Associated Press
There was no shortage of stressors to the global economy when Ajay Banga took charge at the World Bank almost a year ago: inflation eating at nations drowning in debt, a once-in-a-generation pandemic, climate disasters and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Factor in the Israel-Hamas war and rising tensions between powerful nations, and today's agenda is even fuller as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund hold their spring meetings in Washington this week. “The world’s intertwined challenges of poverty — which clearly we have seen great setbacks over the past few years — combined with fragility and conflict and violence, combined with climate change, is coming into a perfect storm,” Banga said in an interview with The Associated Press.