Video with racist clip pulled from Trump social media

Summary

Global News Podcast (BBC World Service) — February 7, 2026

Episode Title: Video with racist clip pulled from Trump social media

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers comprehensive coverage of critical global news stories, including the uproar over a racist video shared from President Trump’s Truth Social account, fresh revelations from the Epstein files implicating international figures, the growing awards buzz around the film "Sinners," Cuba’s escalating fuel crisis, Japan’s snap election, and the European Union’s regulatory crackdown on TikTok’s app design. The program features insightful analysis, direct quotes from key voices, and perspectives from expert correspondents around the world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Racist Video Shared on Trump’s Social Media (01:05–07:10)

What Happened

• President Trump’s official Truth Social account shared a video that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle, appended to conspiracy content about election fraud.
• The clip stayed online for about 12 hours before being deleted after widespread backlash.

Immediate Reactions

• Trump initially attributed the post to a staffer, acknowledged it was racist, but stopped short of apologizing.
• He said, "No, I didn't make a mistake. I mean, I look at a lot of thousands of things and I looked at the beginning of it, it was fine. ... Nobody knew that that was in. And if they would have looked, they would have seen it and probably they would have had the sense to take it down." (02:39)

Political & Public Response

• Condemnation was swift and bipartisan, though the White House initially dismissed criticism as "fake outrage" before shifting blame to an unnamed staffer.
• Democratic Congressman Al Green: “This is raw, rank racism.” (03:34)
• Tim Scott (only Black Republican Senator): Called it "the most racist thing he'd seen out of this White House." (03:58)
• Hakeem Jeffries (Democratic House Leader): Described Trump’s behavior as “vile and racist” and pointed to a pattern, including earlier incidents involving AI-generated images. (04:53)

Current and Potential Impact

• Simi Jola, Washington correspondent, noted no comment from the Obamas.
• She emphasized: "Given historically low support levels from black voters and that strong sense of loyalty a lot of black voters have to figures like Barack Obama, this episode is more likely to sort of deepen opposition and have a negative effect on sort of turnout for President Trump, especially with the midterm elections coming up." (06:21)

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2. Global Repercussions from Epstein Files Leak (07:10–11:26)

Scope of the Files

• Millions of emails, photos, and files released by the US Justice Department have implicated high-profile figures worldwide.
• Affected countries include at least eight beyond the US: UK, Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Norway, Ukraine, Poland, and frequent mentions of Russia and Israel.

Notable International Fallout

• Norway: Crown Princess and former PM Thorbjorn Juglund (head of Nobel Committee) caught up, the latter under corruption investigation.
• Israel: Former PM Ehud Barak caught on a recording discussing demographics with Epstein. He claims regret over the association.
• The UK: Ongoing pressure over Prime Minister’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador, given his links to Epstein.

Disinformation Campaigns

• France accuses Russian groups (Copicom; Storm 15,16) of spreading fake news about President Macron’s alleged ties to Epstein via falsified online news outlets. (10:09)
• Joe Inwood (World Affairs Correspondent): “There is a vast, vast number of documents … I expect there are powerful people around the world about whom more embarrassing revelations will come out in the near future.” (11:12)

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3. Film World Buzz: Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ (12:06–15:45)

Awards Build-up

• "Sinners," a supernatural thriller by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed), is making waves ahead of the Directors Guild Awards and BAFTAs.
• The film reunites Coogler with Michael B. Jordan and draws on themes of ancestry, purpose, and music.

Personal Roots

• Coogler: “The story started with my love of my uncle who is from Mississippi and loved blues music. … I found myself listening to the blues records that I would listen to with him as a way of processing.” (12:54–13:18)

Diversity Impact

• The film, led by a diverse cast and creative team, has over 13 BAFTA nominations and a record 20 Academy Award nominations.
• Despite its success, only 24% of international box office takings came from outside the US – a notable gap compared to other hits.

Perspectives on Hollywood

• Actress Wunmi Mosaku: “It was the original story, it wasn’t white led. I think you can learn that people show up. I think Hollywood needs to maybe catch up with the audience members.” (15:16)

Memorable Context

• If Coogler wins Best Director at the Oscars, he will be the first Black filmmaker to do so.

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4. Cuba’s Critical Fuel Shortage & Political Standoff (18:57–23:19)

Crisis in Havana

• Cuban citizens face extreme fuel shortages after Venezuelan shipments halted due to US intervention and new tariffs.
• Residents describe desperate waits:
  • Emilio Hernandez: “Two hours. I've spent two hours waiting for the fuel tanker to arrive and no sign of it.” (19:19)
  • Francisco Perez: “I've been here for five hours. No tanker yet and no idea if it's coming.” (19:26)

International Dynamics

• Washington has blocked Venezuela, Cuba’s main supplier, from sending oil.
• Mexico is unable to fill the gap due to its own trade negotiations with the US.
• Will Grant (Correspondent): “The picture for the island is quite honestly the bleakest it has been this century... one genuinely wonders what those solutions will be and exactly what they can offer to Washington beyond wholesale root and branch reform.” (21:09–22:40)
• US approach appears to focus on increasing pressure for political change.

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5. Japan’s Snap Election: Historic Stakes & Societal Change (23:19–28:57)

Election Atmosphere

• Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader, is seeking a clear mandate after calling a snap election just three months into her tenure.
• The ruling Liberal Democratic Party grapples with corruption scandals and an unpopular image, yet Takaichi’s personal popularity and aura of relentlessness give her momentum.

Key Voter Concerns

• Cost of living, stagnant wages, inflation, and high property prices.
• One resident: “Prices are rising, but wages aren’t. I really don’t know how this might change.” (25:42)
• Another: “When I think about my grandchildren, national defense is what matters, and she's thinking seriously about it.” (27:58)

Diplomatic Tensions

• Takaichi has strengthened US-Japan ties (e.g., hosting Trump), but angered China with comments about defending Taiwan militarily.

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6. EU’s Crackdown on TikTok’s 'Addictive Design' (28:57–32:23)

New Regulations

• The European Union has ordered TikTok to change features deemed addictive, specifically those targeting young users (e.g., autoplay, push notifications, poor screen-time controls).
• Henna Verkonen (EU Tech Chief): “TikTok is designed in the way that it's very addictive. ... We know that especially when it comes to young users, this kind of addictive design is very harmful for their well being.” (29:35)

TikTok’s Response

• The platform disputes the EU’s findings and is planning to challenge them.
• The EU is investigating similar features on other platforms, with an ongoing focus on protection of minors.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump on video oversight: “If they would have looked, they would have seen it and probably they would have had the sense to take it down.” (02:55)
• Congressman Al Green: “This is raw, rank racism.” (03:34)
• Simi Jola (Washington correspondent): “It has attracted widespread condemnation, not only amongst politicians, but also from supporters, civil rights groups, and Republicans as well.” (06:21)
• Joe Inwood (World Affairs): “…I expect there are still powerful people around the world about whom more embarrassing revelations will come out in the near future.” (11:20)
• Ryan Coogler: “I found myself listening to the blues records that I would listen to with [my uncle] as a way of processing and that transformative power of that music…was what gave me the idea for this movie.” (12:59–13:18)
• Wunmi Mosaku on diversity: “Hollywood needs to maybe catch up with the audience members... a lot of people of color come out and show up for films like Sinners.” (15:16)
• Will Grant (Cuba): “It is a very tough picture for people right now.” (20:24)
• Henna Verkonen (EU): “When it comes to young users, this kind of addictive design is very harmful for their well being.” (29:35)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trump Racist Video Incident: 01:05–07:10
• Epstein Files Fallout: 07:10–11:26
• BAFTA/Oscar Film Buzz (‘Sinners’): 12:06–15:45
• Cuba Fuel Crisis: 18:57–23:19
• Japan’s Snap Election: 23:19–28:57
• EU v. TikTok (Addictive Design): 28:57–32:23

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This episode weaves together hard-hitting news, political analysis, and cultural insight, offering listeners a sweeping view of urgent global stories and how they intersect across politics, society, and technology.

Transcript

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[Keith Adams]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Keith Adams and in the early hours of 7 February, these are our main stories. Condemnation across the US political spectrum prompts the White House to remove a racist video on President Trump's Truth Social account. More international figures are embroiled in the web of connections around the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as further details emerge from the release of his emails, photos and files and the seemingly B movie blockbuster taking the film world by storm. The growing buzz around the vampire and blues horror sinners. Also in this podcast. Two hours. I've spent two hours waiting for the fuel tanker to arrive and no sign of it. We don't know if it's coming. Fuel shortages in Cuba reach critical levels. The government says it's ready for talks with the US about solving the crisis. First to the United States, where the White House has removed a video shared on President Trump's Truth Social account depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle. The clip appeared at the end of a video promoting conspiracy theories about fraud in the 2020 presidential election. It remained online for about 12 hours. President Trump has now acknowledged the video was racist, but has declined to apolog, and he says the video was taken down as soon as the White House found out about it.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

No, I didn't make a mistake. I mean, I look at a lot of thousands of things and I looked at the beginning of it, it was fine. They had that one post And I guess it was a takeoff, by the way, a lot of people covered, if you look at where it came from, a lot of, I guess it was a takeoff from the Lion King. And certainly it was a very strong post in terms of voter fraud. Nobody knew that that was in. And if they would have looked, they would have seen it and probably they would have had the sense to take it down.

[Keith Adams]

Well, the post quickly sparked condemnation across the political spectrum, which the White House initially dismissed as fake outrage, but it later blamed the post on a staffer who it said had erroneously shared it. Democratic Congressman Al Green said the incident crossed a clear line. What the President has done is gone beyond racial profile.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

This is raw, rank racism.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

When the President of the United States.

[Keith Adams]

Of America, who knows or should know.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

The history of this country and how.

[Henna Verkonen]

Persons have used this image of persons.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Of African ancestry to be associated with persons who are members of the monkey family. For the president to do this and.

[Keith Adams]

To do it openly and notoriously is.

[Henna Verkonen]

Showing that he condones this level of racism.

[Keith Adams]

In a social media post, Tim Scott, the only black Republican currently serving in the Senate, said he thought it was the most racist thing he'd seen come out of this White House. From Washington, here's our correspondent, Simi Jola.

[Simi Jola]

Trump says that he only saw the first part of the video, the part that rehashed unproven claims of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential elections. He says he didn't see the part of the video that included the racist clip of former President Bar Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, which depicted them as apes. When asked if he renounces that racist part of the video, President Trump said, of course. But he fell short of making an apology, saying that he himself didn't make a mistake.

[Keith Adams]

And there's been angry responses by the Democrats to this video, hasn't there? As well?

[Simi Jola]

There has been a lot of angry responses by the Democrats. The leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, asserted that the had been done intentionally, saying that President Trump's behaviour was vile and racist. He himself has accused Trump of racism. Last year, after the President shared an AI image depicting Jeffries, who's black with a mustache and sombrero. The California Governor Gavin Newsom's office also posted that the video was disgusting and said that every single Republican should denounce the video.

[Keith Adams]

And some Republicans have, haven't they?

[Simi Jola]

Yes. President Trump has received backlash from members of his own party. New York Representative Mike Lawlor earlier said that the video was incredibly offensive and that the President should apologize. Even the only black Republican Senator Tim Scott, called for the video to be taken down, describing it as the most racist thing he's seen out of this White House.

[Keith Adams]

And have the Obamas commented on this incident?

[Simi Jola]

No, they haven't. We haven't seen anything on their social media with regards to this video that was uploaded on Trump's Truth Social account.

[Keith Adams]

I seem to remember that President Trump had some success with Black voters in 2024. Do you think this could have an impact on his relationship with them?

[Simi Jola]

Sort of reinforces narratives of racial insensitivity and it has attracted widespread condemnation, not only amongst polit politicians, but also from supporters, civil rights groups and Republicans as well. Given historically low support levels from black voters and that strong sense of loyalty a lot of black voters have to figures like Barack Obama, this episode is more likely to sort of deepen opposition and have a negative effect on sort of turnout for President Trump, especially with the midterm elections coming up. We will just have to wait and see how this might affect his support going forward.

[Keith Adams]

Simi Jolo Asho all week, one story has dominated the headlines here in the uk. The British Prime Minister under pressure over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador despite his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But the ripples from the release of millions of Epstein's emails, photos and files reach well beyond on this country.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

The Epstein files have just been released by the Justice Department.

[Keith Adams]

A taste there of some of the global headlines. It just shows how far Epstein's network reached, from businessmen to politicians to royals. On Friday, Norway's crown princess apologised for her friendship with the convicted sex offender. Jo Inwood is our World affairs correspondent and he told my colleague Ankur Desai which countries seem to be particularly affected by the files.

[Joe Inwood]

This is spreading as globally as the network that Jeffrey Epstein seems to have maintained. There are at least eight countries that we know of other than the US which are carrying out investigations. That's the uk, Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Norway, Ukraine and Poland. And there really could be more. Now, in terms of countries that pop up quite a lot. Russia is mentioned many, many times. A huge number really, but that's often in the context of Jeffrey Epstein trying to find young women, it seems. Now Poland has another connection also with Russia, because the Prime Minister there, Donald Tusk, has suggested that Jeffrey Epstein may have actually been a spy working for the Kremlin. Now, Israel is another country Jeffrey Epstein is often said to have had many links with. And it was well known that the former Prime Minister Edward Barak had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Now, Times of Israel says that they've listened to a three hour recorded conversation between the two men in which they cover a huge range of topics. One of the ones that's really captured people's interest there is him talking about demographics and the need to bring in more Jewish people, especially from Russia, to counter the rise in the Arab population there. That's something that's been discussed, of course. Mr. Barak has previously said he regrets his association with Mr. Epstein. But the one country that's come up more than any other, apart from maybe the uk, is Norway. Now, people might have heard about the connection with the Crown Princess, but we've also got a former Prime Minister, Thorbjorn Juglund, who has been connected. He was also the head of the Council of Europe and the head of the Nobel Committee. Now he is found, according to papers there, to have exchanged some pretty toe curling messages with Mr. Epstein and a corruption investigation has been launched into him. He says he is happy to cooperate with that and looks forward to proving his innocence.

[Henna Verkonen]

Joe, an interesting incident in France.

[Keith Adams]

A huge release of new information that's allegedly been used to spread disinformation. What do we know about that?

[Joe Inwood]

Yeah, this is a really interesting one. This is almost kind of the flip side of the coin to the information and the new light that's been spread on things. This is an allegation from a French kind of government anti disinformation unit. And they say that they found attempts, they say, by Russian groups to post disinformation about President Macron. Now what they say they found is what appeared to be a legitimate news website, but actually was a fake and it was putting forward an article with lots of allegations against President Macron for which there is no evidence, we understand, suggesting that he had links with Mr. Epstein. And rather than coming from the French news organization it claimed to come from, according to the French authorities, it actually came from two Russian groups, one called Copicom and one called Storm 15, 16. Now it's been really interesting, I think, really noteworthy that there are certain countries that have come up. What we don't know at this point is are certain countries being mentioned more than others because Mr. Epstein has greater links there, or is it simply because journalists in those countries have been looking through the documents with more intensity? Could be either one of those things. And I say that because there is a vast, vast number of documents, millions and millions, we are still going through them and I expect there are still powerful people around the world about whom more embarrassing revelations will come out in the near future.

[Keith Adams]

Joe Inwood and for the in depth backstory of how the Epstein files have rocked the British establishment, search for our sister podcast the Global Story. Wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts, it may well be super bowl weekend, but in Hollywood, another contest is causing excitement. On Saturday, the Directors Guild of America holds its annual awards, seen as a strong indicator of who might take home that coveted Best Director trophy at the Oscars. And as Alan Maloney reports, there's a growing buzz around Ryan Coogler for his supernatural thriller Sinners.

[Alan Maloney]

With the ward season in full flow, there is one film on the lips of Academy voters, Period vampire film. Sinners is the brainchild of Black Panther and Creed director Ryan Coogler and reunites him with frequent collaborator Michael B. Jordan.

[Keith Adams]

You twins? Nah, we cousins.

[Alan Maloney]

But it's Paul Thomas Anderson, director of One Battle After Another, not Coogler, who's seen as the current favourite to win for Best Director Oscar. But that could change if Coogler wins in their same category at Saturday's Directors Guild Awards, long been seen as a bellwether in predicting the Best Director Oscar winner. But for Coogler, whatever happens in the awards sweepstakes, Sinners remains a very personal story.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

The story started with my love of my uncle who is from Mississippi and loved blues music.

[Joe Inwood]

He was my introduction to to it. He passed away 10 years ago in 2015 and after he passed I found myself listening to the blues records that I would listen to with him as.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

A way of processing and that transformative power of that music and the ritual.

[Joe Inwood]

Of listening to music to trigger nostalgia.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

For a loved one was what gave.

[Joe Inwood]

Me the idea for this movie.

[Alan Maloney]

Sinners had been predicted to do well in terms of nominations, but its record breaking tally of 62016 has exceeded the dreams of even its biggest supporters. Not bad for a film originally released last April and marketed as more of a crowd pleasing blockbuster than a worthy Oscar drama. One of the next major steps on Sinner's Oscars juggernaut will be here, London's Royal Festival hall, where the BAFTA Film Awards will take place in just a few weeks time. Sinners has secured 13 Bafta nominations to go along with its record Academy Award nomination haul. And for a film that was seen as something of a risk by its studio, Warner Bros. It's rapidly becoming a major awards contender. With multiple award nominations and a worldwide box office of almost $370 million. It's a risk that looks to have largely paid off for the studio. But while the film has been a big success In America, only 24% of its box office came from outside the U.S. that's a significant disconnect and by far the lowest proportion of any of the top 50American films at the worldwide box office last year. The Vampires is different, but Nigerian British actress Wumi Mousaku believes the film has the potential to reach a global audience.

[Simi Jola]

As a movie, it really talks about your ancestry and your purpose, your gift and what we do with it and who we let mold it, touch it. Because, you know, I think that's a message for anyone and everyone no matter who you are, like what's your purpose.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

And what you're going to do with.

[Simi Jola]

It and how are you going to protect it?

[Alan Maloney]

She sees the film's originality as well as difference and diversity on display as something that Hollywood should embrace more of going forward. Forward.

[Simi Jola]

It was the original story, it wasn't white led. I think you can learn that people show up. I think Hollywood needs to maybe catch up with the audience members, the audience goers, because a lot of people of color come out and show up for films like Sinners, Zootopia. I mean, what's the K pop movie? I mean these are massive movies that people have really loved and they are very, very diverse.

[Alan Maloney]

With its record number of Academy Award nominations, Sinners is the movie with the most momentum heading into the awards campaign season. And if Coogler does win an Academy Award for best directing, he will make history as the first black filmmaker to do so.

[Keith Adams]

Alan Maloney still to come in this.

[Henna Verkonen]

Podcast, when it comes to young users, this kind of addictive design is very harmful for their well being.

[Keith Adams]

The European Union takes on TikTok and what regulators call its addictive design.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

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[Keith Adams]

This is the Global News Podcast. Cuba has for a long time been dependent on imported oil, and it's now suffering from a critical shortage of fuel because shipments from Venezuela, once its biggest supplier, have been stopped by the US And Mexico. Cuba's top supplier after Venezuela is under intense pressure from Washington following new US Tariffs on countries that ship oil to the island. The Cuban president, Miguel Diaz Canel, says transport, hospitals and the economy are all affected, but the Cuba is ready for dialogue with the US provided it's on an equal footing. In response, the White House says diplomacy is already taking place, but that the Cuban government is on what it called its last legs. Meanwhile, the people are feeling desperate. Emilio Hernandez I'm Emilio Hernandez. Two hours. I've spent two hours waiting for the fuel tanker to arrive and no sign of it. We don't know if it's coming and this is paying in dollars. My name is Francisco Perez. I've been here for five hours. No tanker yet and no idea if it's coming. They say it's coming, but who knows In Cuban pesos or foreign currency, whatever, you just have to find a way to pay for it. We have no other option. Well, our Central America and Cuba correspondent, Will Grant was in Havana just weeks ago. He spoke to my colle, Ed Butler.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

It's very, very desperate. I mean, I've been very recently. I saw and spoke to people. Really. It is the only topic of conversation with people you were seeing on petrol station Four Courts. People were queuing for hours on end hoping to get the possibility of some kind of fuel for their cars, even if that meant paying in foreign currency, which sort of already divides people into those who have access to foreign currency and those who don't. But it is a very tough picture for people right now.

[Joe Inwood]

Firstly, I suppose they are going to.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Be completely out of oil, I guess potentially this weekend or something like it.

[Keith Adams]

If a solution isn't found. Do we know what Washington is offering.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

As some kind of compromise? Because it seems like they hold all the chips effectively if Cuba is going to be out of fuel altogether. Yeah, I think that's a very fair analysis, Ed. I mean, if we pull back, as you say, from hearing the voices on the street, if we pull back and we think about this for a moment, Venezuela, the main provider of oil that's been knocked out and Washington is essentially in control now, as far as we understand, of the Venezuelan oil industry. It is a complete red line from Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, that Venezuela sends any more oil to Cuba. Mexico, where I am currently, they can't step up because they are going to be engaged in talks over renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement, the USMCA over the summer. And again, Washington made it abundantly clear that they don't expect Mexico to step up to fill the void of Venezuela. Who's left in terms of Cuba's allies, Russia obviously has its own issues and currently dedicating its resources to the war in Ukraine. So the picture for the island is quite honestly the bleakest it has been this century. We've heard from the President Diaz Canel saying they're trying to find solutions, but one genuinely wonders what those solutions will be and exactly what they can offer to Washington beyond wholesale root and branch reform that would be acceptable to the Trump administration. Yeah. And given Marco Rubio's history and his position on Cuba, you wonder what they would satisfy the White House short of regime change. Exactly. And I think that is the issue because in Venezuela they've shown that they're willing to work with an interim government that involves the remnants of Nicolas Maduro's administration. I'm not sure that that will be the case in the Cuban example example. And so it seems that the intention, as so stated by Marco Rubio himself, really is to basically squeeze the island now by cutting off its oil to a point that the humanitarian crisis is such that there is some kind of reaction on the streets or requiring, from Washington's perspective, some kind of intervention. But it's a very, very risky game. And of course, ordinary Cubans, like the one we heard at the beginning, are sort of trapped in the middle of all of that.

[Keith Adams]

Will grant Japan heads to the polls again this Sunday, the second general election in as many years. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female leader, is betting on her personal popularity to do what her party failed to do last year secure a clear mandate for the long ruling but unpopular Liberal Democratic Party. But Sunday's elections will also test the appetite for her plans to boost public spending when inflation and cost of living is uppermost in voters minds. Our Tokyo correspondent Shaima Khalil has been speaking to voters about what's at stake.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

It's another cold morning in Tokyo. Here in Togoshi Ginza, a busy shopping street in central Shinagawa, daily life is in full swing. Mothers are cycling past with shopping baskets up front and children strapped behind. I can see two people lingering over a sushi display. It looks rather good, I must say. An elderly woman is examining a bag of oranges at a fruit stall outside the local supermarket. Japan is heading into a snap election, its second in two years. The prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, caught her party, the opposition and much of the electorate here off guard when she called it just three months into her leadership. It's a political gamble, one her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, took last year and lost badly this time. The difference is her Persona and popularity. Her party's image, though, remains deeply tainted by corruption scandals that came to light over two years ago. The timing of this election has drawn sharp criticism. Opponents say it will delay anti inflation measures and budget scrutiny. It's also happening in the depths of winter with heavy snow in parts of northern Japan. Raising concerns about turnout and hanging heavily over this vote, of course, is the cost of living. I used to spend about 10,000 yen a week on groceries. That's no longer manageable. Prices keep rising, quantities keep shrinking. Even when prices stay the same, you get less.

[Joe Inwood]

Tokyo property prices are just too high.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

I wish they could come down a bit.

[Joe Inwood]

Everyone's talking about rice prices, but look.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

At what chicken costs now. I live alone, so I manage, but.

[Keith Adams]

For families, I imagine it's really tough.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Prices are rising, but wages aren't. I really don't know how this might change. Despite persistently stagnant wages, a weak yen, and inflation, Takaichi's first months in office have been dominated less by policy and more by performance. That mantra, work, work, work, in her acceptance speech when she was chosen by the ruling party to take office in October, helped cement an image of relentless energy. In just over three months, she's built a striking public profile, from hosting Donald Trump within a week of taking office and announcing a new golden age of U S. Japan relations, the first female.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Prime minister in the history of Japan.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

To their joint appearance aboard the USS George Washington in Yokosuka, fists in the air as Mr. Trump showered her with praise. Two days before the election, President Trump endorsed Ms. Takaichi. There was also another viral moment, a surprise drumming session alongside South Korea's President Yi Jeong Nung. Jeffrey hall is the lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies.

[Joe Inwood]

We have a very different situation right now in Japan. Takaichi has historically high approval ratings. There is sort of an atmosphere of positivity about her being the first female prime minister in Japanese history, about her being successful at diplomacy. There is a large conservative group on the Internet of users and social media influencers. They are able to make posts showing her in a positive way go viral almost every day during the election.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

All of this unfolds under the historic weight of her being Japan's first woman prime minister. I wasn't interested in politics before. It felt like it didn't matter who was in charge.

[Henna Verkonen]

But since Ms. Takaichi took office, I've.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Noticed a change and started to think differently. Now we're both women. I have high expectations that she'll work hard. When women decide to do something, we get it done.

[Keith Adams]

She's conservative, a hawk. The economy matters, of course, but when I think about my grandchildren, national defense is what matters, and she's thinking seriously about it.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

One other issue looms large. Since taking office, Takaichi has energized diplomacy, but she's also managed to infuriate China. Relations deteriorated sharply after she suggested that Japan would respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan. Comments she has refused to retract. Domestically, the row has strengthened her standing, but critics warn that the economic fallout could be severe. Sanae Takaichi is expected to visit Washington soon after the election, ahead of a Trump Xi Jinping summit and at a moment of deep strain with Beijing. If she wins the majority, she'll enjoy a brief honeymoon period. But the reality of stagnant wages, a weak yen, labor shortages and rising prices will hit very quickly.

[Keith Adams]

Shaima Khalil we have reported before on the Global News podcast about the growing number of countries taking steps to limit or outright ban children using social media. But that is not a quick or straightforward process. And in the meantime, regulators continue to pressure tech giants to do more to protect young people from online harm. In the latest Such case, the EU has ordered TikTok to change what it described as its addictive design. So what is it about TikTok that the EU has taken issue with? The bloc's tech chief Henna Verkonen spoke to Laila Nathoo.

[Henna Verkonen]

We have been investigating now two years how TikTok is operating and we have really found that TikTok is designed in the way that it's very addictive. So it means that it's urging really to users to keep scrolling and also different autoplay features it's using and also it's pushing notifications. So it's really designed in the way that it's trying to keep the users online so much as possible. And we know that especially when it comes to young users, this kind of addictive design is very harmful for their well being.

[Keith Adams]

I appreciate that you're highlighting concerns about.

[Simi Jola]

The impact on children and young people, but when it comes to adult users.

[Keith Adams]

I mean they are consenting adults, they.

[Simi Jola]

Know what they have signed up for. Couldn't this be considered overreach?

[Henna Verkonen]

According our Digital Services act, online platforms, especially when it comes to minors, they have to make sure that very high level of security, safety and privacy is ensured. So we have specific obligations when it comes to minors. But of course that kind of very addictive practices, they are harmful for all the users and we have also very vulnerable adults who are very addicted.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

So what are you asking TikTok to change?

[Henna Verkonen]

They have to change the design of their service. So they have to really assess and mitigate the risks what they are posing for people's well being, for example, pushing the notifications and also during the nighttime they have to really limit that and also they have to have more effective tools also to limit the screen time. Because we see also that these tools, what they are having, they are not effective and they are not also taking measures when minors are also using TikTok during the nights and when they are opening the app very, very often.

[Simi Jola]

I should just say that TikTok has told us that the commission's depiction of the platform is categorically false and they.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Are going to challenge the findings. Are you concerned about similar features on other platforms.

[Simi Jola]

Those sort of features that you highlighted don't seem unique to TikTok, or is.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

There something about how these features are.

[Simi Jola]

Used on TikTok that is particularly concerning?

[Henna Verkonen]

We have been investigating now several platforms and the investigation is still going on. So now this was the first preliminary findings on addictive design and these were about TikTok. But we have also similar investigations going on on other platforms. They have to have practices in place how they are assessing and mitigating the systematic risk risks they are posing, for example, for people's well being. And we are really focusing especially now to protection of minors.

[Keith Adams]

EU tech chief Henner Vierkonen and that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail] you can also find us on XBCWorldService. Use the hashtag globalnews pod. And don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story, available wherever you get your podcasts. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Chris Murphy and the producer was Guy Pitt. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Keith Adams and until next time. Goodbye.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

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