Tiger Brokers arrives in Singapore

China-based international securities firm Tiger Brokers has further expanded in Asia on the heels of its growth in mainland China. The latest version of Tiger Trade, its one-stop trading platform for global asset allocation with a focus on US stocks, now supports Chinese-speaking retail investors in Singapore.  

The Tiger Trade app provides data on individual stocks, technical indicators and global news, all in Chinese, enabling Chinese investors to trade stocks across capital markets worldwide. Offerings are low-commission and support cross-border investment.

Tiger Trade will also provide fast trade execution, competitive transaction fees, background information in Chinese as well as transaction services for US, Hong Kong and mainland China A-shares, with trades for stocks in all three of the markets handled through a single deposit in one account.

Tiger Brokers founder and CEO Wu Tianhua said that Singaporean investors can open an account online in three minutes. In addition to access to US stocks, Hong Kong stocks, and China A-shares, Tiger Brokers supports transactions involving securities margin trading in addition to 13,000 US stocks, share options and ETF products.

Wu explained: "Our goal is to make Tiger Trade the app of choice for any Chinese speaking investor with an international investment portfolio. Growth in securities trading apps is an inevitable trend, in tandem with the accelerating popularity of smartphones and driven by the demand by Asia-based investors for a more globally diversified allocation of their assets."

Over US$100 million in transactions were booked through Tiger Trade in the first month following the platform's launch. The dollar value of transactions handled through Tiger Trade jumped 22 times in the more than one year following the initial launch, topping US$2.2 billion a month.

According to Tiger Brokers, Singapore-based investors typically face substantial fees when trading US stocks through the existing choice of venues compared to a similarly-placed investor in the US. The minimum commission required per transaction is priced at several tens of dollars.

Tiger Brokers users enjoy commissions as low as US$0.01 per share with a minimum of US$2.99 per transaction when trading US stocks. As an illustration, if the investor completes one transaction per week, involving 300 shares, he or she will save US$30 per transaction on average or US$1,500 in one year.

Tiger Brokers' shareholders include Xiaomi Technology and Citic Securities.

posted from Bloggeroid

Waves in China to impact M&A: Intralinks APAC respondents

Respondents from the Asia Pacific region (APAC) have predicted that economic and market events in China will have the most impact on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the region over the next six months.

This is according to the results of a survey of over 1,600 global dealmakers involved in M&A released by Intralinks, a global provider of M&A deal management and secure content collaboration solutions. The survey was carried out between October 4 and 11, 2016 and covered the Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, the Middle East and Africa, North America and Latin America regions.

“There’s clearly an overwhelming consensus among dealmakers that Hillary Clinton will be the next US President and that Donald Trump would be bad for global M&A,” said Philip Whitchelo, VP Strategy & Product Marketing at Intralinks. “However, factors other than US politics are also dominating dealmakers’ attentions, with the UK’s Brexit vote, monetary policy changes and the impact of China on the global economy being top of mind for many,” he added.

APAC results from the survey include:

· More than half (51%) of respondents expect to participate in more deals in the next six months than the previous six months

· Nearly nine in 10 (86%) respondents think Hillary Clinton will win the US presidential election

· About six in 10 (59%) respondents believe the impact of a Trump presidency on the M&A market in their region would be negative

· Two thirds (66%) of respondents believe a Clinton presidency would have no impact on the M&A market in their region [28% positive, 6% negative]

At a global level, 56% of respondents believe that a Trump presidency would have a negative impact on M&A activity, and 15% believe that he will win. Conversely, 57% of respondents globally believe a Clinton presidency would have no impact on M&A activity, with 26% of dealmakers stating a Clinton presidency would have a positive impact on M&A activity.

APAC bankers say M&A activity will fall with Trump as US President

According to a survey of 300 M&A professionals in the Asia Pacific region conducted by Intralinks, a secure content collaboration company used by dealmakers, three-quarters of M&A banking professionals believe M&A activity in this region could be negatively impacted if US presidential candidate and current Republican primary frontrunner Donald Trump were to become president.  These sentiments are similar to the global sentiments expressed in the survey that Intralinks conducted with 1,500 M&A professionals worldwide.

According to Intralinks’ Global M&A Sentiment Survey results, 75% of Asian dealmakers view Trump as the presidential candidate most likely to have a detrimental effect on the level of M&A activities. Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is perceived as the candidate most likely to have a positive impact on M&A activity amongst all the other presidential candidates across all regions. In Asia, 51% of dealmakers think that Clinton will have a positive impact on global M&A activities while 43% polled said she would have no impact.

Globally, dealmakers think that Trump, if elected, would be more detrimental to financial markets and M&A activity than Senator Bernie Sanders. This is despite the fact that Sanders, a self-described socialist, is sharply critical of financial services companies and advocates for stronger regulation of the sector.

Interestingly, US respondents are more positive about Trump having less of a negative impact on global M&A than Sanders: 46% of U.S. respondents stated that they believe Trump will have a negative impact versus 73% who believe that Sanders is less pro global business.

In contrast, more than half of the Asian dealmakers believed that if elected as president, Sanders, Ted Cruz, or John Kasich will have no impact on M&A activities in this region.

The global concern around a Trump presidency is clearly outlined by the data, with dealmakers in Europe (71%) and Latin America (83%) believing Trump will have a negative impact on the M&A market.

“Our data shows that Donald Trump is a cause of concern among global dealmakers, who rank him as the candidate most likely to have a negative impact on M&A by a wide margin,” said Matt Porzio, VP of M&A strategy at Intralinks.

The 300 respondents surveyed in the Asia Pacific region were from Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand.

posted from Bloggeroid

Didi Kuaidi, GrabTaxi, Lyft and Ola users can use their apps in other countries now

Roaming was once only available for phone services. Then it came to cash withdrawals through the ATM. And now private transport-booking goes global with a Star Alliance-like partnership between booking apps that were previously region-bound.

Didi Kuaidi, GrabTaxi, Lyft and Ola have announced additional strategic partnerships that expand the global rideshare agreement that Lyft and Didi Kuaidi formed in September. Together, these companies now cover nearly all of Southeast Asia, India, China and the US, reaching nearly 50% of the world’s population. Joint partner products will start rolling out in Q116.

Through this global partnership, the companies will collaborate and leverage each other’s technology, local market knowledge and business resources so that international travellers can seamlessly access local on-demand rides by using the same application they use at home. Each company will handle mapping, routing and payments through a secure API, providing a global experience for their customers.

As the local leaders, Didi Kuaidi, GrabTaxi and Ola will provide Lyft passengers traveling to Asia with ease, convenience, and reliability. Each company saw rapid growth in 2015:

 Didi Kuaidi is the world’s largest one-stop mobile-based transportation platform, providing 7 million rides per day across 360 Chinese cities. Didi Kuaidi holds an 83% market share in private car-hailing and a dominant position in all other verticals including taxi-hailing, bus and corporate services.

 GrabTaxi is the leading ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia with 95% market share in third-party taxi-hailing and more than 50% market share in private cars. With up to 1.5 million daily bookings across six countries, GrabTaxi offers a wide range of options in one mobile app, including taxis, motorcycle taxis, private cars, carpooling and deliveries. (Editor's note: It has also recently received some positive reviews from friends.)

 Lyft is the fastest-growing rideshare service in the US, completing 7 million rides per month in more than 190 cities. In October, Lyft reached an annual gross run rate of US$1 billion and reached over 40% percent market share in San Francisco, California and Austin, Texas.

 Ola is India’s preferred mobile platform for personal transportation, available in 102 cities across the country. With more than 350,000 vehicles registered on its platform, Ola receives over a million booking requests a day.

“As Didi consolidates market leadership across all main verticals, we are now focused on applying more refined big-data tools to further develop product innovation and enhance the user experience,” said Cheng Wei, CEO of Didi Kuaidi. “The partnership with Lyft, GrabTaxi and Ola allows Chinese users unprecedented ease of international travel, and helps each of us improve our own services, leveraging our collective technology and expertise. This is a win for the diversity and vitality of the global rideshare industry.”

“We are pleased to help Didi, Lyft and Ola offer transportation services in Southeast Asia where the significant diversity of language, culture and social practices across the region can be challenging for foreign companies to navigate,” said Anthony Tan, CEO of GrabTaxi. “We admire all three companies and have similar goals to improve the lives of drivers and passengers, while also helping to solve major transportation challenges for the long term. Under this umbrella, we see many opportunities to share ideas and best practices – from product innovations to driver support, technology developments and approaches for managing local operations in a rapidly-scaling organisation.”

“We’re excited to join with Didi, Grab and Ola to make global travel simpler for passengers. Together they will allow Lyft to offer the world’s best coverage, while building upon our shared vision of reconnecting communities through better transportation,” said Lyft co-founder and President John Zimmer. “This isn’t solely a partnership of four companies, but also an opportunity to have a greater impact on the future of our cities worldwide.”

“We are excited to partner with Lyft, Didi Kuaidi and GrabTaxi, allowing seamless mobility access across hundreds of cities globally for our combined user base that runs into hundreds of millions,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of Ola. “This will also allow all four companies to learn from each other’s local innovations and successes that can help us in our shared mission to build better mobility solutions in our respective markets.”

GMC gets on Instagram to show PanoGrams and #GMCprecision

Source: GMC.

GMC has introduced #GMCprecision, a new hashtag to go with its Instagram-based panoramic photography campaign.

The month-long campaign, launched in the US on May 22, illustrates the attention to detail in its vehicles. GMC is one of the first automotive brands to create “PanoGrams” via the Instagram Carousel format that debuted earlier this year. It allows consumers to swipe through a series of photos in a single ad, similar to the way a traditional magazine publishes a multi-page spread of a single image. PanoGrams showcase a series of photos within the carousel that stitch into one panoramic image, with an added link to GMC's website for additional information.

Instagram/Facebook’s Creative Shop team worked closely with GMC to identify, select and photograph the #GMCprecision venues. They include a wind farm – viewed from a GMC Sierra Denali pickup and made to look infinite because of how the photographer captured the towering turbines against clouds and filtered sunlight – and a private residence in southern California. The GMC Yukon Denali and Terrain Denali are featured in the architecture treatment.

“We chose Instagram because of its successful track record of creating communities of discerning photography enthusiasts who can rally around a brand,” said Duncan Aldred, US VP, GMC. “Highlighting the precision of our vehicles within the context of beautiful photography helps us connect with consumers who embrace precision in all aspects of their lives.”

GMC will integrate its PanoGrams and companion content into the brand’s other digital media channels, such as Facebook.

“GMC’s PanoGrams are an incredibly creative and beautiful use of Instagram’s Carousel format,” said Michelle Morris, Group Director, Auto, Facebook & Instagram. “Instagram is all about capturing striking moments, and combining the interiors of their new Sierra with breathtaking exteriors is an excellent way to call attention to GMC’s great vehicles.”

The #GMCprecision social play is part of GMC’s Precision campaign, which launched in the US with television ads in March. GMC said that through May 31, GMC sales have been up 15% year over year as more customers shift to trucks, crossovers and SUVs. This uptake is partially attributed to the campaign.

Nestlé to remove all artificial colours and flavours from chocolate

Source: Nestlé.

Nestlé USA will remove artificial flavours and FDA-certified colours like Red 40 and Yellow 5 from all of its chocolate candy products by the end of 2015. The move will affect more than 250 products and 10 brands. Products will begin appearing on store shelves by mid-2015, and will be identified by a No Artificial Flavors or Colors claim featured on-pack.

“Nestlé is the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company and our commitment to remove artificial flavours and certified colours in our chocolate candy brands is an important milestone,” said Doreen Ida, President, Nestlé USA Confections & Snacks. 

“We know that candy consumers are interested in broader food trends around fewer artificial ingredients. As we thought about what this means for our candy brands, our first step has been to remove artificial flavours and colours without affecting taste or increasing the price. We’re excited to be the first major US candy manufacturer to make this commitment.”

Ingredients from natural sources can include annatto, which comes from the seeds found in the fruit from the achiote tree, Red 40 and Yellow 5 to replace the BUTTERFINGER centre. In CRUNCH, natural vanilla flavour will replace the artificial vanillin.

“We never compromise on taste. When making these changes to more than 75 recipes, maintaining the great taste and appearance consumers expect from the chocolate brands they know and love is our #1 priority,” said Leslie Mohr, Nutrition, Health and Wellness manager, Nestlé Confections & Snacks. “We conducted consumer testing to ensure the new recipe delivers on our high standards for taste and appearance.”
According to Mohr, this change affects Nestlé’s current portfolio of chocolate brands including NESTLE CRUNCH, BUTTERFINGER, BABY RUTH, SKINNY COW, RAISINETS, GOOBERS, SNO CAPS, 100 GRAND, OH HENRY and CHUNKY. 

Going forward, all newly launched chocolate and non-chocolate candy products (gummies, sours, etc.) introduced by Nestlé USA will be made without artificial flavours or colours. Additionally, Nestlé USA is actively pursuing the removal of caramel colouring from its chocolate products. Caramel colouring is an exempt-from-certification colour additive, which is used in nine of the more than 250 chocolate products.This follows similar moves by Nestlé in other parts of the world, the company said.

Fishbat comments on iOS8 developments, Apple Pay

Apple recently released the first beta of iOS 8.1, an upgrade to iOS 8 that followed just a few days after the release of iOS 8.0.2, which itself fixed a bug in the recently-introduced iOS 8.0.1. 

The new beta version includes these features:

• A newly designed iBooks icon.
• A new Enable Dictation toggle in the keyboard settings.
• New permission settings of applications.
• Larger application icons for new widgets in the notification center.
• Solutions to issues relating to mail, notifications, & photos.

With all the releases and changes, it's getting pretty hard to keep up, notes Internet marketing firm fishbat.

Apple is expected to be launching Apple Pay on or around October 20. Many believe that will be the launch date of iOS 8.1, the company points out. Apple Pay is expected to change the way users pay for items by using payment technology built into the device, so they no longer need to carry around credit cards. The current 8.0 version has a credit card icon in the Passbook, but lacks functionality, fishbat observed. Rather than abolishing credit card companies completely, Apple Pay will simply store the credit card information in Passbook, in a secure enclave.

Scott Darrohn, COO, fishbat, said: "Apple's beta process typically takes months, not weeks, therefore it will be interesting to see if the rumours hold value." 

New research hints that sodium guidelines need to be revised

A new research study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden on how much salt, or rather sodium, people can safely consume has been making the rounds. According to the university, the study is one of the largest of its kind and indicates that today’s recommended maximum daily intake may be wrong. 

A sprinkling of salt on nuts.

The Prospective Urban Rural study Epidemiology (PURE) study followed over 100,000 persons from 17 countries* for four years and made a number of measurements, including their intake levels of sodium and potassium and how they are related to blood pressure, mortality, heart disease and stroke. Two reports from the global study mentioned by the university were published 14 August in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"This is one of the most ambitious studies ever conducted on the effects of people’s salt intake over time," says Annika Rosengren, Professor of medicine at the University of Gothenburg and one of the researchers behind the study.

Too much dietary sodium has been known as a serious health risk because it is clearly linked to increases in blood pressure and incidence of stroke. The results of the new study show that more sodium in the diet does indeed increase a person’s blood pressure, in particular among those with a daily sodium intake exceeding 5 grams (which corresponds to 12.5g of table or cooking salt), those who already suffer from high blood pressure, and those who are 55 years of age or older.

However, one of the two reports from the University of Gothenburg study shows that the recommended level may be too low for good health, said the university. Although a low intake of sodium was in fact associated with a somewhat lower blood pressure, low levels of sodium in the diet can also be harmful. A 2012 review of existing research in the European Journal of Heart Failure concurs, showing that too little sodium in the body, called hyponatraemia, is a good predictor of subsequent death due to heart failure. 

The findings are controversial as other studies, such as this one in 2013, have found that lower sodium intake is linked to a reduced risk of stroke and fatal coronary heart disease in adults. The PURE study found the lowest risk of cardiovascular events and death among those who consumed moderate amounts of salt, rather than cutting salt to a minimum, and that the health risks increased both above and below this interval. The statement from the University of Gothenburg did not specify how much salt was considered 'moderate', and while it may make sense to say that low-sodium diets are likely to lead to hyponatraemia, hyponatraemia can also be caused by some medicines and diseases too.

"The scientific support for today’s recommendations is very weak. At the same time, however, a high sodium intake remains associated with increased risk for both high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease," says Rosengren.

Another study in the August 14 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, from Tufts University, noted that more than 1.6 million cardiovascular-related deaths per year can be attributed to sodium consumption above the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 2g per day. An analysis evaluating populations across 187 countries found the average level of global sodium consumption in 2010 to be 3.95g per day, with all regions of the world above recommended levels.

In their meta-analysis of controlled intervention studies, the researchers found that reduced sodium intake lowered blood pressure in all adults, with the largest effects identified among older individuals, blacks, and those with pre-existing high blood pressure.

“These 1.65 million deaths represent nearly one in 10 of all deaths from cardiovascular causes worldwide. No world region and few countries were spared,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, who led the research while at the Harvard School of Public Health. 

Mozaffarian also chairs the Global Burden of Diseases, Nutrition, and Chronic Disease Expert Group, an international team of more than 100 scientists studying the effects of nutrition on health and who contributed to this effort. “These new findings inform the need for strong policies to reduce dietary sodium in the US and across the world.”

“We found that four out of five global deaths attributable to higher than recommended sodium intakes occurred in middle- and low-income countries,” added John Powles, last author and Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow in the department of public health and primary care at the University of Cambridge. “Programmes to reduce sodium intake could provide a practical and cost effective means for reducing premature deaths in adults around the world.”

A December 2013 study authored by a number of scholars including both Powles and Mozaffarian found that sodium intakes were highest in East Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe (mean >4.2g/day) and in Central Europe and Middle East/North Africa (3.9–4.2g/day). Regional mean intakes in North America, Western Europe and Australia/New Zealand ranged from 3.4 to 3.8g/day.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), sodium is found naturally in foods such as milk and cream (approximately 0.05g of sodium per 100g) and eggs (approximately 0.08g/100g). Bread contains about 0.25g/100g), snacks such as pretzels, cheese puffs and popcorn have approximately 1.5g/100g, while soy sauce would have 7g/100g), and bouillon or stock cubes, approximately 20g/100g.

A July 2014 study in the UK found that halloumi cheese (2.71±0.34g/100g) and imported blue cheese (2.71±0.83g/100g) contained the highest amounts of salt, while cottage cheese (0.55±0.14g/100g) contained the lowest amount of salt.

Health Xchange, a portal set up by Singhealth, has listed nutritional content of common Chinese street (hawker) foods in Singapore. Fishball soup tipped the scales at 2.9g of sodium for a serving of 798g. Soup dishes dominated the sodium stakes. Other dishes with over 2g of sodium per serving included lor mee (540g), which contains over 2.5g of sodium; kway chap with 2.3g of sodium; prawn mee soup, 2.4g of sodium; 569g of Penang laksa, with 2.2g of sodium, and 528g of ban mian with almost 2.2g of sodium.

*This appendix on another aspect of the PURE study lists participating countries. High-income countries include Canada, Sweden, and the UAE; upper-middle income countries were represented by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Malaysia, Poland, South Africa, and Turkey, while China, Colombia, and Iran were the lower-middle income countries. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe contributed data for low income countries.

Your standard carry-on may now fail the test on US airlines

A number of US airlines have shrunk the dimensions of permitted carry-on luggage, George Hobica of Airfarewatchdog has reported. 

Travelling Hello Kitty statue at Taoyuan Airport,
Taiwan in 2008.

American, Delta and United have recently changed their size specifications for cabin baggage to a maximum of 22 inches long, 14 inches wide and 9 inches high. The width used to be 15 inches.

A March story on Yahoo reports that United is also enforcing the carry-on sizing rule more stringently. Those who fail the carry-on size test have to return to the counter to get their bags checked in, for a fee.

While some airlines do allow larger carry-ons, it now pays to check the the permitted dimensions again, just in case.

United Airlines becomes first carrier to fly non-stop from US to Chengdu in China

United Airlines has launched a new non-stop service linking its San Francisco hub with Chengdu, China, the fourth-largest Chinese city and the capital city of Sichuan province, becoming the first carrier to fly non-stop from the US to Mainland China beyond Beijing and Shanghai and the first US carrier to serve Chengdu.

Said Dave Hilfman, United's Senior VP of worldwide sales: "With more than 250 of the Fortune 500 companies located in the area, and as home to the giant panda and Sichuan cuisine, Chengdu will be a popular destination for both business and leisure travellers."

Flight 9 will depart San Francisco International Airport at 1:25 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 6:40 pm the following day (all times local). Flight 8 will depart Chengdu at 9:50 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and arrive at San Francisco International Airport at 8:40 am the same day. Flying times will be approximately 14 hours, 15 minutes westbound and 13 hours, 50 minutes eastbound. This new non-stop flight will shave nearly four hours off the typical travel time between the two cities. 

United will use the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to operate the three-times-weekly service. United's Boeing 787 aircraft are configured with 219 seats – 36 in United BusinessFirst and 183 in United Economy, including 70 United Economy Plus seats with added legroom. To date, United has flown its 787 fleet more than 30,000 hours on more than 4,400 flights. The airline now operates 10 787 Dreamliners with an additional 55 on order, including the 787-9. 

United's China flights feature additional amenities and services designed especially for Chinese customers, including: Mandarin-speaking flight attendants; personalised in-flight entertainment options, including Chinese-language services; and a wide selection of in-flight meals and beverages, including Chinese-style cuisine. 

United started non-stop services to Mainland China in 1986 and today serves Beijing with non-stop flights from Chicago, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington/Dulles; Shanghai with non-stop flights from Chicago, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and San Francisco; and Hong Kong with non-stop flights from Chicago, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Guam, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. Chengdu is the ninth destination United serves in the Asia Pacific region non-stop from San Francisco, from which United offers more non-stop trans-Pacific flights from the United States than any other carrier. The airline recently announced it will add a new twice-weekly service between Guam and Shanghai beginning October 28, 2014.

As a member of Star Alliance, United has a bilateral partnership with Air China that includes code-sharing on selected routes and provides customers of both carriers additional travel benefits, such as airport lounge access and frequent-flyer-programme reciprocity. Air China offers flights to 62 cities from Chengdu, many of which will offer same-day connections to United's new Chengdu service. 

Singapore Airlines extends reach into US through Asiana codeshare agreement

Singapore Airlines has expanded a codeshare agreement with Asiana Airlines which expands its reach beyond Seoul’s Incheon International Airport to Honolulu, Seattle and Los Angeles.

The Star Alliance partners have been codesharing since September 2005 on flights between Singapore and Seoul-Incheon. Singapore Airlines currently operates four daily flights on the route, one of which continues to San Francisco, while Asiana operates daily flights.

Asiana also codeshares on Singapore Airlines-operated flights beyond Singapore to Jakarta in Indonesia, Perth in Australia, Auckland in New Zealand and Cape Town in South Africa.

Australia, Singapore, and UAE on top 10 for relocation wishlist

The fifth Global Professionals on the Move Report from Hydrogen Group, a leading global recruitment company, has found that the number of people willing to work abroad has doubled over five years (16% in 2010 to 35% in 2014), and 40% believe that there are no barriers to moving abroad. 

While the US and UK were top on relocation wishlists, followed by Australia at no. 3, Singapore was the top Asian country of choice at no. 7, and the UAE topped the Middle Eastern region at no. 8.

In key Asian markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, governments have tightened controls in job markets to favour home-grown talent rather than overseas executives, which favours the 'return homers' - those returning home after an international opportunity, Hydrogen Group said. 

Companies and countries are recognising the value of this hybrid solution to talent shortages, looking to retain these nationals with international experience to help develop local economies and stem the over-reliance on expatriates.  

City-wise, Sydney was no. 3 on the wishlist, Singapore was no. 5, Hong Kong no. 9 and Melbourne no. 10.  

Key findings: 
· Singapore remains the top destination in Asia to relocate to, followed by Hong Kong and mainland China 

· The percentage of people who want to work abroad has more than doubled from 16% (2010) to 35% (2014) 

· 27% surveyed were 'return homers'; 34% of Asian return homers were female, and 82% were aged between 31 and 50 

· 40% working abroad said there were no barriers to moving abroad, compared to 0% in 2010 

· Only 17% of people working abroad in 2014 have a professional qualification over and above a degree compared to 30% in 2010. 

· 98% of Asian respondents would work abroad again 

· 48% of respondents were likely to move on to a new country rather than return home - this figure compared to 38% five years ago. 

Simon Walker, Hydrogen Group COO, APAC, said: "We now have a worldwide talent pool to draw candidates from. The return homers are of particular interest in Asia, where countries are legislating to ensure their local talent is developed, retained and attracted back." 

The report was compiled alongside ESCP Europe, the university, with 2,444 respondents from across industries in 99 countries. Click here to access the report. 

*All images from the 2014 Global Professionals on the Move report 

Asian trademarks in a globalised world

Brands from emerging economies do not have the luxury today of taking decades to establish an international reputation, said panelists during the International Trademark Association's (INTA's) 136th annual meeting, it was reported in a newsletter published by IP Mirror, a domain name registry which also offers cloud hosting services and brand protection.

Source: INTA website.

According to IP Mirror, some of the suggested options for Asian brands focused on global expansion that were discussed at the event in early May in Hong Kong include:

• Adapting localised products for the international market while maintaining trademarks in the new markets.
• Spending more time and money on establishing what the brands represent, as most Asian brand names are likely unheard of, so paying attention to how the mark is presented and what message it invokes is just as important as what name is being registered.
• Buying overseas trademarks to gain access to new channels to market to foreign shoppers, or bringing those brands back home to local consumers seeking established overseas brands. 

"As with any expansion, getting the appropriate localised or regionalised domain names help to secure your online brand in the respective markets," said the company in the newsletter.

INTA separately announced that wage premiums in industries with intensive intellectual property rights (IPR) are significantly higher when compared with other industries: 41% in the European Union* and 42% in the US**.

"Innovation supports millions of jobs worldwide… but only when it is protected by IP rights,” said INTA President Mei-lan Stark (Fox Entertainment Group, US). “Today, the most successful economies, fuelled by the most highly paid workforces, are those in which innovation is encouraged and IP rights are protected.”

INTA coverage on World Intellectual Property Review can be viewed here. New Legal Review did an INTA 2014 roundup here.

*Intellectual property rights intensive industries: contribution to economic performance and employment in the European Union published by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and the European Patent Office in 2013.

**IP and the US economy – industries in focus published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2012. published by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and the European Patent Office in 2013.

Korean Air connects Seoul with Houston

Korean Air has begun new daily nonstop services between Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Incheon International Airport in Seoul. 
 

Source: Korean Air. The first 777-200 aircraft touches down in Houston on May 2.

Said John Jackson, Korean Air Vice President, Passenger Marketing and Sales, Regional Headquarters, The Americas: "There are enormous opportunities here and we are proud and honoured to be a part of the dynamic Houston business community."

Nonstop flights connecting the two destinations will depart from the Terminal D facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport every morning at 10:40 am (CST Houston time), with the return flight departing Seoul at 9:10 am local time at Incheon International Airport. 

"Houston shares a deep connection with the Asian region of the world, a fact that benefits our city both economically as well as culturally," Houston Mayor Annise Parker says. "This new service from Korean Air will allow that connection to grow even stronger and that's cause for celebration on both sides of the route map."  
 

The Asian demographic in Houston has grown by 70% over the past decade. This growth rate tops the levels found in traditional Asian hubs in US cities such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle.

Korean Air, a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, already operates nonstop flights in those four cities along with these other key gateway airports found throughout the Americas: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Sao Paulo, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, DC. The airline serves more than 24 million passengers on an annual basis through flights that span six continents today, making it one of the world's 20 busiest airlines.

Flight	Route	Departure	Arrival	Frequency	Aircraft
KE 30	Houston - Seoul	10:40 am	3:30 pm +1	Daily	B777-200
KE 29	Seoul - Houston	9:10 am	8:40 am +1	Daily	B777-200

*All times are local. "+1" stands for next-day arrival

Etihad shares initial destinations for Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner craft

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced the first destinations for its first Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. 

Source: Etihad. The Boeing 787-9.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline’s first A380 will fly to London's Heathrow from December 2014, while a second A380 will operate on the same route from Q1 2015. By the end of 2015, Etihad Airways will have five of the same aircraft in operation, with plans to also introduce A380 operations to both Sydney and New York's JFK.

The first Etihad Airways B787-9 will enter commercial service in December 2014, with a second aircraft entering service in January 2015. As with the A380, by the end of 2015, Etihad Airways will have five of this type of aircraft in operation. The first B787s will initially be deployed on Washington DC, Düsseldorf and Mumbai, with further route announcements to follow.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The A380 will be used to provide additional seats on existing routes where there is a need for increased capacity, and in particular, high demand for First and Business Class travel.”

Etihad Airways has a total of 10 A380s on firm order. Four A380s will arrive in 2015, three in 2016 and two in 2017.

Each aircraft is designed to carry 498 guests in four living spaces on the aircraft. This includes two VIP guests in The Residence by Etihad, nine guests in the innovative First Class Apartments, 70 guests in the new Business Class Studios, and 417 guests in Economy Class.
 
Baumgartner added: “We are the fastest growing airline in commercial aviation, and by unveiling our plans for this magnificent aircraft and setting new benchmarks in onboard product, service, hospitality and style, we have redefined what flying is all about.”

Etihad Airways also has major plans for the B787 which enters the fleet in Q4 2014.

In December the mostly composite aircraft will be deployed first on routes between Abu Dhabi and Düsseldorf, and services to Washington DC and Mumbai will commence in January 2015. Services to other cities will be confirmed in 2015 as more B787s enter the fleet.

The airline has a total of 71 B787s scheduled for delivery between the end of 2014 and 2023, including 41 B787-9s and 30 B787-10s, making it the largest operator of the aircraft type in the world.

Two B787s are scheduled for delivery in Q4 2014 with three due to arrive in 2015, three in 2016 and nine in 2017. All five initial B787 deliveries will have three living spaces aboard the aircraft, configured to carry 235 guests.

There are eight First Suites in First Class, 28 Business Studios in Business Class and 199 Economy Smart Seats in Economy Class.
 
“Over the coming years this next-generation aircraft will be used by Etihad Airways to launch flights to new destinations, add capacity in existing markets and progressively replace existing, less-efficient aircraft,” said Baumgartner. 

Some of the initial Etihad Airways A380 and B787 flights may be booked online at etihad.com, through the Etihad Airways contact centre, or via travel agents.

United expands trans-Pacific routes with Taipei, Tokyo connections with in-seat power

United Airlines is expanding its trans-Pacific network with the connection of its San Francisco hub with Taipei, Taiwan, beginning March 29, and launching a second daily flight between Houston and Tokyo on March 30. Services to China and Australia are in the pipeline.
  

"With the most extensive route network, the broadest alliances and hubs in the largest US cities, United offers travelers more choices to more of the world than any other US airline," said Jim Compton, United's Vice Chairman and Chief Revenue Officer. 

"The new Taipei and Tokyo services strengthen our commitment to the Pacific, where United is already the leading US carrier, and to the San Francisco and Houston hubs."

With the addition of Taipei, the airline will offer nonstop flights between San Francisco and eight cities in the Asia-Pacific region. United will operate the Taipei and Tokyo services with Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The aircraft flying San Francisco-Taipei will offer 269 seats – eight in United Global First, 40 in United BusinessFirst and 221 in United Economy, including 113 extra-legroom United Economy Plus seats. The aircraft flying Houston-Tokyo will offer 267 seats – 50 in United BusinessFirst and 217 in United Economy, including 72 United Economy Plus seats. 
 
United is the only US airline to offer flat-bed seats in its premium cabins on every long-haul, international flight from the continental United States. The airline also offers more extra-legroom economy seating than any US airline. The United Global First and United BusinessFirst classes offer seats that recline into fully flat beds, personal on-demand entertainment, in-seat power and USB ports. Customers in United Economy also enjoy in-seat power and personal, on-demand entertainment at every seat.

These Taipei and Tokyo additions come as United plans to introduce three-times-weekly Boeing 787 service June 9 between San Francisco and Chengdu, China, pending government approval. This nonstop service would be the first by a US airline from the United States to mainland China, beyond Beijing and Shanghai. 

The company also plans to offer, subject to government approval, nonstop Boeing 787 service between Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia, six times weekly beginning October 26.

San Francisco-Taipei Service

Flight 871 will depart San Francisco daily at 1.50 pm and arrive in Taipei at 6.30 pm the next day. Flight 872 will depart Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport daily at 11.10 am and arrive at San Francisco International Airport at 7.30 am the same day (all local times).

United is the largest carrier at San Francisco International Airport, offering nearly 300 daily flights to more than 90 destinations worldwide, more than any other airline from the Bay Area. From its San Francisco hub, United also offers more nonstop trans-Pacific service to and from the United States than any other airline, with nonstop flights to Taipei, Beijing, Hong Kong, Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Sydney. 
 

Houston-Tokyo Service

Beginning Sunday, March 30, Flight 1 will depart Bush Intercontinental at 9 am and arrive at Tokyo's Narita International Airport at 12.35 pm the next day. The return flight 2 will depart Tokyo at 6.55 pm and arrive in Houston at 4.55 pm the same day (all local times).

The second Tokyo flight complements United's existing daily Houston-Tokyo service, which began in 1999. The Tokyo flights offer convenient round-trip connections at Narita to the airline's flights to Guam, Seoul and Singapore, as well as to flights operated by United's joint-venture partner ANA to 19 destinations in Asia, including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Taipei.

This additional flight to Japan's capital is timed to provide travellers with a new option for travellers shuttling between Japan and Central and South America. From Houston, United and United Express offer nearly 560 daily flights to 176 destinations around the world, including top business and leisure travel markets in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Highest-paid tech jobs for 2014 - if you're in the US

The 2014 Salary Guides from Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group have named six tech and digital jobs which are especially in demand in the US this year, possibly mirroring demand in the Asia Pacific region. 

Specifically, companies are looking for professionals who can help them keep information and networks secure, turn data into business intelligence and seize new opportunities in the mobile space.
 
"It's becoming imperative for companies to build their online presence and connect with customers through mobile channels, but finding the specialised talent to design and develop for this fast-evolving space can be difficult," said John Reed, Senior Executive Director of Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group. Both Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group are divisions of Robert Half, the world's a specialised staffing firm.

"Similar recruiting challenges exist around business intelligence. Companies want to use their information more strategically, but they struggle to find skilled professionals who can analyse raw data."


Following are six roles that are among those expected to see the most substantial increases in average starting compensation in 2014, according to the Robert Half Salary Guides: 

Mobile Applications Developer
As companies expand their mobile initiatives to connect with consumers anytime, anywhere, they need professionals who can develop for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Experienced mobile applications developers in the US can expect to see the largest increase in starting compensation of any tech position listed in this year's Salary Guide.  

Business Intelligence Analyst
Organisations want to derive more value from the data they generate, collect and store by turning it into actionable intelligence.

Information Systems Security Manager
Keeping data secure and protecting users and the network from cyber threats is a priority for any modern business. Information systems security managers who can assess and remedy vulnerabilities, threats and intrusions are in demand.

User Experience Designer
Designing engaging user experiences is essential to the success of any mobile or web initiative.

Mobile Designer
Compelling content and functionality are vital to delivering a satisfying interactive mobile experience. 

User Experience Specialist
Developing innovative, interactive user experiences for web and mobile applications requires creativity and technical expertise. 

Both Hays and Robert Walters have predicted that usability- and security-related jobs as will as anything related to mobile development will be big this year in Singapore.

More information about the positions listed above can be found in the Robert Half Technology 2014 Salary Guide, which includes a wide range of IT job descriptions, and The Creative Group 2014 Salary Guide, which focuses on interactive, design and marketing jobs.