Workforce pressure in ANZ: A new “Cost of Not Living” report says 36% of employees feel less engaged from financial stress, with 61% (Australia) and 64% (New Zealand) reporting performance changes—HR leaders are now dealing with pay, retention and day-to-day employee experience at the same time. Health and HR risk: Research links early-life sugar restriction to lower dementia risk, while another study ties midlife smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure to fewer dementia-free years—useful context for employers thinking about long-term wellbeing. Public-sector HR planning: Liberia’s Civil Service Agency trained HR directors from 109 spending entities on FY2027 manpower planning and budgeting, stressing staffing decisions tied to institutional needs and fiscal reality. Inclusive development enforcement: Liberia’s President Boakai put ministries on notice to accelerate the ARREST Agenda, warning officials could face removal over delays and weak reporting. Rehabilitation-to-work pipeline: Indonesia’s Manpower Ministry will train and help place people after drug rehabilitation, aiming for decent jobs without discrimination. AI skills at national scale: Vietnam approved a programme to train and upskill AI talent—targeting 10 million workers with basic AI skills by 2030 and building a larger expert pipeline. HR in practice—payroll modernization: Invercargill City Council went live with TechnologyOne HR and Payroll for about 550 employees, moving from separate systems to an integrated platform. Hiring market signal: South Korea’s entry-level job postings rose 13% in the first half, led by cosmetics, banking/finance, semiconductors and pharma.