Bloomberg For the Federal Reserve, 2019 has started out looking a lot like 2016: the last time uncertainty over global growth roiled financial markets for months on end. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell pointed to the 2016 episode to underscore the US central bank’s ability to be flexible when necessary, recalling the Fed held interest rates steady almost all year. But …

Bloomberg Jim Yong Kim abruptly resigned as president of the World Bank more than three years ahead of schedule, potentially sparking an international tussle over who replaces him as the Trump administration questions the development lender’s purpose. Kristalina Georgieva, the bank’s second in command, will take over as interim president on February 1, the Washington-based bank said in a statement. …

Bloomberg Bandhan Bank Ltd, India’s newest lender, will combine with mortgage financier Gruh Finance Ltd in a $11.7 billion deal, bringing the bank closer to meeting shareholding rules and helping it accelerate expansion. Investors in Gruh Finance, controlled by Housing Development Finance Corp, India’s biggest mortgage lender, will get 568 shares of Bandhan Bank for every 1,000 they own, according …