South Asia

Dutch chipmaking equipment giant ASML has no sales of its lithography machines within Europe, an executive said, despite the company being one of Europe's most valuable tech firms. Its customers are overwhelmingly concentrated in Asia, notably Taiwan and South Korea, with US fabs also important buyers. The admission highlights Europe's limited domestic chip manufacturing capacity even as the bloc pushes to expand semiconductor production.

Bangladesh defeated Malaysia in the fourth quarter-final of the men's cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games, advancing in the tournament. The result has drawn attention from cricket fans in India and across South Asia, where live coverage of Asian Games cricket is generating strong search interest and discussion of the remaining fixtures and semi-final matchups.

Concert activism over Gaza is colliding with official red lines in Malaysia and Singapore. Performers and event organisers have used live shows in the region to voice solidarity with Palestinians, but authorities in both countries draw clear boundaries between expression and staging, with rules on what can be said or displayed on stage. The South China Morning Post reports on how artists and promoters are navigating the divide as Gaza-related activism grows across Southeast Asian entertainment venues.

Artists including Ed Sheeran and Massive Attack are facing backlash in Southeast Asia over rows connected to Gaza, according to the South China Morning Post. The report points to growing regional anger toward Western musicians over their positions or actions related to the conflict, triggering calls for boycotts and criticism of planned or past performances in the region.