Resilience, supervision, and international coordination are essential to safeguarding global financial markets as new AI tools enable attackers. Artificial intelligence is transforming how the financial system copes with vulnerabilities and reacts to incidents. Yet it is also amplifying cyber threats that can undermine financial stability when the offensive capabilities of intruders outpace defenses. IMF analysis suggests that extreme cyber‑incident losses could trigger funding strains, raise solvency concerns, and disrupt broader markets. The financial system relies on shared digital infrastructure that’s highly interconnected, including...

Read more

The energy price index rose 12.1% in April, driven largely by crude oil (+8.7%). The non-energy price index increased 3.2%. Agricultural prices gained 1.5% in April, led by food prices (+1.5%); raw materials rose 2.5%, while beverage prices edged up 0.4%. Fertilizer prices surged 14% Metals edged up 1.4% in April, led by aluminum (+6.7%), zinc (+5.7%), and nickel (+5.2%). Precious metals fell 2.7%, weighed down by a decline in gold (-2.8%). The Pink Sheet is the World Bank’s monthly report on commodity...

Read more

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a key instrument to improve market openness and fairness, competition, and user choice in the EU New challenges posed by generative AI and cloud services need to be addressed External pressure must not compromise the EU’s sovereignty and autonomy to define its rules Effective and proportionate fines essential to ensure deterrence and safeguarding DMA’s effectiveness MEPs are pushing for the Commission’s timely and effective enforcement of the EU’s Digital Markets Act and closer...

Read more

The European Commission today presented its plan to modernise EU lawmaking, ensuring that laws are clearer, simpler, more efficiently enforced, based on solid evidence and better aligned with the needs of citizens and businesses. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: "Europe needs clear and coherent legislation that fully responds to the needs of our citizens and businesses. Today, we deliver our plan to make EU lawmaking more efficient, more effective, and more transparent. We will apply simplicity by...

Read more

Commodity prices forecast to rise by 16% this year, fueling inflation and slowing growth.  Energy prices are projected to surge by 24% this year to their highest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as the war in the Middle East sends a severe shock through global commodity markets, according to the World Bank Group's latest Commodity Markets Outlook. Overall commodity prices are forecast to rise 16% in 2026, driven by soaring energy and fertilizer prices and record-high prices for several key metals. The shock will have serious implications for job creation and development, the analysis indicates. Attacks...

Read more