German Chancellor MERZ said he wants comprehensive pension reform, adding that pension reform is at least 30 years overdue.

EU foreign policy chief Kallas proposed adding 100 entries to the EU sanctions list targeting Russian systems used to manipulate foreign information and carry out interference.

The IMF said a “doomsday” scenario would leave more global banks closer to the edge than a year ago. Its latest stress test models an AI-driven asset collapse, a sharp rise in government bond yields and an economic slowdown, and warns that AI-related shocks could threaten banks even amid rising profits. Under the scenario 22% of global banking assets would be concentrated in 110 “weak” banks whose core capital ratios would fall below 7%—or below the higher thresholds applied to global systemically important banks—versus 18% of assets in 88 weak banks in last year’s test. IMF official Vamvakidis said each annual scenario reflects risks judged relevant at the time and uses the same methodology; this year energy-supply disruptions, worries of an AI bubble and higher yields have amplified global risks.