The plea came days after a group of international bondholders threatened to enforce their legal rights against Evergrande, saying they had been unable to engage substantively with the troubled Chinese real-estate company for months. Advisers to some Evergrande bondholders last Thursday released a statement accusing the developer of withholding crucial information about its liabilities and failing to engage, despite statements to the contrary.


U.K. Steps Up Arms Backing for Ukraine, Leading European Efforts to Deter Russian Invasion

LONDON-The U.K. has pushed itself to the forefront of European efforts to deter a Russian invasion of Ukraine, becoming the first major Western country to join the U.S. in providing lethal weapons to Kyiv.

In recent weeks, Britain has shipped military hardware to Kyiv that analysts say would increase the risks to Russia if it launched a ground invasion into Ukraine and has called out what it described as Russian efforts to subvert Ukraine's political system.


Rio Tinto, Oyu Tolgoi Partners Reach Agreements to Advance Copper Project

Rio Tinto PLC said it has reached agreements with Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. and Mongolia's government on the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine expansion in South Gobi desert that have led the partners to approve the start of underground operations.

Under the agreements, Turquoise Hill will waive a $2.4 billion loan to Mongolia's Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi, while Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill have also promised improved cooperation with the state-owned company on the copper-mining operation, Rio Tinto said. The world's No. 2 miner by market value said the partners have agreed on measures to monitor underground development financing mechanisms and enhance environmental, social and governance matters, while also approving a new electricity supply agreement.


On the Brink of War With Russia, Ukrainians Are Resigned and Prepared

KYIV, Ukraine-Computer whiz Danylo Kovzhun has taught his children to handle a pistol. Confectioner Roman Nabozhniak is training colleagues to run his business so he can focus on fighting Russians. Bar owner Vitaliy Kyrychenko keeps his gas tank full in case he needs to get out fast.

Ukraine has struggled to maintain a sense of stability since it fully established itself as a sovereign country in 1991, and has been at war since 2014. But with 100,000 Russian troops gathered nearby, threatening Europe's biggest land war since the 1940s, people there say something feels different this time.


NATO to Send Ships, Jet Fighters to Eastern Europe Amid Standoff With Russia

BRUSSELS-NATO allies are bolstering the alliance's eastern flank in response to Russia's military buildup around Ukraine, as the European Union set out plans for loans and grants for Kyiv worth more than $1.3 billion and the Pentagon ordered thousands of troops to prepare for possible deployment.

The moves are part of efforts by the U.S. and its allies to gird for what they believe could be an imminent military invasion of Ukraine, which Russia denies it is planning. President Biden held a videoconference with European leaders Monday afternoon to coordinate the trans-Atlantic response to the Russian troop buildup.


Unilever Plans Job Cuts as Activist Investor Trian Takes Stake

Unilever PLC plans to cut thousands of jobs as part of a reorganization aimed at speeding up its decision making, according to a person familiar with the matter, a move that comes as the Ben & Jerry's owner looks for ways to jump-start growth.

Unilever's chief executive, Alan Jope, has been under pressure to buoy sales growth for months but that has ratcheted up in recent weeks. The Wall Street Journal and others reported over the weekend that Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management LP had acquired a stake in Unilever, just days after the company abandoned its $68 billion bid for GlaxoSmithKline PLC's consumer-healthcare business, after being rebuffed on price.


Omicron Slows the Global Economy, Hitting the U.S. Particularly Hard

Rising infection rates driven by the faster-spreading Omicron variant of Covid-19 led to a U.S. and global economic slowdown as the year got under way, surveys of purchasing managers said.

The pullback was particularly pronounced in the U.S., where both the services and manufacturing sectors reported slower growth, according to surveys by data firm IHS Markit conducted in the first weeks of January and released on Monday.


Differences Splinter U.S. Team Negotiating With Iran on Nuclear Deal

With talks to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran reaching a critical phase, differences have emerged in the U.S. negotiating team over how tough to be with Tehran and when to walk away, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

U.S. officials confirmed over the weekend that Richard Nephew, the deputy special envoy for Iran, has left the team. Mr. Nephew, an architect of previous economic sanctions on Iran, had advocated a tougher posture in the current negotiations, and he hasn't attended the talks in Vienna since early December.


Italy to Decide on Its Leadership-and Draghi's Future

ROME-Italy faces a political puzzle this week: It must fill its two most important leadership positions, but it has only one Mario Draghi.

Mr. Draghi is both the widely respected prime minister of Italy's bipartisan government and the most credible contender to become head of state, or president of the republic.


GameStop, Meme Stocks Hit by Market Turmoil

Shares of GameStop Corp., AMC Entertainment Holdings and other meme stocks numbered among the hardest hit by Monday's market turmoil, the latest blow to the favorite bets of many online day traders.


IBM Sales Surge. The Company's Turnaround May Be Taking Hold.

IBM posted strong results Monday for its fourth quarter, with its best sales growth in more than a decade. The results suggest that CEO Arvind Krishna's strategy for returning the legacy tech giant to growth is beginning to pay off.

Over the last year, IBM (ticker: IBM) has restructured its business to focus on its software and consulting units, after spinning off its managed IT services business, now known as Kyndryl (KD). IBM also recently agreed to sell its Watson Health unit to private equity shop Francisco Partners. While it is early in the turnaround, Wall Street is likely to be encouraged by today's results.


Meta Unveils New AI Supercomputer

Meta Platforms Inc. said Monday that its research team built a new artificial intelligence supercomputer that the company maintains will soon be the fastest in the world.

The supercomputer, the AI Research SuperCluster, was the result of nearly two years of work, often conducted remotely during the height of the pandemic, and led by the Facebook parent's AI and infrastructure teams. Several hundred people, including researchers from partners Nvidia Inc., Penguin Computing Inc. and Pure Storage Inc., were involved in the project, the company said.


Google Deceived Users About Location Tracking, States Allege

WASHINGTON-Alphabet Inc.'s Google deceived consumers by recording their location even after users tried to turn off the company's tracking on their smartphones and web browsers, according to lawsuits by Washington, D.C., and three other states.

Google falsely told customers that if they opted out of collection of their "Location History" or other settings, Google wouldn't store the places they went, according to one of the lawsuits, filed Monday in the District of Columbia's Superior Court by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine.


Write to sarka.halas@wsj.com


Expected Major Events for Tuesday

06:00/FIN: Dec Labour force survey, incl unemployment

07:00/UK: Dec Public sector finances

08:00/SPN: Dec PPI

09:00/GER: Jan Ifo Business Climate Index

10:00/LUX: Nov Trade

11:00/FRA: 3Q OECD Quarterly Employment Situation

11:00/UK: Jan CBI Industrial Trends Survey

13:00/HUN: Jan Hungarian interest rate decision

14:00/BEL: Jan Business Confidence Survey

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-25-22 0036ET