U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says high-stakes talks between Washington and Moscow are unlikely to progress over Ukraine, as Russian troops gather on the border. In China, 14 million people are being tested for Covid over 2 days in the north-eastern port city of Tianjin – less than an hour from the capital. December payrolls in the U.S. come in weaker than expected but unemployment falls. And in banking news, Italy’s BPER reportedly improves its offer for Carige in a bid to fend off rival interest from French lender Credit Agricole.

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