Workplace & Compliance: Malaysia’s Economy Ministry is drafting a legislative framework to curb rent-seeking by foreign nationals, targeting misuse of visas, proxies, licence leasing and “Ali Baba” practices, with HR and agencies set to coordinate follow-up enforcement. AI & HR Productivity: Equifax says early AI and agentic tools are already improving HR and other functions, doubling its expected 2026-2028 savings forecast to $150m run-rate. Talent & Skills Shortage: Australia’s trade workforce remains in persistent shortage, with apprenticeship starts down and a widening gap between what young people study and what employers need—raising pressure on HR hiring pipelines. Employee Wellbeing: Canada’s federal judges report notable mental-health strain (depressive symptoms, anxiety and low safety) alongside heavy caseloads and limited support, with implications for HR-style workload planning. Global Hiring Costs: An Asia EOR review finds statutory employer contributions vary dramatically across nearby markets (about 5% to ~31% of payroll), plus big differences in bonuses and severance. Healthcare Workforce Ops: Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores Healthcare plan a shared leadership model for key admin roles to save about $2m annually while keeping operations independent. Employer Branding & Recognition: Landmark Arabia’s “Landmark Stars” program recognized 160 employees across leadership and capability-building tracks, signaling continued investment in structured talent development. HR Legal Risk: A tribunal message for HR: mandatory retirement ages may be vulnerable under discrimination law, even if rewritten as fixed-term contracts.