China A-shares strengthened into the midday close. Shanghai Composite rose 0.55%, Shenzhen Composite 0.57% and the ChiNext Index 0.93%; ChiNext spiked above 1.6% early before paring gains. Turnover across the two markets topped 1.3 trillion yuan and more than 4,300 stocks advanced. The pharmaceutical sector led gains as innovative drug and CRO names rallied; cinema chains, humanoid-robot and travel stocks were also active. Precious metals-related stocks lagged.

Kremlin says German authorities' approval ratings are quite low, largely because Germany stopped buying cheap Russian natural gas and instead opted for much more expensive natural gas, primarily from the US.

Citi CEO Jane Fraser said advancing AI model capabilities are prompting firms to accelerate cybersecurity defences, creating a global "defense race" and widespread patching. She said Anthropic’s Mythos model earlier this year raised concerns about next‑generation AI cyber risk; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and then‑Fed chair Jerome Powell convened Wall Street executives to discuss the model and urged firms to strengthen system protections. Recent tests involving Google and Anthropic systems showed intrusions into enterprise environments, amplifying security worries. Fraser added that AI’s bottleneck has shifted from chips to energy supply, with a marked increase in global energy demand. Qatari PM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatar is partnering with AI firms on responsible investment while security safeguards remain under development.