Global News Roundup: Key Players Face Challenges

Japan's governing party is projected to win a majority in the snap election called by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, according to BBC World. The election, held amid rare snowfall in Tokyo, saw projections pointing to a decisive victory for the Liberal Democrat Party (LDP). This win would provide a clear public mandate for Takaichi, who became party leader just four months prior.

In Australia, the Liberal-National Coalition, the country's main opposition, reunited on Sunday after a split over hate speech laws. The coalition partners had separated on January 22nd due to disagreements over reforms proposed by the government following a shooting at a Jewish festival. "The Coalition is back together and looking to the future, not to the past," said Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley, as reported by BBC World.

Meanwhile, in France, financial crime prosecutors opened a preliminary inquiry into former Culture Minister Jack Lang over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, as reported by BBC World. The investigation concerns suspected "laundering of tax fraud proceeds" and follows the release of the Epstein files by the US Department of Justice. Lang, 86, denies any wrongdoing, calling the allegations "baseless."

Google executives are facing pressure from staff over the company's ties to the federal government's immigration enforcement, according to BBC Technology. Nearly 900 Google employees demanded more transparency regarding the use of the company's technology within the US government. A Google employee of seven years found it "mind-boggling" that the company was maintaining its ties with immigration enforcement, as reported by BBC Technology.

The EU has told TikTok it must change its "addictive design" or face heavy fines, according to BBC Technology. The European Commission found the video-sharing platform had breached its online safety rules, specifically failing to adequately assess how features like autoplay could harm users, including children. A TikTok spokesperson told the BBC the findings were a "categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform" and that the company planned to challenge them.