For the first time ever, Mexico, Canada, and the US will
co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The IMF highlights the economic impact as the three host nations
account for about 30% of nominal world GDP. Through its “Beyond the Pitch” series, the IMF will
publish content on trade, growth, and development, showing how large sports events drive long-term
economic implications.
World Bank survey of 108 institutions in 74 countries
finds credit guarantee schemes average 2% of GDP globally but just 0.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa where
SME financing need is greatest. Research shows guaranteed firms only grow jobs when schemes reach
firms banks would reject. Effectiveness depends on financial system depth and governance, not just
product design.
As leaders meet at Summer Davos in Dalian, 5 numbers define
China’s economy: Record solar exports in one month, India imports up 100% and Africa 5x, BYD leads
EVs over Tesla despite EU tariffs with 30% more sales, 14% export growth vs 0.2% April retail sales
since 2022, and GDP target 5-6% vs IMF 4.4% forecast for 2026.
Coral reefs provide $2.7 trillion in ecosystem services yearly
yet face collapse by 2050. After MV Wakashio’s 1,000-tonne oil spill destroyed Mauritius reefs, Dr.
Nadeem Nazurally’s ecoMode Society used microfragmentation to restore 25,500 corals. With fishers and
women farmers, 86,000 sqm became a conservation area, protecting fisheries and tourism livelihoods
SIDS depend on.
The World Bank Group has focused on five key
industries in which there is great potential for creating employment opportunities: the energy
and infrastructure sector, agriculture and agribusiness, health care, tourism, and
manufacturing. Each of these sectors is interconnected with the other and supports the
creation and development of many job opportunities and a broad-based development strategy.
In a world long dominated by the financial tides of
the US dollar, a new story is unfolding, driven not by a grand, planned design but by an
unexpected external force: the tariff policies of Donald Trump. Trump's renewed presidency saw
him sign an executive order in early 2025, first imposing tariffs on imports from China, then
escalating to a "universal" tariff on nearly all imports. But the most pointed attacks were
reserved for the BRICS bloc and their partners.
Resolving fragility is not only the role of
humanitarian action but also important for international security and economic equality. The
country is experiencing fragility and conflicts through a multifaceted issue that hinders
development and undermines social security. Prolonged hostilities, weak institutions, and state
capacity constraints prevent governments from providing necessary services.
