Russia, NATO to meet amid Ukraine crisis; Xi'an COVID lockdown; Prince Andrew assault hearing begins
Yahoo Finance Live's Akiko Fujita breaks down several of the leading international headlines, including NATO meeting with Russia to address the Ukraine crisis, the Chinese government imposing a strict COVID lockdown for the city of Xi'an ahead of the Winter Olympics, and how the hearing over sexual assault allegations against Prince Andrew is set to begin today.
Video Transcript
AKIKO FUJITA: In our World View today, NATO's Secretary General has scheduled a special meeting with Russian officials and NATO allies as tensions build up along Russia's border with Ukraine. The two sides are set to meet in Brussels on January 12th in an effort to prevent open conflict over what's playing out in the border. Russia has been building up its military presence along the border with Ukraine, but it has denied US claims that Moscow is planning an invasion of its neighbor. The meeting will come after the EU's top diplomat flew to Ukraine in a show of support for Kiev.
Well, frustration is growing in the Chinese city of Xi'an, as residents enter yet another week in lockdown to control COVID infections there. Roughly 13 million people have been subject to some of the strictest COVID restrictions we've seen in the country since the pandemic began. Social media posts show residents bartering supplies, even as authorities provide free food to homes amid the lockdown.
Meanwhile, east of Xi'an, the city of [INAUDIBLE] has been locked down after three asymptomatic COVID cases were reported there. More than 1 million residents have been cut off from access to transportation, and all but essential businesses have been forced to close. China has maintained a zero COVID policy, and it's ramped up controls ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday and the Beijing Olympics.
And lawyers for Britain's Prince Andrew are asking a US judge to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the royal of sexual assault two decades ago. The lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre accuses Andrew of forcing her to have sex when she was just 17 years old. Andrew has called the lawsuit baseless. Giuffre also sued Jeffrey Epstein of sexual assault back in 2009. That led to a settlement of half a million dollars in exchange for dropping additional legal action. Andrew's lawyers are expected to argue that settlement makes him a third-party beneficiary to the agreement. Oral arguments beginning today, just days after Epstein's friend Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of recruiting and grooming four teenage girls that Epstein sexually abused.
