new video loaded: Statue of Liberty Replica Collapses in Brazil
By Axel Boada and Nazaneen Ghaffar
December 17, 2025
We’re running out of snappy ledes about how the labor market has roiled from economic challenges…and it seems we’re going to need to get creative.
While slightly more employers plan to hire in Q1 2026 than in Q4 2025, many anticipate continuing to hold off, citing economic uncertainty, a new ManpowerGroup survey found.
Forty-three percent of employers plan to increase their staff in Q1 2026, while 16% are planning reductions, according to the survey, which tracked responses from 6,000-plus employers in the US. Another 37% said they don’t anticipate changes.
By comparison, 41% of employers planned to hire in Q4 2025, while 13% anticipated cuts and 42% expected no changes. Similarly, looking year over year, 41% of employers planned to increase their ranks in Q1 2025, while 16% expected to decrease and 40% expected to stay constant.
Growth. For the 43% of employers planning to expand in Q1 2026, the business outlook seems optimistic: 37% said they plan to hire to facilitate organizational growth, while another 26% said they’re pursuing new business areas. Only 19% attributed hiring plans to backfilling positions.
It’s a “super positive sign” that employers are focused on hiring for growth and not simply to make up for attrition, Raj Namboothiry, SVP at Manpower US, told HR Brew.
“When I hear clients talk about hiring for transformation, hiring to invest in the future, hiring for growth, hiring to increase capacity, that is where you see employer confidence shift a little bit, as they start to plan for the future,” he added.
Construction and real estate (36%) had the strongest net employment outlook—which measures the difference between the share of employers planning to increase and decrease staff—followed by information (32%), and finance and insurance (31%).
Plagued by uncertainty. Economic uncertainty, however, is the driver behind the 53% planning to reduce or not change their headcounts. Of employers planning to reduce their staff, 44% cited economic challenges, while another 24% said market shift had reduced demand for specific jobs, and 23% and 21% pointed to right-sizing and restructuring, specifically.
Of the companies without planned changes, 22% say they’re in wait-and-see mode.
For those holding back on hiring, “the message is consistent,” Namboothiry said. Employers have been battered by everything from tariffs to weak consumer spending to pressure to maximize profits amid belt-tightening. “There’s economic challenges, there’s market shifts, there’s uncertainties,” he added, saying it’s forcing employers to say, “‘We’re right-sizing our business. We’re restructuring. We’re looking to drive operational efficiency.’ That is where the pause is.”
Large employers with 1,000 or more employees had the weakest outlook for Q1 2026. Many went on hiring sprees during the Great Resignation, creating the conditions for a retraction in 2025, Namboothiry said, adding, “They’re the ones that over-hired, and they’re sitting on some level of cost and talent and figuring out…do we right-size, or do we hold on to this talent?”
Mid-sized businesses (with 50–249 employees), meanwhile, had the strongest employment outlook, and are in the best position to invest in growth and hires, Namboothiry added.
Look ahead. Employers should start contemplating what talent strategy may be required in the next six to nine months to help achieve profitability and growth, Namboothiry said.
“There’s been some stagnant numbers in terms of growth. And I think employers, companies need to start thinking about what they need to do to drive growth and profitability in their business, and making sure that they have the right talent pool to grow, to diversify their business, to adjust for the new ways of working,” he said.
This report was originally published by HR Brew.
European champions Paris Saint-Germain pushed all the way in Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar by South Americans.
Published On 17 Dec 2025
Back-up goalkeeper Matvei Safonov saved four penalties as Paris Saint-Germain edged out Brazilians Flamengo 2-1 in a shootout to win the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar.
PSG led through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before Jorginho’s spot-kick levelled for Flamengo as the game finished 1-1 after extra time on Wednesday.
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Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo defeated Mexicans Cruz Azul and African champions Pyramids last week to earn the right to face PSG and pushed the European champions all the way with a dogged display.
But Luis Enrique’s men, who received a bye to the final, were indebted to Safonov and followed in the footsteps of Real Madrid, who lifted the inaugural title last year.
PSG thought they had taken the lead in the ninth minute when Fabian Ruiz cleverly hooked the ball into an empty net after Flamengo goalkeeper Agustin Rossi miskicked a clearance while trying to prevent a corner.
But the goal was ruled out by VAR because Rossi had narrowly failed to stop the ball from going out of play.
But PSG did break the deadlock eight minutes before half-time courtesy of another Rossi error.
The Argentinian turned Desire Doue’s low cross, which looked to be too strong for Kvaratskhelia, straight into the Georgian’s pass for the simplest of tap-ins.
Flamengo managed to stay in the game, though, and were awarded a penalty on the hour mark for a foul by Marquinhos on Uruguay midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta after a VAR review.
Former Chelsea and Arsenal player Jorginho stepped up to send Safonov the wrong way in trademark fashion.
PSG pressed for a winner, sending on Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele, who set up a last-gasp chance for Marquinhos.
But the centre-back could not react quickly enough to get his effort on target as the ball flashed across goal and the game headed into extra time.
Both teams saw half-chances come and go in the added half-hour, with Dembele flashing a shot narrowly off target in the 116th minute.
That set the stage for Safonov – playing in place of regular first-choice Lucas Chevalier, who is still regaining full fitness after an ankle injury – to steal the headlines and spare the blushes of Dembele and Barcola, who both missed for PSG.
The global value of music copyright (both recordings and compositions) reached a new all-time high of $47.2 billion in 2024.
That’s according to a new report from Will Page, the former Chief Economist at both Spotify and UK collection society PRS for Music, published on Page’s website, Pivotal Economics.
The 2024 figure was up just $2.3 billion (5.2%) on the prior year. According to the report, “growth is slowing largely because this is the first year where the pandemic effects have vanished”.
Of that total, $29 billion – or 61% – came from recorded music revenues (up 5% YoY), while $13.6 billion was brought in by collective management organizations (CMOs, up 8% YoY) and $4.6 billion in direct publisher income (down 1% YoY). Thus, compositions brought in 39% of the total.
MBW was first to publish Page’s global value of music copyright report back in 2015, when he calculated the figure at $25 billion for 2014 – making today’s $47.2 billion number a near doubling over the past decade.
Over that ten-year period, the three segments grew at dramatically different rates: CMOs expanded by 50%, labels doubled their revenues, and publishers’ direct revenues swelled by 112%. The report notes that “ICMP has long championed the ability of publishers to license their rights directly, circumventing the constraints of the collective, and this performance supports their argument”.
That growth has been driven by streaming’s continued expansion and the rise of what Page calls “glocalisation” – the phenomenon of domestic market strength reshaping global music economics.
However, Page’s analysis suggests the headline number only tells part of the story. While the industry celebrates crossing this milestone, the economist argues that more significant structural shifts are underway in how that value is being captured and distributed.
Streaming platforms have fundamentally altered the dynamics of music consumption, enabling domestic artists to achieve unprecedented scale in their home markets without necessarily achieving global recognition. This shift has profound implications for how the industry measures success, allocates resources, and projects future growth.
The report also identifies emerging threats and opportunities. From AI music’s potential to simultaneously create and destroy value across different sectors, to measurement gaps that suggest hundreds of millions of dollars remain uncounted, Page’s analysis presents a more complex picture than simple year-over-year growth figures might suggest.
Meanwhile, revenue time-lags between labels and publishers hint at cyclical patterns that could reshape near-term expectations for different stakeholders across the copyright value chain.
Here are five key takeaways from the report:
1. The $47.2bn milestone masks a structural shift in how value is captured
While the headline figure shows impressive growth over the past decade, Page argues the more significant story lies in where that value is being generated.
“The glocalisation of the value of copyright reminds us that the big figure that is calculated each year is being allocated across markets differently,” Page writes.
Page highlights trends from three markets, including “relatively small Denmark, medium-sized Korea, and large (or extra large) Brazil.”
In Denmark, the report notes, 16 of the top 20 albums last year were by Danish artists performing in Danish, despite the language being spoken by just 6 million people.
The report continues: “These three winners of glocalisation remind us that more of that value is staying within their domestic markets, as opposed to being repatriated back to international headquarters.”
The shift represents a fundamental departure from the broadcast era. “The free market of streaming has achieved what the regulated market of broadcast failed: domestic prominence,” according to Page.
Unlike traditional radio, which often favored international repertoire, streaming platforms have enabled local artists to dominate their home markets while occasionally breaking through to global charts based purely on domestic demand.
K-Pop has become so dominant in Japan that the genre classification itself is becoming meaningless. “Japan is Korea’s biggest export market, with 14 of the top 100 artists in Japan this year tagged as K-Pop,” Page writes. “The genre of K-Pop has overtaken pop in Korea, whereas it’s half the size of pop in Japan — yet its streams are now growing twice as fast.”
With BTS’s imminent return, Page suggests “we could see a tipping point where K-Pop overtakes pop in Japan.” Should this happen, he notes, “it raises more questions than answers — especially when it comes to syntax of the genre ‘K-Pop’.”
JH Kah, CEO of HYBE Latin America, frames the shift in stark terms: “Tower Records still thrive in Japan, that should tell you a lot! Indeed, an entire floor of their flagship Tokyo store is dedicated to K-Pop, however Japanese label culture suffered from decades of inertia whereas Koreans are inherently more hungry – our mantra is survive and thrive.
“That’s why you are now seeing Japanese labels hiring more Korean executives, and Korean labels going directly into Japan. The lines are getting blurred both on stage and backstage.” Japanese executives have even begun referring to the phenomenon as “J-K Pop,” highlighting the genre’s identity crisis.
Brazil’s market demonstrates the extreme end of glocalisation. “The YouTube top 100 artist chart for Brazil provides the litmus test for glocalisation: simply scroll from top to bottom and you will not see any international artists — no Spanish, nor English language, not even K-Pop Demon Hunters. It’s all Portuguese,” Page writes.
Yet despite this linguistic isolation, “these Brazilian artists are reaching the top of global charts thanks to (only) local demand.”
Roni Maltz Bin, CEO of Grupo Sua Música, provides striking examples: “Little Love by MC Cabelinho peaked on the Brazilian charts and reached No.2 on the Top Global Debut Album Charts — even though 99.5% of the album’s streams came from inside Brazil. Ditto Evoney Fernandes, who peaked at No.7 despite 97.4% of his streams coming from Brazil.
“Natanzinho Lima debuted in the same week as Bad Bunny and still reached #4 on the Spotify Global chart with 98.3% of all streams coming from Brazil. This shows the strength of the Brazilian market — it can break artists on the global charts even when their artists are only being streamed locally.”
“One headwind that needs no introduction is the rise of AI music,” Page writes. “The question on everyone’s lips: will this be complementary or cannibalistic to the existing $47.2 billion business?”
His answer suggests both outcomes are possible simultaneously. “This is where we can revisit our concept of ‘fair division’ and ask if the commercial prospects of recent deals with Suno and Udio might add value to B2C revenues, but wipe out value from the B2B business due to the displacement of production music libraries. If so, the impact of AI may be asymmetric.”
The warning is significant: while the headline $47.2 billion figure might continue growing through consumer-facing AI applications, substantial value could be destroyed in the professional production music sector, creating winners and losers within the same industry ecosystem.
Despite the $47.2 billion figure representing the most comprehensive measurement yet, Page argues significant value remains uncaptured. “The most obvious tailwind, meanwhile, risks of repetition, but remains salient as ever: global needs to mean global,” he writes.
“Of the 196 flags flying outside the United Nations building in New York, our industry yearbooks featured here capture barely a quarter of them. Ceteris paribus, the more we measure, the more value we capture.”
China illustrates the scale of the problem. “With $1.6 billion in recorded music revenues, it’s now ranked fifth in size by the IFPI and will soon overtake both Germany and the UK. But that’s not a complete picture of copyright,” Page notes.
“Industry experts estimate a further 15% should be paid to Chinese publishers — and this isn’t being captured in any of the yearbooks. That’s almost a quarter of a billion dollars currently not being calculated.”
The broader implication is stark: “How many more known-unknown examples like this are there? And if we did know, and measured these markets accordingly, how much bigger might be the global value of music copyright? This is why global needs to mean global when we measure music copyright.”Music Business Worldwide
The prime minister has said Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich must “pay up now” to victims of the war in Ukraine or face court action.
Mr Abramovich, the former owner of Chelsea Football Club, pledged in 2022 that the £2.5bn he made from the sale of the club would be used to benefit victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But there has been a delay in releasing the funds, which are currently frozen in a British bank account, due to a standoff over how exactly they should be used.
Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons on Wednesday: “My message to Abramovich is clear: the clock is ticking.”
The government wants the money to be used for humanitarian aid, but Mr Abramovich insisted it should be used for “all victims of the war” – meaning that Russians could also benefit.
The oligarch cannot access the money under UK sanctions but the proceeds from the Chelsea sale still legally belong to him.
Updating MPs, Sir Keir said the UK had issued a licence “to transfer £2.5bn from the sale of Chelsea Football Club that’s been frozen since 2022.”
And, in a warning to Abramovich, he said: “Honour the commitment that you made and pay up now, and if you don’t we’re prepared to go to court and ensure that every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin’s illegal war.”
And Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC Mr Abramovich “needs to honour that commitment, pay that money”.
Asked if a legal battle could drag out the process for years, Ms Cooper said: “I’m urging him not to try and pursue further court action.”
But she confirmed the government will take the matter to court if he does not act.
Mr Abramovich’s representatives declined to comment.
The Treasury said that under the terms of the licence, the money must go to “humanitarian causes” in Ukraine and cannot benefit Mr Abramovich or any other sanctioned individual.
The government first threatened to sue Mr Abramovich in June.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “It is unacceptable that more than £2.5bn of money owed to the Ukrainian people can be allowed to remain frozen in a UK bank account.”
Mr Abramovich – a Russian billionaire who made his fortune in oil and gas – was granted a special licence to sell Chelsea following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, providing he could prove he would not benefit from the sale.
He is alleged to have strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, something he has denied.
It is understood that Mr Abramovich has 90 days to act before the UK considers taking legal action.
On Thursday, EU leaders are set to review proposals to use proceeds from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s huge budget and defence needs. Russia has fiercely opposed the proposals.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns gave an update on his health after recent games, and fans are watching closely. Towns missed a game earlier this month due to left calf tightness, and the team listed him as day-to-day on the Knicks’ injury report. Trainers and coaches have taken a cautious approach to keep him healthy for the long season ahead.
Towns’ calf issue first showed up after a win over the Utah Jazz, and it became significant enough that he could not warm up fully for the Orlando Magic game on December 7. The Knicks chose not to risk further irritation, and that absence was his first missed game this season because of injury.
So far this season, Towns has dealt with several lower-body concerns. Before the calf problem, he battled a Grade 2 quad strain in October, which made his status uncertain at the start of the year. He also played through other minor bumps and bruises, showing a willingness to contribute even when not at 100%.
Beyond the calendar year, his knee history stretches back further. Towns tore his left meniscus in March 2024 and underwent surgery. That knee still comes up in updates and remains something the Knicks monitor, though he has continued to play at a high level.
Despite all this, the 29-year-old has been a consistent force. Over his time with the Knicks, he has delivered strong scoring and rebounding numbers that align with his All-Star pedigree. His double-digit rebounding streak and leadership on both ends of the floor have been key to New York’s positioning in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks have leaned on their depth while managing Towns’ minutes carefully. When he’s out or limited, players like Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby have stepped up to fill the interior and big-man roles. This depth has helped the team stay competitive even in heavy stretches of the schedule.
Coach Mike Brown and the staff appear determined to avoid long layoffs for Towns. Their cautious handling keeps him available for critical games and the playoff push. At this point, Towns’ status remains game-by-game, and any return will likely come with careful monitoring.
Towns’ updates matter because he is a core part of the Knicks’ title hopes. When healthy, his scoring, rebounding, and size shift how opponents match up with New York. The hope in the locker room and among fans is that he stays on the floor and avoids a more serious setback.
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Although they’re constantly improving, robots aren’t necessarily known for their gentle touch. A new robotic system from MIT and Stanford takes a unique stab at changing that, with a robot that uses vine-like tendrils to do its lifting.
The system the engineers developed consists of a series of pneumatic tubes that deploy from a pressurized box on one side of a robotic arm, use air pressure to snake under or around a specific object, then rejoin the arm on the other side where they are clamped in place. Once clamped, the arm itself can move, or the tube can be wound up to lift or rotate the object in its grasp. The ability to deploy the tubes and then recapture them is the real breakthrough here, improving on previous vine-based robots by allowing the system to close its own loops.
Tony Pulsone, MechE
“People might assume that in order to grab something, you just reach out and grab it,” says study co-author Kentaro Barhydt, from MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “But there are different stages, such as positioning and holding. By transforming between open and closed loops, we can achieve new levels of performance by leveraging the advantages of both forms for their respective stages.”
In tests, which you can see in the following video, the team demonstrated that the system could lift round objects (0:18); objects in a cluttered environment (3:15); fragile objects like a glass vase (3:56), large objects like a bin from a distance (4:20); a group of objects like a bundle of metal rods (5:16); and a relatively heavy and odd-shaped object like a watermelon (10:50). While those are all impressive, the researchers say the real promise of their vine bot is to help lift human bodies in hospital and elder care facilities (which you can see at 7:30).
Loop closure grasping: Topological transformations enable strong, gentle, and versatile grasps
“Transferring a person out of bed is one of the most physically strenuous tasks that a caregiver carries out,” Barhydt says. “This kind of robot can help relieve the caretaker, and can be gentler and more comfortable for the patient.”
The most typical way of transferring patients today involves needing to rotate the person to both sides in order to get a hammock-like sheet beneath them, which is then lifted by a winch. This can cause pain to some patients and interfere with intravenous lines and other health-related inputs. Because the tubes can fit through extremely tight spaces, such as under a patient’s body, the robot vine system has the potential to make transfers more gentle and less jarring.
“I am very excited about future work to use robots like these for physically assisting people with mobility challenges,” adds co-author Allison Okamura from Stamford. “Soft robots can be relatively safe, low-cost, and optimally designed for specific human needs, in contrast to other approaches like humanoid robots.”
While the researchers were primarily motivated to create the vine-like robot for help in medical situations, they say it also has applications in the other fields, as demonstrated by the paces they put it through in testing.
“We think this kind of robot design can be adapted to many applications,” Barhydt says. “We are also thinking about applying this to heavy industry, and things like automating the operation of cranes at ports and warehouses.”
The invention has been described in a study published in the journal Science Advances.
Source: MIT
The surviving suspect in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday, in which at least 15 people were killed, has been charged with murder and terrorism, the police said on Wednesday.
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