death. Vaibhav then tried to hang himself from a ceiling fan in their flat.

On Friday night, Vaibhav had sent a note on the mobile phone of his 14-year-old son, whom he had sent to his relative’s place in Mumbai, detailing his plan.

The teenager panicked after reading the message in the morning and made frantic calls to their neighbours to check on his family. When the neighbours did not get any response despite repeated knocks on the door, they called the police, the official said.

Police entered the flat and found Vaibhav alive. He was then rushed to a private hospital, the official said.

“The complainant had borrowed Rs 6 lakh and Rs 2 lakh at a monthly interest rate of 10 per cent from accused Santosh Kadam and Surekha, respectively. He had also taken Rs 4 lakh from Javed Khan at high interest,” the official said, quoting Vaibhav’s complaint.

The complainant told the police that he had repaid the principal and an additional Rs 9 lakh to the moneylenders but they were harassing him to pay more, the official said.

The accused have been booked for criminal intimidation and a probe is underway, the official said. 

In the wake of the Kolkata rape-murder case, a retired colonel recently took to social media to share why he supports his daughter’s decision to settle outside the country. In a post on X, user Col Sanjay Pande shared that his daughter completed her three years in graduation in Delhi. “We, then, lived in a super posh colony in South Delhi. College was 15 minutes walk of which 7 mins was within colony and seven on main road,” he said. 

The user went on to say that half the route towards her daughter’s college was inside a “very premium government auditorium” and the rest was on a footpath with “an institutional area wall”. “SAFEST right? No shops, no public, main road, no people and absolutely safe road,” he asked. In the following lines, he shared his daughter’s harrowing experiences.

Take a look at the post below: 

With so many posts on ‘women don’t come to India’ and ‘women go abroad’, here is my own story.

My daughter did her three years of graduation in Delhi. We, then, lived in a super posh colony in South Delhi. College was 15 minutes walk of which 7 mins was within colony and seven…

— Col Sanjay Pande (@ColSanjayPande) August 16, 2024

“Cars would slow down and guys would ask her to ‘accompany’! They would ask ‘rate’. I was sure someone would be doing the same with the guys sister, daughter, wife too. In second year I gave her a car exclusively. No stepping on road. Ever,” he shared. 

The retired colonel posted how when his daughter wanted to settle abroad, he agreed and supported her. “This was 13 years back. She has right to her life. She is abroad since then. I could afford. What about 95% plus who cannot?” he expressed. 

The post was shared just a day back. Since then, it has accumulated more than 878,000 views. 

Reacting to the post, one user shared, “I lived in South Delhi and each time I had to take an auto or cab at night because of late work, it gave me so much anxiety. Just waiting for the auto made so many men stop and stare. I can totally relate to her.”

Also Read | Bengaluru Man Claims Movers And Packers Stole Items Worth Lakhs, Firm Reacts

“It’s so sad really. As an Indian woman, I wish someone could teach our men to respect women as human beings. It has to start in every household, every school, every step of the way and I’m not sure how we make it happen but it needs to happen,” commented another. 

“It’s an everyday tale. The fact that a lot of people normalise it and say a woman should learn self defence or fight this or shame the abuser is illogical. Why should women not just step out and go about her day ?!” said a third user. 

“It’s common behavior. Used to happen routinely in the area outside our hospital, especially if standing at bus stop. One fellow was so persistent I removed the lab coat from my bag and showed him, saying ‘arre hasptal se hain, bhai’. He said ‘sorry sister’ and left,” shared a fourth X user. 

A shocking incident took place in Bengaluru, leaving the internet shaken. Piyush Kukkar had a strange encounter on Varthur Road, near Prestige Lakeside Habitat, around 10 pm. The video was recorded on a dashcam. He said that the “staged harassment” took place on a busy road.

“When someone tells you Dashcam isn’t a necessity in BLR show them this, Another such incident in Bangalore outskirts, this time it happened with me. Today around 10:25 PM on the outskirts of BLR, I faced a staged harassment incident on Varthur road, near prestige lakeside habitat,” said the caption of the videos posted by the user on X (formerly Twitter).

On July 1, Mr Kukkar was driving on a busy street in the first clip, which was recorded at 10:24:50, when a person on a scooter abruptly blocked his route. According to the user, this is a regular tactic used to exacerbate the situation. In the second clip, a Bolero with its licence plate’s final two digits scratched started honking behind him. The user stated that the Bolero’s driver ordered him to stop and that the driver eventually came out and yelled at him.

When someone tells you Dashcam isn’t a necessity in BLR show them this, Another such incident in Bangalore outskirts, this time it happened with me. Today around 10:25 PM on the outskirts of BLR, I faced a staged harassment incident on Varthur road, near prestige lakeside habitat pic.twitter.com/9yh776abMs

— Piyush Kukkar (@piyush17ankur) July 1, 2024

In a long thread on the microblogging platform, he said, “They forced me to stop, and the Bolero driver got out and began shouting aggressively. Another person on a scooty took a U-turn and came very close to my car. I suspect Bolero guy indicated him regarding a dashcam being installed, hence he didn’t hit my car with his scooty.”

According to him, they backed off since they saw his dashcam recording. Mr Kukkar said that such incidents have become common in the area. “My family, including my 3-month-old son, was in the car, and this could have escalated dangerously. I have attached the dashcam footage here. As you can see in the video, I didn’t provoke them, as I have been seeing these harassment incidents on twitter very regularly, plus I had the dashcam installed. I consider myself very lucky today, but someone may not be that fortunate. Please install a Dashcam.”

His post gained widespread attention on social media and many users urged the Bengaluru police to take action. Responding to the same, the official account of the police department said, “Noted, we have informed to @varthurps for necessary action in this regard. @dcpwhitefield. Please provide your contact details via DM.”

In April, a video posted on Instagram by user Harikrishnan P showed a man being repeatedly beaten with an iron rod ruthlessly. After the attack, the assailants walked away.

Along with the video, the user wrote, “Today, during my drive near Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore, I witnessed a horrifying incident that shook me to the core. On the main road, I saw a person being viciously attacked with a steel rod, while the assailant walked away without a care in the world. This is just a glimpse of the violence that seems to be becoming all too common in our city. I’m deeply concerned about the safety of our community. Is Bangalore still a safe place to call home? It’s heartbreaking to witness such brutality on a daily basis. I urge the authorities of the Karnataka government to take immediate action and ensure that justice is served for the victim. We cannot allow such acts of violence to go unpunished. Please share this post and help spread the word. Together, we can make our city safer for everyone.”

A group of more than 10,000 black cab drivers is suing Uber after accusing it of breaching taxi-booking rules in London, in a move which could cost the ride-hailing giant more than $313 million.

A group action claim has been filed in the High Court over Uber’s operations in the capital between May 2012 and March 2018.

The cab drivers claim that Uber misled Transport for London (TfL) over how it operated its ride-booking system and therefore breached private hire licensing rules.

They allege that the company allowed its drivers to accept bookings directly from customers, rather than going through a central system like minicab services.

The legal claim says that this booking system was “unlawful” because it did not comply with private hire rules, and that Uber deliberately misled TfL about how the system worked in order to get its licence.

The cab drivers say that during this time they suffered losses as a result of having fewer customers or having to work longer hours to compete with the popular app.

RGL Management has filed the group action, known as BULiT21, on behalf of the London cabbies, who are being instructed by solicitors at law firm Mishcon de Reya.

It is anticipating that the total claim value could be more than 250 million pounds, with each cab driver’s claim worth up to 25,000 pounds.

A spokesman for Uber said: “These old claims are completely unfounded.

“Uber operates lawfully in London, is fully licensed by TfL, and is proud to serve millions of passengers and drivers across the capital.”

It is understood there has been no communication between Uber and RGL Management since the claims were first raised in 2019.

RGL Management said it thinks up to 30,000 cab drivers who operate in London could be eligible to join the group and make a claim against Uber.

It is appealing for more drivers to join the action in the coming weeks.

Michael Green, the director of RGL Management, said: “RGL is pleased to file this claim form today on behalf of over 10,500 London cabbies, a major legal milestone in holding Uber to account for its failure to comply with the relevant legislation in the UK’s capital.

“There are still thousands of cabbies eligible to join who have not yet done so. A cut-off date is fast approaching.

“RGL, therefore, urges drivers to register with the BULiT21 legal action as soon as possible to join with thousands of fellow cabbies in the pursuit of losses suffered at the hands of Uber.”

Garry White, a black cab driver for 36 years, said the claim seeks “justice and fair compensation” on behalf of London drivers.

“Uber seems to believe it is above the law and cabbies across London have suffered loss of earnings because of it,” he said.

Uber has previously faced issues over its licence to operate private hire vehicles in London.

It was denied a licence by TfL in 2019, over concerns that passenger safety had been breached and there were issues around transparency.

But it was allowed to continue operating and then in 2022, it was granted a two-and-a-half-year licence in London.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

A woman in South Korea has been sentenced to six months in jail and two years of probation after she was found guilty of stalking and harassing her adult daughter, the Independentreported. While her name has not been revealed, she is said to be in her 50s. The harassment, which occurred from December 2021 to May 2022, involved 306 text messages and 111 phone calls, according to Daejeon District Court documents.

The initial messages were normal and mostly contained ordinary requests like suggesting Bible readings or asking about whereabouts. However, when she did not receive replies from her daughter for a long period of time, the messages became abusive, including derogatory comments about the daughter’s sexual behaviour.

Not only that, the woman then resorted to physically stalking her daughter and dropping her at her residence multiple times, unannounced. She also used to peep into her daughter’s home.

Despite a police injunction issued last June, the woman trespassed six more times. She claimed that her actions were not deliberate, but the court dismissed her argument. 

The court then handed her a prison sentence of six months and also ordered her to complete 40 hours of anti-stalking education.

According to South Korean law, individuals found guilty of stalking can face fines of up to 30 million won (Rs 18,78,008) or imprisonment for a maximum of three years. In March 2021, lawmakers in the country passed a stricter law against stalkers which went into effect in October 2021, as per Straits Times. 

In cases where the offender stalks while carrying a weapon, the penalty increases to 50 million won (31,25,083) and a five-year jail sentence.