IMF Warning The IMF's new chief economist, Gita Gopinath, does not foresee a global recession, but she does warn of "many downside risks." The fund reckons global growth will be 3.3% this year—a 0.2 percentage point downgrade from earlier forecasts—and 3.6% next year. Particular weaknesses are seen in the U.K., Germany, Italy, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. BBC