4 phases of spin
Japanese companies are ramping up policies and protections against a rise in rude and abusive customer behaviour, with Narita International Airport becoming the first in the country to adopt a strict zero-tolerance policy. The new rule, which includes measures against verbal abuse, threats, and discrimination, reflects growing concerns in Japan’s service sector, where staff face more frequent confrontations from frustrated customers. Other businesses and even local governments are taking action. Last month, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government passed an ordinance aimed at safeguarding service industry workers from rising levels of abuse and harassment. A survey by the UA Zensen Union showed that nearly 47% of service workers in Japan had experienced some form of harassment from customers over the past two years, with some requiring counselling to cope. A new airport employee described how common these incidents are becoming, citing a recent case where a passenger reacted aggressively over excess baggage fees. “He was banging on the counter and yelling, refusing to pay,” she said. Airlines like All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have also announced new guidelines that explicitly ban abusive language, threats, and unreasonable demands on their staff. Other companies are turning to technology to help their workers handle customer outbursts. Telecommunications giant Softbank, for instance, has created an AI-powered tool to alter the voices of angry callers, making them sound calm on the line. Many convenience stores have introduced staff training and signs warning that misbehaviour will not be tolerated. While Japan is known for high standards of customer service, Roy Larke, a retail expert, explains that those standards also set high expectations for customer decorum. “This breakdown of norms can be shocking, as both staff and customers expect polite interactions,” he said. Morinosuke Kawaguchi, a technology analyst, suggests that the increase in recorded incidents on social media makes the trend appear more widespread than it may be, though some companies say aggression is clearly growing.
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Losing to older brother John Harbaugh and seeing the Los Angeles Chargers' four-game winning streak snapped Monday night might be the least of Jim Harbaugh's problems this week. The Chargers are holding their breath that running back J.K. Dobbins isn't seriously hurt after he left with a knee injury late in the first half of the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens . Harbaugh, who dislikes discussing injuries and eschews questions about any player's status with the tried and true “I'm not a doctor” answer, will get plenty of inquiries about Dobbins' health this week. After injuries derailed Dobbins' four years with the Ravens, the 2020 second-round pick decided to bet on himself by signing only a one-year deal with the Chargers. Though the first 10 1/2 games, the bet appeared to be paying off. Dobbins had 40 yards on six carries when he was wrenched backward by linebacker Malik Harrison and then gang-tackled on a play for no gain on third-and-1 at the 50-yard line. Dobbins is fourth in the AFC in rushing with 766 yards and averages 4.8 yards per carry, third highest among AFC backs with at least 100 carries. He has been considered among the candidates for AP Comeback Player of the Year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in last season’s opener. Dobbins' production throughout the season has made the offense more balanced. Los Angeles had 14 rushes for 68 yards before he was injured. They had seven carries for 15 yards the rest of the game. Without Dobbins and a 14-13 deficit at halftime, the Chargers tried to count on Justin Herbert and the passing game to rally back. Herbert was 11 for 22 for 125 yards and sacked three times in the five drives after Dobbins' departure and didn't get back into the end zone until Gus Edwards' 1-yard run with 46 seconds remaining. Edwards will be counted on to be the lead back if Dobbins has to miss games. Edwards missed four games during the middle of the season because of an ankle injury and has 25 carries for 93 yards in three games since returning to the lineup. Hassan Haskins and rookie Kimani Vidal will be counted on to provide depth. “Obviously, I’m hoping J.K. is OK. Gus has been an awesome addition, being able to run and go and get some yards,” Herbert said. "We just got to stay with it. I think that offensive line has done a great job all year. It didn’t go our way today, but we’re going to keep pounding the ball and keep getting after it.” Dobbins' injury also could not come at a worse time for the Chargers. They are 7-4 and hold the sixth seed in the AFC, but have tough upcoming tests against playoff contenders Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Denver the next three weeks. What’s working Herbert on the run. Herbert has at four scrambles of at least 12 yards in the past five games and got his second rushing touchdown of the season on the opening drive with a 5-yard carry up the middle. What needs help Not giving up big-play touchdowns. Rashod Bateman's 40-yard touchdown late in the second quarter (which would have been pass interference on Kristian Fulton if it wasn't completed) marked the third straight game the Chargers allowed a passing TD of at least 40 yards. They had allowed only two in the first nine games. Stock up LB Joey Bosa had four tackles, his most since he had seven in Week 1 against the Raiders. Bosa missed three games earlier in the season because of a hip injury, but had only two tackles in the four games since his return until Monday night. Stock down WR Quentin Johnston is the second Chargers receiver since 2009 to be targeted at least five times and not have a catch according to Sportradar. Travis Benjamin also had five targets and no receptions against the Jets in 2017. Besides being held without a catch, Johnston had two critical drops during the second half. Injuries In addition to Dobbins, CB Eli Apple suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return. CB Cam Hart was inactive because of an ankle injury and was in a walking boot. LB Denzel Perryman (groin) and TE Hayden Hurst (hip) were also inactive because of injuries. Key numbers 57 — Points allowed by the Chargers in the past two games. They had given up 68 in their first five games after their bye week. 73 — Games it took for Herbert to reach 1,800 completions, tying him with Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes as the fastest players in NFL history to reach that mark. 6 — Games where Daiyan Henley has had double-digit tackles. The second-year linebacker had 10 tackles (four solo) on Monday night. What’s next The Chargers will make their second trip in three years to Atlanta on Sunday. They won the 2022 meeting in Week 9 when Cameron Dicker hit a 37-yard field goal on the last play of the game. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season and has a four-game winning streak against teams in the division. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Joe Reedy, The Associated PressHallmark Fave Andrew Walker Goes Inside His Skincare Line and Shares Holiday Plans (VIDEO)
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A new culture war is brewing — and Coca-Cola's AI Christmas ad is at the centerConversational Systems Market: Conversational Systems to Reach USD 121.1B by 2031MARK Labbett was beaming as he spent a second day with his ex-wife, Katie. The couple, who married in 2014 but split in 2020 , have been treating their son, Lawrence, for a weekend in London. Navigating co-parenting like pros, Mark shared pictures from their two big days out, which started on Saturday with a trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Watford. Today, they shared another photo, showing off their shared transformations as Mark wrote on the pic: "Co-parenting in London part two - Natural History Museum. "Little Monster LOVED the T-Rex in a Christmas jumper." Both Mark, 58, and Katie , 31, looked unrecognisable from their time being married, having both lost weight and switching up their looks. Mark looked slender in a grey jumper and black trousers next to Katie, who cuddled up beside him in a black skirt and maroon jumper. The new pic comes a day after the family spent a day at Warner Bros Studios to take in the Harry Potter tour with their son. While keeping "Little Monster" Lawrence away from his social media, Mark and Katie snapped a selfie together which he shared on his Instagram Stories. Mark and Katie, who are also second cousins, were together for seven years, but split when their attempts at an open marriage failed. They first started speaking on Facebook in 2010, unaware of their familial connection. Mark, best known as The Beast on the ITV quiz show, later admitted that Covid lockdown had a detrimental effect on his mental health, and amplified the pair's 27-year age gap. Despite the break-up, they are yet to officially get divorced, though both have gone on to other relationships. Mark split from Hayley Palmer this year just a week after their one-year anniversary, with Hayley later claiming Mark had no intention of officially divorcing Katie. Speaking exclusively to The Sun about his break-up this week, Mark said: "She's [Hayley's] a lovely lady and I was very lucky to date her for a year, and as I said...it's me, I got old." "There's been no one since Hayley, I'm not saying there won't be another one. But I'm certainly not looking." Opening up about being content as a single man, Mark said: "I joke I am a shed man - a guy of a certain age that's quite content being in or out of a relationship - but loves to be spending time on their own. "It's primal, I think it goes all the way back to the hunter-gatherers where the man would go off a lot of time on their own. "To be fair it's not just men, there are people who actually like their own company."By Alec Lewis, Kevin Fishbain, Adam Jahns and Amos Morale III John Parker Romo ’s 29-yard overtime field goal gave the Minnesota Vikings a 30-27 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Romo’s kick capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive that featured big connections from Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold to T.J. Hockenson , Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison , who finished with a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown. Advertisement Chicago forced overtime behind a wild final minute in the fourth quarter, as the Bears scored a touchdown, converted a 2-point conversion, and then recovered an onside kick. In the final seconds of regulation, quarterback Caleb Williams found D.J. Moore for a 27-yard gain to set up Cairo Santos’ game-tying 48-yard field goal. The Bears got the ball first in overtime but were forced to punt, leaving Minnesota with the chance to win on a field goal. VIKINGS WIN IN OVERTIME pic.twitter.com/2KieGMIIbq — NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024 Addison goes off Last week, Jefferson, the Vikings’ superstar wide receiver, was asked how he’d defend himself. His reply? Shut him down, make the other Vikings receivers beat them. That’s the approach the Bears took Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, and Vikings No. 2 receiver Addison torched them. The second-year receiver finished with his career-high yardage on eight catches. He also hauled in his fourth touchdown pass of the season. Jefferson, meanwhile, only caught one pass for seven yards during regulation. Addison displayed his entire skillset with the Bears focused on Jefferson. He snatched a 45-yard pass with Bears safety draped all over his back. His touchdown grab was also a highly-contested catch. In the second half, Darnold found Addison on a crossing route, and Addison tightroped his way down the sideline for a 69-yard gain. He supplied the same level of explosiveness, route-running and ball-tracking ability that Vikings fans have become accustomed to watching with Jefferson. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer Darnold shows toughness Darnold delivered when the Vikings needed him most. He completed all six of his attempts in overtime and found Hockenson for a game-sealing 29-yard pass down the field. Darnold had exited in the fourth quarter after getting rolled up on his ankle following a pass. Advertisement In overtime, he was also shaking his hand. The toughness was emblematic of his entire season; Darnold has been on the injury report for multiple weeks with knee and foot injuries. The outing was also pretty emblematic of his career. He threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-34 passing, stringing together his second straight impressive game. It’s not all perfect. Inaccuracies surfaced at times, and he threw the ball into harms way over the middle of the field. All in all, though, Darnold produced when the Vikings needed him to, which is a theme in Minnesota’s 9-2 season. — Lewis Chicago’s unlucky streak continues The Bears have to lead the league in heart-breaking losses this season. A week after losing to the Green Bay Packers on a blocked field goal as time expired, the Vikings won on Romo’s 29-yard field goal in overtime. They’ve lost five games in a row, starting with the Hail Mary loss against the Washington Commanders . The Bears defense couldn’t stop Darnold in overtime. He found Hockenson wide open for a 29-yard gain to set up Romo’s game-winner. It was a wild game for the Bears. Safety Tarvarius Moore recovered an onside kick. But the Vikings also blocked kicker Santos’ 48-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, while returner D’Andre Carter also muffed a punt. Two pass inference penalties were called on cornerback Jaylon Johnson against Jefferson. Add it all up and the Bears are only good enough to scare their division rivals right now. — Adam Jahns, Bears beat writer Another good day for Williams The talk all week was about how the rookie quarterback Williams would handle Brian Flores’ defense. He passed the test, including a 27-yard strike to help set up overtime. The series in overtime included Williams’ worst play — taking a 12-yard sack — but overall, this was a good sign of progress. Advertisement This season has quickly turned into Williams’ development and progress being the priority, with playoffs virtually out of the picture. For the second week in a row, Bears fans can feel better about the future because of Williams. He got the ball out quick. He made some big-time throws on third down. He seemed calm in the hectic pocket. And he protected the football. The Bears would prefer to see his positive performance come in wins, but in a season like this, they’ll take a game like he had Sunday. Williams finished 32-of-47 passing for 340 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. — Kevin Fishbain, Bears beat writer Required reading (Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
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