it's now december 2 in china, a month since the tennis player, peng shuai's post.ll cannot square cut -- share or quote the post. here's more from bbc sport. >> the wta would like to see more focus on finding out what the president of the -- out whether the president spoke to peng shuai. they would like to see a more open and understanding process, to let them speak to peng shuai and find out what's going on, because they are concerned that they, when they spoke to peng shuai, it wasn't the real story -- the full story. it was put on somewhat. the winter olympics and paralympics will be happening next year in beijing. when they spoke to peng shuai, it was about looking after their product as wel the wta says he doesn't believe it's been an open process. they would like to be able to have a chat with peng shuai herself, not with all the fanfare going on around it. ros: i know they've said they've suspended all future tournaments for the moment, but are there particular tennis events the wta had in the schedule that it's a big deal to cancel? >> is a really interesti

ros: peng shuai is a former world number one in doubles channels., she put out this message alleging that a high official in chinese government sexually assaulted her. he is a former vice premier, one of seven people on the politburo standing committee, which essentially runs china. after that,eng shuai disappeared from public view for two weeks. the approach taken by the olympic committee has taken some criticism. here is pam shriver, who won 22 grand slams and analytical metal. >> peng shuai is a three-time olympian, so they should be doing all they can to make sure that she is safe and free to speak up about sexual abuse allegations. but when you think about the ioc, placing the olympic games there in 2008, seven years prior , now going back for the winter games in 2020 two. i'm not sure quiet diplomacy has helped human rights in china. i'm not sure how they can hang their hat on the quiet diplomacy has worked in the past and will work in the situation. what steve simon has done, which is to not be quiet and to speak out bravely, and to pull tour

peng shuai is a _ fall away is sad for them. peng shuai is a very _ fall away is sad for them.uai is a very high-profile - shuai is a very high—profile player, world number one in doubles, she is someone that will grab everyone's attention, it was very brave on her part, would you say, to make it public what she said happened to her. , .., public what she said happened to her. , i. to her. extremely, can you imagine? _ to her. extremely, can you imagine? when _ to her. extremely, can you imagine? when we - to her. extremely, can youj imagine? when we banded together in 1970 to pull away and start the women's pro circuit, there were nine of us, plus promoters and leaders, and she is an individual, so for her to do this, i mean where was it, four years ago, me too, that movement in america, but for her to do this now kind of ijy for her to do this now kind of by herself, that was some very brave and courageous, but you can't be a woman tennis pro unless you have a really strong backbone. it is an individual sport, it teaches independence. so part of who she is as a former champio

stories: the women's tennis association suspends all tournaments in china amidst concerns about peng shuai. we are not going to walk away from this and we're not going allow this to be swept away without the appropriate respect and seriousness of the allegations that have been reflected are appropriately addressed. covid cases in south africa have increased sharply, as the first case of omicron is reported in the us. hollywood actor alec baldwin insists he did not pull the trigger in the fatal shooting of cinematographer halyna hutchins. abortion rights in the balance as the united states supreme court hears the most important case in a generation. and the winner is... the turner prize goes to a traditional irish pub with a twist. hello. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. some of the biggest names in tennis have thrown their support behind the women's tennis association after it said it will immediately suspended all tournaments in china. the head of the wta has told the bbc the decision was taken because chinese authorities have failed to address sexual assault

stories: the women's tennis association suspends all tournaments in china amidst concerns about peng shuai. we are not going to walk away from this and we're not going allow this to be swept away without the appropriate respect and seriousness of the allegations that have been reflected are appropriately addressed. covid cases in south africa have increased sharply as the first case of omicron is reported in the us. hollywood actor alec baldwin insists he did not pull the trigger in the fatal shooting of cinematographer halyna hutchins. abortion rights in the balance as the united states supreme court hears the most important case in a generation. and amid tensions with china over taiwan: the uss carl vinson finishes its biggest ever annual drills in the region. our correspondent�*s on board. this is the us navy's newest, most advanced and most expensive fighter aircraft. this is its first employment outside the us and their is no surprise it has been sent here. hello. very good to have you with us wherever in the world you are watching. some of the biggest names in tennis have thrown thei

and it's clear these questions about peng shuai aren't going away. courtney bembridge, bbc news.�*s tennis correspondent, russell fuller, joined mejust moments after he'd interviewed the wta chairman about the decision. yes, it's something that he feels very, very strongly about, steve simon. he feels the women's tennis association was founded on equality 48 years ago, and that this is a principle on which he is not prepared to negotiate. he is i think reassured that peng shuai seems to be safe and well, but having taken the decision to suspend tournaments, it wouldn't be fair to put players and staff potentially at risk by asking them to travel to china in the current circumstances. i asked china in the current circumstances. iasked him china in the current circumstances. i asked him to outline why he feels that he needs to push this so strongly, why he can't leave these sexual assault allegations to the chinese justice system. we're definitely still _ chinese justice system. we're definitely still looking - chinese justice system. we're definitely still looking to - definitely

the women's tennis association suspends all tournaments in china amidst concerns about peng shuai. we know she's in beijing, which is terrific, but we also still are very strong in our position that a full and independent investigation without any censorship needs to be held. we censorship needs to be held. will not allow this to swept we will not allow this to be swept away without the appropriate respect and seriousness of the allegations reflected. the first case of omicron reported in the us. the chief medical officer says it was �*just a matter of time'. hollywood actor alec baldwin insists he did not pull the trigger in the fatal shooting of cinematographer halyna hutchins. and the winner is.... the turner prize goes to a traditional irish pub with a twist. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. some of the biggest names in tennis have thrown their support behind the women's tennis association after it said it will immediately suspended all tournaments in china. the head of the wta has told the bbc the decision was taken because chinese authorities hav

association says it is suspending all tournaments in china following the disappearance of star player, peng shuaippeared for three weeks after accusing a top communist official of sexual assault. with the latest, courtney bembridge reports it has been a month since peng shuai posted on social media accusing a top chinese official of sexual assault. the post was quickly taken down and she disappeared from public view. photos and videos like this released by chinese state media it was supposed to show her safe and free but did little to allay concerns for safety. and now the women's tennis association has pulled the plug on lucrative tournaments in china. its chief says china is a key market for women's tennis and the decision could cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcasting and sponsorship. at the tennis community has come out in support of the decision. american former number one billiejean king says: it isa it is a crucial time for sport in china with beijing set to host the 2022 winter olympics and paralympics in february and march. and it is clear these questions about peng shua

coming up in the sport later on the hour on the bbc news channel: the ioc speaks to peng shuai for aond time but that's unlikely to change the wta decision to suspend all its tournaments in china. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the government has ordered an extra 114 million covid vaccine doses for booster programmes over the next two years. ministers say the deals — for both pfizer and moderna jabs — will �*future proof�* the uk's vaccination programme. the deals include access to modified vaccines if they are needed to combat omicron and other variants that may arise. our health correspondent katherine da costa reports. a year ago today the uk became the first in the world to approve the pfizer covid vaccine. days later margaret keenan was the first person outside clinical trials to get it. since then, 150 millionjabs have been administered in the biggest vaccination effort in uk history. now more than 100 million extra doses of pfizer and moderna have been secured for the next couple of years. figs been secured for the next couple of ears. �* , . been secured fo

the most troubling example is the ongoing abuse of chinese olympian peng shuai. she disappeared by the c.c.p. after coming forward with serious sexual abuse allegations against a senior party member, and after the world began speaking up for her, peng, the c.c.p. propaganda machine, published false statements in her name. rather than standing up for her, the i.o.c. immediately issued public statements to validate this obvious disinformation and propaganda. even more shocking, i.o.c. president thomas bach participated in and publicized a staged conversation with peng that was a -- that was supervised by a senior c.c.p. member. mr. speaker, it's clear that peng is neither free nor safe. and since the 2008 games, the chinese communist party has become more repressive at home, more aggressive abroad and has begun a genocide against china's most vulnerable minorities. when olympians around the world travel to beijing in february, they're trusting the i.o.c. to keep them safe. but the i.o.c.'s recent actions have shown that they are not worthy of this trust. i commend t

what do they do with peng shuai? because if they - are. what do they do with pengl shuai? y won't like that. i mentioned it is a sensitive issue in china because authorities obsess in retaining stability. they will always try to silence any voice perceived as a threat. so i think it is a tricky issue and has to wait to be seen. but i think it's very important that the international communities keep up the pressure. very good to talk to you and get your views on that. let's just bring you an update from new york. we were bringing news that there was a standoff outside the united nations headquarters in new york and had been cordoned off. a standoff between the police and a man apparently holding a gun outside the un building in new york. just hearing from the new york police department, they are saying there is no threat to the public from that incident outside the united nations. the police saying no threat to the public although there has been a man reportedly with a gun outside the un in new york. back to those efforts to contain the spread of the new 0micron virus here i

i know what a privilege it is to represent your country and for peng shuai as well. but this idea that you can't influence china at all, that we're just going to listen to everything they say and brush it under the table, the time has come for that to end. and the wta, huge credit to them, the nba wouldn't do it, the ioc wouldn't do it but the women's tennis association has done it and, by the way, john, i believe the atp, the men's professional tour, i believe they should follow suit. they don't have as much on the table economically, but they have some huge events in china as well. it is time for them to pull the plug. >> patrick mcenroe, i appreciate your input here. you should know that china apparently is so scared with what you have to say about this that they blacked out the feed of cnn to china during this segment, underneath we're showing the live feed, the people in china are seeing now, color bars there. they don't want china -- the chinese people to hear what you have to say, patrick. we do. thanks so much. >> hopefully my podcast as well, john. i'll stay

. >>> plus chinese tennis star peng shuai walks back allegations of sexual assault. she says this was all a misunderstanding. >> announcer: live from cnn center, this is "cnn newsroom," with rosemary church. >>> good to have you with us. well, not a wave but a covid tsunami. that is the warning from one u.s. health expert as the omicron variant threatens to plunge the country into yet another covid emergency. the delta variant is already driving a surge in cases and hospitalizations. but experts say omicron will overtake delta soon, straining a health care system that's already at the brink. and that's why officials say it's more important than ever to get vaccinated and boosted. and new numbers underscore that point. recent cdc data shows unvaccinated people are 20 times more like ly to die from covid than people who have been fully vaccinated and boosted. meanwhile, u.s. president joe biden is preparing to meet with the white house covid response team in the coming hours. he's also set to address public concerns about omicron in a speech on tuesday. and over on cap

the wta has asked for further evidence of peng shuai's safety. g for a live teleconference with peng without anybody else present. with the olympics less than two months away, china's foreign ministry has said that it hopes that any malicious speculation about peng's whereabouts will stop, and it has said china, quote, opposes the politicization of sport. rosemary. >> selina wang bringing us the latest from that. >>> thank you so much for joining us. for our international viewers, world sport is next. and for those in the u.s., i'll be right back with more news. don't do anywhere. in of toys to fulfill many wisheses. must be carrrried across all roads and all bridges. and when everyone is smiling and hahaving their fun i can turn my sleigh north because my job here is done. it's not magic that makes more holiday deliveries to homes in the us than anyone else, it's the hardworking people of the united states postal service. 1, 2, 3... yay! ♪ “i got you babe” by etta james ♪ ♪ wait hold up, here it cos! alrit, everybody stand up straight. okay now l

they are depriving peng shuai's freedom of expression.t a month ago accusing a retired senior party leader of sexual assault. >> why did you have to take me to your home and force me to have sex with you. i couldn't describe how disgusted i was. >> reporter: her post erased in less than 30 minutes. chinese social media users appearing to use code words to evade the censors. some using a line from peng's post that going up against a powerful party official is like hitting a rock with an egg. one comment says why don't we talk about the issue of you know whom. the thread deleted 20 minutes later. chinese television never aired these videos of peng, videos activists say are almost certainly staged, released about three weeks after peng's post, aimed at a foreign audience to repair china's reputation ahead of the beijing winter olympics. >> the public face that they will show when the games actually happen in february, it will appear as if this never happened. >> reporter: some of the world's most famous athletes voicing support for peng and

it says from peng shuai to this reporter from singapore in shanghai at the ski tournament. sexually assaulting me. it's my personal privacy. there possibly has opinion a lot of misunderstanding. therefore, there should not be such distorted interpretation here. chinese state media has been calling this a distortion by the western media for weeks now. this is part of an ongoing propaganda campaign. peng shuai is essentially saying the same thing that state media propagandists have been saying on a platform blocked inside china. outside they have been tweeting seriously trying to salvage china's reputation aevidence of the beijing 2022 winter games. peng shuai is saying the same things, bhoem have been detained in china and forced to make confessions in china saying they are coached. they practice for these sorts of things, and even though this video appears to be all spontaneous you can't necessarily take it at face value here. >> and so it continues. thank you so much, will, for reporting on this. really appreciate it. >> we also have new reporting into cnn this morning, th

an issue brought to the forefront by the apparent silencing of the chinese tennis star peng shuai after she accused a communist leader of rape. but of course, not one single american ally has joined that boycott. not a single one. so china's sitting there and watching this and seeing u.s. allies not get onboard with a diplomatic boycott. and they're looking at taiwan drooling and they're looking at what's going on with ukraine. how important is what's happening in russia for what happens with taiwan? >> well, incredibly important and there is a connection, clearly. but, you know, the united states has an agreement with taiwan. the taiwan relations act. um, that obligates the united states to have a relationship with taiwan simultaneously with the prc. now, president biden let the cat out of the bag when he stated emphatically, of course the united states would come to the defense of taiwan which i think frankly was a mistake because we wanted that strategic ambiguity to hover over all of that. so, there's -- there are some connections but there are some significant differences. um, the

a reminder of events since peng shuai's this appearance.n november 2, she accused a former chinese vice premier of sexually assaulting her by a social media. that post was later deleted. 11 days later, chinese state media released a video of the 35 real dining at a restaurant in beijing. the wta said the footage was insufficient proof of her safety. a few days later, some of the top names in the sport focused concerns about her safety. under increasing pressure from human rights groups, china responded by saying her disappearance is not a diplomatic question. on november 21st, the international olympic committee chief held a video call with her. said she appeared to be fine but could export not convinced she was able to speak freely. a senior researcher at human rights watch is applauding the wta's decision. >> so much respect because this is what standing up for human rights in china looks like. that is what integrity looks like. this is what leadership looks like. we saw the video clips and the pictures of her smiling but we have not hear

the ioc says their second video call with peng shuai took place on wednesday. ioc about exactly when this second video conference call took place. what was said, no transcript, no stills, no footage. so we'lljust have to take their word for it. they are clearly trying to emphasise their role as an intermediary here between the tennis player and between the chinese state. but that, of course, comes just weeks before the committee is due to co—host the winter olympic games in beijing. and it is important to say that it is the ioc and only the ioc at the moment that seems to manage to have got permission to contact peng in this way. the wta may be wining more praise but by remaining involved with china — it's the ioc that has the access. cindy yu is from the spectator magazine. they are the only people have managed to speak to her twice in the last month. so in some ways they have actually been more effective in ensuring that she say because they have actually managed to talk to her through not taking to heart light in ——line a position it is difficult to know whe

but every time cnn is on the air talking about peng shuai, it's erased.etired senior chinese communist official, something you don't do in china without serious repercussions. some activists say the videos they have leased remind e them of propaganda videos and confessions they were forced to make detained inside china. when you see peng shuai, all smiles, pictures don't tell the whole story. >> will rippley, thanks so much. we'll see if there are any consequences for the upcoming winter olympics in china as well. >>> thanks to all of you for joining us today. a lot of news today. i'm jim sciutto. "at this hour" with kate bolduan starts right now. >>> hello, everyone. i'm kate bolduan. we begin with hour with breaking news on the pandemic. the second confirmed case of the omicron variant in the united states has just been confirmed, this one in minnesota. we don't know much about the patient yet except that they had only travelled domestically. this announcement comes less than 24 hours after the first case was confirmed in california. all of this informa

and it has managed to have two calls with peng shuai.ace. but keep in mind that the ioc is partnered with the chinese government right now, very closely. and it is in their interest for the upcoming beijing winter olympics to be a success. they do not want to embarrass the chinese government. >> right. and i mean, even meeting with her face to face in china. you know, given that she is there and can't leave. you know, i mean, i -- i -- it -- i think i'm stating the obvious to say that wouldn't necessarily mean -- mean anything. um, you know, so the ioc president today, ivan, in that press conference was asked about having an independent observer join their video calls with peng. just that. an independent observer on the video call to give another point of view, another perspective on how she is and whether she's being coerced. how did he handle that? >> yeah. he got a little prickly here. the suggestion was, could former-tennis champion who's been very outspoken about peng shuai and human rights -- could she be an independent observer? l

here on the show, we've been following every twist and turn as the controversy surrounding peng shuaies. she is, of course, a chinese tennis star who accused a top chinese leader of sexual assault. beijing is criticizing the women's tennis association for suspending events in china. we brought you that story yesterday. the international olympic committee says it believes peng is safe and well after holding another call with her on wednesday. the head of the wta says the chats are very much orchestrated. while the association says it has received a third email from peng, the concern still remains. cnn's will ripley joins me from hong kong. will, the ioc having that second call with peng shuai, but do we know whether a transcript was released, a clip of the video provided? because the ioc faced criticism with the first video for not providing any evidence she was speaking of her own free will. >> reporter: no transcript, no video, not even a still photo this time. just a statement. a statement that echoed basically what the previous statement said, adding that they are offering wide-ran

from peng shuai to this singaporean new hampshire. it's my personal privacy. there has been a lot of misunderstanding. therefore, there should be no distorted misinterpretation here. her first weibo post, she is saying she didn't mean to say that she was sexually assaulted. the women's tennis association which has said they're prepared to pull their billion dollar business out of china, they're not convinced she is able to speak freely. calling for a full, fair, transparent investigation without censorship. even this interview, this foreign interyou voo doesn't cut it in the eyes of the wta. >> the timing is so odd as you say. after weeks of so much concern and worry about her well-being. now to just -- there's more to come on this for sure. will, thank you. >>> back here, the surge in covid cases is wreaking havoc with all of the major sports leagues. andy scholes has this morning's bleacher report. hey, andy. >> good morning, christine. basketball, football, hockey. the growing outbreak is sidelining a lot of players and forcing gam

. >>> well, the chinese tennis star peng shuai is walking back allegations of sexual assault if a newponse from the women's tennis association in a live report from tokyo coming up. ♪ just shine your light for everyone to see ♪ ♪ and i if you try a little kindness ♪ ♪ ♪ what a pain in the a— —alice? ♪ if it's “let's wrap this up?” season, it's walgreens season. ♪ son of a bi— beth? if it's “i thought we said no gifts” season, it's walgreens season. it's our holiday savings event on the sleep number 360 smart bed. what if i sleep hot? ...or cold? no problem, the sleep number 360 smart bed is temperature balancing so you both sleep just right. and it senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. so, you can really promise better sleep? yes! you'll know exactly how well you slept, night after night. we take care of the science. all you have to do is sleep. don't miss our weekend special. save 50% on the new sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed. plus, 0% interest for 48 months. ends monday. small businesses like yours make gift-giving pos

china as the women's tennis association did last week, out of concern for the safety of the player peng shuaigerty told the bbc the world governing body did not want to, as he put it, "punish a billion people". ms peng disappeared for several weeks after accusing a former china vice premier of sexual assault. with me is our news reporter, tanya dendrinos. david haggerty�*s words about not wanting to punish a billion people, what did he mean? an people, what did he mean? in interesting mind, isn't it? his argument is the itf is responsible for the development of the game worldwide and it does not want to see this affect grassroots tennis so it says it will continue to run junior events in the country and senior events there as well but it will continue to monitor the situation. it has raised concern over what is happening but it seems like it will take an approach behind the scenes. it is a very different approach to the wta, as you said, the women's tennis association, which took a hard one from the beginning and threatened to pull its event out of china which is absolutely huge, given the fi

. >>> peng shuai's latest interview. >> announcer: live from london. this is "cnn newsroom" with isa soares. >>> hello, everyone. welcome to the show. monday, december 20th. nearly two years since the covid-19 pandemic turned the world really upside down. the threat is far from over. one u.s. health experts says we're beyond counting the waves, the country is facing a tsunami. it is now being detected in 45 states. you can see on your screen. experts say it's just a matter of time before omicron accounts for a majority of new cases. it comes as the u.s. is already grappling with the surge driven by the delta variant. countries now averaging more than 130,000 a day -- infections a day and experts warn omicron will only add fuel to that fire. have a listen. >> we are going to see a significant stress in some regions of the country on the hospital system, particularly in those areas where you have a low level of vaccination, which is one of the reasons why we continue to stress the importance of getting those unvaccinated people vaccinated. this virus is

— to peng shuai? it is very difficult to peng shuai? it is very difficult to sa . i to peng shuai? next year which is around 30 million per pounds of revenue. you have the international olympic committee seeing this quiet diplomacy at the eye conducting. they are the only people who have managed to speak to her twice in the last month. in some ways they have been more effective in ensuring they have safe because they have spoken to her. they have not taken to heart lay in a position. it is difficult to know when it comes to china whether the outside pressure will force some kind of change or it will make them take in deeper, something more moderate and conversational will be hard enough and constructive enough to change things. yes, i think it is a big philosophical difference that we seeing now in sport, across any sphere of dealings with china. hour sphere of dealings with china. how much is this _ sphere of dealings with china. how much is this down _ sphere of dealings with china. how much is this down to a difference in approach of western organisations, rather than internatio

reaction has been pouring in following once-missing tennis star peng shuai's latest appearance.ing there are quote, significant concerns about her safety that still haven't been addressed. after a cell phone interview posted by a pro-china news outlet showed peng addressing her allegations of sexual assault against a top chinese official. listen. >> in terms of the weibo post, it's my personal privacy. there possibly has been a lot of misunderstanding. >> let's get right to will ripley in hong kong. so, will, what are we to make of this? what are you hearing about this video? >> pam, i read that weibo post. it was erased in less than 30 minutes and is now not searchable on the chinese internet. but we were able to read it and it's very graphic and detailed and lays out a very painful account of alleged sexual assault. so to see peng shuai now, even though it's a cell phone video, even though it's an international media reporter, albeit for a newspaper from singapore that has such a pro-beijing editorial line, you can get it in the mainland. it's the only overseas chinese languag

suspended all tournaments in china amid concern for peng shuai. the chief executive said he had serious doubts the tennis player was free and safe. the duchess of sussex has won her legal fight against the publisher of the mail on sunday, which she brought after the paper printed extracts from a letter she'd written to her father. the court of appeal rejected associated newspapers' attempt to have a full trial in the case about privacy and copyright. meghan described today's ruling as a victory "for anyone who's ever felt scared to stand up for what's right". associated newspapers says it's considering an appeal. this report from our royal correspondent nicholas witchell contains some flashing images. once again, a very clear victory for the duchess of sussex in her battle in which she's been strongly backed by her husband against the tabloid media. at the heart of this case is the publication by the mail on sunday of lengthy extracts

it comes after chinese tennis star peng shuai disappeared from public view for three weeks after she accused a top official of sexual assault.some of the biggest names in tennis have thrown their support behind the wta's move. south africa has recorded a sharp increase in coronavirus infections which have doubled across the country since monday. health officials say the newly discovered omicron variant may be fuelling the surge.at the same time, the first case of the new variant has been reported in california. the american actor, alec baldwin, has given his first full interview since the fatal shooting of the cinematographer, halyna hutchins, on the set of his film, rust. mr baldwin told abc he did not pull the trigger on the gun which killed ms hutchins in october. tens of thousands of people in the north of england are preparing to spend a sixth night without electricity — after storm arwen left infrastructure badly damaged. energy networks say at present there are around 30,000 households still without power. 15,500 of those are in the north—east of england, 7,000 in the north—we

peng shuai speaking to lianhe zaobao there. te — and although it welcomes her apperance in a public setting, it doesn't alleviate or address the concerns about her wellbeing. just before we go, i want to bring you a short history lesson because, in 1992, history was made when the world's first text message was sent, which simply said merry christmas. today, that text will be auctioned off as a non—fungible token — or nft — where the buyer will have exclusive ownership of the code that transmitted the text message. something quite special to own, certainly if it is in digital form. that's all the time for us on newsday at this hour. it's too early to say merry christmas, but thanks for watching. stay with bbc news. hello there. it's been a cloudy and chilly start to the week. things will change. from midweek, we'll start to see atlantic aircoming ourway. that means temperatures will be rising, but we're also going to find some rain. but what about christmas? well, i'll try and answer that question later on. we start, though, cold

that is basically what happened to china's top tennis star peng shuai who has been missing from publiced a top communist party leader of sexual assault. an e-mail purportedly from peng was released by chinese state media several weeks later claiming everything is fine. state media then distributed images of peng attending a youth tournament in beijing on november 20th. neither the images nor e-mail could be independently verified. concern over peng's safety has been building and this week reached a breaking point. on wednesday the women's tennis association announced a suspension of all tournaments in china. the communist party's response to peng's accusations seem to have back fired spectacularly. and the fascinating piece in the "new york times" suggests they could even be fueling a feminist movement in that authoritarian country. joining me now is the author of the op-ed. thanks so much for coming on the show tonight. in your piece you write, quote, the upper echelons of the chinese communist party have been largely impenetrable to scandal and enjoyed relative respect from much of t

so we believe peng shuai. it is something we have reckoned with over the past few years.rt and we need to believe the people, the women and people going through what she's going through, and ultimately... sorry to interrupt, that might make it harder to keep the line of, we are athletes and we want to take part, which is very understandable. at the same time, you welcome what the white house has done so far. would you welcome other countries setting in line with the white house position? every extra addition in terms of a weight of response perhaps make that much harder to have these games. i wouldn't say that i think a line of athletes are athletes and they should just be focused on sport. i think athletes have the rights to do and say whatever they want. they are on a certain platform. that they can. when it comes to what the biden administration is doing, i am supportive of anything that keeps the athletes on the playing field. if the biden administration had made a different decision, i would be supportive. it is ultimately what i want to make sure that happens is the

earlier this month that it is suspending tournaments in china over concern about the treatment of peng shuaih the winter olympics less than two months away, michael, china's foreign ministry has said that it opposes the politicization of sports and that it hopes, quote, malicious speculation about peng's well-being and whereabouts will stop. michael. >> selina wang with the latest in tokyo, appreciate it. >>> we're going to take a quick break on the program. when we come back, u.s. senator joe manchin says he won't vote for the build back better plan, the president's top legislative priority. details of the swift and angry reaction from democrats in washington. that's coming up. >>> and also, why one american expert on foreign civil wars believes the u.s. may be closer to its own such war than anyone would like to think. we'll be right back. ( ♪ ) this is how we shine. at zales. the diamond store. ("jingle bells") ♪ (doors knocking and bells ringing to the music) ♪ - [announcer] this holiday season, give the gift of grubhub. ♪ you've got to try a little kindness ♪ ♪ yes, show a little kindne

that is the latest turn in the peng shuai story. eing censored by the state, and although it welcomes her appearance in a public setting, it doesn't alleviate or address the concerns about her well being. hello there. it's been a cloudy and chilly start to the week. things will change. from midweek, we'll start to see atlantic air coming our way. that means temperatures will be rising, but we're also going to find some rain. but what about christmas? well, i'll try and answer that question later on. we start, though, cold in many places on tuesday morning, particularly in the clearer skies in scotland, with a frost in the north. we could see some pockets of frost across some western parts of england and wales, but the prospects of some sunshine during tuesday, which will be good news on what is the shortest day of the year. it's the winter solstice. these are the sunrise and sunset times, but, of course, after tuesday, the days do get longer. we do have some sunshine across northern parts of scotland, some sunshine at times coming th

and the chinese tennis star peng shuai appears to have retracted her claim of sexual assault as concernsersist around her well being. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. the fast—spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus has very rapidly become dominant in the united states. according to modelling by the centers for disease control, omicron now accounts for nearly three—quarters of the new infections. and this is a very significant jump from a week ago when about 13% of the new infections were omicron. in some parts of the country, including new york, the variant is even more widespread, making up more than 90% of the latest cases. new york's mayor, bill de blasio, says the city must "move faster" in its response to the omicron variant. based on everything we've seen so far, the cases are more mild than what we've experienced previously, but again, a lot of research we're still waiting for, lot of evidence we're still waiting for. what we do know is omicron moves very fast, it's very transmissible. it moves fast, we have to move faster. that's why we are foc

peng shuai speaking to the singaporean chinese language newspaper lianhe zaobao there. nd although it welcomes her apperance in a public setting, it doesn't alleviate or address the concerns about her wellbeing. staying with china, a top chinese live—streamer has been fined $210 million for tax evasion. huang wei, known as viya, is famous for her ability to sell anything by livestreaming on the taobao live platform — from noodles to a commercial rocket launch. viya has more than 80 million followers on taobao and another 18 million on weibo. she was fined for hiding personal income and other offences in 2019 and 2020. our china analyst kerry allen explains what we can read into this. well, if you think in general in china, it's a communist country, and live streaming is this new lucrative way of being able to influence how people spend their money. so someone like viya, who's got this huge following and literally can attract young audiences and encourage them how to spend their money, it puts companies in certain positive lights. and then there might be, obviously, the k

tennis federation says it won't suspend tournaments in china — over concerns about the safety of peng shuaimore than twenty countries join an urgent demand for the taliban leadership in afghanistan to honour its promises over the safety of state workers and soldiers. gambian president, adama barrow comfortably wins re—election — but he may face an opposition challenge over allegations of voting irregularities. one of the scientists responsible for developing the astrazeneca vaccine in britain has warned that a future pandemic could be even more contagious or more lethal. professor dame sarah gilbert said funding was needed to ensure the knowledge gained over the last two years in fighting deadly viruses was not lost. on the omicron variant, she said steps to slow down its spread should be taken until more was known about it. mark lobel has this report. a stark warning from the creator of the oxford astrazeneca vaccine that the advances made could lost without more funding for future pandemics. without more funding for future pandemics-_ pandemics. this will not be the last time a _ pandemic

and they haven't given any satisfaction that peng shuai is safe. very different view of two sports organizations and how they handle a very important issue in the 21st century. >> we have to see how the biden administration handles a boycott or calls for a boycott. it's not just peng shuai and the difficult situation she's in, it's also the treatment of uighurs. >> yeah. i will say, there's not going ton a athlete boycott, boris. there's no, but a diplomatic boycott to be a symbolic gesture but do one wants to restrict the opportunity to perform in the olympics. >> of course. i want to you can about lebron james, he cleared the health and safety protocol. after a claim of a false test. he was pretty upset about it what do you make of this response? >> with the nba protocols what he's saying they're not entirely set or not entirely bulletproof. you know, are they following the rules or are they not? we certainly listen to lebron james, when he says they didn't follow the protocol. we're almost two years into the pandemic. and we saw the nba handle i

the move comes in defense of chinese tennis player peng shuai.onded to the wta's decision saying it firmly opposes any act that politicizes sports. i'm joined we patrick mcenroe, former captain of the u.s. davis cup team and host of the holding court podcast. patrick, great to see you. this could cost the wta hundreds of millions of dollars. i mean, seriously, hundreds of millions of dollars. so what do you make of this decision? >> well, this was a gutsy decision, john. and this is absolutely going to cost the wta a huge amount of money over the next ten years. they were supposed to play the year end championships and multiple other events in china over the course of the next decade. but they showed their gumption, they showed their morals, they showed they were in this for the right reasons, like, we need to know, okay, now we seem to know, john, that peng shuai is safe, she is alive. but do we know is she sound? is she sound of mind? and these videos supposedly from the ioc and the reaction from them to us that she is okay, don't worry about h

peng shuai knows the wta. she not talking to the one group of people that desperately want to hear from her? >> reporter: in her international interview, peng says she's very grateful to the international olympic committee, very happy to have video calls from them. the ioc accused of sports washing, releasing just one image of two calls with the three-time olympian. issuing statements claiming she's fine. the ioc telling cnn, we will continue our quiet diplomacy. cnn's repeated requests for comment from peng and the chinese government, unanswered. ioc president thomas bach planning to meet with peng next month before the opening ceremonies of the beijing 2022 olympics. retired vice premiere zhang gaoli -- the man peng accused of sexual assault -- the former chinese face of the games, now just weeks away. the wta continues to say as they have said repeatedly here on out front, they are not backing down unless there is a full, fair, and transparent investigation. kate, former tennis star chris everett summed up

we will also talk about tennis star peng shuai who has retracted accusations of public assault but theretill concerns she is speaking under duress. >> i must emphasize i have never said or wrote about anyone sexually assaulting me. ♪ ros: w will bring you updates on the pandemic from a number of different countries. let's start with switzerland. it has brought in new measures today, the latest country to gin new measures in response to the omicron variant. the netherl, france, ireland, and denmark have introduced measures. the uk's canet have met to discuss a range of possible restrictions. prime nister johnson: we should keep the review, following it hour-by-hour. i must say to people, we must reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public. to protect public health, attacked our nhs. we will not hesitate to take that action. ros: in the u.s., covid cases in new york have risen 60% in the last week. we spoke to mayor bill de blasio. >> we know that omicron moves fast, we have to me faster. that is my we are focusing even more on vaccination, which we know helps ad

, she has happened to peng shuai, she has completed in three olympics.age be for other athletes? should they not be standing beside and behind one of their own? ., , i, , i, own? ultimately fast, we want to make sure _ own? ultimately fast, we want to make sure we _ own? ultimately fast, we want to make sure we are _ own? ultimately fast, we want to make sure we are focusing i own? ultimately fast, we want i to make sure we are focusing on their safety, to make sure we are focusing on theirsafety, making to make sure we are focusing on their safety, making sure peng shuai's safety and those who are responsible for her safety are responsible for her safety are taking all the steps they can. from an athlete's perspective, the best thing we can do is compete. that is how we honour each other and i completed at my final olympics in vancouver and we had an athlete from georgia that died and the best thing that we can do for each other at that point was honour that person. when it comes to things like abuse, we support and we need to believe the people, the wo

brian todd has the latest. >> reporter: concerns about the safety of tennis star peng shuai are rampingittee. the ioc said after its call that peng reconfirmed that she was safe and well, but the ioc didn't provide any audio or visual images of the call. the women's tennis association chairman told cnn he believes the ioc is allowing itself to get played by the chinese government. >> we just feel very strongly that this is certainly being orchestrated. >> reporter: the wta has taken the strongest stance yet in standing up to china over its treatment of peng. the organization suspending all of its tournaments in china, potentially costing it hundreds of millions of dollars. >> the ioc is now being given a master class frankly by the wta on how to punch a bully in the nose. >> reporter: the world's number one ranked men's player is backing the wta's move. >> i think it's a very bold, very courageous stance from wta. >> reporter: in a since deleted social media post in early november, peng publicly accused a top chinese party official, former vice premier, of coercing her into sex at his h

announced the immediate suspension of all tournaments in china amid concern for chinese tennis player peng shuai of sexual assault then retracted her claims. wta chief steve simon said he had "serious doubts" that peng was "free, safe and not subject to intimidation". the wta has repeatedly called for a full investigation into peng's claims. wta chairman and seo steve simon said... it's a busy night of premier league action with six matches in total, including the merseyside derby between everton and liverpool. that game has just kicked off at goodison park, goalles there, as has second—placed manchester city, who are at aston villa, with steven gerrard's side looking for a third consecutive win. while leaders chelsea kicked off at 7:30pm. they've just got back under way at vicarage road after the game was interrupted due to a medical emergency in the crowd. goalless also. but for all the latest, head to the bbc sport website. there are four games in the scottish premiership, too. top—of—the—table rangers are at hibs, aiming to gain revenge for being knocked out of the league cup by them last we

. >>> plus, peng shuai missing from public life yet the international olympic committee says they are not concerned about her safety. why? well, one of the longest-serving members of the ioc is going to take my questions tonight. >>> and a woman who accused jeffrey epstein of sexual abuse testifying in the trial of his longtime associate. details on her emotional and disturbing words. spider bite? i could use some help showing the world how liberty mutual customizes their car insurance so they only pay for what they need. (gasps) ♪ did it work? only pay for what you need ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ spider-man no way home in theaters december 17th you booked a sunny vrbo ski chalet. with endless views of snow-covered peaks. ♪ ♪ a stove that inspires magnificent hot cocoa. and a perfect ski-in ski-out. but the thing they'll remember forever? grandpa coming out of retirement to give a few ski lessons. the time to plan your get together is now. ♪ ♪ find it on vrbo. ♪ it wasn't me by shaggy ♪ you're never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your discover card. to our 300,

and the chinese tennis star peng shuai

the tennis association took action on her behalf. >> reporter: concerns about the safety of peng shuaie. ioc said that peng reconfirmed she was safe and well, but didn't provide audio or visual images of the call and women's tennis chairman told cnn he believes the ioc is letting itself be played by the chinese government. >> we feel strongly this is being orchestrated. >> reporter: the wta took the strongest stance yet, organization suspending all tournaments in china, potentially costing it hundreds of billions of dollars. >> ioc is being given a master class by the wta on how to basically punch a bully in the nose. >> reporter: the world's number one ranked men's player is back the wta's move. >> i think it's a very bold, very courageous stance from wta. >> reporter: in a since deleted social media post in early november, peng publicly accused former vise premier of coercing her into sex, she was censored by the regime, after international outcry, state-controlled media released so-called proof of life videos of peng but analysts are concerned about her condition. >> if you don't th

. >>> breaking her silence, tennis star peng shuai denying she's a victim of sexual assault. the stunning reversal going against her own media post raising more questions than answers. >>> all that, plus seeing red, tiger woods winds up his remarkable weekend of golf playing alongside his son, charlie. what the legend is saying about a comeback that exceeded even his own expectations. >>> and tom not-so terrific. tom brady shut out for the first time in 15 years. >> escapes and throws it. intercepted. >> as the saints upset the buccaneers on a frustrating and uncharacteristic night for the superstar quarterback. today, monday, december 20th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, guys, welcome to "today." it is a monday morning. so happy that you're joining us. savannah is off. craig is in. that last item in the cold open, i kind of dug that. the saints winning. >> bad for tom, good for hoda. >> i know it wasn't a great game to watch, but boy, if you're a saints fan, it sure was