The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) throws open its doors to thousands yesterday in Las Vegas despite surging COVID-19 cases in the United States, as one of the world’s largest trade fairs tries to get back to business. After a series of high-profile companies like Amazon and Google cancelled over climbing virus risk, the return of the in-person convention was cast in doubt.

LONDON: OPEC and its allies decided yesterday to maintain their policy of modestly boosting oil output next month as the rapidly spreading Omicron variant has so far not heavily hit demand.

KUWAIT: Kuwait yesterday said 1,482 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, taking the country’s total caseload to 420,796, health ministry data showed. 

KUWAIT: Amid a rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, celebrations for birthdays, weddings and anniversaries have been called off from Jan 9 till Feb 28, as per an order by the government. 

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, held a third COIVD-19 vaccination campaign for its staff at its main headquarters in Shuwaikh in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. 

ANKARA: Turkey’s annual inflation rate surged to its highest level since 2002 in December, official data showed yesterday, after a currency crisis sparked by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s unconventional economic policies. Consumer prices jumped to 36.1 percent last month from the same period in 2020, up from 21.3 percent in November, according to the Turkish statistics office.

LAS VEGAS: The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), one of the world’s largest trade fairs, returns to Las Vegas in person this week under a newly resurgent pandemic that has supercharged the industry but threatens its downsized expo. 

LONDON: Top oil producing countries yesterday picked Kuwaiti oil executive Haitham Al-Ghais as the next secretary general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). 

LONDON: The price of bitcoin hit record highs in 2021 thanks to support from traditional finance, but cryptocurrency specialists are struggling to predict next year’s outcome for the volatile sector.