US President Donald Trump stated he "didn't see" a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes within a video he shared on social media, according to BBC World. The video, which contained claims about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, was later removed. In other news, Italian authorities reported "serious sabotage" targeting the railway network as the Winter Olympic Games began, while France launched an investigation into former Culture Minister Jack Lang over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Additionally, Uber was ordered to pay $8.5 million in a US court case involving a claim of rape by a driver, and Google employees are demanding the company cut ties with ICE.
Trump's comments came after he shared a 62-second video containing a racist clip set to the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." When asked if he would apologize, Trump responded, "I didn't make a mistake," according to BBC World. He added that he had only seen the beginning of the video before it was posted by a staff member.
In Italy, police are investigating three separate incidents involving damage to railway lines, which they believe are connected to the Winter Olympic Games. A fire between Bologna and Venice caused delays of up to two-and-a-half hours, and police found severed cables and an explosive device nearby, BBC World reported. The Ministry of Transport called the incidents an act of "serious sabotage," mirroring vandalism during the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Meanwhile, French financial crime prosecutors opened a preliminary inquiry into former Culture Minister Jack Lang over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, according to BBC World. The investigation is for suspected "laundering of tax fraud proceeds." Lang, 86, denied wrongdoing, describing the allegations as "baseless" and stating the investigation "will bring much light on to the accusations that are questioning my probity."
In the US, Uber was ordered to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was raped by an Uber driver. The jury found Uber responsible for the driver's behavior, according to BBC Technology. Uber intends to appeal the verdict. The plaintiff, Jaylynn Dean, said she was sexually assaulted in the car.
Finally, nearly 900 Google employees demanded more transparency over the company's ties to the federal government's crackdown on immigration enforcement, according to BBC Technology. Google has contracts to provide federal agencies with cloud services. A Google employee of seven years said he found it "mind-boggling" that Google was maintaining its ties with immigration enforcement.
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