IMF and World Bank meetings leave developing economies weighing difficult choices
Energy costs, weaker aid flows and the search for private investment framed the questions facing lower-income countries at the annual meetings.
ASIA-PACIFIC / Global
Global
Business and economic developments across World & South Asia.
12 stories5 desks2 historical reports
Follow the wider story
Read the latest briefings alongside earlier decisions, investments and economic releases. Historical source dates are shown on archive stories.
Oil volatility puts markets and household budgets back in focus
Regional tensions moved energy shares and market sentiment as investors weighed the effect of supply risks on transport and prices.
AI infrastructure boom is tightening the global contest for capital
Investment in chips, data centres and power networks is adding to demand for financing as borrowing costs rise.
IMF says AI investment is supporting growth as energy and debt risks build
Technology spending is helping sustain activity, while war-related energy costs, debt and a possible market correction remain downside risks.
IMF warns of AI risks as global finance leaders meet in Bangkok
The IMF chief urged safeguards as officials discussed the benefits and risks of rapid AI investment.
Climate communicators debate how to describe the scale of environmental risk
Researchers and communicators are reconsidering how climate warnings affect public understanding and engagement.
Take Five: earnings, elections and MSCI concerns shape market focus
Investors entered a busy week tracking company results, elections and economic data.
IMF and World Bank meetings leave developing economies weighing difficult choices
Officials left the Bangkok meetings with unresolved questions about debt, conflict, energy and AI.
IMF chief says wealthy nations must address debt pressures
Kristalina Georgieva urged the United States and other wealthy countries to tackle mounting debt.
Failure to move fertilizer through Hormuz could threaten food security, UN official says
A UN official warned that delays to a fertilizer transit plan could put planting seasons at risk in parts of Asia and Africa.
ITU estimates 2.2 billion people remained offline in 2025
Connectivity expanded worldwide, but access gaps remained concentrated in lower-income countries and rural communities.
UN report puts developing countries’ climate adaptation bill in the hundreds of billions
UNEP estimates annual adaptation needs could reach $310 billion by 2035 under modelled costs, far above current public finance flows.
Explore more marketsAfricaAlbaniaAsia-PacificAustraliaBangladeshBrazilCanadaChinaEquatorial GuineaFranceIndiaIndonesiaIranIsraelJapanLebanonMalaysiaMexicoPacific OceanPakistanRomaniaRussiaSaudi ArabiaSingaporeSouth AmericaSudanTaiwanUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesVatican CityVietnamYemen