Policymakers take on energy shock, rising debt at IMF-World Bank meetings

BANGKOK — Finance ministers and central bankers meet in Bangkok this week for the annual gatherings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, with the global economy buffeted between the U.S.-Iran war's energy shock, rising debt pressures and the AI boom. The meetings run from Monday through Saturday in the Thai capital, and will see policymakers tackle some stark choices, with the IMF calling on governments to rein in spending even as vulnerable citizens' needs may be growing in the face of surging inflation and climate risks. The week will see a combination of high-level closed-door meetings, public events and policy announcements from the world's top economic officials. On Tuesday, the IMF will unveil its global economic forecast, along with detailed regional outlooks through the week, as policymakers set about tackling the challenges darkening the economic horizon. "To put it simply, the global economy is being pulled in two opposite directions: a negative energy supply shock and a positive demand shock from AI," said IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva at an event kickin