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Sri Lanka is set to hold a presidential election on Sept. 21, with nominations due on Aug. 15. The incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office in 2022 amid a financial crisis, is expected to run for a full term, with opposition leaders Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake looking to tap into public discontent.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment is planning an integrated mechanism for collecting regular employment data across ministries and states to understand trends and challenges of the job market and create further opportunities. This initiative aims to leverage existing initiatives, identify systematic interventions, and build synergies across different stakeholders to achieve a 360-degree approach to employment data collection.

The UK government is considering inflation-busting pay increases for millions of public workers, despite warnings from the Treasury that such a move could create an £8 billion fiscal deficit. This decision carries significant weight, as it could impact the recruitment and retention of public sector workers, potentially leading to further industrial action.

Asian markets plunged on Thursday as a global tech stock slump triggered a flight to safety, with investors seeking refuge in short-term bonds, the yen, and the Swiss franc. The sell-off intensified bets on global rate cuts, with futures markets now fully pricing in a Federal Reserve easing in September.

India's stock index has significantly increased from Covid-era lows in 2020, largely due to a surge in retail investors, particularly in the high-risk futures and options segment. This trend has raised concerns among the government and regulator as household savings are being redirected towards speculative activities, prompting regulatory interventions to curb excessive trading.