WASHINGTON: The global economic crisis will not be quite as grim as feared this year, but GDP will still contract 4.4 percent and the ongoing pandemic means the outlook remains uncertain, the IMF said yesterday. 

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 844 to 112,737, while eight patients passed away in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 672, the health ministry said yesterday. 

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Financial Centre K.P.S.C “Markaz” recently announced the launch of its ‘Procurement Guide to Contractual Arrangements’ between governmental and quasi-governmental entities with “Markaz”, in an effort to establish guided contractual relationships between both sectors. 

PARIS: The 137 nations trying to hammer out a new global standard for taxing multinational tech firms will not secure a deal by the end of this year as hoped, the OECD acknowledged yesterday. 

STOCKHOLM: US economists Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson won the Nobel Economics Prize yesterday for work on commercial auctions, including for goods and services difficult to sell in traditional ways such as radio frequencies, the Nobel Committee said. 

KUWAIT: Kuwait yesterday reported 777 new COVID-19 infections, taking the total to 111,893, while the death toll surged to 664 after confirming new six fatalities during the last 24 hours, the health ministry said.

KUWAIT: It’s been nearly two months since public transport was allowed to operate again in Kuwait while adhering to strict health measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. While wearing facemasks and maintaining social distancing are still required to ride on public buses, the demand for public transport limits the options for social distancing onboard during peak times. 

NEW YORK: Increasing numbers of New Yorkers are buying cars as they avoid public transport because of the coronavirus pandemic, igniting the second-hand market but undermining hopes of less congestion in the Big Apple. 

ATHENS: Only about half of Greece’s periptera, the little kiosks selling cigarettes and newspapers in town squares across the country, survived the economic crisis. Now, those still standing face a fresh threat, from the coronavirus pandemic-and adding masks and gels to their inventory might not be enough to see them through.