A new assessment by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded that corruption in Pakistan is behind an economic crisis driven by state capture where public policy is manipulated to benefit a narrow circle of political and business elites. The Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA), finalised in November 2025, presents a grim picture of a system marked by dysfunctional institutions that are unable to enforce the rule of law or safeguard public resources.
Black women are being sidelined at scale Since February, Black women have lost 297,000 jobs. Another 223,000 remain unemployed. And 75,000 have been pushed out of the labor force entirely. I estimate that these forced exits alone are draining an estimated $9.2 billion from U.S. GDP this year. These aren't just missing paychecks; they represent lost productivity, lost tax revenue, and diminished national output.
Super Bowl 60 arrives at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8, 2026, drawing attention to the region's blend of innovation and culture. The Bay Area Host Committee unveiled a series of activations designed to highlight the area's strengths as a host for global gatherings. With the game just months away, preparations ramp up to create memorable experiences for fans and locals alike.
Globally, an estimated 50 million people were living as digital nomads by 2024, roughly doubling from around 20 million just a few years prior. In the United States alone, the number of people identifying as digital nomads increased from approximately 7.3 million in 2019 to 18.1 million in 2024, a 147% rise since pre-pandemic times. While remote workers once scattered randomly across the globe, something remarkable happened: they started clustering in specific countries where their foreign income could stretch furthest.
A field of blazing flowers bloomed in front of Durham cathedral, a net of pulsing green light arched over the market place, and the traffic control signs were warning of global warming and mass extinctions. Farewell to Arctic ice and the Queenwood shrub frog, they read, and they might have read farewell to Lumiere. For three nights and one last time, the much admired-and imitated-Lumiere festival is bringing joy, crowds and international light artists to the dark winter streets.
A U.S. Travel Association report forecasts a 3.2 per cent decline in international tourism spending in the country for 2025, a loss of $5.7 billion US compared to the previous year. The association largely attributes the loss to a decline in the number of Canadian visitors a trend that has persisted since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in January, sparked a trade war with Canada and began referring to the country as the 51st state.
What is the current shutdown's expected economic impact? The CBO estimate says the federal spending delay will produce short-term economic losses - largely in the fourth quarter of 2025 - that will mostly be recouped during the first quarter of 2026, assuming the shutdown ends by then. CBO projected how much the shutdown would hamper U.S. economic growth per quarter, adjusted for inflation and multiplied by four, to convert a quarterly figure into an annual one.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, home prices in the United States have climbed twice as fast as incomes. Now, millions of Americans are effectively priced out of the market. Surging home prices are due in large part to a historic housing shortage, estimated to be as high as 4.7 million units. While the ongoing housing affordability crisis has grown especially pronounced in the last five years, the causes of the supply shortage can be traced back nearly two decades.
A crane hoists the ceremonial, signed steel beam to the top of the new Belmont Park grandstand on Oct. 15, 2025. The evergreen atop the beam is considered a good luck charm. NYRA/Adam Coglianese Belmont Park hit another milestone in its $455 million transformation on Wednesday with the ceremonial topping out of the new grandstand that will become, when opened next year, the most modern facility in American thoroughbred racing.
Cash ISAs are not idle money. They meet real and practical needs, helping people to build financial resilience, save for a house deposit or manage their finances in retirement. They also provide the foundation for future investing and supplying essential funding for mortgages and other lending. The BSA's analysis suggests that a cut in the annual Cash ISA limit from £20,000 to £5,000 could lead to 17,000 fewer mortgage loans and reduce GDP by around £7 billion over five years, undermining economic growth and tax revenues.
The Salesforce-led conference runs Tuesday through Thursday at and around Moscone Center, blocking off streets and taking over entire buildings, including the Chase Center, for keynotes, demonstrations, panels and musical performances. It's all meant to beef up the software company's clout and customer network; tickets ran from $999 to $2,299, though you can expect that most attendees' employers footed the bill. Yet more cash will pour into South of Market's local businesses, which expect their most profitable week of the year.
It's not just a piece of paper, it's a launchpad for growth. With India set to be the third biggest economy in the world by 2028, and trade with them about to become quicker and cheaper, the opportunities waiting to be seized are unparalleled. That's why I'll be flying the flag for British business alongside 125 of our biggest household names in Mumbai this week - because growth in India for them means more choice, opportunity and jobs at home for the British people.
Doctors predicted Wayne Frederick, the president of Howard University, wouldn't live past 8. Now he's 54. Frederick came to the U.S. from Trinidad and Tobago with a dream of finding a cure for his disease, sickle cell anemia, but detoured into higher ed administration. At an event hosted by the American Council on Education at Howard University this week, Frederick said CRISPR gene editing, a technology developed in academia, made his dream a reality.
On Sunday, the U.S. District Court of Oregon ruled that the deployment likely violated federal law, as the protests were not significantly violent or disruptive. The coalition, which includes major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Baltimore, argues that the federal government overstepped its authority. They contend there was no legal justification for the deployment, which occurred despite local officials' objections.
Con Edison doesn't just keep New York City plugged in; a new study indicates it generates a significant positive economic impact in the form of jobs, contracts, and tax revenues for the city. The study conducted by HR&A Advisors, along with Con Edison, sought to quantify the utility giant's spending and other economic contributions in New York City and Westchester County including a big property tax bill. Con Edison provides power to 9 million people and 350,000 businesses across the city and Westchester.
An estimated 1.4 million adults in Great Britain have a gambling problem, according to landmark figures released days after the chancellor hinted at increasing taxes on the 11.5bn industry. The Gambling Commission's annual survey found that 2.7% of adults scored 8 or above on the problem gambling severity index, a widely accepted measure analysing negative consequences of betting. In previous years, the watchdog had warned against extrapolating that percentage to the general population.