in a statement on sunday, wta chairman and ceo steve simon said "peng shuai, and all women, deserve tosteve simon said "peng shuai, and all women, deserve to be heard, not censored. going on to say: tennis icon billiejean king re—tweeted the statement, saying: ben rothenberg is a tennis journalist and host of the no challenges remaining podcast. he's been following the story and joins me live now from washington. imean, it i mean, it is quite a story, isn't it? can i touch on billie jean king's comment, saying we hope she is found safe. we do not know that she is missing as such, do we? not know that she is missing as such. do we?— such, do we? no, some of the reorts such, do we? no, some of the reports earlier— such, do we? no, some of the reports earlier had _ such, do we? no, some of the reports earlier had suggested l reports earlier had suggested she had missed —— she was missing or had disappeared, the new york times had given interview earlier with the ceo of the wta, steve simon, who believed she is safe and not in any physical danger and they have spoken to people who are awar

based on the wta _ happening to peng shuai? based on the wta assessment, - happening to peng shuai?sessment, even chinese history silence of critics, making them reappear on some videos, saying they are not doing that well. this feeds into a history of the government doing that. i have concerns about her safety and freedom. ~ ., , ., concerns about her safety and freedom. ~ ., concerns about her safety and freedom-— freedom. would you say this follows the _ freedom. would you say this follows the rule _ freedom. would you say this follows the rule book - freedom. would you say this follows the rule book that i freedom. would you say this l follows the rule book that they had done in the past, this is a hugely high profile case. we have seen this happen before but maybe not quite so much in the public eye as peng shuai? right. the case got a lot of international attention but they were huge celebrities, movie stars, and happened to those people too, they were very well known in china. lots of videos _ very well known in china. lots of videos have _ very well known in china. lots of v

what more can the wta do? wnba has not stood up for people with similar complaints. >> i think the growing nature of how many people are asking whether it's msnbc, other major news media, other sports stars, it's going to be very interesting to see what the olympic movement does. the winter games are scheduled to be in beijing in a couple months. pengshuai is a three time olympian. i think we all thought that this many years later that human rights would be much improved in china. i think what steve simon has been saying, that the ten tour stops plus the year-ending championships scheduled about a year from now cannot take place if athletes are in danger when they make allegations that peng has made. this is unacceptable. cannot be a business partner. it's tough decisions. wta is not afraid to lead the way. that's what women's tennis has been doing since women's tennis was established about 50 years ago. >> a good point about the wta. pam, the co-chairs of the congressional olympic and paralympic caucus are de

no, i think they really had to make a choice here, the wta, whether it was going to sort of step backese market after the success of li na, who won the french open in 2011, it was really seen as being a windfall for women's tennis and they could open this new chinese market and tap into it and they put many of their biggest tournaments there. but the tour today, and steve simon, made pretty clear they are standing behind their player and wanting to stand up to the chinese government and the sort of censorship and things like that that are attached to it. i think he went as far with the new york times as to say that if there is not an investigation, "we'll have to make some decisions and we are prepared to do so". as you point out, this is a huge financial risk, in a sense, isn't it? absolutely. no, the wta does rely on china for a lot of its funding and these have been very lucrative events for the tour and tapping into this new market, and a lot of advertisers and investors who are there, wanting to bring tournaments to various chinese cities. there were 11 tournaments in china befor

the wta has very significant business interests in china.n fact, its asia-pacific headquarters is in beijing, and yet we heard from him in that interview. he said in regards to what's happening to peng shuai right now, this is bigger than business. that is what he said earlier. a number of commentators are saying the strong force of the response that we've heard from the wta is far more strong than what we've heard from other sporting agents and governments, isa. >> perhaps this could be a watershed moment as relates to the language by the wta vis-a-vis china. kristie lu stout in china, thank you. >>> chinese authorities have been racing to wipe out any mention of peng shuai and her allegations from internet as well as broadcasts including our own program. have a look at this. during my broadcast just yesterday, you can see as i began reporting on peng's disappearance, no signal, please stand by. we will continue to share her story. >>> all week we have been showing you the crisis at the belarusian/polish border. belarus is refusing any blam

i think the wta and certainly simon's statement says that the wta values some of these underlying valuese bit more than it's going to value the money. >> reporter: could we see the wta boycott china? >> simon has threatened to remove tournents from china if the situation isn't resolved to his satisfaction and the safety of peng shuai isn't assured. so i think we could see something like that. so many times the negotiations between companies and human rights abusers takes place behind doors, there is diplomacy that takes place around a crisis like this, so to make a public statement and challenges china's version of what happened here is a risky play for the wta. i don't know what the end will be but there's potential for real damage here in this relationship. >> reporter: i want to talk about this in the larger contest of the #metoo movement in china. peng's post was deleted by censors in china. they're good about that. given the stature of this sports star, as well as the governor official who is allied with the president xi jinping, -- >> it's an optics problem for china. they will be

ceo of the wta tour, steve simon is not satisfied. none of her playing companions feel comfortable that they are 100% certain that she is safe. pam, there is a lot of support, as we have talked about, and certainly there is even a hashtag on social media — #whereispengshuai — being used by a lot of athletes and the wta. how effective do you think this kind of international pressure will be, both on and off social media? well, i think when you look at other circumstances, whether it was what the nba went through a couple of years ago, it's a really difficult situation when you have a business partner, in a country like china, that has different core values from, say, what the wta is all about, when you think about the women's tennis association, founded on the back of billiejean king, on equality and treating women fairly, equally, and always being able to give them a voice. so this is a really tough one for a women's organisation that does business in china, up until now, and it puts the wta at a crossroads with this important in the

is —— wta is all about, you think about the women's tennis association founded by billiejean king on them a voice, so this is a really tough one for a women's organisation that does business in china, up until now, and it puts the dub eta at a crossroad with this present and past business partner, but all the players —— the wta. a country like china, that are about who is a winter in games, athletes want to feel they are safe and we need to hear 100% certainty that peng is ok. and we need to hear 10096 certainty that peng is 0k-_ that peng is ok. china state media sa that that peng is ok. china state media say that peng _ that peng is ok. china state media say that peng is — that peng is ok. china state media say that peng is ok, _ that peng is ok. china state media say that peng is ok, obviously - say that peng is ok, obviously doubts raised about his —— its authenticity. is this good enough? -- its authenticity. is this good enou~h? ., a -- its authenticity. is this good enou~h? ., , ., enough? idol thicket is good enough. peole in enough? idol thicket is good enough. peeple in the

i think the wta, and certainly the statement, says the wta values some of these underlying values ofn it is going to value the money. stephanie: could we see the wta boycott china? jane: simon has threatened to remove tournaments from china if this situation is not resolved to their satisfaction and the safety of peng shuai is not assured. we could see something that. many times this negotiation between companies and potential human rights abuses take place behind closed doors. there is a quiet diplomacy when there a crisis like this. so to make such a public statement challenging china's version of what is happening is a risky play from the wta, and i don't know exactly what the end will be. there is potential for real damage here in this relationship. stephanie: i want to talk about this in the larger context of the metoo movement in china. her post was deleted pretty qukly by censors in china. they are very good at that. how big of a problem are these allegations for beijing? given the stature of the star as well as of the government official, who is allied with the president xi j

wta truly, truly doing something remarkable.ch, ambassador. >> you bet. >>> and this weekend on cnn, fareed zakaria takes an in-depth look at china's leader, china's iron fist, xi jinping, and the stakes for america. that airs sunday night at 9:00. >>> and out front next. the white house just releasing details of president biden's first physical in office. what it reveals about the oldest first-term president in u.s. history history zblnchsz zblfrmgtsz a major step for biden's sweeping spending plan. may be short lived as that now heads to the senate. o gentle on skin. for wrinkles results in one week. neutrogena®. for people with skin. with framebridge... make what matters to you last. halloween, '72. jojo's adoption day. asher's art phase. whatever you treasure, make it last. framebridge. ♪ ♪ ferrero rocher. smooth chocolate. crunchy hazelnut. lovingly layered and wrapped in gold. ♪ ♪ woman: i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer ♪ ♪ yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin,

it is very encouraging to see the wta response.ront and clear that human rights is bigger than business. we have grown so accustomed to international sports organisations and international business cowering to the chinese government human rights violations. for the wta to say that, it is very encouraging and i hope other international organisations follow suit. this is bbc news — our main headlines: the new omicron strain of coronavirus is detected across europe, with cases confirmed in germany, italy, belgium, the czech republic and the uk. travellers in south africa, where the new omicron variant was first identified this week, have been scrambling to find flights out of the country as world leaders begin to announce tighter border controls. the netherlands says 61 people who arrived in amsterdam on friday, on two flights from south africa, have tested positive for covid—i9. caroline davies reports. stuck on a plane as the authorities grapple with what to do next. jack fletcher was one of 600 passengers who were stopped at the ai

so i think the wta, i'm so proud of the wta because they are really standing up.y the wta may lose if they pull out is extraordinary. over the last couple of years with the pandemic, that's money the wta really needs to function. for them to take this stand, i'm very proud of the wta and i think the ioc, the nba, all of these different sporting fa factions need to stand up because i feel the wta are really the only ones the big boys or the big girls in the room. >> thanks for being here. >>> more breaking news out of wisconsin. the man accused of plowing through a christmas parade killing five people is expected to appear in court for the first time within the next hour. - san francisco can have criminal justice reform and public safety. but district attorney chesa boudin is failing on both. - the safety of san francisco is dependent upon chesa being recalled as soon as possible. - i didn't support the newsom recall but this is different. - chesa takes a very radical perspective and approach to criminal justice reform, which is having a negative impact on communit

in a statement on sunday, wta chairman and ceo, steve simon, said "peng shuai, and all women, deservesexual assault must be treated with the utmost seriousness." going on to say... tennis icon, billiejean king, re—tweeted the statement, saying: ben rothenberg is a tennis journalist and host of the �*no challenges remaining' podcast. he's been following the story. some other reports earlier had suggested that she was missing or that she had disappeared. an interview that the new york times did earlier today with the ceo of the wta, steve simon, he indicated that they believe she's safe, they do not believe she's in any physical danger, and that they've spoken to people who are aware of her whereabouts — even if they've not been able to establish direct contact with peng shuai as of yet. no, i think they really had to make a choice here, the wta, whether it was going to sort of step back in lieu of its enormous business investments into china — unintelligible of the tour into china and the chinese market after the success of li na, who won the french open in 2011, it was really seen as

it is very encouraging to see the wta response.ghts is bigger than business. we have grown so accustomed to international sports organisations and international business cowering to the chinese government human rights violations. for the wta to say that, it is very encouraging and i hope other international organisations follow suit. this is bbc news — our main headlines the new omicron strain of coronavirus is detected across europe — with cases confirmed in germany, italy, belgium, the czech republic and the uk. israel is planning to ban the entry of all foreigners for two weeks from sunday night — to tackle the spread of the omicron variant. a powerful storm that's hit britain is now known to have killed at least three people. gale force winds of up to 160 kilometres an hour brought down trees and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes across scotland, northern england, the midlands and wales. here's andy gill. storm arwen has left much of the country facing disruption and damage. there have been some near misses, road

, saying that what the wta put out for her was false and required the wta to retract their statement,that she is in the wrong hands and she is not safe physically and, i'm afraid, mentally as well, because this seems very familiar. it sounds like how beijing handles dissidents, and in mainland china, people voicing dissent, there usually held against their will and forced to admit they have said something wrong, she is the victim here, calling for investigation and generaljustice to be done. to here, calling for investigation and generaljustice to be done. general 'ustice to be done. to your oint, generaljustice to be done. to your point. there _ generaljustice to be done. to your point, there have _ generaljustice to be done. to your point, there have been _ generaljustice to be done. to your point, there have been instances l generaljustice to be done. to your| point, there have been instances in the past that famous celebrities in china do disappear, only to reappear again. could this be something like that? , ., ~ 4' that? yes, i do think something like that? yes, i do think somet

the wta _ to do. there are two different fronts. the wta will - to do.anting direct contact with peng shuai herself and they have not gotten that today and i don't think this second—hand report will do enough to assuage them, and nor should it given the position they've outlined and i think there's a lot of opportunity here for the national committees of various countries which have concerns about peng shuai. she was discussed in the us and various members of the uk government have also discussed her and there's many people who might have questions must not be satisfied with what we see from china on a sports management front in this crisis in terms of the lack of transparency and their censorship with the olympics fast approaching and i think it will start to lead conversations about whether a boycott should be threatened or other diplomatic actions around the limbic games. we other diplomatic actions around the limbic games.— the limbic games. we will see what the next _ the limbic games. we will see what the next step _ the limbic games. we will see w

it is very encouraging to see the wta response.n business. we have grown so accustomed to international sports organisations and international business cowering to the chinese government human rights violations. for the wta to say that, it is very encouraging and i hope other international organisations follow suit. scientists are warning that much of australia's native wildlife could disappear by 2050 due to differing factors. according to the national science agency indigenous animals and plants could be lost. joey clarke is from the australian wildlife conservancy. his organisation isn't surprised by the findings. small mammals are a group that has suffered disproportionately, things that you might not have, mandy coutts, bilby is included, they are unique animals which are only found in australia. they have suffered the worst extinctions, basically because they are the right size to be eaten by either a fox or a cat. what we see as a priority in the first instance is to create spaces that are safe, we can rebuild populations of

. >> reporter: tennis in china, a billion dollar business for the wta.f their revenue. highly lucrative. and for the chinese government, highly prestigious. now, it's all on the line. the wta demanding answers. >> peng shuai. >> reporter: where is tennis icon peng shuai? is she okay. a household name in china, peng has not been seen in public since november 2nd. the 35-year-old doubles grand slam champion accusing china's 75-year-old vice premier of coercing her into having sex about three years ago at his home. chinese state media on propaganda overdrive. seeming lying to silence the outcry. the a chinese journalist tweeting these pictures of peng claiming they're from her wechat, saying happy weekend. no direct communication with peng herself. on wednesday, a suspicious email released by a state-own broadcaster adding to fears to her well-being. the email retracts her allegations saying i'm not missing, nor am i unsafe. i've just been resting at home and everything is fine. the wta not convinced. demanding proof peng is safe. a probe into her allegatio

, saying that what the wta voiced out for her was false and required the wta to retract their statementst confirms our biggest fear, that she is in the wrong hands and she's not safe physically and, i'm afraid, mentally as well, because this seems very familiar. it sounds like how beijing handles dissidents in mainland china who is voicing out their dissent. and they are usually held against their will and being forced to make false statements, admitting how they did something wrong, which... she's basicallyjust being a victim here, calling for investigation and generaljustice to be done. glacier, to your point, there have been instances in the past that famous celebrities in china do disappear, only to reappear again. could this be something like that? yes, i do think something like that might have happened. usually, the script goes like, they disappear for a while and then they come back up on state—funded media or state—affiliated media, claiming that they did something wrong. and in peng shuai's case, maybe making a false accusation against the chinese official, and she might be for

the nba buckled under pressure and here's the wta saying enough is enough., doing what's right. when in the world do we see that anymore in sports? a major pro sports league doing the right thing. >> the wta's bold stance against china, winning praise from around the world. >> we're at a cross roads and it's time now to make the tough decision that you can't do business when the safety of your players are at risk. >> for the international tennis community, some things are more important than money. will ripley, cnn, taipei. >>> still to come, president biden's nearly $2 trillion social safety net package cleared the house, but it's facing the u.s. senate. that story straight ahead. before nexium 24hr, anna could only imagine a comfortable night's sleep without frequent heartburn waking her up. now, that dream... . ...is her reality. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts, for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn? ok, let's talk about those changes to your financial plan. bill, mary? hey... it's our former broker carl. ca

the chair of the women's tennis association has told the bbc there will be no wta events in china nextsn't been heard from since alleging she was sexually assaulted by a high—profile former chinese politician. an email was allegedly sent from peng to the wta — but its chair, steve simon, has questioned it's authenticity. he told the bbc�*s tennis correspondent russell fuller that no amount of money would prevent them from pulling out of china if their conditions are not met. this is not about the money, this is doing what is right and making sure peng shuai is safe and free. and everything that comes with it based upon the allegations. we want to find out are the allegations is true — and if they are, what is the result of that? just to be clear, if you don't get this independent and verifiable proof that peng shuai is safe, and there is not a full and transparent investigation, then there will be no wta tournaments in china next year? that would be my position, yes. newcastle united head coach, eddie howe, will have to wait to make his debut in the stjames's park home dugout after tes

do you think the wta is likely to follow through with their threats of a boycott?lly do that. a few years ago, the nba, the americans got into trouble for pandering to china on politically sensitive issues and the wta hasn't shied away from that. they didn't have to make this thread. steve simon didn't have to bring it to theirs. so, i hope that they do follow through on that. if it is clear that peng shuai is not safe. but i think the chinese state realises now that they need to wrap this up, there is so much backlash and it is going to keep growing and they will have two, you know, they will essentially have to roll peng shuai out, they will have to reinstate some of her freedoms. i think, eventually, they may even have to consider looking at the allegations and the person involved, the man that she accused of, and maybe he is the person whose head has to well, metaphorically speaking, in order that list it all go away. speaking, in order that list it all uoawa . , ., , y go away. obviously, the united nations human _ go away. obviously, the united nations human

it says, it was good to see peng shuai in these videos but they don't alleviate or address the wta's concern about her safety or the rise of sexual assault which gave issue to our concern. china is known for people being silenced. she has that $1.2 million contract so the government thinks she is too important to just shoo away. but she is expected to put on a happy face after she got out and claimed sexual abuse from a very powerful man who used to have a lot of power when he was vice premiere of china. pamela? >> it's worth pointing out the difference between that strongly worded statement from wta and the statement we have received from ioc. okay, thank you so much, will ripley. we'll be talking more about that coming up in the show, these controversies over peng shuai's disappearance and the new concerns over the upcoming winter olympics. the beijing games are less than three months away and china has a great deal at stake. so far no country has declared a boycott. beijing isn't the only one with big money to lose here. u.s. companies look to china for a big chunk of their revenu

the women's tennis tour, the wta, played its season finale in shenzhen in 2019.espite risking the ire of beijing, the wta has taken a strong stance, saying the allegations must be investigated fully, fairly, transparently, and without censorship. amid reports that peng has disappeared, top players have also voiced concerns. >> honestly, it is shocking that she is missing. more so that it is someone that i have seen on the tour in the previous years wait a few times. so, i mean, there is not much more to say than hope that she will be found. reporter: the wta says it has received assurances from chinese tennis officials that punctuate is safe and not under threat, but with the organization not being able to reach her independently, concerned for her welfare remain. brent: a quick reminder of the top story we are following for you, polish border guards have used water cannon against migrants trying to enter the country from belarus. police say that the people from the crowd thew rocks at them. the program accuses belarus of sending migrants to the border. it has ra

friends seeing their colleague disappear, the wta has no choice but to speak out.seem like the usual playbook from beijing's perspective is not going to cut it here. >> the united nations is demanding proof of peng's whereabouts. do you get a sense china will take that call seriously? >> look. it's not coming from one of the attorney generals. i'm not sure how much of an impact it will have. i think if the wta pulls away, that may have an effect. but that hasn't happened yet. it could go two ways. i think one is they continue to say that they have no explanation or to put out these fake statements and photos and hope that it dies down or we might see some kind of a televised confession in the next few weeks from peng shuai in the next few weeks. state media televised confessions under duress, that hasn't happened yet. >> in the meantime they're stepping aside and letting it all play out if as they prepare for the games in february. i appreciate your time, natasha kassam. >> thank you. >>> surging cases triggering yet another lockdown. >>> and europe's first nationw

face and in this case china has been blinking, obviously, a different metaphor, but that's what the wtaid, and it really shows the failure of the international olympic committee not only going into the 2008 summer olympics but now the 2022 winter olympics in beijing. >> you make such a great point, and this is your area of expertise, not mine. why is the ioc behaving in this way? you know, should one assume at home that there is something untoward going on here, that there are so many conflict tz of interest that they just won't muster up the courage to go after china on this kind of stuff? are they worried about their fancy hotel rooms and restaurants and what not being -- i mean, you tell me. >> sure. you nailed it. certainly part of it is that. the ioc, the international olympic committee is the oldest of the old boys network. eurocentric, they think they're royalty, sometimes they are royalty, some of them are, kings and queens and princes but they all think that they are royalty. and the fact that they are not talking about the allegation of sexual assault -- by way, peng shuai's n

but the wta and women's rights groups remain unconvinced.eporter: this is what china is presenting as proof that she is safe and well. a public appearance, supposedly added tennis tournament in beijing on sunday. the international olympic committee backs up this version of events, after a 30 minute video call with peng. the ioc said she was at home and wanted her privacy to be respted. but rights groups are not convinced. >> the international olympic committee is entering dangerous quarters. they should be extremely careful not to participate in a itewash of possible human rights violations. reporter: what the ioc did not mention is that peng has made sexual assault allegations against a politician. she claims that the now deleted social media post that she was raped year ago. the country's political machine has swept away the topic. >> what i have to tell you is that this is indeed not a diplomatic matter. as you will have noticed, she has appeared in public events recently. next question. reporter: with beijing to host the winter olympics,

i am very encouraged to see the w to a's referred —— the wta's response. international organisations will follow suit. hundreds of environmental protesters in serbia have blocked roads in the capital, belgrade, and several other towns. they're angry about government plans to offer the mining giant, rio tinto, the rights to extract lithium in the town of loznitza. you are watching bbc news. several weather warnings remain in place across much of scotland and northern england this morning, as the effects of storm arwen continue to disrupt transport networks and power supplies. three people are now known to have died after gale force winds brought down trees and damaged buildings, with heavy snowfall leaving hundreds of drivers stranded. greg mckenzie has more. a winter wonderland for many across large parts of northern britain but for others, a day of disruption, with road and rail travel affected, power lines brought down in swaledale, in the yorkshire dales, leaving many without electricity. the situation made worse in some places by heavy snow. a lot of t

this is not timid, what the wta is doing. >> that's why you have to give them credit.ially because there are so many big events that have occurred in china. the women's championships is supposed to continue there for the foreseeable future. the men have big events there as well. that to me is why this is a bigger statement from steve simon to take this stand, the morally correct stand to take. when is it going to be enough is snuff with some of these issues happening in china. they are saying, as you heard from your reporter in hong kong, this is not even a story to them. it is a story for us and the rest of the world. . >> people step up, they can make it a story. thank you for coming in. kristie lu stout, appreciate your reporting on this. >>> just in, a big announcement from disney. the new rules regarding children and vaccines on their cruises. >>> and we do have some new cnn reporting on how a ground swell of frustration among parents with schools is influencing the ballot box. ok, let's talk about those changes to your financial plan. bill, mary? hey... it's our

the wta says it's prepared to cancel tournaments in china.

— and they will be no wta tournaments in china next year?tion, yes. ahead of manchester city's game on sunday _ position, yes. ahead of manchester city's game on sunday the - position, yes. ahead of manchester city's game on sunday the club i city�*s game on sunday the club confirmed that kevin de bruyne will not be involved after testing positive for coronavirus. the manager said he had tested positive after returning from international duty with belgium. he will isolate for ten days and is led as the premier league match against everything, he will miss wednesday�*s champions league game on the following weekend home game against west term. to formula 1 now where second practice has finished in qatar ahead of the grand prix. lewis hamilton could only manage fourth full stop however, significantly, hamilton was wearing a special helmet with a rainbow flag on it. human rights and in a contentious issue in qatar, especially lgbt rights sending a message to everyone there. rory mcilroy is still in contention after his second round of the dp wo

. >> reporter: the wta has a lot to lose by taking a stand.nue comes from china. the organization's chairman and ceo telling "out front," it's a chance they are willing to take. >> because this is certainly -- this is bigger than the business. >> for the nba, the outcome was remarkably different. basketball is china's most popular sport but after a quickly-deleted october 2019 tweet by houston rockets' general manager darryl mori in support of the hong kong democracy protests, the backlash from china was swift. the threat of sponsorship loss, broadcast denial, and severing of ties with the nba proved a bridge too far for an organization that, at that time, made 10% of its revenue in the chinese market the. the nba, initially, distanced itself from mori and moved to do damage control hoping to salvage its relationship. and the ioc looking at a multibillion-dollar revenue stream from china's hosting of the winter olympics just a few months away. that relationship with china, like it was in 2015 when zhang helped negotiate beijing hosting the 202

— they will be no wta tournament in china next year? that would be my osition, china next year?rand prix this weekend — as the championship battle between lewis hamilton and max verstappen has three races to go, which will all be played out in the middle east. hamilton this week said the sport was "duty bound" to raise awareness of human rights issues in qatar. and today wore a lgbt+ rainbow racing helmet in practice. homosexuality is illegal in the country. well earlier i spoke to our f1 reporterjennie gow who is there for us. i think ithinki i think i have been a lot of conversations and questions about formula 1 going to the middle east. saudi arabia in two weeks' time here in qatarfor the first saudi arabia in two weeks' time here in qatar for the first time as well and as you say he wants to use his platform, his voice to say that we have a duty to look at where we are going and to try and make significant changes to the places that we are, to erase the conversation. that he does not want to come to places any more and go with the flow i think and that's a really important

it is very encouraging to see the wta response.d to international sports organisations and international business cowering to the chinese government human rights violations. for the wta to say that, it is very encouraging and i hope other international organisations follow suit. the prime minister of the solomon islands says last week�*s riots in the capital honiara were aimed at removing him from power. three people died in the violence and over 100 have been arrested. the solomon islands is a group of a thousand islands in the south pacific — home to more than 680,000 people. it has a close relationship to its neighbour, australia, which is around about 1,600 kilometres away. however some of this recent unrest has been triggered by the prime minister�*s close ties with china, over 7,000 kilometres away. aruna iyengar has this report. damaged building and graffiti on the walls, this is the aftermath following three days of rioting in the seaside capital of honiara. area of the city�*s chinatown been incinerated. for honiara. area

it is to the wta which is a little bit of _ her? is to the wta which is a little bit of an odd choice. - her? it is to the wta which is a little bit of an odd choice. it. her? it is to the wta which is a little bit of an odd choice. it is| little bit of an odd choice. it is in english. it sounds like messages that have been sent by other people in those same circumstances. they have been lengthy reports published about the chinese government two recent views and i mean in the last couple of years about forced confessions which are then broadcast and published domestically and then make their way into the international media. and it is a very effective way to try and undercut if someone is or isn't guilty about something. she isn't able to make it clear that she if she is able to speak freely she would have to do so from outside the country. that is really for many people inside china who have made allegations against party officials. if you believe she is being held against against a well, what else can you do? i against against a w

there are ten tournaments that the wta has in china.siness wants it. that's why there's not one olympics in china, 2008 beijing summer games and now the upcoming 2022 winter olympics. everyone wants to do business in china. all the corporate sponsors, all the sports leagues, everyone. you want to give that 1.4 billion person market. that makes sense. but there's something also overlooked in this conversation and that's china desperately wants to be given that sense that it belongs and it wants to be a major player in the sports world, so this matters to them, too, and i think that's where what we're seeing here. it's not just a one-way street. there is leverage for the international olympic commit. there is leverage for the wta. they are using it, obviously, for a very good humanitarian cause. they are trying to lead and find out where peng shuai is. is she safe, okay in our me, too world, but i do think china desperately wants to be a major player so there's leverage on the wta side as well. >> as mentioned the beijing olympics is just

i think it's fair to say that the wta has ten events scheduled for 2022 alone in the forthcoming year. it's a highly lucrative market indeed for the women's professional circuit so that in itself speaks volumes. that is highly significant day as i said at the top. developments are fast moving through this day and the hours ahead. i'm sure we'll be staring across it very, very carefully. >> there is a been any response at all from the wta's receive simon about this video call? >> we're waiting for all the reaction to come into us. i do want to say what i've said before, that he's been absolutely front an center on absolutely not -- the threat is very clear and present, that hundreds of millions of dollars that he's willing to risk and pulling out the miss from china if it actually comes to that. a very, very strong and powerful stance indeed from the wta head receive simon. >> joining us to talk all about this gordon chang, a columnist for "newsweek" and the author of "the coming collapse of china." so good to see you. so what do you believe about this video call involving peng shuai?

an e—mail as allegedly sent to the wta, but it's chair steve simon has questioned its authenticity.out of china if their conditions are not met. this pulling out of china if their conditions are not met. this is not about the money, _ conditions are not met. this is not about the money, this _ conditions are not met. this is not about the money, this is - conditions are not met. this is not about the money, this is about. conditions are not met. this is not i about the money, this is about doing what is right and doing that she is safe and free and everything that comes with that based upon the allegations, and we want to find out, are the allegations true, and if they are, what is the result of that? -- if they are, what is the result of that? —— peng shuai. the typically, if you don't get this independent and verifiable proof that peng shuai is safely met and there is not a full and transparent investigation, there will be no wta tournaments in china next year places to eat now because they'll yes that would be my position. because they'll yes that would be my osition. ., , ., .,

it is very encouraging to see the wta response.ustomed to international sports organisations and international business cowering to the chinese government human rights violations. for the wta to say that, it is very encouraging and i hope other international organisations follow suit. elodie bateson has been blind since birth. but the 11—year—old from limavady in northern ireland has become an expert at making short animated movies with the help of a voice—assisted tablet and specialist braille technology. this is her story. my name's elodie, i am 11 and i'm from limavady. i like technology a lot. elodie has been blind since birth. so this is one of my animations that i did. i'm going to play. she makes short animated movies using a voice assisted tablet. it gives her detailed descriptions as she works on her animations. play, go back. i started by drawing balls, like, bouncing up and down. then i made one which had, like, music and sound effects. she came and showed me it. and i thought, wow, you know, this is amazing. and it's am

chinese tennis star peng shuai, that they are deeply and strongly concerned about her, and that the wtas very lucrative business in china if peng shuai is not safe and if the serious allegations that she's made are not properly investigated. now, peng shuai is a national sporting icon in china, a tie-time grand slam champion. it was two weeks ago on november 2nd when she made that accusation of this very powerful man, a former vice chairman of china, forcing himself to have sex with her in his home. she made this accusation on her verified account. it was 1600 words long. shortly after it was taken down. she's been under blanket censorship. she has not been seen or heard from since. rising concern about her safety from the international tennis community as well as from the wta and this statement from the chief of the wta saying that they are willing to put their business in china on the line for her. take a listen. >> we're at a crossroads with our relationship obviously with china, and operating our business over there. there's no question about it. it's something that's actually very

what stands out is the hard line the wta is taking compared to the ioc or certainly the nba.sident looked at this issue, which i think makes perfect sense as an issue of humanity and not an issue of business. the nba has business interests, and nba china is a lucrative business and their response when they had their "incident" with china was we apologize. we don't want any problems, forgive us in essence. and steve simon said i don't care about the business aspect. he literally said we could lose hundreds of millions of dollars and that's okay. he's a good guy. he ran a tournament locally here and really cares about the players. the wta has always been about the service. the service of the players founded by billie jean king. it makes sense. "i don't really care about the business. we'll suffer repercussions. we just want to know she's okay." >> thisis a question if this is state protected sexual misconduct. china is trying to silence this. glad to have you on today to talk about this, this lebron james brawl involving isaiah stewart, what happened here? >> some people saying

the chair of the women's tennis association has told the bbc there will be no wta events in china nextuthenticity. he told the bbc�*s tennis correspondent russell fuller that no amount of money would prevent them from pulling out of china if their conditions are not met. this is not about the money, this is doing what is right and making sure peng shuai is safe and free, and everything that comes with it based upon the allegations. we want to find out are the allegations is true — and, if they are, what is the result of that? just to be clear, if you don't get this independent and verifiable proof that peng shuai is safe, and there is not a full and transparent investigation, then there will be no wta tournaments in china next year? that would be my position, yes. newcastle united head coach, eddie howe, will have to wait to make his debut in the stjames's park home dugout after testing positive for covid. he will be absent from his new clubs match against brentford tomorrow after testing positive during a routine test earlier today. howe will now self—isolate for ten days. assistant h

positive to see her, it remains unclear if she is free, adding this video alone is insufficient the wtady to pull its tournaments from china. pressure is mounting on china's governmen after peng accused a top party official of sexual assault nearly three weeks ago. >> we know they have zero tolerance for criticism and a record for silencing those that speak out >> reporter: chinese officials have said nothing and suggesting not even they have direct contact with her. >> we have to know she is free and safe to speak. >> reporter: earlier this month, peng alleged on social media that she had an affair with an ex-vice premier and included a clai that he forced her into sex her accounts no longer searchable a household name in china all but erased from the internet here the tennis world rallied behind the former world number one doubles champion and a strong stance the wta is taking in a lucrative market >> unless this is resolved, i support it 100%. >> reporter: in a statement, wimbledon added "we will work to gain clarity on her safety, which remains very much in question." janice macke f

which is very critical. >> it is amazing what the wta has done here. put your hats off to mr. simon because as you point out, she would have just disappeared. and maybe, that's what they hope eventually they will be able to do to her once attention goes away because we have seen some images, young, as you know, of peng shuai after she disappeared out to dinner. i know, where there is a chinese tennis official there mentioning the date multiple times. i mean, the whole thing is -- is so clearly what it is. all staged. all arranged by china to say, look, she's fine. she's fine. um, you know, okay. so, she's alive. that -- that's really all we know. you know, i know you only got out of prison because of worldwide attention about your own case. so, does that give you any hope about peng shuai and whether anyone can make a difference here? >> yes. it should be obvious -- obvious to anyone familiar with china's habit, long history of censorship and intimidation. that is far from okay. she is not fine. if peng shuai were really free, the chinese government wo

the head of the wta doubts that peng actually wrote it. >> we want to speak to her directly, make sure she's okay. >> reporter: outrage spreading across the tennis world serena williams, naomi osaka and more rallying around the hashtag #whereispengshuai. >> it's shocking that she's missing. >> reporter: revealing an alleged and largely consensual affair and included a claim that he forced her into sex. jung retired in 2018 and can't be reached for comment. >> when you search for her account, there is nothing there. >> reporter: the wta demanding an investigation and threatening to pull its tour from china. >> this cannot be swept under the rug. it can't be condoned. >> reporter: with beijing hosting the winter olympics, pressure is now mounting here to break the silence and to find peng shuai. >>> up next for us tonight, nursing home horrors. an insider speaks out on what he witnessed as covid swept through his facility our nbc news investigation is next. welcome to this world. you have some big shoes to fill. lots of new introductions. ...4 ounces... so many new toys. it's not going t

what i read about that, i was very happy that the stand the wta took. >> you're not just speaking outr in your league and your sport. you tweeted, money over morals for the king. very critical of lebron james and his continued sneaker deals with nike that produces in china. this is how james responded to that after you guys played each other saturday night. >> i think if you know me, i don't really give too many people my energy, you know, and he's definitely someone i will give my energy to. trying to use my name to create, you know, an opportunity for him himself. >> what is your reaction to that? >> i mean, it is sad. it is sad because there is just puppets. i believe before lebron james or michael jordan, we need to call out these companies, you know, because it is sad, like, for example, nike, the biggest sponsor of nba, right, if you look at the -- in america, they stand with black lives matter, latino community, no asian hate, and lgbtq community. but when it comes to china, they remain silent. so i am asking all the americans who are watching this right now, every time you put