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Asia Times
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- 1
Europe is preparing for intensified competition with Asia over liquefied natural gas supplies, according to a Financial Times report. As both regions vie for limited cargoes, buyers could be forced to bid up prices, with implications for Europe's energy security and household and industrial costs. The competition centres on securing winter supply and attracting flexible US and Qatari cargoes away from Asian buyers.
- 2ASML sells no chipmaking machines in Europe, executive says▼ASML currently sells no chipmaking machines in Europe, executive says
An ASML executive has said the Dutch chipmaking equipment giant currently sells none of its machines to customers in Europe, despite being headquartered in the Netherlands. The company's lithography systems are instead bought mainly by chipmakers in Asia and the United States, highlighting how little advanced semiconductor manufacturing capacity exists within Europe itself.
- 3
Foreign Affairs argues that Japan is creating an opening for the United States to strengthen its position in Asia. The piece suggests Tokyo's diplomatic and strategic moves are giving Washington a renewed chance to deepen regional partnerships at a time of shifting power dynamics in the region, though the specific policy steps involved are not detailed in the headline.
- 4Luckin Coffee hits 100 stores in Singapore●China’s Luckin Coffee marks 100th store, 1.9m app members in Singapore
Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee has opened its 100th store in Singapore and reached 1.9 million app members in the city-state, the Straits Times reports. The milestone marks rapid growth for the brand, which has expanded aggressively overseas as it competes with global chains and local players in Southeast Asia's crowded coffee market.
- 5Bangladesh startup funding hits five-year low in first half▼Investor hurdles drag Bangladesh startup funding to 5-year low in Jan-Jun
Startup funding in Bangladesh fell to its lowest level in five years during January-June, according to The Business Standard, which attributes the decline to obstacles facing investors. The report suggests difficulties in raising and deploying capital are squeezing the country's early-stage ecosystem, leaving founders with fewer financing options at a time when startups elsewhere in South Asia are also competing for scarcer venture funding.
- 6Singapore hits joint-highest September temperature of 35.8°C●# Singapore Singapore Records Joint-Highest September Temperature After Woodlands Hits 35.8°C Singapore recorded its joi
Singapore recorded its joint-highest daily maximum temperature for September after the Woodlands Avenue 9 climate station reached 35.8°C at 3.27pm on Saturday, 26 September 2026. The reading ties the national September record and adds to ongoing concerns about rising heat in the city-state, with observers linking the milestone to broader climate change trends in Southeast Asia.