South Asia is expected to grow by 5.8% this year, making it the fastest-growing region in the world even as the pace remains below pre-pandemic levels, the World Bank said on Tuesday.

The latest South Asia Development Update from the World Bank projected growth in the region to slow slightly to 5.6% in 2024 and 2025, as post-pandemic rebounds fade and reduced global demand weighs on economic activity.

Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have agreed on a plan they hope will help expedite Ukrainian grain exports, officials said Tuesday, with needy countries beyond Europe potentially benefitting from speedier procedures.

The deal means that grain inspections will shift from the Ukraine-Poland border to a Lithuanian port on the Baltic Sea, according to a statement from the Ukrainian farm ministry.

Saudi Arabia has revised down its budget projections and now expects to record a deficit this year, the finance ministry said, reflecting rising expenditures and falling oil revenue.

Business sentiment among big Japanese manufacturers improved in July-September for the second straight quarter, according to a central bank survey released Monday.

The Bank of Japan's "tankan" quarterly survey measured business sentiment among major manufacturers at plus 9, up from plus 5 in June.

Britain's Treasury chief is to announce a hike in the national minimum wage on Monday, as the governing Conservative Party tries to persuade voters it is on the side of those who are struggling financially.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has ruled out tax cuts, saying they would fuel inflation.

Shares were mostly lower in Europe and Asia on Monday even after the U.S. Congress averted a U.S. government shutdown with a last-minute compromise.

Markets in China are closed for a weeklong holiday. Markets in India and South Korea also were closed.

The Finance and Budget Parliamentary Committee convened Monday to discuss the legality of the government's spendings from the $1.139 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) disbursed by the International Monetary Fund.

The committee's head, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, said after the meeting that the committee has decided to refer the SDR file to the Audit Bureau, accusing the government of spending illegally from the SDR without the parliament's approval and supervision.

The Emirati president-designate of the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate talks called on oil and gas companies on Monday to be "central to the solution" to fighting climate change, even as the industry boosts its production to enjoy rising global energy prices.

The call by Sultan al-Jaber highlights the gap between climate activists suspicious of his industry ties and his calls to drastically slash the world's emissions by nearly half in seven years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial times.

The U.S. government on Saturday was hours from shutting down after the far right of the Republican Party scuppered final attempts at a temporary budget agreement, throwing into doubt everything from access to national parks to Washington's massive support for Ukraine.

Many millions of Chinese tourists are expected to travel within their country, splurging on hotels, tours, attractions and meals in a boost to the economy during the 8-day autumn holiday period that began Friday.

This year's holiday began with the Mid-Autumn Festival on Friday and also includes the Oct. 1 National Day. The public holidays end on Oct. 6.