WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The world may be edging toward a global recession as central banks across the world simultaneously hike interest rates to combat persistent inflation, the World Bank said on Thursday. The world’s three largest economies – the United States, China, and the euro area – have been slowing sharply, and even a “moderate hit to the global economy over the next year could tip it into recession,” the bank said in a new study. It said the global economy was now in its steepest slowdown following a post-recession recovery since 1970, and consumer confidence had already dropped more…