Policy analysis

The report says that US consumer spending slowed significantly in the first half of 2025, decelerating from the robust pace seen in late 2024.

Religious minority prisoners in Pakistan are subjected to systemic discrimination, harsh treatment and denial of basic rights compared to their Muslim counterparts.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, 76, was arrested on August 22, ushering in the highest-profile detention amid President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign.

Nepal’s brick industry – valued at several million dollars and employing approximately 300,000 workers – thrives during its limited work season.

In 2023 alone, roughly 260,000 women worldwide died during or shortly after childbirth, with 22 per cent (about 58,000 maternal deaths) occurring in the Asia-Pacific – many of which were preventable with timely midwife-led care.

The report says that in India, sectors such as manufacturing, customer service, clerical roles, and routine administration are projected to witness the steepest job declines.

The risk of second-order effects from existing tariffs is also rising. A US-India trade deal, if secured, would reduce these risks, Fitch says.

Sri Lanka’s Government has a “historic opportunity” to end decades of impunity and deliver justice for victims of past violations, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has said, urging sweeping reforms to address crimes committed during and after the country’s civil war.