Sri Lanka economy reports 4.8% growth in first quarter
(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee, Editing by Louise Heavens)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Air India begins Dh106,000 interim payouts to AI171 crash victims' families
Air India on Saturday (July 26) issued a statement updating the public on its ongoing compensation efforts for the families and individuals affected by the tragic AI171 crash. The airline noted that it began disbursing interim compensation more than a month ago, providing Rs 2.5 million (Dh106,000) to each bereaved family to help address their immediate financial needs. This interim amount will later be adjusted against the final compensation. So far, interim payments have been made to the families of 147 out of the 229 passengers who lost their lives, as well as to the families the 19 victims who died at the crash site. Air India also confirmed that documentation for 52 other victims has been verified, and their families will receive interim payments shortly. To further honour the memory of the victims, the Tata Group has established 'The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust'. This dedicated trust has pledged an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 million (Dh424,000) each for the deceased. Beyond financial assistance, the Trust will also contribute to rebuilding the infrastructure of the B.J. Medical College Hostel, which was damaged in the accident. The Trust's efforts extend to supporting first responders, healthcare professionals, disaster relief workers, social workers, and government personnel who provided critical services in the aftermath. Aid will be provided to help mitigate the trauma and distress experienced by these individuals. Air India expressed its deepest condolences to the affected families and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting those impacted during this difficult time. The airline also noted that this remains an evolving situation, and further updates will be shared as new information becomes available.
Crypto Insight
13 hours ago
- Crypto Insight
Vietnam deploys national blockchain for identity and records
Vietnam launched a national blockchain platform designed to serve as the backbone for its expanding digital ecosystem. On Friday, Vietnam announced the state-run blockchain network, which will verify digital transactions and records across different sectors. The new platform, NDAChain, was developed by the country's National Data Association (NDA) and will be operated by the Ministry of Public Security's Data Innovation and Exploitation Center. The government said NDAChain will address long-standing challenges of centralized data models, including cyberattack vulnerabilities, scalability and limited global integration. NDAChain 'critical' to the local digital economy Nguyen Huy, the head of technology at the NDA, said that the blockchain will be a protective layer for the nation's live data. He said it will be 'critical' to their digital society and economy. The announcement also said the blockchain will offer a 'decentralized layer of trust' for national systems, including e-government, finance, healthcare, logistics and education. However, Huy said the network is not fully decentralized. 'Vietnam has chosen a hybrid data architecture that blends centralized and decentralized components,' Huy said. NDA said the network is a layer-1 permissioned blockchain, with 49 public-private validator nodes. State agencies, including the NDA and the Ministry of Public Security, will operate these nodes. Companies like SunGroup, Zalo, Masan, MISA, Sovico and VNVC will also play a role in securing the network. Permissioned blockchain networks are blockchains that include access control layers. This allows entities to have some measure of control over what actions network participants can perform. It adds a layer of security and control, making the blockchain centralized. These node operators will share a distributed ledger for transaction records, smart contracts for automation and identity verification modules linked with Vietnam's national identity systems. The platform runs on a Proof-of-Authority (PoA) consensus protocol, enhanced with zero-knowledge proofs for security. Vietnam adopts a decentralized identity solution In addition to transaction data, the NDAChain will also power NDA DID, a decentralized identity solution implemented by the NDA. It will be used to verify counterparty identity during transactions and allow service access and digital contract signing. The Vietnamese government said the NDAKey application will allow users to verify identities in seconds, aiming to prevent scams and digital identity theft.
Zawya
18 hours ago
- Zawya
Trade smarter: using volatility to maximise potential on OctaTrader
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 July 2025 - Volatility is what makes trading possible. It fuels every market movement and creates opportunities where none existed a moment before. Without it, the concept of trading as it stands today would simply not exist. As the pulse of the market, volatility shapes the ebb and flow of price dynamics—sometimes driven by trading itself, sometimes setting the pace for it. This article explores what volatility is, why it matters, and how to harness it effectively with OctaTrader, the proprietary platform developed by the globally trusted broker, Octa. Volatility as a Key Trading Factor In simple terms, volatility measures how much a financial instrument's price changes over a certain time period. Volatility is like the market's heartbeat—a strong, fluctuating pulse indicates high volatility, while a slow, steady rhythm suggests low volatility. In the Forex market, volatility essentially tells a trader how much a currency pair like EUR/USD or GBP/JPY is bouncing around, and it is this movement that traders thrive on. In other words, volatility is not just a statistical measure: it's the very essence of opportunity and risk. Whether scalping for quick pips, riding longer trends, or holding positions for weeks, volatility has a direct impact on trading strategies. Every trader should know or at least partly understand the level of volatility of the instrument that they are currently trading. This knowledge will enable a trader to: Maximise trading potential. Larger price swings mean more significant potential gains (or losses). High volatility can signal breakout opportunities or strong trends. Manage risk more effectively. Knowing volatility helps to set adequate stop-loss and take-profit orders. In a volatile market, a trader might need wider stops to avoid getting whipsawed. Improve entry time. Low volatility might mean a market is 'resting' before a big move, while high volatility could signal overbought or oversold conditions. When professional traders talk about volatility, they often refer to 'implied annual volatility'. This is a forward-looking measure, representing the market's expectation of how much an asset's price will fluctuate over a year. It is derived from options prices and is annualised to a percentage. While calculating implied volatility often involves complex pricing models, a simpler way for a retail trader to grasp volatility is to look at historical price movements. For example, if a currency pair has consistently moved an average of 80 pips per day over the past month, its daily volatility for that period could be considered to be 80 pips. However, volatility isn't just about raw price changes; it's relative. A trader cannot just look at today's price swings in isolation. Instead, comparing price movements against historical data helps determine whether the market is unusually calm or wildly active. For example, if EUR/USD moves 50 pips a day on average but suddenly jumps 150 pips, that's high volatility compared to its norm. At the same time, a 100-pip move in a currency pair might be considered high volatility on a quiet trading day, but completely normal during a major economic data release. In other words, volatility can only truly be understood in relation to historical price action. Measure the pulse: volatility indicators on OctaTrader Calculating volatility manually requires determining the average closing price of a particular asset over a selected period, then measuring deviations by subtracting the average from the latest closing price, squaring the deviations to eliminate negative values, summing them, dividing the total by the number of periods analysed, and finally taking the square root. This method is not only complex but also time-consuming. Recognising the crucial role of volatility calculation, Octa, a globally regulated and trusted broker, has equipped its traders with the right tools. Specifically, Octa has developed a proprietary trading platform, OctaTrader, which not only allows traders to place orders in the market, but also provides robust analytical capabilities. For measuring market volatility, OctaTrader has integrated several popular and effective indicators that help a trader gauge the market's pulse: Average True Range (ATR), Bollinger Bands (BB), and Standard Deviation (SD). Let's break them down and see how they work in practice. Bollinger Bands (BB): These bands consist of three lines: a simple moving average (the middle band) and two standard deviation lines (upper and lower bands) plotted above and below it. How it works: The bands widen when volatility spikes and contract when it drops, giving a trader a visual snapshot of market action. When prices touch or break out of the bands, it can signal overbought or oversold conditions, or the potential for a new trend. Practical use: BBs are great for spotting anomalous conditions in the market. If the price touches the upper band, it signals that a trading instrument could be overbought and due for a pullback. If it dips below the lower band, it could be oversold, signalling a potential rebound. In other words, BBs are useful for mean-reversion strategies, where traders expect prices to return to the moving average within the bands. Average True Range (ART): This indicator measures market volatility by calculating the average range between high, low, and closing prices over a specified period. It is called 'true range' because it accounts for gaps and wild price swings. How it works: ATR gives a trader a single number to gauge volatility, making it especially practical to set stop-losses. Practical use: A higher ATR means higher volatility and bigger price swings, so a trader would need to apply wider exit points to avoid getting stopped out prematurely. A lower ATR suggests lower volatility and narrower price ranges. If the ATR for XAU/USD is 25 pips, a trader might set a stop-loss 1-2 times the ATR (50-100 pips away from the entry point) to give the trade some room to run. ATR is also a great tool for understanding the 'normal' daily or hourly movement of a currency pair. Standard Deviation (SD): This is an advanced statistical indicator that measures how much a financial instrument's price deviates from its average over a set period. How it works: SD indicator provides a direct numerical value of volatility. A higher SD means prices are widely dispersed (higher volatility), while a lower one means they're tighter and are close to the average (lower volatility). Practical use: SD is useful for comparing the volatility of different assets or different time periods for the same asset. Traders can use it to identify statistically significant price movements and assess the likelihood of the price continuing in a particular direction. If EUR/USD's standard deviation spikes compared to its 20-day average, it might signal a volatile period ahead, prompting a trader to tighten stops or reduce position sizes. Volatility isn't just a number: it's a signal. By understanding and utilising these powerful volatility indicators, available in the OctaTrader platform, traders can gain a deeper insight into market dynamics, decide when to enter or exit trades, adjust position sizes, or brace for big market moves. We understand that in the world of trading, trust is paramount. That is why Octa goes the extra mile to equip traders with the right tools. Hashtag: #Octa The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Octa Octa is an international CFD broker that has been providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and various services used by clients from 180 countries who have opened more than 52 million trading accounts. To help its clients reach their investment goals, Octa offers free educational webinars, articles, and analytical tools. The company is involved in a comprehensive network of charitable and humanitarian initiatives, including improving educational infrastructure and funding short-notice relief projects to support local communities. In Southeast Asia, Octa received the 'Best Trading Platform Malaysia 2024' and the 'Most Reliable Broker Asia 2023' awards from Brands and Business Magazine and International Global Forex Awards, respectively. Octa
