WASHINGTON — The IMF said on Thursday the global economy had weathered the energy shock caused by the war in the Middle East better than feared and global economic output was still expected to expand by about 3 percent in 2026, but it cautioned that risks remained high. Julie Kozack, spokesperson for the International Monetary Fund, said oil and gas prices remained elevated and the energy shock from the war was not over. Global debt pressures were also mounting and the disinflation process over the 2022 cost of living crisis had stalled. Global inflationary expectations have risen but remain well-anchored over the longer run, Kozack told a regular IMF briefing. "So far, despite six months of war in the Middle East, the global economy has been resilient," Kozack said, adding that the use of oil and gas reserves had allowed some countries to cope with energy shocks caused by the war, while others had shifted to new energy sources or acted to curb demand. "We remain on track for world growth of around 3 percent but uncertainty, as we've been saying for quite some time, continues to remain