1) Initial peace talks between Russian and Ukraine ended with no agreement
The initial round of peace talks between delegations of two parties ended last night, according to Russian sources. It was reported that the first round of talk ended with no agreement.
The new round of talks will resume in the coming days after consultation with leadership at their respective capitals.
2) Ukraine applies for EU membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an application on Monday for Ukraine to join the European Union and asked for a fast-track EU accession.
3) Pfizer’s Covid effectiveness drop to 12% on kids
The effectiveness of Pfizer’s vaccine against Covid-19 infection plunged from 68% to 12% for children aged 5 to 11 during the omicron surge, according to New York state officials.The study showed that a drop in efficacy could be due to lower dosage given to kids instead of a full dose compared to adults.
4) China manufacturing activities in Feb at 50.2
China’s official manufacturing PMI for Feb comes in at 50.2, vs 49.8 expected 49.8. Meanwhile, official non-manufacturing PMI comes in at 51.6, vs 50.7 expected
