Teacher Staffing Crunch: Capital City’s Education Department says it found 1,300+ school staff vacancies ahead of 2026–27, spanning teachers, managers and support roles—raising urgent HR pressure just before classes start. Workplace Legal Battle: Amalgamated Bank’s CEO and her former executive assistant are locked in a court fight over alleged misuse of funds, with the case moving into discovery after a judge’s ruling. Superintendent Ouster Bid: Poughkeepsie BOE is set to vote on terminating Superintendent Gregory Mott’s contract “without cause,” after years of educator criticism tied to HR and evaluation changes. Skills-to-Jobs Pipeline: Southeastern Community College launched a 10-week heavy equipment operator fast-track, placing eight graduates into local construction and utility roles. Maternity Leave Policy Shift (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu will extend 365 days of maternity leave for women government employees’ third child, reversing a prior 12-week limit. AI at Work (Healthcare): India’s NMC chief says AI should augment doctors, not replace them, stressing accountability and ethics. AI Productivity Training (Bahrain): Bahrain Bourse ran an AI productivity workshop for employees using tools like Copilot and Claude. Youth Employment Signal (China): China’s youth jobless rate rose to 17.9% in July as graduate hiring demand outpaced openings. Localization Push (Saudi Arabia): Saudi Arabia will require 70% localization for private-sector project management roles starting Feb. 14. HR & Rewards Strategy: Total Rewards Asia Summit highlights a shift from benchmarking pay to using rewards as a strategic workforce tool.