Vào ngày cuối năm – The last day of 31/12/2019…

Một năm đã gần trôi qua, khoảnh khắc như ngưng đọng lại, các doanh nhân, các nhà quản trị cũng đã ngưng lại để đánh giá lại một năm sắp qua và chuẩn bị năng lượng cho hành trang của mình…

A year has almost passed, the moment seemed to stop, entrepreneurs, managers started also pausing to re-evaluate the past year and re-charge energy for their next journey…

Các sự kiện chính – Main events:

Năm 2019 được xem là năm đầy biến động của thị trường bất động sản, bên cạnh các cơ hội thì thị trường bất động sản Việt Nam đang đối diện với không ít thách thức.

2019 was considered a turbulent year for the real estate market, besides opportunities, Vietnam’s real estate market had been facing many challenges.

Trong khi đó, ở lĩnh vực ngân hàng, cuối năm 2016 nợ xấu và nợ xấu tiềm ẩn là 10,8% thì đến cuối năm 2019 chỉ còn 4,9%… Tín dụng đang được kiểm soát cả về chất lượng và cơ cấu, hệ thống ngân hàng đang cung ứng cho nền khoảng 8,1 triệu tỷ, ước cuối năm 2019 tín dụng tăng 13,5 đến 13,7 %; thậm chí, mua vào 20 tỷ USD, đưa xấp xỉ 500 ngàn tỷ vào nền kinh tế nhưng bảo đảm sự điều tiết, không gây tác động đến lạm phát.

Meanwhile, in the banking sector, at the end of 2016, the non-performing loans (NPL) and potential NPL was 10.8%, by the end of 2019, only 4.9% … Credit has been controlled both in quality and structure, banking system has been providing for the background about 8.1 million billion, estimated at the end of 2019 credit increased from 13.5 to 13.7%; even, it had bought in 20 billion USD, and brought approximately 500 trillion into the economy while ensuring the regulation, did not affect to inflation.

Trong các quốc gia ở khu vực Đông Nam Á và châu Á, Việt Nam là một trong những nước có thị trường cà phê hấp dẫn nhất. Ngoài việc là quốc gia nhiều năm liên tiếp đứng thứ 2 về xuất khẩu cà phê, cà phê đã trở thành thức uống quốc dân ở đất nước này. Với việc sở hữu thêm Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Jollibee đang có gần 310 quán cà phê trên khắp cả nước, trong khi nếu cộng số quán của 3 chuỗi tiếp theo là Starbucks, The Coffee House và Trung Nguyên Legend mới chỉ 324. Highlands Coffee đang cho thấy tốc độ bành trướng khủng khiếp khi đã cho phép nhượng quyền.

Among countries in Southeast Asia and Asia, Vietnam was one of the countries with the most attractive coffee markets. In addition, being the country with the second consecutive year of coffee export, coffee has become the traditional drink in this country. With the addition of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Jollibee currently has had nearly 310 cafes across the country, while combining number of the next 3 chains are Starbucks, The Coffee House and Trung Nguyen Legend were only 324. Highlands Coffee was showing tremendous expansion when it has allowed franchising.

Tại sao nó ảnh hưởng – Why is it affected:

Đây cũng là những thách thức mà nhiều chuyên gia trong ngành đã chỉ ra trong suốt thời gian qua:

These were also challenges that many industry experts have pointed out over the years:

• Một là, hệ thống các văn bản pháp lý liên quan đến thị trường bất động sản còn chưa đồng bộ; hành lang pháp lý điều chỉnh thị trường bất động sản, từ công tác đầu tư xây dựng, giao dịch đến quản lý sử dụng bất động sản chậm được hoàn thiện, còn chồng chéo; nhiều vấn đề phát sinh từ thực tiễn, bất cập của cơ chế chính sách nhưng chưa được bổ sung, sửa đổi kịp thời dẫn đến thị trường bất động sản chưa được quản lý và kiểm soát một cách hiệu quả.
• Firstly, the system of legal documents related to the real estate market had been not synchronized. From the legal corridor adjusting the real estate market, construction investment, transactions to management and use of real estate were slowly completed and overlaps; many problems arising from practice and inadequacies of the policy mechanism but have not been supplemented and amended timely leading to the real estate market not being effectively managed and controlled.
• Hai là, những khó khăn về thủ tục hành chính và những sức ép lớn từ chủ trương kiểm soát chặt chẽ hơn việc cấp phép dự án mới. Việc các cơ quan chức năng chậm phê duyệt cấp phép xây dựng dự án hay tạm dừng dự án đang triển khai để rà soát, kiểm tra… là nguyên nhân dẫn đến giảm nguồn cung, kéo theo lượng giao dịch bất động sản cũng giảm.
• Secondly, difficulties in administrative procedures and great pressures from the more strict policy applied to license a new project. The delay of the authorities to approve project construction permits or suspend ongoing projects to review, check … were the cause of reduced supply, leading to a reduction in real estate transactions.
• Ba là, doanh nghiệp bất động sản gặp khó khăn trong tiếp cận nguồn vốn. Hiện nay, hoạt động tín dụng của ngân hàng đối với lĩnh vực kinh doanh bất động sản đang bị thắt chặt. Dòng vốn hạn chế cũng khiến các nhà đầu tư cẩn trọng hơn khi đầu tư vào lĩnh vực bất động sản.
• Third, real estate businesses had difficulty in accessing capital. Currently, the bank’s credit activity in real estate business was tightening. Limited capital flows also made investors more cautious when investing in real estate.
• Bốn là, gần đây, tái xuất hiện tình trạng phân lô bán nền tràn lan và các đợt sốt ảo giá đất tại một số địa phương, tình trạng lừa đảo bán “dự án ma” trở nên phổ biến. Nhiều nơi diễn ra tình trạng mua bán, chuyển nhượng nhà, đất khi chưa đáp ứng đầy đủ điều kiện, cơ sở pháp lý.
• Fourthly, recently, the re-occurrence of the widespreading sale of plots and the virtual price fever in some localities, the fraud of selling “ghost projects” became common. Many places happened the situation of buying, selling and transferring houses and land without fully meeting legal conditions and bases.
• Năm là, thiếu hụt hệ thống thông tin về thị trường bất động sản và những lo ngại về tính minh bạch của thị trường. Việt Nam đã, đang hội nhập sâu rộng vào nền kinh tế quốc tế và khu vực, kỳ vọng sẽ gia tăng thu hút vốn FDI vào Việt Nam, trong đó có lĩnh vực bất động sản.
• Fifth, there was a shortage of information systems on the real estate market and concerns about market transparency. Vietnam has been deeply and deeply integrated into the international and regional economy, expected to increase the attraction of FDI into Vietnam, including the real estate sector.

Ở thị trường bất động sản Việt Nam, tính minh bạch thông tin chưa cao đã gây cản trở quá trình đầu tư của các nhà đầu tư nước ngoài vào thị trường. Nguyên nhân của tình trạng trên chủ yếu là do chậm thực hiện các giải pháp nhằm minh bạch hóa thị trường bất động sản, kích thích đầu tư.

In Vietnam’s real estate market, the lack of information transparency has hindered foreign investors’ investment in the market. The cause was mainly due to the slow implementation of measures to make the real estate market transparent and stimulate investment.

Chính sách tiền tệ đã được hoạch định và thực thi để vừa xử lý những vấn đề trong ngắn hạn nhưng vẫn đảm bảo mục tiêu trung và dài hạn và đây là cơ sở để đạt tăng trưởng theo yêu cầu của Quốc hội và chính phủ đề ra năm tới. Trong đó, thành công lớn nhất về giác độ điều hành vĩ mô của 2019 là Chính phủ rất kiên định lập trường và định hướng trong hoạch định chính sách nhưng rất linh hoạt và chủ động trong điều hành. Đây là yếu tố then chốt để quyết định thành công.

Monetary policy has been planned and implemented to both address short-term issues but still ensured medium and long-term goals and this was the basis for achieving growth required by the National Assembly and the government next year. Particularly, the biggest success in terms of macro management in 2019 was that consistency of the Government in holding position and orientation in policy making while being very flexible and proactive in operating. This was the key to success.

Trước đây, cùng việc mức sống người dân Việt Nam còn thấp, thị trường cà phê là nơi tung hoành của các quán cà phê bình dân với mức giá dưới 25.000 đồng. Cà phê tại đây chất lượng cũng bất ổn, thường được pha trộn khá nhiều tạp chất và không quá xem trọng nguồn gốc của cà phê. Ngược lại, với mức sống ngày càng được nâng cao, người tiêu dùng Việt Nam ngày càng xem trọng chất lượng cà phê và ngày càng yêu cầu cao hơn với mức độ sạch của cà phê, cũng như sẵn sàng trả giá cao hơn để được thưởng thức một ly cà phê ngon, có nguồn gốc rõ ràng, trong một khung cảnh đẹp. “Ngửi” được chuyển biến của thị trường, các nhà đầu tư trong nước lẫn nước ngoài vội vàng đẩy mạnh các chuỗi cà phê nhằm nhanh chân chiếm thị phần ở mảng đất màu mỡ này. Thế nên, hiện tại, cuộc chiến chính ở thị trường cà phê Việt Nam đang diễn ra ở chuỗi cà phê trung cấp, với các ‘chiến binh’ nội là Trung Nguyên Legend, The Coffee House, Cộng và Phúc Long cùng những ‘kẻ xâm lược’ như Jollibee, Starbucks, Wayne’s Coffee, sắp tới có thể là Cafe Amazon.

Previously, with the low living standards of Vietnamese people, the coffee market was a raging place for popular coffee shops with prices below VND 25,000. The quality of coffee here had been also unstable, often mixed with many impurities and did not take the coffee’s origin seriously. In contrast, with improved living standards, Vietnamese consumers increasingly focused on coffee quality and were increasingly demanding with the cleanliness of coffee, as result, willing to pay a higher price to enjoy a delicious coffee with clear origin in a beautiful setting. “Smelling” the market’s changes, both domestic and foreign investors rushed to boost coffee chains in order to quickly gain market share in this fertile land. So, at present, the main battle in the Vietnamese coffee market was taking place in the mid-level coffee chain, with domestic “warriors” Trung Nguyen Legend, The Coffee House, Cong and Phuc Long and the “invaders” like Jollibee, Starbucks, Wayne’s Coffee, and soon Amazon Cafe.

Xu hướng chính – Key trends:

Mới đây, CNBC đã có một bài phân tích khá thú vị về tình hình của các chuỗi cà phê quốc tế khi vào Việt Nam cũng như lý do vì sao họ chưa thành công rực rỡ như ở những thị trường khác, thậm chí có kẻ phải tháo chạy như Gloria Jeans Coffee. Sự thất thế của các chuỗi cà phê ngoại còn ghi nhận thêm Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Trong năm 2018, thị trường Việt Nam mang lại cho chuỗi này 108 tỷ đồng doanh thu, nhưng thương hiệu này lại báo lỗ tới 29 tỷ đồng. Thực tế, nhiều năm gần đây chuỗi Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf đều hoạt động thua lỗ tại thị trường Việt Nam. Sau hơn 10 năm có mặt tại thị trường này, công ty đang lỗ lũy kế hàng trăm tỷ đồng và âm vốn chủ sở hữu. Hiện chuỗi này chỉ có khoảng 10 cửa hàng trên khắp Việt Nam, trong khi năm 2018 họ có 15 quán.

Recently, CNBC has had an interesting analysis on the situation of the international coffee chains when coming to Vietnam as well as the reasons why they have not been as successful as in other markets, even some had to surrender like Gloria Jeans Coffee. The dominance of foreign coffee chains also recorded Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. In 2018, the Vietnamese market had brought VND 108 billion in revenue to the chain, but this brand reported a loss of VND 29 billion. In fact, in recent years, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf chain has been operating at a loss in Vietnam market. After more than 10 years in this market, the company was accumulating losses of hundreds of billion dong and recognized negative equity. Currently, the chain only has about 10 stores across Vietnam, while in 2018 they have 15 stores.

Cái gì tiếp theo – What comes next:

Trong năm 2018, Highlands Coffee đã có thêm hơn 60 cửa hàng, là chuỗi cà phê có mức độ bành trướng khủng khiếp nhất so với các đối thủ. Sở dĩ họ có thể tự tin cho phép đối tác nhượng quyền hẳn có sự đóng góp không nhỏ từ kinh nghiệm hơn 40 năm làm nhượng quyền của Jollibee. Cũng trong năm 2019, Jollibee cũng đã chi ra 350 triệu USD để mua lại 80% vốn công ty sở hữu chuỗi cửa hàng cà phê Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Đây là thương vụ mua lại lớn nhất mà hãng thực phẩm tới từ Philippines từng thực hiện. Cùng việc có thêm chuỗi Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Jollibee có hơn 310 quán cà phê tại Việt Nam, dẫn đầu thị trường. Năm 2018, Wayne’s Coffee đã đến Việt Nam thông qua hình thức nhượng quyền thương hiệu độc quyền bởi Công ty Arya Consumer JSC và Quỹ Đầu tư Việt Nam – Oman (VOI – quỹ chủ quyền Vương quốc Oman). Đại diện Wayne’s Coffee cho biết, nguyên liệu hãng sử dụng tại Việt Nam là cà phê organic (hữu cơ) 100% nhập từ Thụy Điển. Theo kế hoạch, trong năm 2019, Wayne’s Coffee sẽ mở được khoảng 50 cửa hàng. Ở một diễn biến khác, theo thông tin từ Dealstreat Asia, Tập đoàn Dầu khí Thái Lan (PTT) và Central Restaurants Group đã công bố hợp tác để cùng vận hành chuỗi Cafe Amazon tại Việt Nam. Central Group cũng là ông lớn đã đã triển khai một loạt các thương vụ M&A đình đám tại Việt Nam để mở rộng kinh doanh, bao gồm việc mua lại Nguyễn Kim, Big C và Lan Chi Mart.

In 2018, Highlands Coffee had more than 60 stores, the chain of coffee with the most terrible expansion compared to competitors. The reason they could confidently allow franchisees, resulting from significant contribution of Jollibee 40 year experience in franchising. Also in 2019, Jollibee also spent US $ 350 million to buy 80% of the capital of the company owning the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee shop chain. This was recorded the largest acquisition ever made by a food company from the Philippines. With the addition of the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf chain, Jollibee had more than 310 coffee shops in Vietnam, leading the market. In 2018, Wayne’s Coffee came to Vietnam through an exclusive franchise by Arya Consumer JSC and Vietnam – Oman Investment Fund (VOI – Sultanate of Oman). A representative of Wayne’s Coffee said that the raw material used in Vietnam was 100% organic coffee imported from Sweden. According to the plan, in 2019, Wayne’s Coffee would open about 50 stores. Elsewhere, according to information from Dealstreat Asia, Thailand Petroleum Corporation (PTT) and Central Restaurants Group have announced a cooperation to operate the Amazon Cafe chain in Vietnam. Central Group was also the big man that has implemented a series of big M&A deals in Vietnam to expand its business, including the acquisition of Nguyen Kim, Big C and Lan Chi Mart.

Dấu hiệu rủi ro – Risk signals:

Với những toan tính của các chuỗi cà phê thuần Việt cũng như quyết tâm của các ông lớn ngoại cả mới lẫn cũ, cuộc chiến trên thị trường chuỗi cà phê năm 2020 dự kiến sẽ còn khốc liệt hơn trong năm 2019.

With the calculations of typical Vietnamese coffee chains as well as the determination of both the old and new foreign giants, the battle in the coffee chain market in 2020 would be expected to be even more fierce than one in 2019.

Bên ly café…Đếm ngược…

With the coffee … Counting down …

—

Xxx – NPL

Tuần – Week 21 – 28/12/2019…

Mỹ – Trung đáp trả ác liệt, thương chiến có lẽ chỉ tạm hạ nhiệt trước thềm năm mới… cùng với đó là một năm sóng gió với giá vàng, giá dầu… trong khi Việt Nam đã bắt đầu phải lo tới tình trạng thiếu điện phục vụ sản xuất và an sinh xã hội sau khi trải qua cơn bão từ việc tăng giá điện hồi năm 2019.

The US – China were fiercely inter-fightinh, the trade war might only temporarily be cool down before the coming New Year … along with a turbulent year with gold, oil … while Vietnam began to stress on power shortages to stablize production and social demand after experiencing the storm from electricity price increases in 2019.

Các sự kiện chính – Main events:

Cuộc xung đột thương mại của hai cường quốc lên đến đỉnh điểm và mở rộng sang cả lĩnh vực công nghệ, khi Tổng thống Trump đưa Huawei vào “danh sách đen” và các công ty Mỹ sẽ không được phép kinh doanh với công ty Trung Quốc này nếu không có sự chấp thuận của chính phủ Mỹ; và đó cũng chỉ là 1 trong danh sách gồm thêm 5 thực thể khác của Trung Quốc (bao gồm cả doanh nghiệp nhà nước) mà Bộ Thương mại Mỹ không cho phép làm ăn với các công ty Mỹ. Ở thời điểm đó, nhiều ý kiến cho rằng Washington đang muốn “chặn đứng” tham vọng thực hiện kế hoạch “Made in China 2025”, thậm chí là tham vọng trỗi dậy trở thành nền kinh tế số 1 thế giới của Trung Quốc; kết quả nhìn lại cho thấy, GDP Trung Quốc chỉ tăng trưởng 6% trong quý III/2019, yếu nhất trong 3 thập niên, và được dự báo sẽ còn giảm ít nhất trong 2 quý nữa. Một loạt chỉ số chạm đáy, thể hiện lĩnh vực công nghiệp và cầu tiêu dùng đều suy yếu. Nền kinh tế lớn thứ 2 thế giới vừa phải chịu sức ép từ chiến dịch giảm nợ mà nước này bắt đầu theo đuổi từ vài năm trước, vừa bị ảnh hưởng tiêu cực từ chiến tranh thương mại.

The trade conflict between the two titans has broken new record and expanded to the technology sector, as President Trump put Huawei on the “blacklist” and US companies would not be allowed to do business with this particular Chinese companies without the approval from the US government; and it was only one in a list consisting of five other Chinese entities (including state-owned enterprises) in which the US Ministry of Commerce has not allowed to do business with US companies. Meanwhile, there was a suggestion that Washington had been trying to “halt” the ambition to implement the “Made in China 2025” plan, even the ambition to rise as No. 1 economy in the world; resulting, the GDP of China only grew by 6% in the third quarter of 2019, the lowest within last 3 decades, and was forecasted to standstill at least in the next 2 quarters. A series of indicators hit the bottom, showing that both industrial sector and consumer demand had weakened. The second largest economy in the world has also been under pressure from the debt reduction program that the country began its pursuance few years ago and on the other hand, has been negatively affected from the trade war.

2019 được xem là một năm nhiều sóng gió với việc giá dầu có biên độ tăng giảm mạnh. Từ giá khoảng 45 USD/ thùng hồi đầu năm, giá dầu WTI có lúc lên tới gần 66 USD/thùng vào cuối tháng tư rồi giảm mạnh xuống còn hơn 51 USD/thùng vào tháng 6, để rồi lại leo lên mức 61,1 USD trong những ngày cuối năm.

2019 was considered as a turbulent year with the oil price wide fluctuating sharply. From the price of about USD 45/ barrel at the beginning of the year, WTI oil price had sometimes reached nearly USD 66/ barrel by the end of April and then dropped sharply to around USD 51/ barrel in June, then has climbed up to USD 61.1 in the last days of the year.

Tại Việt Nam, “không để thiếu điện” là mệnh lệnh – Thủ tướng chỉ ra một số dự án cung ứng điện chậm tiến độ, gặp khó khăn, dẫn tới nguy cơ thiếu điện trong những năm tới. Thủ tướng nêu rõ cần bảo đảm chủ động cung ứng điện cho nền kinh tế với chất lượng tốt, không được để thiếu điện cho phát triển kinh tế xã hội, đời sống của nhân dân, đây là một mệnh lệnh, yêu cầu lớn.

In Vietnam, “not allow lack of electricity” was an order – Prime Minister pointed out a number of power projects that has been delayed, faced difficulties leading to the risk of power shortage in the coming years. The Prime Minister ordered that it was necessary to ensure the good electricity source supplying the economy, not to allow the shortage of electricity challenging socio-economic development, people’s life; this has been an order and a big request.

Sau khi Adayroi của Vingroup ra đi cách đây không lâu người dùng tại Việt Nam tiếp tục nhận được thông tin Lotte.vn ra thông báo ngừng hoạt động.

After far from the fatal destination of Vingroup’s Adayroi, end–users in Vietnam continued to shock with Lotte.vn’s declaration of shutdown.

Tại sao nó ảnh hưởng – Why is it affected:

Sau những lần đáp trả quyết liệt khiến cả thế giới cùng đứng trên “chảo lửa“, Washington và Bắc Kinh tuyên bố đạt được thoả thuận thương mại giai đoạn 1 vào tháng cuối cùng của năm. Mỹ hoãn áp thuế bổ sung với hàng hoá Trung Quốc, đổi lại Trung Quốc sẽ mua hàng tỷ USD nông sản của Mỹ. Tính đến thời điểm này, hai bên đã đưa ra nhiều động thái tích cực, thể hiện rằng mâu thuẫn đã được xoa dịu và thoả thuận thương mại sẽ được ký kết vào đầu năm 2020. Khi chính quyền Trung Quốc vẫn chật vật vì kinh tế giảm tốc, thì người dân nước này lại chìm trong khủng hoảng thịt lợn. Cách đây hơn 1 năm, dịch tả lợn châu Phi bất ngờ bùng phát và nhanh chóng lây lan, khiến tổng số đàn lợn ở Trung Quốc sụt giảm mạnh. Thịt lợn trở nên khan hiếm và giá đã tăng 120% so với năm trước. Thậm chí các gia đình trung lưu cũng phải rất khó khăn mới có thể có được những bữa ăn thường xuyên có đầy đủ thịt lợn. Hồi tháng 9 Trung Quốc phải xả 30.000 tấn thịt lợn đông lạnh dự trữ để bình ổn giá. Bắc Kinh mới đây cũng xác nhận nhập khẩu thịt lợn trong tháng 11 tăng 150% so với năm 2018.

After fierce responses that led the world to stand on the “fire“, Washington and Beijing announced that they would reach a first-stage trade agreement in the last month of the year. The US postponed additional duties on Chinese commodities, in exchange, China would buy billions of dollars in US agricultural products. Up to this time, the two sides have made many positive moves, showing that the conflict had been eased and the trade agreement would be signed in early 2020. While the Chinese government was still struggling with economic slowing down, the people of this country has been plunged into a pork crisis. More than a year ago, African pig cholera outbroke suddenly and wide spreaded rapidly, causing the total number of pigs in China declined sharply. Pork became scarce and prices increased by 120% compared to the previous year. Even middle-class families have had a hard time ensuring regular meals with pork in full. In last September, China had to discharge 30,000 tons of frozen pork reserves to stabilize prices. Beijing also recently confirmed that pork imports in November increased by 150% compared to 2018.

Theo báo cáo của EVN, tính đến cuối năm 2019, tổng công suất lắp đặt nguồn điện toàn hệ thống đạt 54.880 MW. Quy mô hệ thống điện Việt Nam đứng thứ 2 khu vực ASEAN (sau Indonesia) và thứ 23 thế giới. Sản lượng điện sản xuất và mua của EVN năm 2019 đạt 231,1 tỷ kWh tăng 8,85% so với năm 2018. Đến nay, 99,52% số hộ dân của cả nước được cung cấp điện với sản lượng điện thương phẩm năm 2019 đạt 210 tỷ kWh, mức sử dụng điện bình quân trên người dân đạt 2.180 kWh/người/năm. EVN hiện bán điện trực tiếp cho hơn 28 triệu khách hàng. Năm 2019, Tập đoàn đã đưa vào vận hành khoảng 1.400 MW nguồn điện, trong đó có 2 nhà máy nhiệt điện than và 3 nhà máy điện mặt trời công suất khoảng 120 MW. Tập đoàn đã khởi công 196 công trình và hoàn thành đóng điện 192 công trình lưới điện 110-500 kV. Tổng doanh thu toàn Tập đoàn năm 2019 ước đạt 393.230 tỷ đồng, tăng 14,3% so với năm 2018, trong đó doanh thu bán điện là 387.675 tỷ đồng, tăng 16,4%; giá trị nộp ngân sách năm 2019 là 27.200 tỷ đồng, tăng 2.089 tỷ đồng so với năm 2018.

According to EVN’s report, by the end of 2019, the total installed capacity of the whole system reached 54,880 MW. The scale of Vietnam’s electricity system ranked second in ASEAN (after Indonesia) and 23rd in the world. Electricity production and purchase of EVN in 2019 had reached 231.1 billion kWh, up 8.85% compared to 2018. Up to now, 99.52% of households of the country were supplied with commercial electricity output of 210 billion kWh in 2019, equaling to the average electricity utility per person of 2,180 kWh / person / year. EVN currently sold electricity directly to more than 28 million customers. In 2019, the EVN has brought into operation the generation of about 1,400 MW, including 2 coal-fired power plants and 3 solar power plants with a capacity of about 120 MW. The group has started 196 projects and completed energizing 192 power projects of 110-500 kV. Total revenue of the group in 2019 would be estimated at VND 393,230 billion, an increase of 14.3% compared to 2018, of which electricity sales was VND 387,675 billion, up 16.4%; The total budget contribution to 2019 was VND 27,200 billion, an increase of VND 2,089 billion compared to 2018.

Mới đây, trong thông báo gửi đến đối tác bán hàng của Lotte.vn, doanh nghiệp này cho biết sẽ đóng cửa trang web Lotte.vn từ ngày 20/1/2020. Theo đó, lí do được đưa ra là công ty chủ quản muốn thay đổi kế hoạch kinh doanh trong tương lai. Bắt đầu từ ngày 20/1/2020 website Lotte.vn sẽ ngừng hoạt động. Công ty tuyên bố sẽ hoàn tất công nợ với các đối tác trước ngày 20/2/2020 và sẽ không chấp nhận giải quyết thêm các vấn đề khiếu nại sau thời gian này.

Recently, in a notice sent to Lotte.vn’s sales partner, this business declared that it would close Lotte.vn website from January 20, 2020. Accordingly, the reason given was that the management company wanted to change its business plan in the future. Starting on January 20, 2020, Lotte.vn website would be shut down. The company announced that it would fulfill the obligation to its partners before February 20, 2020 and may not accept to settle further complaints after this time.

Xu hướng chính – Key trends:

Bắc Kinh tuyên bố có thể sẽ tiến hành một đợt cắt giảm tỷ lệ dự trữ bắt buộc hoặc hạ chi phí cấp vốn và lãi suất nhằm tạo động lực cho nền kinh tế vào dịp cuối năm; dẫu vậy, nhiều nhà phân tích cảnh báo rủi ro nợ công tích tụ xảy ra nếu Trung Quốc lạm dụng chính sách này.

Beijing has announced that it may conduct a reduction in compulsory reserve ratios or lower funding expenditure and interest rates to motivate the economy by the end of the year; nevertheless, many analysts warned the risk of public debt accumulation occurring if China abused this policy.

Các chuyên gia nhận định thế giằng co của giá dầu sẽ tiếp tục trong năm 2020. Chiến tranh thương mại giữa hai nền kinh tế lớn nhất thế giới, dù đã có dấu hiệu lạc quan, nhưng vẫn chưa thể chấm dứt; tăng trưởng kinh tế thế giới ở mức thấp; sản xuất dầu đá phiến chững lại… nhiều khả năng sẽ khiến giá dầu không có biến động quá lớn trong năm 2020. Trong khi đó, tình hình thế giới bất ổn khiến giá vàng có một năm thăng hoa. Trái ngược với tình trạng lẹt đẹt kéo dài suốt nửa đầu năm 2019, nửa cuối năm lại chứng kiến sự phi mã của kim loại quý này. Thế giới biến động, chiến tranh thương mại hay việc các ngân hàng trung ương tham gia cuộc đua hạ lãi suất… là những lý do thúc đẩy giá kim loại quý tăng mạnh – vốn được coi là một trong những loại tài sản an toàn.

Experts said that the struggle of oil prices would continue in 2020. The trade war between the two largest economies in the world, although there were positive signs, has not been ended; world economic growth stayed low; shale oil production leveled off … probably leading to the situation that the price of oil may not fluctuate sharply in 2020. Meanwhile, the unstable world situation drove gold price a sublimated year. Contrary to the flatness throughout the first half of 2019, the second half of the year witnessed the galloping of this precious metal. The volatile world, trade war or the central bank’s participation in the race to lower interest rates … were the reasons for the rocket increase in the price of precious metals – which was considered one of the safe assets.

Rà soát 60 dự án nguồn điện có công suất lớn trên 200 MW dự kiến đưa vào vận hành giai đoạn đến 2030 thì có đến 35 dự án đang triển khai với tổng công suất 39.000 MW chậm tiến độ, trong đó, EVN có 7 dự án chậm tiến độ. Theo báo cáo của EVN, năm 2019, Tập đoàn đã rất cố gắng trong đầu tư xây dựng lưới điện truyền tải song vẫn còn tình trạng chưa đáp ứng yêu cầu đấu nối, nhất là khi phát triển nhanh nguồn điện mặt trời trên địa bàn các tỉnh Ninh Thuận và Bình Thuận, phát triển nguồn thủy điện vừa và nhỏ khu vực Tây Bắc. Năng suất lao động ngành điện mặc dù tiếp tục được cải thiện song nhìn chung còn thấp. Năm 2019, năng suất lao động của EVN tiếp tục tăng trưởng 10%, cao hơn mức tăng chung của nền kinh tế (khoảng 5,7%) song đánh giá chung vẫn thấp hơn so với nhiều công ty cùng chuyên ngành trong khu vực.

Reviewing 60 power projects with capacity of more than 200 MW expected to put into operation in 2030, 35 projects with a total capacity of 39,000 MW were behind schedule, of which, EVN had 7 projects. According to EVN’s report, in 2019, the group has made great efforts in investing in the transmission grid but still has not met the requirements for connection, especially in rapid development of solar power in the area of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces, development of small and medium-sized hydroelectric sources in the Northwest region. Labor productivity in the electricity sector was generally low despite recent improvement. In 2019, EVN’s labor productivity continued to grow by 10%, higher than the general rate of the economy (about 5.7%) but the overall assessment had been still lower than many other regional peers. .

Cái gì tiếp theo – What comes next:

EVN đẩy nhanh tiến độ thực hiện 10 dự án nguồn điện được Thủ tướng giao làm chủ đầu tư, gồm: Nhà máy nhiệt điện Quảng Trạch 1, Quảng Trạch 2, Dung Quất 1, Dung Quất 3, Ô Môn 3, Ô Môn 4; các dự án thủy điện Hòa Bình mở rộng, Yaly mở rộng, Trị An mở rộng; dự án thủy điện tích năng Bác Ái. Các dự án nguồn điện BOT đóng vai trò quan trọng trong cân đối cung ứng điện năng. Bộ Công Thương cần đôn đốc các dự án BOT đã ký hợp đồng và đẩy nhanh tiến độ đàm phán các dự án BOT đã có chủ trương; đẩy nhanh tiến độ lưới truyền tải đồng bộ, bảo đảm giải tỏa hết công suất các nhà máy năng lượng tái tạo; tiếp tục đẩy mạnh thực hiện cơ cấu, sắp xếp lại Tập đoàn, nâng cao hiệu lực, hiệu quả, năng lực cạnh tranh, xây dựng ngành điện tự cường trong bối cảnh hội nhập.

EVN speeded up the investment of 10 power projects assigned by the Prime Minister as: Quang Trach 1 Thermal Power Plant, Quang Trach 2, Dung Quat 1, Dung Quat 3, O Mon 3, O Mon 4 ; Hoa Binh, Yaly, and Tri An expanding hydroelectric projects; Bac Ai hydroelectric project. BOT power projects played an important role in balancing power supply. The Ministry of Industry and Trade should urge BOT projects that have signed contracts and speeded up the negotiation of BOT projects; speeding up the synchronous transmission grid, ensuring the clearance of capacity of renewable energy plants; continuing to promote the restructuring, reorganization of the group, improving the effectiveness, efficiency, competitiveness, building resilient power industry in the context of integration.

Dấu hiệu rủi ro – Risk signals:

Tuy nhiên, nhiều chuyên gia vẫn bày tỏ quan điểm lo ngại rằng những vấn đề cốt lõi của cuộc thương chiến giữa Washington và Bắc Kinh ở đâu đó vẫn chưa được giải quyết triệt để… Như vậy, điểm kết của cuộc thương chiến vẫn là câu hỏi lớn còn để ngỏ…

However, many experts still expressed their concerns that the core issues of the trade war between Washington and Beijing somewhere have not been fully solved … Thus, the end of the war would still be the big question remains …

Trâu bò đánh nhau, ruồi muỗi ra sao… khi mà có quá nhiều ảnh hưởng và quan hệ tới từ cả hai bên; bản chất vẫn cứ là thiếu “đạm”…

In a titan fight, how would be the small … aswhen there were too many influences and jostles from both sides; core would still be lack of “protein” …

—

Xxx – NPL

Share – “Vua” của các loại hạt giúp giảm mỡ máu và thay đổi sức khỏe toàn diện: Ăn 1 nắm là đủ — Ngon 24h

Một nắm hạt dẻ cười mỗi ngày có thể giảm bệnh mỡ máu Chúng ta đều biết rằng, bản thân mỗi một loại thực phẩm nào đó khi được sử dụng đúng cách đều có thể trở thành “một kho báu” dinh dưỡng và dược liệu cho sức khỏe. Một trong những loại thực phẩm […]

via “Vua” của các loại hạt giúp giảm mỡ máu và thay đổi sức khỏe toàn diện: Ăn 1 nắm là đủ — Ngon 24h

Một nắm hạt dẻ cười mỗi ngày có thể giảm bệnh mỡ máu

Chúng ta đều biết rằng, bản thân mỗi một loại thực phẩm nào đó khi được sử dụng đúng cách đều có thể trở thành “một kho báu” dinh dưỡng và dược liệu cho sức khỏe. Một trong những loại thực phẩm được đánh giá là “vua” trong các loại hạt chính là hạt dẻ cười (còn có tên khác là hạt hồ trăn).

Hạt dẻ cười được Đông y đánh giá là loại tốt nhất trong số các loại hạt. Gần đây, Tạp chí Dinh dưỡng lâm sàng Hoa Kỳ đã công bố một nghiên cứu mới của nhóm tác giả Liang Linlang và Guo Xiaozhong thuộc Bệnh viện Đa khoa của Nhà hát Quân đội Giải phóng Nhân dân Trung Quốc.

Nghiên cứu đã công bố cho biết, trong số năm loại hạt thông thường phổ biến hiện nay, hạt dẻ cười có khả năng hạ lipid (giảm mỡ máu) mạnh nhất, sau đó là quả óc chó đứng vị trí số 2.

Nhiều nghiên cứu đã phát hiện ra rằng các loại hạt có tác dụng giảm cholesterol, nhưng sự khác biệt trong các loại hạt làm giảm cholesterol hiếm khi được báo cáo cụ thể, chi tiết hoặc xếp hạng rõ ràng.

Nghiên cứu mới bao gồm 34 thử nghiệm lâm sàng ngẫu nhiên với tổng số 1.677 người tham gia. Các nhà nghiên cứu đã so sánh tác dụng khác nhau của hạt óc chó, hạt dẻ cười, hạt của quả phỉ, hạt điều và hạnh nhân đối với chứng bệnh mỡ máu cao.

Người ta thấy rằng chế độ ăn thường xuyên có thành phần là hạt dẻ cười được cho là có khả năng thực hiện tốt nhất trong việc giảm triglyceride, cholesterol lipoprotein mật độ thấp và cholesterol toàn phần.

Chế độ ăn có thành phần hạt óc chó đứng thứ hai trong việc giảm triglyceride và cholesterol toàn phần; Xét về cholesterol LDL, chế độ ăn giàu hạnh nhân kém hơn hạt dẻ cười.

Các nhà nghiên cứu đã chỉ ra rằng những lý do tiềm năng cho tác dụng có lợi của các loại hạt đối với chứng bệnh lipit máu cao có thể liên quan đến các vấn đề sau:

-Các loại hạt chứa nhiều axit béo không bão hòa và chứa nhiều hợp chất hoạt tính sinh học như sterol thực vật và chất chống oxy hóa.

Những chất dinh dưỡng độc đáo này trong hạt dẻ cười giúp cơ thể kiểm soát lipid, giúp cải thiện chuyển hóa lipid.

Tuy nhiên, mặc dù các loại hạt là tốt cho sức khỏe và cải thiện tình trạng bệnh, nhưng bạn nên chú ý đến số lượng mà chúng ta ăn vào. Lời khuyên là bạn chỉ nên ăn một lượng nhỏ mỗi ngày có thể tránh được việc gây dư thừa lượng calo mà không biết.

Những tác dụng khác của hạt dẻ cười

1, Có lợi cho sức khỏe tim

2, Giảm cân

3, Ngăn ngừa thoái hóa điểm vàng do tuổi già

4, Tăng cường hệ miễn dịch

5, Bổ máu

6, Giảm nguy cơ bệnh tiểu đường

7, Cải thiện hệ thần kinh

*Theo Health/People

Theo Vân Hồng – Trí thức trẻ

Ẩm thực – 6 Sexy Christmas Songs for Setting the Mood

By BRENNAN KILBANE

Full link: https://www.gq.com/story/6-sexy-christmas-songs-for-setting-the-mood?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=gq&utm_mailing=gq_daily_122519&utm_medium=email&bxid=5c5cba14283d8e788b2c6f8c&cndid=56356405&hasha=b357a3f7d7c5d1ec57c25e9b6231f8b6&hashb=aeff271f8ff4a7fd8fe495e655c0eb7b5e4fe7ac&hashc=1f8ce695fd760fb4d65e389189e83ccceb06e601bec24bb9c826250bee570416&esrc=bounceX&utm_campaign=gq_daily_122519&utm_term=GQ_Daily_Active

Happy XXXmas.

Everybody knows the best part of Christmas is cozying up with your loved one as they absolutely rail you from all angles, your body heat rising up like steam off the hottest toddy and fogging your single apartment window while winter descends over the city.

It’s all sexy fun and reindeer games until: “Babe, put some music on?”

An impossible request. For one, you’re a little busy! And two: because there are so many Christmas songs and secular winter tunes, but so few that are appropriate for carnal encounters.

But—oh! What’s this, under the sex tree? Why, it’s your first gift of the season! A handy soundtrack for your, his, her, and their pleasure: the best Christmas songs to fuck, pound, and make love to.

“Winter Prayers,” by Iron & Wine

What’s the mood? Drinking in the azure irises of your lover, like an Olympic diver gazing out at the pool beneath them.

What are we saying to each other? Nothing! Just mouthing the lyrics to “Winter Prayers” by Iron & Wine.

What am I buying my partner for Christmas? An Air Fryer that they did not ask for but that you did read about online.

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” by the Jackson Five

What’s the mood? Your harlot mother is cheating on your father—who has been working such long hours lately, all so he could buy her the new Pandora charms she wanted—with the jolly specter of winter, Kris Kringle. It is unclear how long the affair has been going on, but eyewitness reports seem to recur every year during the Christmas season.

What’s your sign? Statistically, the most popular astrological signs in the United States are Scorpio and Virgo, each making up nearly 10 percent of our nation’s population. Virgo season begins nine months after Christmas ends. Were you conceived on Christmas? Is Santa your father?

“Little Saint Nick,” by the Beach Boys

What’s the mood? Oh, you like this, you dirty little trash pig? Do I hear the pathetic little squeal of an insolent swine, requiring punishment?

Sorry sir, I— What did you just say? Did you just say sorry, you king of the pussyface hobgoblins?

What’s our safe word? Fruitcake.

“Harry in Winter,” from the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire soundtrack

What’s the mood? “Wanna try something?” she asks. A warm chill floods through your body—you nod feebly. Her skin, candlelight-kissed, melts into the satin duvet beneath you. The light is moving, illuminating the contours of her waist, her sloping clavicle, her poison eyes. What is that light? It’s the candle, suspended in her hands. She tips it over—you see a clear drop of wax fall in slow motion. There it goes. Falling…falling. It meets your skin and a chord bursts into a symphony.

Happy Christmas, Harry: Happy Christmas, Ron.

“How to Disappear,” by Lana Del Rey

What’s the mood? You call him Daddy; he doesn’t call you at all.

Where are we doing it? Room 114 of the Motel 8, whose picture window frames the Interstate Friendly’s like some kind of painting, its yellow light diffused by a passing snowstorm.

(Is this a Christmas song?) (Del Rey’s moody, lovesick Santa Monica sunset ballad is, no, not a Christmas song, nor a secular winter tune, but there are jingle bells sprinkled beneath the melody, which qualifies it for this category.)

(Does Lana Del Rey like to fuck on Christmas?) (While the singer has not disclosed her fondness for festive fornication, the presence of the lyric “Do I make you feel like Christmas time?” on Del Rey’s first studio album, in the romantic-erotic context of the song in which it appears, does not foreclose the possibility.)

“Christmas / Sarajevo 12/24,” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra

What’s the mood? If there is a mood, it is only white-hot, wordless passion, and the percussion of two pelvises smashing together to the tune of “Christmas / Sarajevo 12/24.”

And then? Your partner’s body is a soft, snowy tundra and your tongue is a mighty, beating sleigh, bounding along the plains, discovering each hill anew.

After that? You are a ferocious Mrs. Claus swollen with passion, descending on your husband—whose workload lately has caused him to physically neglect you—on Christmas morning. Like a terrifying sex beast, you tear the red velvet from his body with your teeth, claiming what has always belonged to you.

Merry Christmas!

Ẩm thực – 3 Cleanses You Should Never Do (And 3 Worth Trying)

By Arielle Weg

Full link: https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/clean-eating/3-cleanses-you-should-never-do-and-3-worth-trying?did=474461-20191225&utm_campaign=ckl-daily_newsletter&utm_source=cookinglight.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=122519&cid=474461&mid=27948685355

Detox, pretox, or cleanse- it’s important to know what your body really needs.

One of the worst decisions I ever made was to try a 5-day juice cleanse my senior year of college. Maybe it’s one of those things you just have to do once to know it’s a terrible idea.

Detoxing, or cleansing doesn’t really remove chemicals or toxins from your body—that’s something our organs and immune system already do. Our livers are specifically designed to remove bodily waste and our kidneys filter blood as well. The process requires zero strict diets, cleanses, detoxes, or starvation. Especially not starvation.

So when you’re feeling sluggish, or looking to reset your eating habits, the best thing you can do is to provide your body with proper nutrition, enjoy fresh foods that are high in fiber, and drink plenty of water. Here are three cleanses we aren’t fans of, and three we think are just what you need.

3 Cleanses to Avoid:

An All-Juice Cleanse

I’ve tried one and I would never go back. I’m not going to name names, but the 5-day plan I followed was miserable and in retrospect incredibly unhealthy.

I started my day with a glass of warm water and lemon, followed by six bottled juices throughout the day that would supposedly “cleanse” me of toxins. The juices were super high in sugar (some have added sugars like maple syrup) and were very low in fiber. A proper healthy diet should provide the exact opposite of these.

If that wasn’t enough, the juices provided a daily intake of less than 1000 calories per day. Trying this left me weak, cranky, hungry, and generally unpleasant to be around. And don’t even get me started on the headaches. When your body starts fighting back, you know it’s not a good decision.

Carolyn Land Williams, PhD, RDN adds that juice cleanses remove all of the nutrients and fiber from healthy foods through the juicing process. Substitute in tons of sugar and no protein, and you’ll be left starving. Take our advice and skip this all together.

A Detox Tea Cleanse

Though every tea cleanse is a little bit different, most let you eat real food while supplementing “detox tea” throughout your day. You might think that would be safer. The brands provide very vague promises like detoxifying your body, relieving bloating, and making you “fit.” Plus, followers often have strange side effects like stomach cramps as a result of the laxatives often found in these teas, and sleep deprivation from caffeinated teas.

It’s also important to know you might technically lose weight on the diet but not unhealthy body fat, according to Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD. Teas can help you lose water weight, and even have a laxative effect that make you feel lighter, but this won’t change your actual lean-to-fat ratio.

Williams says there can be positives to drinking tea. If you’re someone who typically drinks a lot of soda or sweet tea, this can help cut down on your caloric intake.

But it’s not something she thinks should be a cleanser. “Your liver doesn’t really need help,” she says. “We can help our liver the most by not taking in toxins to begin with and eating a healthy diet so our liver has the nutrients to do its job.”

The Master Cleanse

The Master Cleanse (made famous by Beyonce) claims a person can live off of nothing but six to 12 glasses of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water over the course of 10 days—and drop 20 pounds the process.

The goal of the Master Cleanse, according to their site, is to help you “overcome the psychological need to eat.” The thing is, eating is more of a physiological need, given that you can’t survive without doing it.

To really drive home how unhealthy the Master Cleanse is, they even recommend popping a laxative before bed. That’s extra unhealthy given you’re not eating any solid food.

Though Williams says she understands the idea behind cayenne pepper as a weight loss promoter, going 10 days without food is absolutely not a healthy plan.

Hit reset and kick-start your healthiest New Year yet with this clean meal plan featuring whole grains, tons of produce, and no added sugar.

3 Cleanses to try:

If you’re looking for more long term diet plans, programs like Weight Watchers, and even Whole30 can work—though of course we think The Cooking Light Diet is one of the healthiest (and tastiest!).

But sometimes you just want a short-term reboot. When doing that, it’s important to focus on just eating real, unprocessed foods, Williams suggests.

She recommends following a meal plan that incorporates five pillars: Avoiding added sugars, eating whole foods, incorporating a lot of vegetables, choosing healthy carbohydrates, and avoiding alcohol.

And while we hate to toot our own horn, the cleanses that best meet those requisites are the Cooking Light 3-Day Cleanse, the 3-Day Holiday Pretox, and the 2018 Cooking Light Detox.

These plans help you stick to several days of nutrient dense foods and get you back on track without any gimmicks or expensive additions. They consist of meals that cut out junk from processed foods, added sugar, and alcohol and will leave you feeling energized and motivated. And that’s what you really want.

Ẩm thực – British Burrito

By Dr Alan P Newman

Full link: https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/british-burrito?utm_source=Gastro+Obscura+Weekly+E-mail&utm_campaign=61b114f2b1-GASTRO_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_12_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2418498528-61b114f2b1-70327933&mc_cid=61b114f2b1&mc_eid=df51e46713

England’s take on the Mexican meal wraps a Yorkshire pudding around meaty fillings.

Originally developed as a take-out meal or a quick pub lunch, the British take on the burrito features succulent roast beef (and occasionally vegetables) rolled up in a flattened Yorkshire pudding wrapper. Diners eat the meal burrito-style, served with a side of gravy for dipping.

Unlike its spiced, salsa-doused counterpart, this burrito is on the mild side. In fact, purist fans of both Mexican and British traditional fare have expressed their objections. But for those looking for a gravy-soaked dinner in a portable package, this pudding pouch shapes up to be the perfect comfort food wrapping.

Stoic – Always Focus on the Response

It was December 25th, 1776. One of the darkest times in the American Revolution. George Washington was planning to cross the Delaware, a desperate move necessitated by a string of setbacks and ebbing support for the revolution across his struggling country.

Whose fault was this despair? How had things gone so poorly?

Washington wasn’t interested in those questions. As he wrote in a letter to Robert Morris from his headquarters that day, “it is in vain to ruminate upon, or even reflect upon the Authors or Causes of our present Misfortunes.” Instead of looking backwards, Washington said, “we should rather exert ourselves,” meaning they should focus on how they were going to respond. His response was a daring attack on the Hessian Troops in Trenton the next day, which may well have saved his army and the floundering nation.

This mindset is part and parcel of the Stoicism that Washington had known and followed all of his life. Looking at events in the calm light of mild philosophy, as he liked to quote from the Stoic philosopher Cato, deciding not to be ruled by his phantasai and instead focusing on what he’d do next. And that’s what we should take a minute to think about this Christmas, whether we’re busy working or taking some time with family or planning out how we’re going to use 2020 for a fresh start.

Not what caused our troubles. Not who authored them. Not how much blame they deserve. Those questions are irrelevant distractions—answering them an exercise done only in vain. What matters is how we plan to exert ourselves, how we plan to fix our situation, how we plan to respond to what life has thrown at us. Whether it’s a passive aggressive family member, a struggling business, or a series of bad personal choices, we have the power to decide what we’re going to do next.

We can exert ourselves. We can still turn this around.

Collection – 10 Tips to Teach Your Child to Save Money

By REBECCA LAKE

Full link: https://www.investopedia.com/personal-finance/10-tips-teach-your-child-save/?utm_source=personalized&utm_campaign=bouncex&utm_term=18982622&utm_medium=email

Every year, one day in April is designated as “Teach Your Children to Save Day,” a day that is all about enlisting parents to help their kids become smart about money from an early age. According to a 2019 National Foundation for Credit Counseling survey, just 55% of adults give themselves an A or B when grading their knowledge of personal finance, making the financial literacy of the next generation even more urgent.

Saving money is a habit that can take time to build, and even some adults have yet to master it. Consider this: Almost three in ten Americans, or 28%, have no savings set aside to cover emergency expenses, according to Bankrate. With that in mind, here are some things you can do to get your kids—and perhaps yourself—on the saving bandwagon.

1. Discuss Wants vs. Needs

The first step in teaching kids the value of saving is to help them distinguish between wants and needs. Explain that needs include the basics, such as food, shelter, and clothing, and wants are all the extras. You can use your own budget as an example to illustrate how wants should take a back seat to needs in terms of spending.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Saving money is a habit that parents can teach their children at a young age.
• The first step is to explain important concepts like savings, a budget, and goals—then keep the conversation ongoing.
• Giving children an allowance can teach them the value of money and the importance of hard work.
• Younger children might keep their savings in a piggy bank, but older ones might want to keep their money in a real bank while working on their goals.
• Children can learn the importance of living within their means, which is one of the basic tenets of saving.

2. Let Them Earn Their Own Money

Sixty-eight percent of parents said they paid their children an allowance in 2016, with kids earning $26.58 per week on average, based on six hours of chores. If you want your children to become savers, allowing them to earn and save money provides them with the opportunity to learn how to use it. When you offer allowances in exchange for chores, they’re also learning the value of their hard work.

3. Set Savings Goals

To a kid, being told to save—without explaining why—may seem pointless. Helping children define a savings goal can be a better way to get them motivated. If they know what it is they want to save for, help them break down their goals into manageable bites. For example, if they want to buy a $50 video game and they get a $10 allowance each week, help them figure out how long it will take to reach that goal, based on their savings rate.

4. Provide a Place to Save

Once your children have a savings goal in mind, they’ll need a place to stash their cash. For younger kids, this may be a piggy bank, but if they’re a little older, you may want to set them up with their own checking or savings account at a bank. That way, they can see how their savings are adding up and how much progress they’re making toward their goal.

5. Have Them Track Spending

Part of being a better saver means knowing where your money is going. If your children get an allowance, having them write down their purchases each day and add them up at the end of the week can be an eye-opening experience. Encourage them to think about how they’re spending and how much faster they could reach their savings goal if they were to change their spending patterns.

6. Offer Savings Incentives

One of the reasons people save in their employer’s retirement plan is the company matching contribution. After all, who doesn’t like free money? If you’re having trouble motivating your kids to save, you can use that same principle to ramp up their efforts. For example, if your child has set a big savings goal, say a $400 tablet, you could offer to match a percentage of what has been saved. Alternately, you could offer a reward when your kid reaches a savings milestone, such as a $50 bonus for hitting the halfway mark.

7. Leave Room for Mistakes

Part of putting kids in control of their own money is letting them learn from their errors. It’s tempting to step in and steer kids away from a potentially costly mistake, but it may be better to use that mistake as a teachable moment. In that way, they’ll know in the future what not to do with their cash.

8. Act as Their Creditor

One of the basic tenets of saving is to not live beyond your means. If your child has something he or she wants to buy and is being impatient about saving for it, becoming your kid’s creditor can help to teach the value of saving. For instance, if your child wants to purchase something that costs $100, you could “lend” the money and require payment from the allowance you provide, with interest. The lesson you want to teach is that saving may mean delaying gratification longer, but the thing you want to buy won’t end up costing more you if you wait.

9. Talk About Money

In a 2019 T. Rowe Price Study, 44% of parents said they’d never talked to their children about the value of long-term investing. Only 41% ever discussed market volatility. If you want kids to learn about saving, it must be an ongoing discussion. Whether you schedule a regular weekly check-in to talk about money or make money chats part of your daily round, the key is to keep the conversation going.

46% The percentage of parents with no emergency savings, according to a 2019 – T. Rowe Price survey.

10. Set a Good Example

In the same T. Rowe Price survey mentioned above, 10% of parents said they had zero savings for retirement, emergencies, college, or other financial goals. If you want your children to become savers, being one yourself can help. Getting your emergency fund in shape, opening a 529 savings account, or simply increasing your 401(k) plan contributions are all steps that you can take to encourage saving as a family activity. You could also decide to save for something together, such as a family vacation or a pool.

The Bottom Line

Teach Your Children to Save Day only comes once a year, but there are lessons to be learned, for parents and kids alike, all year long. If you’re a parent, making saving a regular part of your child’s routine can lay the foundation for a bright financial future. The tips outlined here are a good place to start.

Collection – Financial Forecasting vs. Financial Modeling: What’s the Difference?

By EVAN TARVER

Full link: https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/difference-between-financial-forecasting-and-financial-modeling/?utm_source=term-of-the-day&utm_campaign=bouncex&utm_term=18934000&utm_medium=email

Financial Forecasting vs. Financial Modeling: An Overview

Financial forecasting is the process by which a company thinks about and prepares for the future. Forecasting involves determining the expectations of future results.

On the other hand, financial modeling is the act of taking a forecast’s assumptions and calculating the numbers using a company’s financial statements.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Financial forecasting is the process in which a company determines the expectations of future results.
• Financial modeling takes the financial forecasts and builds a predictive model that helps a company make sound business decisions.
• Financial forecasting and modeling can be used in budgeting, investment research, project financing, and raising capital.

Financial Forecasting

When a company conducts its financial forecasts, it seeks to provide the means for the expression of its goals and priorities to ensure they are internally consistent. Forecasts can also help a company identify the assets or debt needed to achieve its goals and priorities.

A common example of a financial forecast is forecasting a company’s sales. Since most financial statement accounts are related to or tied to sales, forecasting sales can help a company make other financial decisions that support achieving its goals. However, if sales are to increase, the resulting expenses to produce the additional sales would also increase. Each forecast results in an impact on the company’s overall financial position.

Forecasting helps a company’s executive management determine where the company is headed. Calculating the financial impact of those forecasts is where financial modeling comes into play.

Financial Modeling

Financial modeling is the process by which a company builds its financial representation. The model created is used to make business decisions. Financial models are the mathematical models made by a company in which variables are linked together.

The modeling process involves creating a summary of a company’s financial information in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. The model can help determine the impact of a management decision or a future event. The spreadsheet also allows the company to modify the variables to see how the changes could affect the business.

As a result of an expected to increase in sales, for example, a company must also forecast the resulting increase in raw material or inventory costs. If the company needs a new piece of equipment, the cost to purchase or lease must be estimated. Credit needs could also be forecasted based on the sales and the resulting expenses to produce the sales. A company might need to increase their working capital credit line with a bank, for example.

Forecasts are helpful, but at some point, the number-crunching must be done via a financial model. The modeling calculates the financial impact that a forecasted increase in sales has on the company’s income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

Financial models are used for several reasons, including:

• Historical analysis of a company
• Projecting and budgeting the financial performance of a company
• Investment research, such as equity analysis
• Project finance analysis, which is the funding of long-term assets and industrial projects
• Purchase of another company or merger
• Raise capital or funding
• Create pro forma financial statements, which are statements created based on a company’s assumptions and forecasts

Financial modeling takes the financial forecasts created during a company’s financial forecasting and builds a predictive model that helps a company make sound business decisions based on its forecasts and assumptions.

Collection – Asia in 2020: from tech turmoil to SoftBank’s next crisis

By Nikkei staff writers

Full link: https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Cover-Story/Asia-in-2020-from-tech-turmoil-to-SoftBank-s-next-crisis?utm_campaign=RN%20Free%20newsletter&utm_medium=daily%20newsletter%20free&utm_source=NAR%20Newsletter&utm_content=article%20link&del_type=1&pub_date=20191225190000&seq_num=2&si=%%user_id%%

A “synchronized slowdown,” a raft of elections, a tech industry crossroads: 2020 promises to shake up the order of things. Read on for the Nikkei Asian Review’s guide to 20 companies, people and pivotal events to watch in the coming year.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

Supply chain pinch points; The SoftBank hangover; Brakes on growth; Banking on China; Autonomous vehicles break out; HSBC; Oyo; Alibaba; Netflix; Nissan

Supply chain pinch points

It was an underrated chokepoint for the world’s biggest producer of memory chips. In July, as a political spat between South Korea and Japan developed, Tokyo abruptly restricted the export of three chemicals to South Korea. Etching gas, fluorinated polyimide and photoresist are all crucial for chipmakers, and with Japan controlling 90% of the South Korean market for the latter two, the move starved manufacturing giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix of a vital piece of their supply chains.

Codependencies run deeply through the globalized technology industry. U.S. companies such as KLA and Lam Research supply semiconductor equipment and chip design tools to the world’s largest chipmakers; Chinese display makers, such as BOE Technology Group, depend on American suppliers like Applied Materials and Corning.

An industrial port in Shanghai: The U.S.-China trade rift is forcing technology companies to remake their supply chains.   © Reuters

The use of trade tariffs and bans as a blunt geopolitical instrument has highlighted how exposed these critical supply nodes can be; the sudden U.S. ban on technology exports to China left some of the country’s largest companies scrambling for new sources of supply.

Fixing those vulnerabilities will be a major focus for 2020, as companies around the world look to secure supplies of strategic materials and components. China’s tech giants are investing heavily in their own homegrown alternatives to U.S. components, buoyed by billions of dollars of state support and the new tech-centered STAR market, billed as a Chinese Nasdaq, which opened in Shanghai in July.

This decoupling could be a long-term trend, and hard to reverse — despite a tentative rapprochement between the U.S. and China.

“In areas like semiconductor equipment, critical materials, I think it’s very challenging for China to bypass leading U.S., Japanese and European companies,” said Arisa Liu, an analyst at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. “They will want to develop their own ones domestically, but that really needs accumulated efforts and long-term investment.”  — CHENG TING-FANG and LAULY LI, Nikkei staff writers

The SoftBank hangover

In a few short years, SoftBank Group and its $97 billion Vision Fund has emerged to become the most important player in global technology, backing disruptive companies such as Uber Technologies, Grab and WeWork. But the fund’s “winner takes all” approach — flooding its portfolio companies with capital to dominate markets, and valuing growth above sustainable profits — now seems less than visionary, after several major public listings faltered.

SoftBank is not going away. But the company’s losses — $6.5 billion between July and September 2019 — and its difficulties in raising a successor fund have reverberated across the venture capital and tech industries in Asia. Post-WeWork, VCs, and the tech industry in general, are sobering up.

“It was just capital-driven growth, which was, in some cases, the primary driver or differentiator. I think that fundamental is being questioned now. You can’t grow a company and then go back and solve a lot of problems which are core to what the business is,” said Anurag Srivastava, co-founder and managing partner at Singapore-based Jungle Ventures. — PETER GUEST, Nikkei staff writer

Fueled by investment writedowns, SoftBank Group posted a loss of around $6.5 billion in the July-September quarter — its first such result in 14 years. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)

Brakes on growth

Falling manufacturing and trade flows, driven by tit-for-tat tariffs and prolonged uncertainty, pushed global economic growth to just 3% in 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund. The IMF predicts that the “synchronized global slowdown” will only be marginally tempered in 2020, with growth forecast at 3.4%. China, which has powered the global economy for more than a decade, is faltering. The country’s 2020 GDP growth is forecast at less than 6%, the slowest since 1990.

That will inevitably have knock-on impacts across Asia, where both developed and developing economies have been pulled along in China’s wake. Still, Asia-Pacific growth should be “resilient,” at 4.2%, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at IHS Markit.

“The contagion effects of the U.S.-China trade war are continuing to hit the export sectors of many Asian nations, including Japan, South Korea and some [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] economies,” Biswas said. “Even if a stage one trade deal is concluded between the U.S. and China, most of the U.S. tariffs on China are expected to remain in place until a more comprehensive trade deal is reached.” — PETER GUEST, Nikkei staff writer

Banking on China

Beijing has long said that it wants to internationalize its financial markets. But for years, foreign players have had to operate through minority ownership of local banks and brokers. Those rules will finally be relaxed in 2020, and major global banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Nomura Holdings and Morgan Stanley have already moved to take controlling stakes in their local joint ventures.

It is unlikely to be a big bang moment. The Chinese economy is slowing and many local banks are struggling with bad loans. Competition will also be stiff, particularly from state-backed rivals.

“Right now it is about building brand recognition in China while being aware that profits may be some time away,” said Eugenie Shen, the head of the asset management group at the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association in Hong Kong. “It is a market that serious players can’t turn away from, and companies should be ready to take a long-term view on China. Strategy and commitment are key.” — NARAYANAN SOMASUNDARAM, Nikkei Asian Review chief banking and financial correspondent

Autonomous vehicles break out

China’s tech giants and startups are surging ahead in the race to roll out fully autonomous taxis, with trials scheduled across multiple Chinese cities, including Guangzhou and Changsha, in the new year. Baidu, WeRide.ai and Pony.ai are all expanding their fleets, while Hong Kong-based startup AutoX and ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing are expected to roll out robotaxis in the coming months.

Traditional automakers are rushing to catch up, setting up their own specialist units and signing partnerships with tech companies. Analysts expect that new models will increasingly incorporate self-driving features as a first step toward fuller automation. However, while the autonomous sector is growing rapidly, it has had its casualties, as some startups run out of road.

“Companies have taken the first step for the commercialization of autonomous driving,” said Feng Linyan, an analyst at Beijing-based research company EqualOcean. “The more important challenge is whether they can keep up their own pace and survive through the winter of venture capital.” — NIKKI SUN, Nikkei staff writer

COMPANIES TO WATCH

HSBC Holdings

The Anglo-Hong Kong bank is searching for a new chief executive after previous incumbent John Flint was ousted after less than 18 months in the job. Interim CEO Noel Quinn, a contender for the role, has already begun a major restructuring of the Asia-focused lender, concentrating on emerging markets and pulling back from developed ones.

With as many as 10,000 jobs on the block, the process could take up to two years — all while facing the complications of a slowdown in China, disruptions in Hong Kong, and growing competition from digital banks. “Capital constraints, coupled with the revenue trajectory, could determine the pace and scale of the restructuring,” Goldman Sachs analyst Gurpreet Singh Sahi said. — NARAYANAN SOMASUNDARAM, Nikkei Asian Review chief banking and financial correspondent

Alibaba

Alibaba Group Holding is flush with cash as it enters its first year without its charismatic founder, Jack Ma, at the helm. The e-commerce company raised around $13 billion in a Hong Kong listing in November, and has managed to hold up growth despite an economic downturn in its home market. Ma handed over the chairmanship to CEO Daniel Zhang in September.

Zhang inherits a strong business, though it faces headwinds from the ongoing U.S.-China trade rift, which has dampened Chinese tech companies’ advances into the American market. A growing cloud computing business, heated competition with food delivery rivals and a potential IPO of its subsidiary Ant Financial mean that “the coming year holds profound risks and opportunities for Alibaba,” according to Brock Silvers, a managing director of Adamas Asset Management. — COCO LIU, Nikkei staff writer

Oyo

In a few short years, startup Oyo has grown into India’s largest hotel chain, expanding abroad and spilling into ventures like cafes and wedding planning. More recently, though, the company has been missing internal targets, while its reputation has suffered from disputes with hotel owners. Its challenges are amplified by turmoil at SoftBank, its biggest shareholder, whose investment in the struggling coworking company WeWork has exposed the risks of inorganic, capital-driven growth.

Next year will be a test for whether Ritesh Agarwal, Oyo’s 26-year-old founder, can prove skeptics wrong. “After WeWork’s fallout, there is increasing concern that Oyo is in danger,” said an executive at an Asian venture capital company. “Whether it can maintain its valuation next year will be an important benchmark for the whole industry.” — WATARU SUZUKI, Nikkei staff writer

Oyo’s ability to see out 2020 is being viewed as a benchmark for startup “disrupters” at large, says one Asian venture capitalist. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

Netflix

The streaming giant that reshaped television in the U.S. is now barreling into Asia. Netflix has announced several major investments into local productions in India, Japan and Southeast Asia, hoping to win over audiences with a mixture of international and targeted local content. It is an approach that has already paid off in India, where the company experienced a 700% growth in revenues in the 2018-19 fiscal year.

Other global operators, including Amazon’s Prime Video and The Walt Disney Co.’s Disney+ service, are also making a play for the region’s consumers. The ultimate winners will be those who invest widely in entertainment that resonates with ordinary viewers, said Vikram Malhotra, founder of Indian production house Abundantia Entertainment. “It’s not about the top 5% or 10% of the international show watching audience that is going to give you scale in the market. It’s going to be how deep can you reach to the bottom of the pyramid.” — PETER GUEST, Nikkei staff writer

Nissan

Makoto Uchida took on his new role as CEO of Nissan Motor on Dec. 1, capping another tumultuous year for the automaker. Uchida will be hoping to draw a line under the scandals that have beset Nissan since the arrest of its chairman, Carlos Ghosn, and the subsequent resignation of its CEO, Hiroto Saikawa.

Top of his slate will be to repair relations with Nissan’s largest shareholder, Renault, and to rationalize a struggling U.S. operation. His predecessor said that the restructuring would mean 12,500 job cuts, though where the ax will fall remains to be seen. The current fiscal year could suffer another earnings downgrade, according to Seiji Sugiura, senior analyst at the Tokai Tokyo Research Institute, who said that the automaker may announce “some drastic decisions to mark a settlement of past assets,” including a liquidation of some of its plants. — ERI SUGIURA, Nikkei staff writer

POLITICS & ECONOMICS

Modinomics on the rocks; Trade war shakedown; Election interference; Open Japan; Anonymous revolutionaries; Donald Trump; Heng Swee Keat; Tsai Ing-wen; Apirat Kongsompong; Ho Iat-seng

Modinomics on the rocks

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned on a landslide election victory in spring, with bold promises of growth and prosperity that include a pledge to turn India from a $2.7 trillion economy into a $5 trillion one.

To achieve that over his five-year term, and to ensure enough jobs for the millions entering the workforce, annual growth in gross domestic product would need to exceed 8%. September figures were the weakest in more than six years, and the IMF forecasts overall growth of just over 6% in 2019. Many sectors, from banking to real estate to automotive, are severely stressed.

Modi is pushing parliament to adopt labor reforms, and the government has cut corporate taxes, injected capital into the banking system and eased restrictions on foreign investment. Nevertheless, reversing the slowdown is a daunting task.

“The whole idea of dreaming a growth which is in excess of 8% is almost out for the next three to four years,” Sunil Kumar Sinha, principal economist at the Fitch Group’s local arm India Ratings and Research, told the Nikkei Asian Review. — KIRAN SHARMA, Nikkei staff writer

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under pressure to deliver on bold reelection promises in 2020. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)

Trade war shakedown

Throughout 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs as a bludgeon drove huge disruptions to global trade, splintering along global supply chains for consumer goods, technology and food. Many of those supply chains start in Asia, where some countries have certainly benefited in the short term. Dozens of Chinese companies have shifted production to Vietnam in order to skirt Washington’s tariffs, for example. With Vietnam’s trade surplus with the U.S. rising, however, many analysts expect the White House’s ire to turn on Hanoi in the new year.

Over the longer term, however, the reshuffling of supply chains from China, South Korea and Japan into Southeast Asia has sped up the region’s economic integration. And the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership has skewed the deal toward an Asia-led treaty, while 15 Asia-Pacific countries have signed up to the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, another regional free trade agreement.

“This began before the trade war, but now you have the trade war accelerating it, and you have the TPP and RCEP,” said Parag Khanna, managing partner of advisory company FutureMap. “There is no question that the trade war has accelerated the ‘Asianization’ of Asia.” — PETER GUEST, Nikkei staff writer

Election interference

How, and how much, foreign actors interfered in the last U.S. presidential election will remain a subject of intense discussion up to and beyond the 2020 polls. But the disputed vote exposed how social media can be used to spread disinformation and manipulate voters.

Social media platforms have pledged to regulate themselves to prevent manipulation. Facebook has been under particular pressure due to its scale, with 577 million active users in the Asia-Pacific, and because its platforms, including the messaging service WhatsApp, have been implicated in spreading false stories in the Philippines, India and Myanmar. Others, including Twitter, Line and Weibo, have all faced similar accusations.

These companies’ policies on political advertising and “fake news” will be tested this year, with elections taking place across Asia, including in Myanmar, South Korea and Taiwan.

Hackers and media outlets tied to China have already been accused of spreading disinformation in Taiwan. Facebook, Line, and Weibo have formed the battleground, although traditional media outlets owned by pro-Beijing businesses have also played a role, according to Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

South Korea is accustomed to disinformation attacks from Pyongyang, and should be well prepared. Over in Myanmar, the challenge comes mostly from domestic actors. “Authorities are incapable or unwilling to do much to stop disinformation,” Kurlantzick said. “In fact, in some ways they actually facilitate disinformation.” — FRANCESCA REGALADO, Nikkei staff writer

Open Japan

Tokyo’s hosting of the Olympic Games this summer has been billed as a showpiece for Japan’s new open, global outlook. Facing a declining, aging population and a tight labor market, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has relaxed the country’s strict rules on immigration in an attempt to attract global talent. Progress has been slow. A new working visa was introduced in April, but by November only 1,019 foreigners had acquired one — just 2.5% of the policy’s March 2020 target.

New rules on foreign investment, set to come into force in the spring, have also been criticized as a backward step. Foreign investors will have to obtain approval from regulators before buying 1% or more of a Japanese company’s shares. “The restriction is likely to make investors question the openness of Japanese companies and make fewer investors pour money into the Japanese market,” said Yuki Kanemoto, director at the Daiwa Institute of Research. — RURI IMAHASHI, Nikkei staff writer

Tokyo’s new National Stadium, recently unveiled for the 2020 Summer Olympics. (Photo by Hirofumi Yamamoto) 

Anonymous revolutionaries

Leaderless, fluid and at once highly organized and flexible, Hong Kong’s “water” protests have been constantly ahead of the police’s attempts to clamp down. Large-scale arrests and a ban on face coverings — since ruled unlawful by the High Court — have failed to undermine the movement. Similarly structureless protest groups have now sprung up around the world, from Catalonia to Chile to Lebanon.

Although all have different roots, they have mostly started with a single clear trigger — an extradition bill in Hong Kong; a rise in subway fares in Chile — and quickly expanded into wider demands for systemic change.

“The other common feature is that they are enabled by technology,” said Carne Ross, author of “The Leaderless Revolution,” a book about the phenomenon. “You couldn’t do it without technology like Telegram or Signal or WhatsApp that are allowing people to spread tactics, strategies, information horizontally. But it’s also preventing authorities from picking off leadership figures.”

Authorities in Beijing are concerned that Hong Kong’s protests could inspire similar movements to take root in the mainland, while authoritarian regimes across Asia may be increasingly aware of cracks in the architectures they have built to control dissent. However, Ross warned that in advanced autocracies, technologies that have enabled protest could also be turned against these movements.

“The history of social media demonstrates that it can be as much a force for repression and extremism as it is a force for democracy and mass protest,” he said. — PETER GUEST, Nikkei staff writer

Leaderless and flexible, Hong Kong’s “water” protests have remained a step ahead of the police’s attempts to clamp down.   © Getty Images

PEOPLE TO WATCH

Donald Trump

With elections looming and impeachment proceedings in full swing, President Donald Trump is expected to court his base by doubling down on his attacks on globalization, the multilateral system, and, in particular, on America’s trading partners.

Any country that has a trade surplus with the U.S. “can trigger Trump’s wrath anytime,” said Howard Yu, professor of strategic management at IMD Business School. “After all, he called steel imports from Canada ‘a national security threat.'”

This just means more disruption, up to, and probably beyond the 2020 elections. “A trade war is not boxing match. It’s the destruction of international cooperation, the decline of predictability and the surge of chaos,” Yu said. — PETER GUEST, Nikkei staff writer

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to court his base by doubling down on his attacks on globalization, the multilateral system — and America’s trading partners.   © Reuters

Heng Swee Keat

Singapore’s political succession will be under scrutiny as the city-state enters election season. Polls are widely tipped to be called in the spring of 2020, with the ruling People’s Action Party likely to remain in power. What happens afterward is also largely settled.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, son of modern Singapore’s founder Lee Kuan Yew, is expected to hand over his post to his current deputy, finance minister Heng Swee Keat — who overcame a stroke in 2016 to become front-runner for the position — sometime within the next term of government.

“The crucial challenge for Heng is for him to be his own man, establish his unique political identity, and to lead without fear or favor,” said political pundit Eugene Tan, associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University. — DYLAN LOH, Nikkei staff writer

Tsai Ing-wen

Nine months ago, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen was on the verge of losing the nomination for her own party. Now, with presidential and legislative elections just weeks away, her lead in the polls looks unassailable.

Tsai’s China-skeptic Democratic Progressive Party has been boosted by the ongoing unrest in Hong Kong, where the pro-Beijing government has failed to address fears of eroding civil liberties.

“The incumbent Tsai administration has the upper hand in this elections, as long as Tsai and the DPP do not make huge mistakes before the big day. The polls show the swing voters do not favor Han,” said Pan Chao-min, a professor at Tunghai University’s Graduate Institute of Political Science in Taiwan.

However, with Beijing still making threatening noises, and a capricious leader in its most important ally, the U.S., Tsai’s challenges will not end with victory in January. — CHENG TING-FANG and LAULY LI, Nikkei staff writers

Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen has charged back as the favorite contender for next year’s election, but her challenges will not end there. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

Apirat Kongsompong

With the Thai military having cemented its power base in the 2019 elections, and the political climate leaning toward a reactionary, royalist tilt, army commander Gen. Apirat Kongsompong has been thrust into the front lines again.

A fitness fanatic with a taste for fine wine and cigars, Apirat is key to the current government’s grip on power. “Apirat has been a go-to person willing to take action,” one analyst said. “His gift for that was his current position.”

Apirat will retire from the army in September, having hit the mandatory retirement age of 60, and will relinquish his ex officio seat in the Senate when he goes. He is unlikely, however, to disappear. He may be inducted into the militarized Privy Council; some pundits have also speculated that he might become prime minister, even though, by law, former senators are barred from holding ministerial portfolios for two years. In various bellicose public statements, Apirat has refused to rule out a more direct route to power — yet another coup. — DOMINIC FAULDER, Nikkei Asian Review associate editor

Ho Iat-seng

Macao’s new Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng took office on Dec. 20, just as the territory celebrated the 20th anniversary of its handover back to mainland China. Ho, appointed by Beijing after a single candidate race, is seen as a safe pair of hands. “The new government [will] not rock the boat,” said scholar Sonny Lo, author of “Political Change in Macao.”

Ho inherits his predecessor’s task of trying to diversify the economy away from its reliance on the casino industry. He may be boosted by support from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who praised the island’s stability on a recent visit — in contrast to its restive neighbor, Hong Kong. — ZACH COLEMAN, Nikkei Asian Review deputy editor

Deals – Vietnam-based edtech startup sells adult learning platform to Navigos Group

By Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc

Full link: https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/vietnam-edtech-startup-navigos-168248/?mc_cid=140c17a2f5&mc_eid=885b2254d8

Venture capital-backed Vietnamese edtech startup Dream Viet Education has sold majority stakes in two of its learning platforms, Kyna.vn and KynaBiz.vn, to HR service firm Navigos Group, the companies said in a joint announcement.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Kyna.vn is an online learning platform for adults while KynaBiz.vn targets the business segment.

Dream Viet Education will transfer the online learning platform, including the operating system and the existing resources on Kyna.vn and Kynabiz.vn, to Navigos Group, the companies said.

Upon completion of the investment, Dream Viet Education will focus on its platform for children that provides online English tutoring and online video content.

The company claims that its programme has reached over 200,000 children nationwide. Dream Viet Education co-founder Nguyen Thanh Minh will assume the role of CEO at the Kyna.vn and Kynabiz.vn division of Navigos Group.

While the HR firm will manage the e-learning business, Dream Viet Education will provide advisory support during the transfer.

The acquisition will help Navigos fulfill its goal of becoming a human resource centric ecosystem in Vietnam, said Gaku Echizenya, CEO of Navigos.

The startup raised a seed funding round from Japanese investor Cyberagent Capital in 2016.

Earlier this year, Cyberagent Capital along with SEAF Women’s Opportunity Fund injected another additional capital into Dream Viet Education, which is said to have helped the company develop the platform for children.

Navigos, known as the operator of Vietnam’s largest recruitment website Vietnamworks.com, was acquired by Tokyo-based HR firm en-japan in 2013.

The firm was founded by Jonah Levey, a well-known angel investor in Vietnam.

Deals – Vietnam’s VeXeRe raises funding from Woowa Brothers, Ncore, Access Ventures

By Quynh Nguyen

Full link: https://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/vexere-woowa-brothers-ncore-access-ventures-168215/?mc_cid=140c17a2f5&mc_eid=885b2254d8

Vietnam-based startup that operates online bus ticket and car booking system VeXeRe has raised an undisclosed amount from South Korea’s Woowa Brothers, Ncore Ventures, Access Ventures, and another investor whose name could not be ascertained.

The current transaction marks the fourth funding round in VeXeRe.

The corpus will be used by the company to achieve strong growth targets in 2020 and expand its operations through other segments, according to an announcement.

Although the deal size was not disclosed, one of the company’s founders confirmed to us that it was worth millions of dollars or more.

Founded in 2013, VeXeRe claims to help bus companies manage their systems more effectively, while also facilitating booking options for millions of customers.

The company claims that it is the largest online ticketing system in Vietnam with more than 550 bus companies co-operating to sell tickets, covering over 2,600 domestic and foreign routes, more than 5,000 ticket agents.

VeXeRe said the company will continue to invest in mobile products for passengers, bus companies, drivers to better support the travel and transport industry.

Specifically, the funding will be used to accelerate product development and expand into related sectors.

The company earlier saw a funding by Japan’s CyberAgent Capital (the VC firm has many investments in Vietnam such as Tiki, Foody, Topica, Luxstay), Singapore’s Pix Vine Capital, Spiral Ventures and South Korea’s BonAngels. Woowa Brothers is a unicorn from South Korea, that operates food delivery platform Baedal Minjok in Korea backed by Goldman Sachs.

In February 2019, Woowa Brothers acquired Vietnamese food delivery company Vietnammm.

Ncore Ventures, meanwhile, is a corporate venture capital arm of NPC, a public company that manufactures plastic pallets and containers based in Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

Besides VeXeRe, the firm has investments in Tiki and TheBank in Vietnam.

Access Ventures LLC, a regional early-stage VC fund established in 2017, has invested in fintech startup MocaPay, proptech startup Homedy, and two logistics startups Ecotruck and Abivin in Vietnam.

Info – Santa’s New Home: The North Pole is Moving to Russia

Full link: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/magnetic-north-pole-moving-to-russia/

The North Pole is moving and quickly. Is someone stealing Christmas?

It is not the Grinch or Vladimir Putin that is stealing Santa’s workshop, but instead it’s the natural processes of the Earth that are moving the North Pole. In fact, since scientists have been tracking the anomaly in the Arctic, the North Magnetic Pole has been shifting towards Russia.

So why exactly is the pole moving, and what does it mean?

Charting a Course: Magnetic North

A compass always points towards the North Magnetic Pole. Maritime and airplane navigation systems, defense systems, and even smartphones depend on accurate magnetic readings.

This magnetism has been long known, but the true origins of this force were poorly understood. In one of the first maps of the Arctic by Gerardus Mercator, the centerpiece of it was massive rock located exactly at the pole, Rupus Nigra et Altissima, or “Black, Very High Cliff.”

Most people thought that this rock formation was magnetic, which provided an easy explanation for why compasses point north. This did not convince Mercator, so he included a different rock, which he labeled the “Magnetic Pole.”

Mercator was right about the general location of Magnetic North, but he did not have the tools we have today to understand how the anomaly moves. The North Magnetic Pole is a spot on the top of the planet where the Earth’s magnetic field lines converge and drive straight into its core.

As it turns out, the Earth’s physical structure is behind all this magnetic shifting. The planet’s inner core is made of solid iron, while surrounding that is a molten metallic outer core. It’s from here that heat escapes, creating electric currents in the conductive iron alloys in the core.

In other words, the processes that create the magnetic effect are far more complex — and occur way deeper in the planet — than Mercator could have ever imagined.

The Dynamo Effect

The Earth itself spins on its axis. The inner core spins as well, and it spins at a different rate than the outer core. This creates a dynamo effect that enables the Earth’s magnetic field.

Satellite data tracking the Earth’s magnetic field indicate that the pole is moving faster across the Arctic than previously recorded. While it’s hard to estimate an exact date by which the North Pole will lie in Russia (due to contested geographic claims in the Arctic), it will eventually get there.

What surprises scientists is the rate at which the movement has increased in recent history:

This is happening because of a push and pull between two unusually strong magnetic patches in the Earth’s outer core. One patch is under Canada while the other is beneath Siberia.

The North Magnetic Pole has historically lain within Canadian borders because of stronger pull of the Canadian magnetic patch, but that is changing rapidly.

The Evidence: How Do We Know What We Know?

Scientists can study the phenomenon of moving poles by examining the rocks lying on the ocean floor that captured magnetic traces of previous orientations of the Earth’s magnetic field.

According to the geological record, the last time the poles switched was ~780,000 years ago, and it has happened about 400 times in 330 million years. Each reversal takes roughly a thousand years to complete. The field has weakened about 10% in the last 150 years. Some scientists think this is a sign of a flip in progress.

Technology is advancing and providing new tools for scientists to study this phenomenon. In 2013, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the SWARM mission to study the Earth’s magnetic field using satellites. This will provide data for modeling the geomagnetic field and its interaction with other physical aspects of Earth, offering a look inside the Earth from space.

Happy Holidays from Visual Capitalist

Just like Santa going down the chimney of every home to deliver presents to all the girls and boys, Visual Capitalist wants to deliver a better understanding of the world we live in, so we can better appreciate how amazing it is. This is our small present to the world.

Happy Holidays to all, and a prosperous New Year.

Info – Mapped: The World’s Most Populous Countries, in Ascending Order

Full link: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-the-worlds-most-populous-countries-in-ascending-order/

To keep information from getting stale, it can be worth changing things up.

One way to do this is to present data in a different way than what is traditionally expected, enabling a fresh perspective of the same information.

Today’s animated map comes to us from Reddit user notoriousstats, and it provides another angle of looking at a traditional world map: by plotting countries in the order of ascending populations, from the least populated to the most populated.

Filling a Map from Scratch

In the above animation, countries are added onto the map in sequence — each must have a minimum population of 1 million people — going from Swaziland (now officially known as Eswatini) all the way up to China.

It’s a visual trick that helps trigger some new insights, specifically about the population density of countries and continents. Let’s dive into a couple things that stood out.

Insights on Population Density

We naturally assume that the bigger a country is, the more people it usually has.

However, when we watch an animation like this, it becomes clear that this is not often the case. In fact, many large countries appear on the map early on — taking massive amounts of geographic real estate, but with very low populations.

Below is a list of the 10 countries with the lowest population densities on the planet:

Rank	Country	Population	Density (sq. km)	Density (sq. mi)
#1	🇲🇳 Mongolia	3,225,000	2.08	5.38
#2	🇳🇦 Namibia	2,495,000	3.03	7.85
#3	🇦🇺 Australia	25,203,000	3.30	8.55
#4	🇱🇾 Libya	6,777,000	3.85	9.98
#5	🇧🇼 Botswana	2,304,000	4.07	10.53
#6	🇨🇦 Canada	37,411,000	4.11	10.66
#7	🇲🇷 Mauritania	4,526,000	4.41	11.43
#8	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	18,551,000	6.87	17.80
#9	🇨🇫 Central African Rep.	4,745,000	7.62	19.73
#10	🇬🇦 Gabon	2,173,000	8.43	21.84

Using this and the map as reference, what stands out?

Africa in Focus

Africa has over 1.2 billion people living on it, so we often think of the continent as having a fairly high population density.

However, if you watch the animation, you’ll notice that many of the first countries appearing on the map are African — in fact, six of the 10 least densely populated countries in the world are on the continent: Namibia, Libya, Botswana, Mauritania, Central African Republic, and Gabon.

The reason for this lack of population density lies partly in geography.

We are all familiar with the vast extent of the Sahara (which makes most of Libya and Maritania desolate), but have you heard of the Namib or Kalahari deserts in the south?

The Namib takes away Namibia’s entire coastline, while the Kalahari makes most of Botswana and parts of Namibia almost inhospitable.

Juxtapositions

The animated map also creates some eye-popping juxtapositions between countries, which are appearing in order of population.

For example, Australia and North Korea appear in sequence. Both have about 26 million people, but Australia has a landmass that is about 63 times as large.

Russia and Bangladesh are also back-to-back; Russia has 145 million people, while Bangladesh has 163 million. Yet, if Russia had the population density of Bangladesh, it would be home to 19 billion people, which is three times the current global total.

Changing Perspectives

If we always look at things the same way, it’s hard to notice something new.

Each time we view a map from a different angle, it creates the opportunity to discover new insights. This same thought process can be applied to other areas of life, so that we can always be learning — and data never gets stale.

Collection – Điểm lại những huyền thoại kinh doanh và ông trùm tài chính đã qua đời trong năm 2019

By Bloomberg

Full link: http://cafef.vn/diem-lai-nhung-huyen-thoai-kinh-doanh-va-ong-trum-tai-chinh-da-qua-doi-trong-nam-2019-20191225142743732.chn

Cựu Chủ tịch Fed Paul Volcker, “cha đẻ” của loại hình đầu tư bị động John Bogle đến huyền thoại ngành ô tô Lee Iacocca, người chuyên thâu tóm các doanh nghiệp T. Boone Pickens, cựu Tổng thống Pháp Jacques Chirac, năm 2019 thế giới đã chứng kiến nhiều mất mát.

Thế giới kinh doanh mất đi H. Ross Perot – tỷ phú đã 2 lần chạy đua vào ghế Tổng thống Mỹ; David Koch – nhà công nghiệp có ảnh hưởng lớn đến chính trường Mỹ; Herb Kellhher – nhà đồng sáng lập hãng hàng không Southwest Airlines và Mark Hurd, đồng CEO của Oracle Corp. Trong số những lãnh đạo tài chính đã qua đời trong năm 2019 có Walter Shipley, nhà lãnh đạo ngân hàng đã gầy dựng nên một phần của JPMorgan Chase ngày nay.

Tháng 1

Blake Nordstrom (58 tuổi). Cùng với các anh em Perter và Erik, ông đã dẫn dắt chuỗi thời trang bán lẻ nổi tiếng Nordstrom và kể từ năm 2000 trở thành gương mặt đại diện của công ty do ông cố của họ lập nên. Ông qua đời ngày 2/1 sau một thời gian chiến đấu với bệnh tật.

Herb Kelleher (87 tuổi). Trước đây là 1 luật sư, ông đã cùng với Rollin King lập nên Southwest Airlines và phát triển thành hãng hàng không giá rẻ lớn nhất thế giới. Chính ông đã thiết lập những tiêu chuẩn cho hàng không giá rẻ trong suốt hơn 3 thập kỷ. Ông qua đời ngày 3/1.

Walter Shipley (83 tuổi). Ông là người đã dẫn dắt một loạt vụ sáp nhập của 3 ngân hàng lớn nhất nước Mỹ – Chemical, Manufacturers Hanover và Chase Manhattan – để tạo ra nhà băng lớn nhất nước Mỹ, tiền thân của JPMorgan Chase ngày nay. Ông qua đời ngày 11/1 vì ung thư.

John Bogle (89 tuổi). Nhà sáng lập quỹ đầu tư bị động lớn nhất thế giới Vanguard. Ông cũng được coi là “cha đẻ” của loại hình quỹ đầu tư chỉ số chi phí thấp. Ông qua đời ngày 16/1, cũng vì ung thư.

Henry Sy (94 tuổi). Ông trở thành người giàu nhất Philippines sau khi biến 1 cửa hàng giày nhỏ bé thành SM Investment, tập đoàn bán lẻ lớn nhất nước sở hữu nhiều trung tâm thương mại và cả 1 ngân hàng. Ông mất ngày 18/1.

Tháng 2

Karl Lagerfeld (85 tuổi): nhà thiết kế thời trang giữ vai trò giám đốc sáng tạo ở Chanel suốt 35 năm và là tác giả của những bộ trang phục cho nhiều người nổi tiếng như Công nương Diana và Nicole Kidman.

Tristan O’Tierney (35 tuổi). Cựu kỹ sư từng làm việc tại Yahoo và Apple trước khi sáng lập ứng dụng thanh toán qua di động Square.

Tháng 3

Alan Krueger (58 tuổi). Nhà kinh tế học công tác tại ĐH Princeton và từng là Chủ tịch Hội đồng cố vấn kinh tế dưới thời Obama. Ông là chuyên gia hàng đầu về thị trường lao động, qua đời ngày 16/3 do tự tử.

Natalia Fileva (55 tuổi). Đồng sở hữu S7, hãng hàng không lớn thứ 2 ở Nga, và là một trong những nữ tỷ phú giàu nhất nước Nga. Bà thiệt mạng trong 1 vụ tai nạn máy bay.

Tháng 4

Cho Yang-ho (70 tuổi). Chủ tịch Hanjin Group, tập đoàn Hàn Quốc kiểm soát Korean Air Lines.

Alan Garcia (69 tuổi). Cựu Tổng thống Peru đã tự sát ngày 17/4 khi bị cảnh sát truy đuổi vì liên quan đến 1 vụ bê bối tham nhũng chấn động khu vực Mỹ Latinh.

Tháng 5

Yogesh C. Deveshwar (72 tuổi). Chủ tịch tập đoàn ITC của Ấn Độ, người đã khởi xướng làn sóng hướng công ty thuốc lá sang hoạt động trong ngành hàng tiêu dùng và xây dựng ITC thành công ty thuốc lá giá trị nhất châu Á.

Bob Hawke (89 tuổi). Cựu Thủ tướng Australia, người đã có công tái thiết nền kinh tế trong thời kỳ những năm 1980 bằng các chính sách giảm bớt luật lệ trong ngành tài chính và cải cách chính sách thương mại.

Tháng 6

Lee Shin Cheng (80 tuổi), tỷ phú sáng lập IOI Group, tập đoàn sản xuất dầu cọ lớn thứ hai Malaysia xét theo giá trị thị trường.

Herbert Sandler (87 tuổi), nhân viên ngân hàng cùng với người vợ Marion đã kiếm được hàng tỷ USD từ việc cho vay trong suốt thời kỳ thị trường bất động sản Mỹ bùng nổ và đã giúp phổ biến hóa khái niệm khoản vay thế chấp với lãi suất thả nổi – loại tài sản được cho là một phần nguyên nhân gây nên khủng hoảng tài chính 2008.

Tháng 7

Lee Iacocca (94 tuổi). Ông là 1 huyền thoại của ngành xe hơi, giúp phát triển mẫu xe Mustang của Ford và sau đó hồi sinh Chrysler.

Yukiya Amano (72 tuổi), nhà ngoại giao người Nhật đã lãnh đạo Cơ quan năng lượng nguyên tử quốc tế trong suốt 1 thập kỷ. Ông là người chịu trách nhiệm điều tra quá trình Iran bí mật phát triển vũ khí hạt nhân và sau này là thảm họa Fukushima.

César Pelli (92 tuổi), vị kiến trúc sư người Mỹ gốc Argentina đã thiết kế nhiều tòa nhà chọc trời nổi tiếng nhất thế giới như Petronas Towers ở Malaysia và Trung tâm thương mại quốc tế ở New York.

Tháng 8

Jeffrey Tarrant (63 tuổi), ông trùm quỹ đầu cơ nổi tiếng từ cuộc đặt cược Warren Buffett năm 2008 rằng các quỹ đầu cơ sẽ đánh bại chỉ số S&P 500 trong thời kỳ 10 năm.

David Koch (79 tuổi), tỷ phú đã dùng tiền để lũng đoạn nền chính trị Mỹ và cũng đã dùng hơn 1 tỷ USD làm từ thiện.

Ferdinand Piech (82 tuổi), người đã xây dựng Volkswagen AG thành 1 đế chế ô tô hùng mạnh. Ông đột ngột rời khỏi Volkswagen ngay trước khi hãng ô tô Đức chìm trong vụ bê bối gian lận khí thải cách đây 4 năm.

Hans Rausing (93 tuổi), tỷ phú Thụy Điển đã xây dựng Tetra Pak Group thành công ty đóng góp thực phẩm lớn nhất thế giới.

Tháng 9

T. Boone Pickens (91 tuổi), người khiến văn hóa tài chính doanh nghiệp của nước Mỹ thay đổi mãi mãi với những vụ thâu tóm doanh nghiệp sử dụng đòn bẩy.

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (83 tuổi), nhà lãnh đạo của Tunisi đã châm ngòi cho làn sóng mùa xuân Ả Rập.

Jacques Chirac (86 tuổi), Tổng thống Pháp từ năm 1995 đến 2007, người đã thúc đẩy nước Pháp sử dụng đồng tiền chung châu Âu euro và dẫn đầu làn sóng phản đối Mỹ triển khai quân đội ở Iraq trên toàn cầu.

Tháng 10

Robert Evans (89 tuổi), người dẫn dắt Paramount Pictures từ năm 1966 đến 1974, tạo ra một loạt bom tấn giúp hồi sinh hãng phim này như “Bố già” và “Chinatown” – cho đến nay vẫn là một trong những bộ phim tuyệt vời nhất của điện ảnh Mỹ.

Tháng 11

Yasuhiro Nakasone (101 tuổi), Thủ tướng Nhật Bản từ năm 1982 đến 1987. Ông đã giúp nâng cao đáng kể vị thế của đất nước mặt trời mọc trên trường quốc tế và nỗ lực cải thiện quan hệ với Mỹ khi chiến tranh thương mại xảy ra giữa hai nước.

Tháng 12

Paul Volcker (92 tuổi), cựu Chủ tịch Fed đã giúp ghìm cương lạm phát trong những năm 1990 và 3 thập kỷ sau giúp ông Obama siết chặt quản lý các hoạt động rủi ro của các ngân hàng thương mại.

Kim Woo-choong (82 tuổi), “cha đẻ” của Daewoo – tập đoàn giờ đã phá sản nhưng quá trình trỗi dậy và sụp đổ đã trở thành biểu tượng cho phép màu kinh tế Hàn Quốc trong những năm 1970.

Koo Cha-kyung (94 tuổi), cựu Chủ tịch tập đoàn LG, người đã phát triển công ty do cha mình đồng sáng lập thành một trong những tập đoàn lớn nhất Hàn Quốc.

Share – Nhanh tay làm cà ri gà ấm nóng chiêu đãi cả nhà — Ngon 24h

Bấm ngay Subscribe / Đăng Ký xem video hay mới nhất >> Cà ri gà đậm đà, thơm nức mũi, ăn cùng bánh mì hay bún đều được, thích hợp để làm món ăn ngày cuối tuần cho cả nhà. Nguyên liệu: – Gà ta 1 con khoảng 1,5 kg – Khoai lang 2-3 củ […]

via Nhanh tay làm cà ri gà ấm nóng chiêu đãi cả nhà — Ngon 24h

Cà ri gà đậm đà, thơm nức mũi, ăn cùng bánh mì hay bún đều được, thích hợp để làm món ăn ngày cuối tuần cho cả nhà.

Nguyên liệu: 

– Gà ta 1 con khoảng 1,5 kg 

– Khoai lang 2-3 củ to 

– Dừa nạo 1 trái 

– Sả, ớt 

– Gia vị: cà ri dầu, cà ri bột. 

 Cách làm: 

– Gà chọn con to thích ăn dai chọn con hơi già, làm sạch, rửa với muối. Chặt gà vừa không quá nhỏ. 

– Ướp gà: 2-4 thìa canh đường, 1 thìa cà phê bột ngọt, hơn 1 thìa cà phê muối, 1 thìa canh dầu hào nếu thích, 1/2 chén nước mắm, 1 hộp cà ri dầu nhỏ, 1-2 thìa cà phê bột cà ri, 1/2 thìa canh dầu điều, hành tỏi băm, sả băm và ít cây sả đập dập trộn đều ướp 30 phút. 

– Dừa cho ít nước vắt lấy nước cốt để riêng, cho thêm gần 1 lít nước vắt lấy nước lần 2 để riêng. 

– Khoai bỏ vỏ ngâm vào thao nước, cắt miếng vừa không quá nhỏ nấu sẽ bị nát. Rửa khoai sạch, cho ít bột cà ri hoặc cà ri dầu trộn đều với khoai. Cho ít dầu vào chảo cho khoai vào chiên xém vàng là được.  

– Cho ít dầu vào nồi, thêm ít tép sả đập dập vào phi thơm. Cho gà vào xào săn, nấu khoảng 5-10 phút cho nước dừa lần 2 vào nấu cùng. 

– Nấu gà chín nêm lại gia vị cho vừa ăn, cho khoai vào nấu cùng, khoai chín cho nước cốt dừa vào nấu thêm ít phút tắt bếp. Cà ri gà ăn cùng bánh mì hay bún đều ngon

Share – Chỉ ra loại quả ngậm nhiều hóa chất nhất gây ung thư kinh hoàng — Ngon 24h

Chỉ ra loại quả ngậm nhiều hóa chất nhất gây ung thư kinh hoàng nhưng quá nhiều người thích ăn. Quả cam Ở Việt Nam, cam Trung Quốc được chia làm 2 loại là cam vàng và cam xanh. Bề ngoài, cam Trung Quốc có vỏ láng mịn, không tỳ vết, màu sắc tươi lâu […]

via Chỉ ra loại quả ngậm nhiều hóa chất nhất gây ung thư kinh hoàng — Ngon 24h

Chỉ ra loại quả ngậm nhiều hóa chất nhất gây ung thư kinh hoàng nhưng quá nhiều người thích ăn.

Quả cam

Ở Việt Nam, cam Trung Quốc được chia làm 2 loại là cam vàng và cam xanh. Bề ngoài, cam Trung Quốc có vỏ láng mịn, không tỳ vết, màu sắc tươi lâu và loại nào cũng không có hạt. Cam vàng của Trung Quốc có màu vàng chanh hoặc cam rất đặc trưng. Còn loại cam xanh cũng có màu xanh như cam miền Tây nhưng màu nhạt hơn, rất bóng và vỏ dày.

Bên cạnh đó, khi được bày bán, cam Trung Quốc cũng có phần cuống nhưng màu hơi thâm và rất dễ rụng, cuống không chắc chắn như cam miền Tây. Do có thể ngâm thuốc bảo quản và thuốc phát triển nhanh nên lá cam Trung Quốc thường rất non, màu nhạt. Khi bổ cam, phần cùi có màu hơi nhạt và không có mùi thơm. Đặc biệt, các giống có xuất xứ từ Trung Quốc đều không có hạt, vị ngọt đậm và múi có vị hơi úng.

Quả ổi

Loại ổi này vốn là ổi thường loại to, được cạo vỏ rồi ngâm một loạt dung dịch hóa chất tổng hợp gồm thuốc màu, thuốc tạo hương vị… để tạo ra một màu sắc mới với tên gọi “ổi đào tiên” hoặc “ổi lê”.

Thời gian ngâm ổi vào khoảng 2 giờ đồng hồ. Sau khi được “biến hình”, ổi sẽ được bán với giá gấp đôi hoặc gấp 3 giá ổi thường.

Lúc mới mua loại ổi này có màu xanh “lạ mắt” và có mùi vị ngọt khá đặc biệt. Bổ ra, bên trong quả giống ối thường, chỉ có lớp vỏ bên ngoài khác biệt về màu sắc và mùi vị. Chỉ cần xoa nhẹ là lớp vỏ bị trớt ra và có mùi lạ.

Sau một ngày, những quả ổi nhanh chóng rỉ nước và bốc mùi hóa chất, gây buồn nôn. Nếu ngâm ổi vào nước một thời gian, nước chuyển sang màu xanh nhạt và có mùi khó chịu. Lúc này, chỉ cần chạm nhẹ vào quả là lớp vỏ hóa chất bở và toét ra đồng thời bốc mùi khó chịu.

Xoài

Nhiều người thường sử dụng vôi để đắp lên quả xoài còn xanh, khiến cho vỏ xoài căng mịn, màu vàng bắt mắt nhưng ăn không thấy vị xoài. Xoài cũng là loại trái cây thường xuyên bị sử dụng chất bảo quản, khi ăn nhiều sẽ khiến cơ thể bị mắc một số bệnh như ngộ độc, trụy tim mạch, suy hô hấp…

Bạn không nên chọn những quả xoài có màu vàng nhưng lại lấm tấm đen ở cuống. Những quả xoài có vỏ màu xanh nhưng bên trong lại chín vàng, vị nhạt nhẽo thì đó thường là xoài tẩm nhiều hóa chất độc hại.

Biết rõ loại rau quả nào thường nhiều tồn dư thuốc trừ sâu

Một số nông sản, ví dụ như dâu tây, ớt, đào, chery, táo và quả còn xanh, thường có nguy cơ chứa tồn dư thuốc trừ sâu cao.

Bơ, chuối, ngô, dưa hấu, súp lơ, bông cải xanh là một số thực phẩm có ít tồn dư thuốc trừ sâu.

Rửa kỹ rau quả trước khi ăn

Đổ nước ấm vào chậu và rửa rau quả thật sạch như khi rửa tay của bạn. Bạn có thể sử dụng một lượng nhỏ dung dịch nước rửa bát để rửa các sản phẩm này. Nhớ là phải rửa lại bằng nước thật sạch sau đó.

Rửa kỹ rau quả trước khi ăn

Đổ nước ấm vào chậu và rửa rau quả thật sạch như khi rửa tay của bạn. Bạn có thể sử dụng một lượng nhỏ dung dịch nước rửa bát để rửa các sản phẩm này. Nhớ là phải rửa lại bằng nước thật sạch sau đó.

Ngâm nước hòa giấm

Một cách hữu hiệu khác là dùng hỗn hợp gồm 10% giấm trắng với 90% nước để ngâm rau quả. Khoắng, rũ và tráng lại thật kỹ. Cần cẩn thận trong khi rửa các loại quả như dâu hay trái cây có vỏ mỏng vì cách này có thể phá hủy lớp vỏ dễ thấm của chúng.

Sử dụng dụng cụ ngâm rửa và làm sạch rau quả

Các dụng cụ này hiệu quả và an toàn để loại bỏ tồn dư thuốc sâu từ rau và quả. Bạn có thể mua chúng từ siêu thị hay cơ quan an toàn vệ sinh thực phẩm tại địa phương.

Chần rau quả

Chần là một phương pháp làm sạch thực phẩm. Rau quả được nhúng vào nước đang sôi và vớt ra ngay rồi ngâm vào nước đá hay để dưới vòi nước mát để ngăn quá trình làm chín

Ẩm thực – Here’s How to Pick a Cologne That Works Best for You

By ADAM HURLY

Full link: https://www.gq.com/story/signature-scent?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=gq&utm_mailing=gq_daily_122419&utm_medium=email&bxid=5c5cba14283d8e788b2c6f8c&cndid=56356405&hasha=b357a3f7d7c5d1ec57c25e9b6231f8b6&hashb=aeff271f8ff4a7fd8fe495e655c0eb7b5e4fe7ac&hashc=1f8ce695fd760fb4d65e389189e83ccceb06e601bec24bb9c826250bee570416&esrc=bounceX&utm_campaign=gq_daily_122419&utm_term=GQ_Daily_Active

The quest for a signature scent.

Searching for a signature scent? Something that, over time, everyone will associate with you and come to recognize as your own unique musk? Take it slow! There are a lot of fragrances on the market that smell good—it’d be a waste to settle on something right away.

This, after all, is going to be your signature scent. It needs to stand out. It needs to turn heads. It needs to start conversations. It needs to leave a lasting impression. It needs to be well thought-out.

So here’s how to do it. Follow these steps and put in the research time and you’ll find the one that works best for you you.

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1. Study the Notes

First things first, you need to understand a little Perfume 101.

There’s too much to know about how a scent is structure to cover everything here—so here are the two things you have to know. One: Notes reveal themselves in three layers: Top, heart, and base. The top notes will be strongest at first, but will evaporate and make way for the others. The heart notes are often florals—something that balances the scent and binds nicely to the ends. The base notes are usually the most prominent, and they always last the longest. Depending on the fragrance’s longevity and “sillage” (the intensity and “trail” your scent leaves), they could linger across the room, for hours on end.

Two: These notes will often change from one season to the next, with heavier notes in the winter fragrances.

2. Understand Scent Families and Seasonality

You should also know what type of scent family you want to draw from. If you’re looking for something new each season (or at least for the colder months vs. warmer ones), then pick something heavier as a fall scent or winter fragrance, like oriental and woody. For warmer days, consider more herbal, floral scents, green, and citrus scents.

You can also buck the system, and pick one for the entire year round. That being said, you should know which season it wears best in, so that you know when to substitute it out for something lighter or heavier in a pinch. For example, if your perennial scent is a spicy one, you should pick something light and fresh for a day by the pool in summer. It can be a low-investment scent, but it’s important to summon the bullpen when necessary.

Here are the basic fragrance families; the first two are traditionally heavier, designated to “cold-weather” months.

Oriental: It’s slightly problematic, yes, but that’s still the term in use. Some people will include woody and floral in this category, but it usually refers to notes of amber, vanilla, musk, or various spices. Woody: Not only woods, but anything that evokes the forest and its damp earthiness: Patchouli, cedarwood, sandal wood, moss, vetiver, and more. Green: As opposed to woody, “green” is more like the freshness of a jungle or sprawling field of fresh-cut grass. Herbal: Often called “aromatic”. Lavender, rosemary, mint, thyme, etc. Floral: Most commonly found in top and heart notes. Rose, rosewater, ylang-ylang, lilies… Citrus: Neroli, bitter orange, and grapefruit are common top notes. Bergamot, a type of orange, is a popular base note thanks to its peel’s sweet, fresh, and ripe qualities. Water: These evoke a day on the ocean, or a humid night just before the sky cracks with rain. Fruity: Any fruits fall here, aside from the citruses. Think fresh peaches, wild berries.

3. Ask Good-Smelling People for Clues

Once you know the basics on notes and scent families, one of the best ways to pick a signature scent is to ask other good-smelling guys (or girls) what they’re wearing—and why.

What you’ll learn from the guys who gave it a little thought is why they like a particular brand or scent. Or they’ll mention that they tried a bunch of other scents and finally stuck with this one because people asked about it all the time. Or, maybe they can recommend a department store with a particularly well-informed employee who is willing to help you try a few scents.

And don’t be afraid to appropriate someone else’s signature scent for yourself—unless you work with the guy and have to see him every day.

4. Know the Classics

If you know the best classic scents, then you have the framework from which to pick your own. You also have a killer roster of scents from which to pick. Just head to a department store and ask about some of the most popular scents. You’ll recognize a lot of them like Chanel Bleu or Issey Miyake L’eau D’Issey.

5. Consider Your Motives

What’s your end goal with a signature scent? What is your personality like, or what alter ego are you procuring with this potion? How will it impress itself upon your colleagues, versus your significant other, versus your best friends? They’re all going to associate that scent with you, so you need to find something that really suits whatever you’re putting out there. Most importantly, you want something that doesn’t overwhelm, but makes people want to be near you. That being said, you might want to dial down the muskiness if you don’t want to ooze sex appeal around the water cooler. (It’s safer to stick with green or woody notes.)

6. Try Before You Buy

Visit the store. Try them out. Email a brand and ask for testers. Some will send for free, others will charge a small fee. (It’s worth it if you’re confident in the brand’s reputation and wide assortment.) Read reviews: Fragrantica and Basenotes are good places to go, with expert-level feedback from the fragrance community. (Don’t rely on reviews from the uninformed masses on big retail sites.)

Bottom line: If you’re going to commit to something—and pay $150 or more for it—then you need to know that it’s a winner. The only way to ensure that is to try it first.

Ẩm thực – You Can Still Buy the Actual Fruitcakes Served at British Royal Weddings

By ANNE EWBANK

Full link: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/royal-wedding-cake?utm_source=Gastro+Obscura+Weekly+E-mail&utm_campaign=5eda381642-GASTRO_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_12_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2418498528-5eda381642-70327933&mc_cid=5eda381642&mc_eid=df51e46713

The often-insulted confection was once featured at weddings as well as Christmas.

ON FEBRUARY 10, 1840, QUEEN Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The sumptuous wedding breakfast included a 300-pound fruitcake. Her wedding was widely influential, and is said to have inspired traditions ranging from the exchange of engagement rings to brides wearing white. The couple also served fruitcake, which, although typical at the time, now seems reserved only for Christmas. Nevertheless, future British royals followed in Victoria’s footsteps and served fruitcake on their big day.

Today, the choice has a lingering effect: Thanks to fruitcake’s longevity—along with a longstanding tradition of guests and dignitaries receiving slices of royal wedding cake in elegant boxes as souvenirs—pieces of Victoria’s cake still exist. And hers are not the only slices of centuries-old cake floating around today as collectibles.

The main cake at the wedding breakfast of Queen Victoria was three meters tall and decorated with a massive sugar figure symbolizing the nation of Britain blessing the couple. Fruitcake for big occasions had long been a British custom, as their rich fruits, sugar, and liquor were costly. Victoria and Albert’s cake fit the bill: According to a report at the time, it was made of “the most exquisite compounds of all the rich things with which the most expensive cakes can be composed, mingled and mixed together into delightful harmony.”

The association between fruitcakes and weddings even gave rise to a number of customs. When tiered wedding cakes became the fashion, along with less-heavy cake recipes, the top tier remained fruitcake. New couples still occasionally set it aside to eat on their first anniversary or the baptism of their first child. (Fruitcake’s dense texture and traditional soaking in alcohol means it lasts longer than your typical cake.)

Boxed royal wedding-cake souvenirs emerged from the tradition of sending slices of un-iced “groom’s cake” home with guests in the 17th century, writes Carol Wilson in her article Wedding Cake: A Slice of History. One piece of Queen Victoria’s cake, preserved in a silver box, came with a hand-written note: “To Dream upon.” Unmarried people sometimes slept with pieces of wedding cake under their pillows, in hopes of dreaming about their future spouse. The wedding cake of a queen would likely be especially potent.

More than a century later, then-Princess Elizabeth’s wedding cake was even more spectacular than her great-great-grandmother’s. At nine feet tall, it weighed 500 pounds. Many of those pounds were made up of ingredients sent in from all corners of the British empire, earning it the title of “the 10,000 Mile Cake.” The Australian Girl Guides made a particularly large contribution to the wedding, and the Queen sent a tier back to them in thanks.

Through the 20th century, boxed cake souvenirs persisted. In fact, they’ve become collectors’ items, going for thousand of dollars at auction. A slice of wedding cake from the wedding of Wallis Simpson and the Duke of Windsor sold for $29,900 in 1998. Last June, Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles sold five slices of royal wedding cake that spanned nearly 40 years of ceremonies. From the wedding cake of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in 1973, to that of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, the slices of fruitcake came enclosed in neat tins or boxes. If it seems strange that so many slices of royal wedding cake still circulate, wonder no more: Ancillary cakes were often baked for the occasion, and some were even donated by bakers hoping for royal acknowledgement.

The tradition of boxed fruitcake souvenirs, however, has been bucked: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s cake wasn’t fruitcake, and it’s unlikely that their lemon-and-elderflower cake would last for decades anyway. But needless to say, no amount of sugar, alcohol, or preservatives will make decades-old cake taste good. The royal wedding cakes that have survived are long past their shelf life.

Stoic – This is a Day About Love

Here we are on Christmas Eve once again. The last couple of years, we took time during this holiday to look at the beautiful symmetry between two of the greatest philosophers to ever live: Jesus and Seneca.

It’s incredible to think that these two men were born in the same year, in similarly distant provinces of the Roman empire. Few would have expected the impact that both would have on the world. Nor would Seneca or Jesus have imagined how their journeys would mirror each others’: Both would be immensely popular in their own time, and long after. Both would run afoul of the powerful interests of their time. Both would be forced, in their final moments, to live their teachings—Jesus, on the cross, asking for forgiveness for the people who had wronged him. Seneca as he comforted his friends and family when Nero’s goons came to demand his suicide. Tacitus would note how long ago Seneca had made plans for such an ordeal, writing that “even in the height of his wealth and power he was thinking of his life’s close.” So too had Jesus.

Because, despite their brilliance and their blessings, both these men—like us—were mortal.

We could spend hours sitting and thinking about the remarkable similarities between Jesus and Seneca…and them and us. As much as life has changed in two thousand years, as unique and unprecedented as their circumstances were, it’s not that different than our lives today.

Maybe that’s not a bad thing to spend some time thinking about tonight. Rather than focusing on what presents you’re going to get tomorrow, try to think of what you’re going to do with the gifts you were born with. Instead of thinking about what you’re going to eat, think about all the people without anything at all. Don’t think about your vacation. Think of this present moment, because it’s all you have.

Take a minute to sit with some of the ideas from those two great men and what they learned about life and love:

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” —Jesus

“Nature bore us related to one another … She instilled in us a mutual love and made us compatible … Let us hold everything in common; we stem from a common source. Our fellowship is very similar to an arch of stones, which would fall apart, if they did not reciprocally support each other.” —Seneca

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” —Jesus

“Hecato, says: ‘I can show you a philtre, compounded without drugs, herbs, or any witch’s incantation: If you would be loved, love.’ Now there is great pleasure.” —Seneca

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” —Jesus

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” —Seneca

Whether you’re a Christian or a Stoic, today is a good day to remember that these ideas are not just something to “believe.” They’re something you do. You have to put the words, whether they are Seneca’s or Jesus’, to work. You have to live them.

Not just with your crazy family, not just on Christmas, but every day of your life.

Happy Holidays!