South East

Company urges customers in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire to use water only for essential purposes as temperatures soarEurope heatwave live – latest updatesA hosepipe ban has been put in place by South East Water in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, after a surge in demand amid the ongoing heatwave.The company said it treated and supplied 644m litres of water on Sunday 21 June, 56m litres more than the average daily demand for June of 588m litres. Continue reading...

• Lazada has reduced its workforce by approximately 5% as part of a strategic review across its South-east Asian operations. • The layoffs impact employees across six key markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. • Contrary to industry trends, reports indicate that these job cuts are not related to the implementation of AI initiatives.

• Research from Ampd and Media Partners Asia reveals that microdramas are becoming the primary "top-of-funnel" entry point for streaming audiences in Southeast Asia. • The data indicates that local content is outperforming Korean imports in key markets, with local titles holding a 33% share in Indonesia and 28% in Thailand. • This shift matters because it demonstrates that local production strength is now the decisive variable in capturing viewers once they transition to premium screens.

• V47 Entertainment, via its agency VIRTUE Asia, announced a partnership with COL Group on June 17, 2026, to expand microdrama and vertical-first entertainment in South East Asia. • The collaboration aims to provide brands with increased access to short-form storytelling, leveraging COL Group's expertise as a pioneer in the vertical video format. • This move matters as it allows brands to engage audiences through a rapidly growing medium of bite-sized, mobile-centric content tailored for the regional market.

Outbreak of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has forced mediators to cancel US-Iran peace talks in SwitzerlandIsraeli strikes on southern Lebanon have killed at least 16 people, local authorities said on Saturday, despite reports of a renewed ceasefire aiming to end persistent violence that threatens the new agreement between the US and Iran.Lebanon’s civil defence agency said its personnel transported “16 dead and 12 wounded” to hospital, adding that they had been working “since the early morning hours” in the Nabatieh district in response to “ongoing attacks targeting the area”. Continue reading...

• Moonton, the OCA, and AESF are organizing the Southeast Asia Qualifiers for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang as part of the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. • The A-Tier offline tournament will take place in Singapore from June 18 to 21, 2026. • Eight teams will compete in the qualifier to secure a spot in the larger international competition.

• Premium VOD users in Southeast Asia spend only 8% of their digital time watching premium content, with the majority dedicated to social media, messaging, gaming, and short-form video. • Media expert Dhivya highlights a shift in viewing habits, stating that "there's no primetime anymore" as second-screen usage rewires regional attention spans. • Local stories are currently outperforming Korean dramas in markets with high content investment, specifically Indonesia and Thailand.

• The Siam Sports League was officially unveiled on June 6, 2026, at the Royal Cliff Hotel's Jomtien 1 venue in Pattaya. • Following the launch, a second Memorandum of Agreement meeting was held on June 17, 2026, involving high-level authorities and senior project partners. • This initiative aims to strategically develop Thailand into the premier sports hub for the entire Southeast Asian region.

• Riot Games and ONE Up are organizing the VALORANT Challengers 2026 Southeast Asia: Split 2, a B-Tier tournament held in Indonesia. • The event features 12 teams competing in a hybrid online and offline format from May 22 to July 05, 2026. • A total prize pool of $50,000 USD is at stake, providing a significant competitive incentive for the participating regional teams.

• Fortune magazine has released its 2026 Southeast Asia 500 list, which ranks the region's top companies based on their annual revenue. • Five firms from the casino and gambling sector earned spots on the list, with DigiPlus Interactive Corp and NagaCorp Ltd highlighted for their significant year-over-year growth. • The inclusion of these gaming-linked firms underscores the expanding economic influence and financial scale of the gambling industry within Southeast Asia.

• New research from Ampd and Media Partners Asia reveals that microdramas are becoming the primary "top-of-funnel" entry point for streaming audiences in Southeast Asia. • The data shows that local content is outperforming Korean titles in key markets, with local productions holding a 33% share in Indonesia and 28% in Thailand. • This shift is significant because it demonstrates that local production strength is now the decisive variable in attracting viewers to premium streaming screens.

• New data presented at the APOS media conference reveals that premium video now accounts for only 8% of total viewer screen time in Southeast Asia. • Microdramas have emerged as a powerful tool for capturing fleeting attention and converting casual viewers into paying audiences. • This shift highlights a significant change in viewer habits, where short-form, snackable content is disrupting traditional long-form streaming dominance.

• Southeast Asia's deep tech sector experienced a softening in overall deal activity during 2025, although capital formation remained resilient. • The segment saw an increase in its share of total venture-backed deals compared to the previous year, indicating broader growth across the funding pipeline. • This trend suggests that deep tech is gaining systemic relevance in the region rather than relying solely on a few isolated, large-scale funding rounds.

• Viu and iQIYI International announced a combined streaming subscription bundle during the APOS conference on Wednesday. • The joint offering is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2026 across four Southeast Asian markets: Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. • This partnership allows users to access content from both platforms through a single subscription, simplifying the viewing experience in a competitive regional market.

• PGL is organizing the Southeast Asia Regional Qualifier for The International 2026, a Tier 1 online Dota 2 tournament. • The competition is scheduled to take place from June 19 to 23, 2026, and will feature a total of 10 teams. • This event serves as a critical qualifying stage for teams seeking a spot in one of the world's most prestigious esports tournaments.

Experts say criminal networks favour Sri Lanka due to ease of getting tourist visas and limited regulation on sim cards and internet connectionsExperts have warned that Sri Lanka is emerging as a hub for transnational cybercrime, after a crackdown in south-east Asia pushed Chinese-run criminal networks to relocate their vast scam operations.Sri Lankan police spokesperson Fredrick Wootler said the country was witnessing an “alarming increase of cybercrimes” perpetrated by people entering the country as tourists, and then illegally setting up scam operations targeting people across the world. Continue reading...

• PGL is organizing the Southeast Asia Open Qualifier #1 for The International 2026, a Tier 1 Dota 2 competition. • The online tournament will take place from June 9 to June 10, 2026, featuring a total of 24 competing teams. • This event serves as a critical pathway for Southeast Asian teams to secure a spot in one of the world's most prestigious esports championships.

• South Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese stock markets experienced a sharp decline on Monday morning, driven primarily by a sell-off in technology shares. • The rout was triggered by investor fears regarding potential U.S. interest rate hikes and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. • Currency markets felt the impact as the Japanese yen and South Korean won came under significant pressure.

Israel claimed it was attacking Hezbollah command centers in response to attacks on northern IsraelWe are seeing reports of Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs, Dahiyeh, with at least three explosions heard so far. ⁠The ⁠Israeli military claimed about an hour ago in a post on X that it was striking Hezbollah infrastructure ⁠in the Lebanese capital, without providing evidence.In a joint statement, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military ​had struck “terrorist” headquarters ​in Beirut’s ⁠southern ​suburbs in apparent retaliation for Hezbollah firing toward northern Israel earlier. Continue reading...

The country’s defence minister said the IDF will not withdraw from southern Lebanon and will not allow the ‘return of the population’Israel and Lebanon agree to renew ceasefire as Trump seeks to overcome barriers to Iran dealIsrael Katz said the US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon was a “great achievement in Lebanon, on the ground and also on the diplomatic level”.“We promised security to the residents of the north and we delivered,” the Israeli defence minister said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel. Continue reading...

Fewer than one in 10 SEW customers satisfied with firm’s handling of supply crisis, which left tens of thousands without waterSouth East Water failed to adequately communicate with customers during outages last winter that left tens of thousands of people without water, a report has concluded.Fewer than one in 10 SEW customers were satisfied with how the company handled the water supply crisis that stretched across parts of Kent and Sussex last winter, the consumer council for water said. The report found communication was the company’s greatest failing. Continue reading...

• Southeast Asian banks are eager to adopt AI, but Leo Li of Ant Digital Technologies emphasizes that adoption depends on trust built through tangible outcomes rather than marketing slogans. • To establish this trust, regulators are taking proactive steps, such as Bank Negara Malaysia publishing a 2025 discussion paper to gather feedback on AI's regulatory and developmental approach. • Similarly, the Monetary Authority of Singapore has implemented the FEAT principles, which mandate fairness, ethics, accountability, and transparency in AI and data analytics.

• Asia Tech x Enterprise (ATxE) 2026 convened over 700 exhibitors and 450 speakers to highlight Southeast Asia's shift from AI experimentation to full-scale enterprise deployment. • The event featured a diverse range of sectors, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, satellite technology, and digital infrastructure, with participation from global giants like Microsoft and TikTok. • High-level representation included Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs alongside trade leaders and ambassadors from the European Union, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

Water company blames increased demand amid extreme heat, but customers want answers about lack of storage reservoirs“Spitting, fuming, angry and powerless” is how Pat Prestage describes her emotions after a water outage that has affected thousands of homes in Kent during a May heatwave.On Wednesday, 8,000 South East Water customers in Whitstable lost water, with 14,000 more in Tankerton, Ashford, and its surrounding areas facing intermittent supply or low pressure. South East Water’s incident manager, Matthew Dean, said on Thursday that 22,000 people had had water supply problems. Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology says thunderstorms could bring widespread rainfalls and flash flooding while there are ‘signs of El Niño development’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSevere thunderstorms could bring heavy rainfall and flash flooding to eastern and south-eastern Australia in coming days, according to the weather bureau.On Tuesday afternoon, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said a low-pressure system over South Australia combined with moisture being pushed down the eastern seaboard from the tropics, would bring widespread rainfalls. Continue reading...

• RacketPro (RPO) is expanding pickleball development across Asia, identifying Malaysia as a strategic regional hub and Vietnam as a leading market. • The organization is launching the "RacketPro APAC Pickleball Tour 2026," a major regional initiative covering Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. • The tour will integrate the RPO COEBRA Intensity Program to provide world-class training and professional development for athletes and coaches.

• Amazon has announced plans to invest over US$33 billion in cloud infrastructure across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand by 2039. • The investment focuses on expanding data center capabilities to strengthen the digital infrastructure of these four Southeast Asian nations. • These projects are projected to contribute more than US$64 billion to the collective GDP of the region and support over 56,300 annual full-time equivalent jobs.

• Amazon announced plans to invest over $33 billion in cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand by 2039. • These investments are projected to contribute more than $64 billion to the collective GDP of the four nations and support over 56,300 annual full-time equivalent jobs in the data center supply chain. • The move aligns with the rapid growth of the ASEAN region, which is expected to become the world’s fourth largest economy with a digital economy valued at $560 billion by 2030.