Germany adds COVID restrictions, Meta removes Belarusian misinformation, WTA suspends tournaments
Germany plans to impose restrictions on the unvaccinated as COVID cases rise, Meta says Belarus KGB used fake accounts to ignite migrant crisis, and the WTA suspends tournaments in China over Peng Shuai concerns. Yahoo Finance Live reports on the latest world headlines.
Video transcript
- In our World View today, Germany is expected to impose new restrictions on the unvaccinated as the country looks to slow surging COVID infections. Leaders there are looking into restricting those who haven't been vaccinated to all but most essential businesses, including grocery stores. The tighter rules come as the new omicron variant threatens to exacerbate a dangerous COVID wave in the country. The US meanwhile is looking to impose new requirements for inbound travelers, including testing within a day of departure, while passengers in the Netherlands will soon be required to get a COVID test pre-flight for all trips outside of the EU, regardless of vaccination status.
Facebook's parent company Meta says they have evidence Belarus's state security service used fake accounts to inflame the border crisis with Poland. The social media giant said it removed 41 Facebook accounts, five groups, and four Instagram accounts linked directly to the Belarusian KGB. Now, those accounts reportedly targeted users in the Middle East and Europe, with some using AI-generated images to create fake profile photos. The EU has accused Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko of attempting to destabilize the region by sending thousands of migrants from the Middle East to its border with Poland. Meta says activity on those accounts ramped up in October as the crisis escalated, with people connected to the KGB posing as reporters and activists from the EU.
Well, China is pushing back against the World Tennis Association's boycott after the organization suspended all tournaments in the country over questions about tennis star Peng Shuai. In a briefing Thursday, a foreign ministry spokesperson said his government, quote, firmly opposes acts that politicize sports. The WTA suspended activity in China following weeks of speculation over safety and well-being of Peng, who accused the former Chinese vice premier of sexual assault last month.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee says it's held a second call with Peng on Wednesday, though it didn't release any details of the conversation. The IOC has been accused of staging a publicity stunt to help Beijing's cause ahead of the winter Olympic games in February. Peng has not given any interviews since going public with her allegations, and the WTA has called for a full investigation.
