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How safe is your bank? Risks, resilience and the road ahead

Source: European Central Bank (video statements)

How safe are our banks in the euro area?

The world around us is changing – geopolitical tensions , AI and climate change can all pose risks to banks.

So how can banks best manage their risks? What are supervisors focusing on in the coming year? And what measures are they taking to make supervision less complex?

Our host Stefania Secola speaks to Supervisory Board Chair Claudia Buch to find out.

The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.

Recorded on 4 February 2026 and published on 17 February 2026.

In this episode:

00:57 How safe is your bank?
How are euro area banks doing? How does the ECB – together with national supervisors – examine their health?

03:51 What risks should banks be focusing on?
How is the external environment in which banks operate changing? How can risks from geopolitical uncertainty, digitalisation and climate change feed through to banks?

06:02 How is supervision evolving?
In a changing external environment, we need new strategies to properly manage new risks. How is European supervision adapting to become more efficient, effective and risk-focused?

08:57 Why is supervision so complex?
Modern banks are complex, operating across borders and with different business models. How can we reduce undue complexity in supervision?

10:54 Let’s talk about competitiveness
Do regulation and supervision hinder the competitiveness of euro area banks? What does the banking sector need to do to stay competitive, and how can European banking supervision help?

13:02 Our guest’s hot tips

Claudia Buch shares her hot tips.

Streamlining supervision, safeguarding resilience:
www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/framewor….en.html

Governing Council proposes simplification of EU banking rules: www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/20…5c9271b8.en.html

Banking supervision explained
www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/about/ba….en.html

Espresso Economics
www.youtube.com/@Espresso_Economics

ECB Instagram
www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMWhcUgjNxM

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India, Geneva & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (16 February 2026) | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
India Trip Announcement
Geneva Trip Announcement
Secretary-General/Travel
Senior Personnel Appointments
West Bank
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Decolonization
Ukraine
Colombia
New Resident Coordinators – Angola and Mexico
Financial Contribution

INDIA TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will travel to New Delhi, in India, where he has been invited to take part in the AI Impact Summit.

He is scheduled to participate in the Summit’s opening ceremony, a plenary with Heads of State and Government, as well as a session on the role of science in international AI governance.

The Secretary-General will have bilateral meetings with the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, as well as with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He will also meet with leaders attending the Summit, tech leaders and members of the International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.

While in India, the Secretary-General is also scheduled to take part in a roundtable organized by our UN colleagues to discuss renewable energy and energy transition. With India emerging as a global leader in renewable energy expansion, the discussion will bring together senior figures from industry, finance, policy and civil society to identify concrete steps to further accelerate renewable energy deployment, strengthen grids and storage, and mobilize investment at scale. This engagement is part of the Secretary-General’s continued efforts to advance a faster, fairer and more inclusive global energy transition, aligned with the Paris Agreement.

GENEVA TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT 

On Sunday, the Secretary-General will arrive in Geneva, Switzerland. The following day, he will deliver remarks at the opening of the 61st session of the Human Rights Council. Later on Monday, the Secretary-General will address the High-Level Segment of the 2026 Session of the Conference on Disarmament.

While in Geneva, the Secretary-General will hold bilateral meetings with leaders and Ministers attending the opening of the Human Rights Council, as well as a meeting with a group of human rights nongovernmental organizations. He is also scheduled to participate in an event hosted by the Vice-President of the Swiss Federal Council, Ignazio Cassis, to mark the completion of the Portail des Nations building, the new Visitor Centre for the UN in Geneva.

The Secretary-General will be back in New York on Monday night.

SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVEL

The Secretary-General has returned to New York from Addis Ababa, where, on Saturday, he spoke at the opening of the 39th African Union summit. He praised the UN’s partnership with the African regional organization, saying it has grown stronger over the past decade.

Looking ahead, Mr. Guterres added, we continue to have three major areas of focus in our work with the African Union: peace, economic action and climate action. He also renewed his call for reforms of the Security Council, saying the absence of permanent African seats is indefensible.

Later in the day, Mr. Guterres held a press conference and told reporters that Africa is navigating some of the world’s hardest challenges and doing so with determination, creativity, and resilience.

Turning to climate, he called on developed countries to triple adaptation finance, mobilize 1.3 trillion US dollars a year by 2035, and increase contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund.

With the right support, Africa will become a renewables powerhouse, he said. Mr. Guterres added that Africa’s critical minerals and resources will help create new industries and jobs, building value at home, not exporting value away. The plundering and exploitation of Africa’s resources must end, he said.

Throughout the day, the Secretary-General continued to hold bilateral meetings with leaders attending the summit.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-02-16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXqr3KvqRFI

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UK Preparing for droughts this summer | Committee Inquiries

Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

Drought may not be on everyone’s mind at the moment, but preparing for this and future summers’ dry weather is crucial. The Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee pressed the Minister for Water and Flooding last week on topics including ensuring critical services like firefighting have access to water.

Find out more about the committee’s inquiry https://orlo.uk/ACc0w

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3_wGwyZGz48