Second-placed Liverpool remain three points behind Arsenal, who have a vastly superior goal difference
The new Omicron variant of Covid-19 could slow the global economic recovery, just as the Delta strain did, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said Friday.
“A new variant that may spread very rapidly can dent confidence and in that sense, we are likely to see some downgrades of our October projections for global growth,” she said at a Reuters event.
In its most recent World Economic Outlook, the fund projected global growth of 5.9 per cent this year and 4.9 per cent in 2022, but the United States and other major economies suffered sharp downward revisions after the spread of the Delta variant “caused some friction,” Georgieva said.
“Even before the arrival of this new variant, we were concerned that the recovery, while it continues, is losing somewhat momentum,” the IMF chief said, noting that policymakers are now dealing with new issues like inflation.
The IMF’s most-recent forecasts raised concerns that global supply chain issues and uneven distribution of vaccines were slowing the rebound, and causing some countries to be left behind.
A surge in demand in many advanced economies coupled with shortages of key components like semiconductors has fuelled a wave of prices increases.
Less than two months ago, Georgieva expressed confidence that inflation would not become a “runaway train” but on Friday she said the US Federal Reserve will have to increase interest rates in 2022, rather than in 2023, as the IMF previously predicted.
ALSO READ:
The Fed, which cut the benchmark lending rate to zero in the early days of the pandemic, already has started to pull back on its stimulus measures and has signaled it will speed up that process, which would put it in position to lift rates off zero by midyear.
“We do believe that the path to policy rate increases may be walked faster,” Georgieva said.
Second-placed Liverpool remain three points behind Arsenal, who have a vastly superior goal difference
The in-form Italian will move to within 330points of World No 1 Djokovic if he wins his fourth trophy of 2024 at the Madrid Open
The King, 88, had undergone gallbladder surgery in 2020
Delhi posted 224-4 courtesy of a 113-run stand between Pant (88) and fellow left-hander Axar Patel, who hit 66
The move is seen as part of Ukraine's efforts to reinforce its army as soldiers struggle to hold positions against Russia
The Jamaican currently holds world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m with times of 9.58s, 19.19s and 36.84s respectively
Total property income posted year-on-year growth of 10% to $74m, highest value ever
All official donation channels however remain open through the outlets announced by government agencies