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US-Russia talks on Ukraine
US President Joe Biden held a two-hour virtual meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss Ukraine. Russia’s troop deployment on its border with Ukraine has raised tension. The US intelligence community has warned of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, although Moscow has denied such a move has been contemplated.
According to people familiar with the latest development, both the leaders had a heated discussion. President Biden made it clear that NATO countries will deploy more troops as a countermeasure if Russia invades Ukraine. The president also warned Putin of a gas export ban if Russia invades Ukraine.
Evergrande misses payment deadline
Evergrande is making headlines yet again. The property developer has missed another payment deadline, sending its shares to record lows. Evergrande owes interest payments for around US$82.5-million-dollar bonds. Besides Evergrande, another property developer, Kaisa, also has missed payment deadlines, highlighting the troubles in the Chinese property market.
Omicron Concerns
The new Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been a cause of concern globally. Experts are testing the existing vaccines to determine their effectiveness against the virus. A recent study has revealed that the Pfizer vaccine is less effective in containing the new variant.
On the other hand, GlaxoSmithKline’s antibody treatment is reported to be effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization and death. Pfizer and BioNTech have said that the third dose of their vaccine was successful against Omicron.
Beijing Winter Olympics
A diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics is gathering steam. After the US, Australia has decided to boycott the games, though the athletes from both countries would participate. Chinese officials have condemned the boycott and threatened to take countermeasures.
Space Voyage
There seems to be a craze amongst the billionaires to travel to space. Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa has travelled to the International Space Station onboard a Russian spaceship. Yusaku’s recent trip to the ISS seemed to be a trailer of his anticipated trip to the Moon in 2023.