WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund has delayed the release of its World Economic Outlook by one week to Jan. 25 to factor in the latest COVID-19 developments, a spokesperson for the global lender said on Tuesday.

       “The World Economic Outlook update will be launched on January 25 to allow our teams to incorporate the latest developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic into the economic forecasts," the spokesperson said.

       IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice had told reporters last month the update to the fund's forecast would come on Jan. 19.- Reuters