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Posts tagged as “SouthEast Asia”

Alex Eala Rises to World No. 18, Making Southeast Asian WTA History

Philippine tennis sensation Alexandra “Alex” Eala has etched her name into the history books once again, scaling a new peak as the world No. 18 in the official Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings. With this monumental ascent, the 21-year-old becomes the highest-ranked Southeast Asian woman in WTA singles history, surpassing legendary milestones previously set across the region.

By breaking into the top 18, Eala eclipses the historic records long held by regional icons, including Indonesia’s Yayuk Basuki and Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn, who both reached career highs of world No. 19. Her rise marks the first time a player from the Philippines—or Southeast Asia as a whole—has reached this altitude in the WTA singles standings.

This milestone follows a relentless string of standout performances on the tour, highlighted by her breakthrough title run at the WTA 500 Washington Open, where she officially crashed into the top 20. Alongside her new career-high ranking, Eala remains the first Filipino to capture a WTA Tour singles title, reach a WTA 1000 semifinal, and advance to the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

Eala’s steady progress is the result of years of disciplined growth, beginning with her junior Grand Slam titles and time at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain. Her transition to the senior tour has been defined by clutch performances against top-tier opposition, aggressive left-handed baseline play, and relentless court coverage.

Her recent surge up the rankings reinforces a broader trend of Asian talent making waves on the global stage, positioning Eala as both a seeded contender at Grand Slams and a beacon of inspiration for young athletes across the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Source: TieBreaker Times

Delivery Hero to sell FoodPanda Business in South East Asia

On September 20, 2023, Delivery Hero, the parent company of Foodpanda, announced that it was in talks to sell its Foodpanda business in Southeast Asia. The move comes as Delivery Hero is facing increasing competition from other online food delivery platforms in the region, such as Grab and Gojek.

The potential sale of Foodpanda is significant, as the company is one of the leading online food delivery platforms in Southeast Asia. Foodpanda operates in eleven Southeast Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The company has over 10 million users and over 60,000 restaurants on its platform.

The potential buyer of Foodpanda is reportedly Grab, the Singapore-based ride-hailing and super-app. Grab is already the leading ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia, and it is also expanding into other verticals, such as food delivery, payments, and financial services.

The sale of Foodpanda would create a dominant player in the Southeast Asian online food delivery market. Grab would have access to Foodpanda’s large customer base and network of restaurants. This would give Grab a significant advantage over its competitors. The sale of Foodpanda would also have implications for consumers, since this will lessen the competition, which could potentially raise prices or reduce discounts after acquiring the food delivery company.

On the otherhand, the sale of Foodpanda could also lead to improved innovation and efficiency in the Southeast Asian online food delivery market. Grab could use its resources to invest in new technologies and improve its services. This could benefit both consumers and restaurants.

The negotiations are in their preliminary stages and it is uncertain and subject to various open points whether this will lead to a definitive agreement. However, the potential sale of Foodpanda is a significant event that could have a major impact on the online food delivery market in Southeast Asia.

Lazada to open official Apple ‘Shop-in-Shop’ for Southeast Asia customers

Apple Official Online Store on Lazada Philippines

Fans of Apple can now buy their favourite Apple products on Lazada, Southeast Asia’s leading eCommerce company.

As an authorised online reseller, Lazada’s customers can choose from a wide range of Apple products including iPhone, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPad, iPad Pro, Apple TV, Beats by Dr. Dre, and other accessories.

Start shopping this holiday season
Consumers can start browsing this holiday season when the Apple ‘Shop-in-Shop’ on Lazada officially launches today (8th December) in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. This will be followed by Malaysia on 11th December, and then in Vietnam.

By shopping on Lazada, customers can choose to pay for their Apple devices through Lazada’s 0% financing instalment plans. Exciting surprises also await Lazada customers looking to score savings from deals offered during the finale of Lazada’s Online Revolution shopping event, the 12.12 Final Sale. More details will be announced later.

The “preferred choice” for global brands
Lazada Group Chief Executive Officer Max Bittner said the Apple ‘Shop-in-Shop’ concept is a testament to Lazada’s reputation as the undisputed and trusted online shopping and selling platform in Southeast Asia. “Lazada is the preferred choice for global brands who, like us, want to drive the explosive growth of eCommerce in Southeast Asia,” said Mr. Bittner, adding: “It also underscores our commitment to give consumers better and convenient access to the world’s best brands and products, especially those from Apple.”