By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-kelly-705777">Daniel Kelly</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a>

The South African athlete, Caster Semenya, has <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/48102479">lost her case</a> against the athletic governing body, IAAF, which means that she will have to take medication to lower her testosterone levels if she wishes to continue competing internationally in running events. 

Last year, the IAAF introduced <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/eligibility-regulations-for-female-classifica">new regulation</a> for female athletes with “difference of sexual development” (DSD). Athletes with circulating testosterone of five nanomoles per litre of blood (5nmol/L) or above and who are androgen-sensitive, have to meet certain criteria if they wish to compete internationally. One criterion is that DSD athlete must use medication to reduce their blood testosterone level to below 5nmol/L for a continuous period of at least six months. 

Semenya felt that the IAAF was targeting her, specifically. She took her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the court rejected the 28-year-old athlete’s challenge against the IAAF’s new rules. Although CAS found the rules to be discriminatory, it also said that they were “necessary, reasonable and proportionate”.

<h2>Difference of sexual development</h2>

So what exactly is DSD and does a serum testosterone level above 5nmol/L really confer an unfair advantage in running events? DSDs are a group of <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/disorders-sex-development/">rare conditions</a> that are acquired before birth, where the reproductive organs and genitals don’t develop as expected. While the condition can be inherited, it usually occurs at random. 

A person with DSD may have a mix of both male and female sexual characteristics. For example, they may be genetically female, but with reproductive organs that are of the opposite sex (or the other way around), a combination of both male and female, or not clearly either.

As the testes are the primary site of testosterone production, if a female is born with these male reproductive organs, their testosterone level will be high, often reaching <a href="https://theconversation.com/testosterone-why-defining-a-normal-level-is-hard-to-do-113587">male levels</a>. 

Testosterone is involved in many factors that may confer athletic benefit including increased muscle size and strength, along with the ability for the blood to deliver oxygen to those working muscles. This is why elite male athletes are generally faster and stronger than females – and also why males don’t compete against females in most sports. Semenya has high levels of testosterone so she will undoubtedly have at least some associated metabolic benefits.

How much benefit testosterone gives female athletes is difficult to define as women cannot convert testosterone into its more potent form and do not possess the same numbers of testosterone receptors (to carry out its actions) as men. The IAAF level of 5nmol/L is still high for female levels, which <a href="https://theconversation.com/testosterone-why-defining-a-normal-level-is-hard-to-do-113587">normally range from 0.1 &#8211; 1.8nmol/L</a>. Judging the actual benefit of testosterone and where to draw these lines would require a lot more research and investigation.



<h2>Where does it stop?</h2>

However, Semenya hasn’t artificially altered her testosterone levels and while her condition is rare – and gives her a large advantage as a track athlete, they are naturally occurring – so is it not discrimination to make her change her body to compete? Does this take the phrase “all men are equal” to the extreme and try to make everyone the same, even by artificial measures? And where does this stop? Many genetic physical attributes can contribute to athletic performance such as height, muscle composition and aerobic capacity.

Dutee Chand, the female sprinter who was also barred from competing against women in 2014 because her natural levels of testosterone exceeded guidelines for female athletes, publicly expressed her disbelief as to why she was penalised for her natural body when she competes against women who are taller and from wealthier backgrounds, which certainly put them at an advantage.

Cases like Semenya and Chand will always be contentious and generate more questions than solutions, and there will always be disagreement among athletes and fans over the right way to approach this sensitive issue in elite sport.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116391/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-kelly-705777">Daniel Kelly</a>, Lecturer in Biochemistry, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/sheffield-hallam-university-846">Sheffield Hallam University</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/caster-semenya-how-much-testosterone-is-too-much-for-a-female-athlete-116391">original article</a>.

After #CasterSemenya loses case against IAAF, how much testosterone is too much for a female athlete ?

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/cat-clifford/">Catherine Clifford</a> 



<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/warren-buffett/" class="">Warren Buffett</a>, who is worth nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/warren-buffett/#474c49a24639" class="">$89 billion</a>&nbsp;according to Forbes, is famous for spending only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/18/warren-buffett-buys-breakfast-from-mcdonalds-for-under-3-point-17.html" class="">$3 a day on breakfast</a>.



So how much cash does the frugal billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/26/what-this-is-us-star-chrissy-metz-carries-in-her-wallet.html" class="">have in his wallet</a>?



“I probably carry maybe $400,” Buffett told Yahoo Finance editor in chief Andy Serwer in an interview published Monday.



“My wife likes to use cash, so I just take home a chunk of cash every now and then and she doles it out,” said&nbsp;Buffett&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/29/warren-buffett-and-mark-zuckerberg-had-low-key-weddings-.html" class="">of&nbsp;wife Astrid Menks</a>.&nbsp;



“She looks at my billfold and sees whether all the 100s are gone,” Buffett said.



Buffett said he uses cash “98% of the time. If I’m in a restaurant, I’ll always pay cash. It’s just easier.”



But he does have at least one credit card: “I’ve got an American Express card which I got in 1964,” Buffett said. (Buffett’s holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, owned 17.9% of American Express at the end of 2018, <a class="" href="http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/2018ar/2018ar.pdf">according to its year-end financial report</a>.)



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Warren Buffett tells us a few of his favorite things — and what he has in his wallet: <a href="https://t.co/Bw84EkJDCt">https://t.co/Bw84EkJDCt</a> <a href="https://t.co/N6HmXbhyGR">pic.twitter.com/N6HmXbhyGR</a>&mdash; Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooFinance/status/1122871295593603072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>




Buffett’s tendency to use cash puts him in the minority among Americans — in 2018, only 18% made “all or almost all of their purchases” with cash,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/12/12/more-americans-are-making-no-weekly-purchases-with-cash/" class="">according&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;PEW Research&nbsp;Center</a>. About half (52%) of Americans made “some” of their purchases with cash and 29% made none of their purchases with cash.



Using cash, however, can actually be a good way to save money. Paying with cash can be <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/24/mark-cubans-top-negotiation-strategy-involves-using-cash.html">used as a negotiation tool</a>, according to Mark Cuban. And researchers have found that physically handing over money <a class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/business/paying-with-cash-hurts-thats-also-why-it-feels-so-good.html?_r=1">feels painful</a>, making you less likely to do it, <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/05/paying-with-cash-can-help-you-lose-weight-and-save-money.html">CNBC Make It previously reported</a>. 



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/30/how-much-cash-what-credit-card-warren-buffett-carries-in-his-wallet.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/30/how-much-cash-what-credit-card-warren-buffett-carries-in-his-wallet.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

Here’s how much cash Billionaire Warren Buffett carries in his wallet

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa’s public enterprises ministry on Thursday said that a China Development Bank (CDB) loan to struggling state power company Eskom was not in jeopardy.



Eskom had expected to draw down 7 billion rand ($481 million) from a $2.5 billion CDB loan facility by late March, but South Africa’s finance ministry said in a report to parliament last month that the drawdown had been delayed.



The South African government and Eskom are working to ensure the transfer of funds from CDB to Eskom, the public enterprises ministry said in a statement.



($1 = 14.5500 rand)



Reporting by Alexander Winning; Editing by David Goodman

Is Chinese loan to South Africa’s Eskom in jeopardy?

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/todd-haselton/">Todd Haselton</a>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Google keeps a log of everywhere you go if you use Google apps and services on your phone.</li><li>It has a creepy level of detail that might surprise you.</li><li>Google makes it easy to find this information and limit how it can track you, though. Here’s how to do that.</li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Google-CNBC-plain.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-335210"/></figure>



<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=GOOGL" class="">Google</a>&nbsp;knows a lot about you and, if you use Google Maps or other Google apps, it stores a copy of everywhere you go. I recently performed Google’s “Privacy Checkup” to learn a bit more about what it knows about me, and was pretty surprised at the level of detail it had on my exact locations.



I picked a random date: April 16, 2019. It knew everywhere I went, including that I took Interstate 95 to our office in northern New Jersey and that I arrived at 7:58 a.m. It knew that at 1:02 p.m. I drove to Jersey City and took a train in to Manhattan to the New York Stock Exchange before returning home at 4:38 p.m. And it has a copy of the pictures I took at each location.



It’s a creepy level of detail.



Google says it uses location history to “create a private map of where you go with your signed-in devices even when you aren’t using a specific Google service.” It also says the “map is only visible to you.” The data, it says, provides “improved map searches and commute routes, as well as helping you to rediscover the places you’ve been and the routes you’ve traveled.”



I don’t really care about that information. I know the roads I drove on April 16, and I can’t see any reason why Google should store it, even if it’s only for my use. I never know who might be able to access that data, even if Google promises it’s private.



You can stop Google from storing your location history and delete what it has already stored. Here’s how.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Google-CNBC-1110x727.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-335207"/><figcaption> Google keeps a creepy amount of information on where you’ve been. Todd Haselton | CNBC </figcaption></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>First, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://myaccount.google.com/privacycheckup" class="">myaccount.google.com/privacycheckup</a>. This is a good page to bookmark, since it gives you granular control over lots of privacy settings.</li><li>Next, scroll down to “Location History” and choose “Manage Location History.”</li><li>This is where you’ll see everywhere you’ve been. It’s a freaky level of detail.</li><li>Tap “Manage Location History” at the bottom of the screen again.</li><li>Toggle the button to turn off Location History.</li></ul>



To delete your history, do this:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Tap the settings button on the “Location History” map.</li><li>Select “Delete all location history.”</li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Google-CNBC-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-335208"/><figcaption> Turn off the option that allows Google to track your location history. Todd Haselton | CNBC </figcaption></figure>



That’s not it, though.



Google will continue tracking your location unless you also turn off a separate “Web &amp; App Activity” tracker. Google says it tracks your location from apps to provide “better recommendations, and more personalized experiences in Maps, Search, and other Google services.”



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Google-CNBC-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-335209"/><figcaption> Turn off the option that allows Google to track your web and app activity. Todd Haselton | CNBC </figcaption></figure>



To turn off web and app activity, do this:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Go to <a class="" href="https://myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols">myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols</a></li><li>Turn off the “Web &amp; Activity” toggle</li></ul>



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/25/how-to-stop-google-from-storing-your-location-history.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/25/how-to-stop-google-from-storing-your-location-history.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

Google knows everywhere you go — here’s how to stop it from tracking you and delete the logs

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/seth-asare-okyere-279492">Seth Asare Okyere</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/osaka-university-1303">Osaka University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-abunyewah-469315">Matthew Abunyewah</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-kofi-diko-267891">Stephen Kofi Diko</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cincinnati-1717">University of Cincinnati </a> 

Sub-Saharan Africa is already experiencing the realities of <a href="https://report.ipcc.ch/sr15/pdf/sr15_spm_final.pdf">a changing climate</a> – and the situation is only going to get worse. 

The reasons for this are complex. And they’re exacerbated by <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-90975-2_6">deficits</a> in the region’s infrastructure, services and socio-economic dynamics. <a href="https://theconversation.com/policymakers-have-a-lot-to-learn-from-slum-dwellers-an-accra-case-study-96940">Urbanisation</a> is another major factor. The continent’s current urban population is only <a href="https://population.un.org/wup/Publications/Files/WUP2018-KeyFacts.pdf">43%</a> – but it’s rising fast. About <a href="https://unhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02-old/Slum%20Almanac%202015-2016_EN.pdf">10 million</a> people move into towns and cities each year. 

It’s a <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-04873-0?fbclid=IwAR3KjI_gCsdrsHPgkf1JIoXQqmyh1GhH_r8BZsEWi25Xj407h7rFKvxSIzI#toc">well established fact</a> that good climate change adaptation strategies can reduce urban areas’ vulnerability and strengthen cities’ resilience.

But there’s a problem. 

Global agendas acknowledge the critical role that urban adaptation plays towards sustainable development and poverty reduction. However, they <a href="https://citiesipcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Informality-background-paper-for-IPCC-Cities.pdf">focus on</a> national governments and to a lesser extent urban governments. Citizens and civil society end up in subsidiary roles. This flies in the face of established <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eet.1795">evidence</a>: urban adaptation to climate change is more effective where local citizens participate and own the process.

How can this participation and ownership be nurtured? Our <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-04873-0_14">research</a> examined the conditions that can support citizen 
led urban climate adaption in Sub-Saharan Africa through the lens of “<a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781134143191">machizukuri</a>”. This is a Japanese term which literally translates as “community building”. It sees <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781134143191/chapters/10.4324/9780203961728-8">citizens and residents</a> take ownership of the issues that affect their local environment. 

We assessed Japan’s successful Machizukuri system to unearth the key principles needed to engage urban residents in climate adaptation in urban Africa. We found that there is potential for citizen-led urban adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa. Learning from the Machizukuri system, we can improve existing pockets of local activities, like tree planting and recycling, and identify new ones for climate adaptation.

<h2>The research</h2>

The Machizukuri system is considered to have <a href="http://www.usp.br/fau/iphs/abstractsAndPapersFiles/Sessions/36/WATANABE.pdf">emerged</a> from Japan’s citizen environmental movements in the 1960s and 1970s. 

In essence, this system underlines two critical points. First, that national governments must prioritise the role of citizens in urban climate adaptation. And second, the state should demonstrate commitment by actively working with citizens, community organisations and other stakeholders. 

By studying the system, we were able to draw out four key points. These could be considered by governments in sub-Saharan Africa that want to centralise the role of citizens in urban climate change adaptation. 

First, there’s the need for support networks and cooperation. Support networks include community groups or associations, civil society, local government, business organisations, researchers and professionals. Cooperation among these groups can strengthen technical support. It can also build local adaptive capacity and provide legitimacy to citizens’ role.

Secondly, urban climate change adaptation planning and processes must integrate existing citizen activities. This is crucial for legitimacy. It is a prerequisite to build trust and cooperation between communities and local government or related agencies. It also promotes a sense of value. Local people come to feel that their opinions and initiatives matter.

Thirdly, social capital in local areas could be harnessed to support citizens’ collective activities for urban climate change adaptation. Strong social ties and relationships in local urban communities can be highly beneficial. 

The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305900612000803">Yasu city</a> of Shiga prefecture in Japan offers a good example. Its local government worked with the leaders of residents’ networks to draw attention to climate change issues and communicate with individuals within these networks. This made it possible for different residents’ groups to organise around various interest areas. They then initiated various environmental activities. These included restoring the city’s green areas, cleaning its rivers and encouraging recycling.

Harnessing social capital in this way also fosters collective organising. It keeps communities enthusiastic about what they’re doing.

Finally, the extent to which citizen-led urban climate change adaptation could be prioritised depends on the availability of resources – especially financial support. Access to regular finance is important for sustaining citizen-led urban climate change adaptation. Governments that are prepared to bring citizens on board in a meaningful way must also be willing to provide at least some of the money they need to be sustainable and successful.

<h2>Applications in Africa</h2>

There are already some examples of citizen engagement in climate adaptation in a few African cities.

<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-in-african-cities-are-taking-charge-of-their-water-supplies-and-its-working-91758">Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia</a> are tackling seasonal drought and its effects by forming community networks and associations. In some cases, governments have noticed these initiatives and partnered with communities. They’ve provided technical and financial support to successfully implement the projects.

This suggests that the Machizukuri system, or variations of it, hold great promise for African cities. As Africa continues to <a href="https://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CDKN_Maputo-Mozambique_BP.pdf">experiment</a> with different ways to ensure adequate citizen engagement in climate adaptation, the Machizukuri system offers a useful blueprint. Citizen-led action can make all the difference for cities trying to adapt to the realities of climate change.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115726/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/seth-asare-okyere-279492">Seth Asare Okyere</a>, Assistant Professor, Division of Global Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/osaka-university-1303">Osaka University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-abunyewah-469315">Matthew Abunyewah</a>, Sessional lecturer, School of Architecture and Built Environment, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-kofi-diko-267891">Stephen Kofi Diko</a>, Adjunct Instructor and PhD Candidate in Regional Development Planning, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-cincinnati-1717">University of Cincinnati </a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-japanese-system-can-help-african-cities-adapt-to-climate-change-115726">original article</a>.

Can this Japanese system help African cities adapt to climate change?

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/ryan-browne/">Ryan Browne</a> and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/eustance-huang/">Eustance Huang</a> 





KEY POINTS



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The cryptocurrency market shed about $10 billion in value in the space of an hour late Thursday, CoinMarketCap data showed.</li><li>New York’s top lawyer alleges Bitfinex used at least $700 million from Tether’s cash reserves to cover up an $850 million loss.</li><li>Questions have arisen over whether Tether has enough dollar reserves to justify its token’s dollar peg and whether it was used to manipulate prices.</li></ul>



Cryptocurrencies fell amid reignited regulatory worries and questions around the legitimacy of so-called “stablecoin” tether.



The entire market shed about $10 billion in value in the space of an hour late Thursday, CoinMarketCap data showed. This after the New York attorney general&nbsp;<a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/attorney-general-james-announces-court-order-against-crypto-currency-company-under" class="">accused</a>&nbsp;the operator of bitcoin exchange Bitfinex and tether issuer Tether Limited of hiding an $850 million loss.



The state’s top lawyer alleges Bitfinex used at least $700 million from Tether’s cash reserves to cover up the apparent loss of $850 million of client and corporate funds. Its findings were detailed in papers filed with the Manhattan Supreme Court.



Tether is a cryptocurrency that is meant to be pegged to the U.S. dollar — otherwise known as a stablecoin. Worries have been raised over whether Tether Limited holds enough dollars to back all the tokens in circulation.



The price of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=BTC=" class="">bitcoin</a>, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, has fallen 4% over the last 24 hours, according to industry website CoinDesk. In the same time period, the prices of ethereum and XRP — the world’s second and third-largest virtual currencies by market value — also dropped 6% and 3%, respectively. Tether’s price fell over 1%, coming off its dollar peg.



The attorney general’s office said Thursday that Bitfinex handed $850 million to a Panama entity called Crypto Capital without disclosing it to investors. Executives at Bitfinex and Tether then allegedly “engaged in a series of conflicted corporate transactions” — where Bitfinex gave itself access to Tether’s cash reserves.



“Those transactions — which also have not been disclosed to investors — treat Tether’s cash reserves as Bitfinex’s corporate slush fund, and are being used to hide Bitfinex’s massive, undisclosed losses and inability to handle customer withdrawals,” the attorney general’s office said.



A court order issued by New York’s legal chief requires the operators of Bitfinex and Tether Limited to cease further losses of its U.S. dollar reserves. They are also barred from deleting or permitting others to delete potentially relevant documents and communications.Bitfinex’s response



Bitfinex said in response that the attorney general’s court filings were “written in bad faith” and “riddled with false assertions.” It flatly denied the alleged $850 million loss, stating the funds were “not lost but have been, in fact, seized and safeguarded.”



“Bitfinex and Tether have been fully cooperative with the New York attorney general’s office, as both companies are with all regulators,” the crypto exchange said in a <a class="" href="https://www.bitfinex.com/posts/356">statement</a> on its website. “The New York attorney general’s office should focus its efforts on trying to aid and support our recovery efforts.”



The company added that both Bitfinex and Tether are “financially strong,” and that it would challenge the order by New York.Why it matters



Tether is one of the most notable stablecoins on the market. It’s meant to be backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars to provide a stable value, and is often used as an alternative to government-backed money for crypto trading.



But it’s not been without controversy. Questions have arisen over whether it actually has enough dollar reserves to justify that dollar peg and whether it was used to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/13/much-of-bitcoins-2017-boom-was-market-manipulation-researcher-says.html" class="">manipulate bitcoin’s huge price spike</a>&nbsp;in 2017.



Charles Hayter, CEO of digital currency comparison firm CryptoCompare, said the New York fraud probe into tether was affecting the market. He said it creates a knock-on effect as tether is “so ubiquitous and so enigmatic.”



Cryptocurrencies have slumped massively from a monster rally in late 2017. Bitcoin, once worth almost $20,000, has fallen steeply to just under $5,300 as of Friday. It had a <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/02/bitcoin-rallies-14percent-to-its-highest-level-since-november-last-year.html">recent pop</a> last month that experts attributed to algorithm-driven trading.



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/26/cryptocurrency-bitcoin-price-falls-on-ny-ag-bitfinex-probe.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/26/cryptocurrency-bitcoin-price-falls-on-ny-ag-bitfinex-probe.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

Cryptocurrencies shed $10 billion in an hour on worries over ‘stablecoin’ tether

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/michelle-fox/">Michelle Fox</a> 



If you want a more productive employee, give them a paid day off from work every week. 



That’s the philosophy of Andrew Barnes, founder of the New Zealand company Perpetual Garden. He tried the experiment last year, and the results made both Barnes and his employees happy. Now his workers enjoy a permanent four-day work week.



“This is all about working smarter, not working longer,” said Barnes, whose firm manages wills, trusts and estates.



“We have this perception that you’ve got to work five days a week, 9-5. What we are really talking about is changing how people are behaving when they are at the office,” he recently told CNBC’s “The Exchange. ”



In other words, less goofing off and more focusing on work. The idea is that employees give the company 100% productivity. They still get 100% of their salary, but only work 80% of the standard hours.



It’s a success because employees get the perk — and they concentrate more consistently on work during that time than their 9-5 counterparts do, suggests Barns.



Several studies back him up. According to a U.K. study done in 2017 by deals site Vouchercloud, the average employee spends two hours and 53 minutes each day working productively.



Separately, a 2018 survey by the Workforce Institute at Kronos found that more than half of full-time workers thought they could do their job in five hours a day if they didn’t have any interruptions. It polled 3,000 employees across eight nations.



Barnes is hoping other employers learn from his experience. He recently wrote a report that laid out his results and includes recommendations for how to implement a similar program.



However, he said many companies are “scared” to take the chance because they’ve been so conditioned about a five-day work week.



“What we’re saying is that if you engage with your staff, if you give them the opportunity to come up with ideas, if you say to them, ‘look, if you do things differently we will gift you this day off a week,’ what they do is they change how they behave at work,” he said.



“That improves the productivity and that delivers that much higher output, but at the same time gives you all the benefits of work-life balance, [and] a healthier, more loyal, more engaged staff,” he added.



Barnes is not alone in recognizing the benefits of a shorter work week. Last year, the Berlin-based project management company Planio introduced a 4-day work week for its small staff. The ad agency Grey New York, owned by WPP, also launched a program last year that allowed staff to work a four-day week for 85% of their full-time salary.



—Reuters contributed to this report.



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/23/a-4-day-work-week-results-in-more-loyal-more-engaged-staff.html?forYou=true">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/23/a-4-day-work-week-results-in-more-loyal-more-engaged-staff.html?forYou=true</a> and is republished with its permission.

Forget the 5-day work week—just 4 days results in ‘a healthier, more loyal, more engaged staff’

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/sarah-berger/">Sarah Berger</a> 



The benefits of getting quality sleep are well-known and touted by moguls from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/21/why-jeff-bezos-makes-getting-8-hours-of-sleep-a-top-priority.html" class="">Jeff Bezos</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/22/what-time-successful-people-to-go-bed.html" class="">Richard Branson</a>. And on Sunday’s episode of “Shark Tank” on ABC, Mark Cuban — who is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/19/mark-cuban-on-longevity-aging-and-what-he-does-to-stay-healthy.html" class="">interested in health and wellness</a>&nbsp;— was so impressed by an invention to help improve sleep, he invested half a million dollars.



The main purpose of the&nbsp;lightweight, breathable Somnifix mouth strips founder Nicholas Michalak pitched to the Sharks is to reduce or eliminate snoring and mouth-breathing at night. (The hypoallergenic adhesive strips are applied over the mouth and cause you to breathe through your nose, though there is a vent in case mouth-breathing is necessary.)



And that’s no small market: About 40 percent of adult men and 24 percent of adult women&nbsp;<a href="http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/snoring/overview-and-facts" class="">are habitual snorers</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201109/is-snoring-harming-your-marriage" class="">can take a toll</a>&nbsp;on relationships with sleeping partners and also cause a litany of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/snoring-basics" class="">health issues</a>. Plus, the strips are beneficial to non-snorers too, because nose-breathing has benefits like helping to achieve a deeper sleep,&nbsp;<a href="https://somnifix.com/pages/benefits" class="">according to the company</a>.



Cuban is especially impressed that Michalak and his family invested $1.4 million in the business, including running clinical studies of the product at Harvard Medical School.



“Good for you for doing that,” Cuban says. “Most companies won’t invest that, and they’ll just wing it.”



Michalak — who is seeking $500,000 in exchange for a 10 percent stake — also notes that Somnifix has nine granted patents and intellectual property protection in over 70 countries.



But Barbara Corcoran isn’t sold, and actually sees spending that much money on the product as a negative.



“Nick, I think you spent about twice as much money then you needed to to get this off the ground,” Corcoran says. “That always causes concern for me, in terms of financial judgement.”



She’s out, as are Daymond John (who says it isn’t for him), Lori Greiner (who is unsure of how the market will respond to the product) and Kevin O’Leary (who says the company doesn’t align with the other investments in his portfolio).



That leaves Dallas Mavericks owner Cuban, who asks whether a sports version of the strips is a possibility. Michalak agrees that proper breathing is important for performance and says the company is already working on an adhesive that doesn’t dislodge when it comes into contact with liquid, like sweat.&nbsp;



There’s just on caveat for Cuban: The product’s marketing materials read, “Your nose is for breathing and your mouth is for eating,” which “sucks,” according to Cuban. With Michalak willing to change the slogan, Cuban offers a non-negotiable $500,000 for 20 percent of the company and the deal is made.



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/22/shark-tank-cuban-invested-six-figures-in-invention-to-stop-snoring.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/22/shark-tank-cuban-invested-six-figures-in-invention-to-stop-snoring.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

‘Shark Tank’: Why Billionaire Mark Cuban invested $500,000 in this invention that helps stop snoring

By <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/shawn-m-carter/">Shawn M. Carter</a> 



All eyes are on video-streaming giant Netflix, which faces new competition from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/what-a-1000-dollar-investment-in-disney-10-years-ago-would-be-worth-now.html" class="">Disney’s highly anticipated streaming platform,</a><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/disney-plus-will-be-available-starting-november-12-for-6point99-a-month.html" class="">Disney+,</a>&nbsp;as it reported its<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/16/netflix-reports-earnings-tuesday-after-the-bell.html" class="">&nbsp;first-quarter earnings</a>&nbsp;Tuesday.



Its stock fell more than 1% in after-hours trading, after closing with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=NFLX&amp;amp;qsearchterm=netfli" class="">share price around $360</a>.



Still, investing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/technology/16netflix.html" class="">in early 2007</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/about-netflix" class="">when Netflix first began streaming</a>, would have proved to be a good bet. A $1,000 investment made on Jan. 15, 2007, would be worth more than $110,000 as of midday April 16, 2019, according to CNBC calculations, fora total return of about 10,000%. Over the same period, the S&amp;P 500 was up just over 100%.



While the company’s stock took a slight dip after hours Tuesday, following its earnings release, it reported quarterly revenue that beat estimates and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/16/netflix-reports-earnings-tuesday-after-the-bell.html" class="">shares are up more than 34 percent</a>&nbsp;as of Tuesday’s close.



Many investors relayed optimistic messages early this week. In a note, analysts at banking firm KeyBanc <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/16/netflix-reports-earnings-tuesday-after-the-bell.html">seemed skeptical that new streaming competition could pose a significant threat</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NFLX_chart-4.1555438177659.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-334850"/></figure>



CNBC: Netflix stock as of April 16, 2019



“While other services may carve out valuable add-on positions, we do not expect the launch of new services from Apple, Disney, AT&amp;T, or others to meaningfully impact Netflix,” they said. “We continue to view Netflix’s strategic positioning very favorably.”



Investment banking company Deutsche Bank&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/16/deutsche-bank-buy-netflix-as-it-becomes-a-global-cultural-necessity.html" class="">raised its rating on Netflix shares from “hold” to “buy”</a>&nbsp;early Tuesday, saying the service is becoming more like a “platform” every day.



“Platform status brings network effects not available to peers and competitors,” analyst Bryan Kraft wrote in a note. “Specifically, this is making Netflix even more of a go-to destination when consumers want to watch something, and it means having Netflix is becoming more of a cultural necessity for people around the world. It also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/16/netflix-earnings-how-much-is-netflix-spending-on-content.html" class="">makes Netflix a magnet for talent</a>. ”



That means “consumers stay captive within the Netflix walled garden for significant amounts of time,” Kraft added. “Aside from pay TV, which is losing audience share, there are no other competing platforms that approach Netflix’s reach.”



Netflix had a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/13/netflix-will-double-subscribers-in-10-years-to-335-million-credit-suisse.html" class="">whopping 148 million total subscribers as of February</a>, and some analysts predict that number will grow to 335 million by 2028. By comparison, Disney+, which will&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/disney-plus-will-be-available-starting-november-12-for-6point99-a-month.html" class="">officially start streaming mid-November</a>, expects&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/12/disney-shares-are-surging-but-some-analysts-are-not-sold-on-the-streaming-service.html" class="">to reach 60 million to 90 million subscribers</a>&nbsp;by 2024.



While Netflix’s stock has shot up recently and has mostly done well over the years, though, any individual stock can <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/30/how-amazon-became-one-of-warren-buffetts-biggest-investment-regrets.html">over- or underperform</a> and <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/03/avoid-these-4-investing-mistakes.html">past returns do not predict future results</a>.



Not everyone is sanguine about the company’s prospects. While many believe Netflix’s platform won’t see major disruption thanks to Disney+,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/netflix-shares-look-risky-ahead-of-earnings-warns-technician.html" class="">shares fell a little more than 1%</a>&nbsp;following Disney’s announcement.



The “action obviously has nothing to do with anything other than a big competitor joining the ring, but what’s important here about Netflix is how poorly it’s been acting over the past one, two, three months and more,” analyst Carter Worth said on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/options-action/" class="">CNBC’s “Options Action.”</a>



Worth, chief market technician at market research company Cornerstone Macro, acknowledged that Netflix’s stock is “one of the great winners of all time,” but added, “I think it’s risky to go into earnings long, at least full long. I’d reduce or buy puts or some other strategy to protect oneself.”



Disney+ will also be more affordable to consumers than Netflix, which&nbsp;<a href="https://grow.acorns.com/netflix-subscription-price-increase/?gsi=611kqv" class="">recently raised its prices</a>. Disney+ will start at $6.99 a month or around $70 a year for popular content such as the “Star Wars” franchise, as well as the original content it is spending heavily to produce. Netflix, which aimed to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/16/netflix-earnings-how-much-is-netflix-spending-on-content.html" class="">spend up to $8 billion on content last year</a>&nbsp;— including on original content — is priced at $13 per month for its standard plan.



Netflix also faces competition from streaming services by Amazon and Apple. However, some analysts at bank-holding company SunTrust say more streaming options could be a positive,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/12/netflix-is-falling-on-concerns-of-competition-from-disney.html" class="">causing consumers to “accelerate cord-cutting”</a>&nbsp;and focus on their favorites.



If you’re <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/11/when-the-stock-market-tank-dont-do-these-3-things.html">looking to get into investing</a>, seasoned investors such as Warren Buffett <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/17/warren-buffett-and-tony-robbins-agree-on-the-best-way-to-invest-your-money.html">suggest you start with index funds</a>, which hold every stock in an index, meaning they’re automatically diversified and tend to be low cost. Plus, because they fluctuate with the market, they’re typically less risky than picking individual stocks.



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/16/what-a-1000-dollar-investment-in-netflix-in-2007-would-be-worth-now.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/16/what-a-1000-dollar-investment-in-netflix-in-2007-would-be-worth-now.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

If you invested $1,000 in Netflix in 2007, here’s how much you’d have now

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/john-hall/">By John Hall</a>



Americans have a much shorter life expectancy compared to almost all other high-income countries, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db293.pdf" class="">CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics</a>.



<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db293.pdf" class="">Recent data</a>&nbsp;reveals that people in the U.S. can expect to live an average of 78.7 years. That puts Americans well behind the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/360/bmj.k496/F1.large.jpg" class="">Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development</a>’s (OECD) average life expectancy of 80.3 years. (The OECD includes a group of developed countries like Canada, Germany, Mexico, Japan and France.)



Luckily, a 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/five-healthy-lifestyle-habits/" class="">study</a>&nbsp;from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found five habits that could&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/harvard-says-these-5-habits-can-prolong-your-life-by-10-years-2018-04-30" class="">prolong a person’s life by up to a decade</a>&nbsp;or more. For the study, researchers reviewed 34 years’ worth of data from 78,000 women and 27 years’ worth from more than 44,000 men.



The results showed a correlation between healthy behaviors and cardiovascular issues: Women and men who maintained the healthiest lifestyles were 82% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 65% less likely to die from cancer when compared to those with the least healthiest lifestyles over the course of the roughly 30-year study period.



The study suggested that maintaining these five habits could add up to 10 years or more to a person’s life:1. Maintain a healthy diet



This isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially when you’re juggling your work, family and social commitments. It may be tempting, for example, to grab a quick bite at a fast food chain on your lunch break or order takeout during late nights at the office.



But a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30041-8/fulltext" class="">recent study</a>&nbsp;published in the British journal The Lancet found that poor diets leads to one in five deaths. It can also lead to problems like high blood pressure and diabetes. A good diet, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/gbd" class="">researchers</a>, contains minimally processed, whole foods and grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and any natural source of protein (i.e., fish and beans).



If you’re serious about changing your eating habits, it may help to consult with a nutritionist. But for some instant inspiration, Richard Branson’s diet isn’t a bad one to follow: The Virgin Group founder eats&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-successful-leaders-eat-for-breakfast-2015-10" class="">muesli and fruit salad for breakfast</a>&nbsp;every day.2. Exercise daily



It’s absolutely essential to set aside time to exercise. Even the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/29/what-successful-people-like-bill-gates-and-jeff-bezos-do-on-weekends.html" class="">most successful business leaders</a>, like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/01/how-oprah-winfrey-found-her-calling.html" class="">Oprah Winfrey</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/09/jeff-bezos-sheryl-sandberg-and-other-leaders-who-prioritize-sleep.html" class="">Sheryl Sandberg</a>and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/02/micrsoft-billionaire-bill-gates-paid-30-million-for-this-book-25-years-ago-and-it-still-inspires-him-today.html" class="">Bill Gates</a>, make physical activity a daily priority.



A <a class="" href="https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/press-releases/2012/PhysicalActivityLifeExpectancy">study</a> from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that just small amounts of daily exercise can extend life expectancy by as much as 4.5 years. The main idea is to avoid inactivity, which can be a problem for those who have desk jobs. A few solutions: Get a standing desk, take walking meetings or dedicate 30 minutes of gym time before or after work.



“Physical activity has been shown to help maintain a healthy body weight, maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, promote psychological well-being and reduce the risk of certain diseases,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/physical-activity-fact-sheet" class="">including some cancers</a>, ” according to the NCI.3. Keep a healthy weight



According to the Harvard study, “weight control significantly reduced the risk of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular risk factors and breast cancer.”



A “healthy” weight varies from person to person, but the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) indicates that a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm" class="">body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9</a>&nbsp;is considered healthy. (Calculate your BMI&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm" class="">here</a>.)



Make it a point to weigh yourself often — not in an obsessive way, of course. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/a20430880/how-often-you-should-weigh-yourself-for-weight-loss/" class="">study</a>&nbsp;published in the International Journal of Obesity found that those who monitored their weight less frequently were more likely to gain weight. Start viewing the scale as tool to stay within the healthy range.4. Limit your alcohol intake



It’s hard to escape the sight of alcohol — it shows up at happy hour, conferences, social outings and so much more. To get through long days, some may even rely on alcohol as a stimulant in social settings. But there are many downsides. For starters, it can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4338356/" class="">add to your waistline</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asco.org/about-asco/press-center/news-releases/statement-alcohol-linked-to-cancer-november-2017" class="">increase the risk of several cancers</a>&nbsp;(i.e., breast, colon, esophagus).



While it can be difficult to moderate your alcohol intake — especially if you’re the&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2647075?redirect=true" class="">one in eight Americans</a>&nbsp;who struggles with alcohol addiction — keep in mind that the U.S. government’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-9/" class="">“Dietary Guidelines”</a>publication defines “moderate drinking” as one drink for women per day and two for men. (Note: One alcoholic drink-equivalent is defined as containing 14 grams (0.6 fl oz) of pure alcohol.)



But avoiding alcohol altogether puts you in good company; Warren Buffett, an 88-year-old billionaire, is a well-known&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/299353" class="">abstainer</a>.5. Don’t smoke



It’s been decades since the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3894634/" class="">tobacco industry started losing favor</a>&nbsp;with the American public. As the health risks of smoking have become increasingly apparent, there’s been more effort in warning people about the dangerous side effects.



That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to kick the unsightly habit, but your body will thank you in the long run. Former president Barack Obama was one successful leader who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boehner-obama-smoking-scared-to-death-of-michelle-2017-10" class="">quit smoking</a>&nbsp;through Nicorette gum. He gave up the habit while still in office and claimed to&nbsp;<a href="http://time.com/3916342/barack-obama-smoking/" class="">be “tobacco free” in 2017</a>.



John Hall is the co-founder and president of <a class="" href="https://www.calendar.com/">Calendar</a>, a time management app, and the co-founder of <a class="" href="http://www.influenceandco.com/">Influence &amp; Co.</a>, a content marketing agency. He is also the author of the best-selling book <a class="" href="https://www.amazon.com/Top-Mind-Content-Unleash-Influence/dp/1260011925">“Top of Mind.”</a>



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/09/harvard-study-says-these-5-habits-may-help-you-live-10-years-longer.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/09/harvard-study-says-these-5-habits-may-help-you-live-10-years-longer.html </a>and is republished with its permission.

A 30-year Harvard study reveals the 5 simple habits that may prolong your life by 10 years or more

NAIROBI (Reuters) &#8211; A Kenyan family has filed a lawsuit in Chicago against American aviation giant Boeing over a March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people, lawyers and family members said on Tuesday. 



Siblings of 29-year-old engineer George Kabau said they wanted to force the company to release documents and emails relating to its 737 MAX 8 model, which was grounded worldwide after two major plane crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia.



A preliminary report released earlier this month indicated Ethiopian Airlines pilots wrestled with a computer system that repeatedly ordered the nose down because of faulty sensor data. The same system was a focus of the preliminary report into the October Lion Air crash in Indonesia, which killed 189 people.



Dozens of families are already suing Boeing over the Lion Air crash, and three lawsuits have already been lodged over the Ethiopian Airlines crash, by the families of two Americans, including consumer activist Ralph Nader’s great niece, and a Rwandan.



Lion Air’s co-founder on Monday lashed out at Boeing’s handling of the accidents.



Kabua’s sister, Esther Kabau-Wanyoike, choked up as she told a press conference that she wanted to use her brother’s death to improve aviation safety.



“He didn’t leave a child. My mum is devastated,” she said. “We can use his demise to ensure safer travel for all.”



U.S. lawyer Nomi Husain, who is also representing one of the American families, said the lawsuit was filed in Chicago late on Monday. The family was seeking to hold Boeing accountable, he said.



“We want to let the litigation process play out,” he said. “When you put profits over safety, you will be held accountable and you will pay a price.”



Boeing, which has previously declined to comment on individual lawsuits, and directed enquiries about the crash to investigating authorities, had no immediate comment on the latest case.



Kenya had the largest number of citizens on the flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. At least 32 Kenyans were on board, the airline said at the time, although that number may be larger because some of the travellers were dual nationals and the full manifest has still not been released.



Additional reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by Georgina Prodhan

Kenyan family who lost a loved one in Ethiopian Airlines crash files lawsuit against Boeing

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/courtney-connley/">By Courtney Connley</a>



Are you the person in your company who cleans up your boss’s messes and soothes the hurt feelings they leave in their wake? 



If the answer is yes, says bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch, “you’re probably a toxic handler&nbsp;— a job likely handed to you without having been asked, and one you should shed as soon as humanly possible.”



The concept of the “toxic handler” was first introduced in a <a class="" href="https://hbr.org/1999/07/the-toxic-handler-organizational-hero-and-casualty">1999 Harvard Business Review article</a> written by Canadian business academics Sandra Robinson and the late Peter Frost. In the article, Welch tells <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/make-it/">CNBC Make It</a>, “Frost and Robinson did a brilliant job describing the heroics that toxic handlers often perform to keep their teams functioning.”



“Usually,” Welch says, ”[toxic handlers] are close in stature to the boss — a second-in-command, so to speak. And in that role, they manage to do their own jobs, plus spend an inordinate amount of time putting out the fires their boss has started.”



Welch says this job is an “unhealthy full-time side hustle,” and one that probably sounds all too familiar to many professionals.&nbsp;



In almost every situation, “being a toxic handler is a dead-end gig.” For one, it’s emotionally draining. And in many cases, “jerk bosses do get fired, and their toxic handlers are usually the collateral damage that goes out the door with them.”



“There’s no shame in being a toxic handler,” she emphasizes. “It’s a role usually imposed on the nicest people in an organization.”



But if that role has been given to you then it’s in your best interest to give it back, even if that means going to HR about the situation. “Your toxic boss may not be happy — he needs you to survive,” she says. “But if&nbsp;you&nbsp;want to survive, you have to let him clean up that mess himself. ”



Suzy Welch is the co-founder of the <a class="" href="http://jwmi.com/?mcv=jdg469">Jack Welch Management Institute</a>and a noted business journalist, TV commentator and public speaker. Think you need Suzy to fix your career? Email her at gettowork@cnbc.com.



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/suzy-welch-this-is-the-one-job-offer-you-should-never-accept.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/suzy-welch-this-is-the-one-job-offer-you-should-never-accept.html </a>and is republished with its permission.

Suzy Welch: This is the one job offer you should never accept

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/gillian-zoe-segal/">By Gillian Zoe Segal</a>



It’s no surprise that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/21/billionaire-warren-buffett-says-a-100-dollar-course-had-the-biggest-impact-on-his-success.html" class="">Warren Buffett</a>, the most successful investor in history, came to be known as “The Oracle of Omaha.” But the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/26/money-mistakes-millionaires-like-warren-buffett-bill-gates-google-eric-schmidt-never-make.html" class="">Berkshire Hathaway CEO</a>&nbsp;isn’t just a whiz at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/why-billionaires-warren-buffett-and-bill-gates-agree-this-is-the-best-business-book-of-all-time.html" class="">analyzing businesses</a>, he also has a knack for imparting the most essential wisdom in a manner so simple that even a child can understand.



In my new book,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1419715704/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;camp=1789&amp;amp;creative=9325&amp;amp;creativeASIN=1419715704&amp;amp;linkCode=as2&amp;amp;tag=getti043-20&amp;amp;linkId=X6UNEWPT2UNOA7CQ" class="">“Getting There: A Book of Mentors,”</a>&nbsp;30 leaders — including Buffett himself — share their unguarded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/14/deepak-chopra-if-you-want-to-be-a-great-leader-practice-these-3-things.html" class="">stories and secrets</a>&nbsp;to navigating the rocky road to the top.



In his&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Getting_There.html?id=SPDcoQEACAAJ" class="">essay</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/GIllian_Zoe_Segal_Getting_There?id=AQAAAIAHlF0USM" class="">“Getting There,”</a>&nbsp;Buffett elaborates on a message that he thinks “is very important to get across to younger people”: Take care of your mind and body.



Sounds simple, right?



But Buffett takes it a step further by offering an analogy: “Let’s say that I offer to buy you the car of your dreams. You can pick out any car that you want, and then when you get out of class this afternoon, that car will be waiting for you at home.”



As with most things in life, Buffett says there’s just one catch: It’s the only car you’re ever going to get&#8230;in your entire life.



“Now, knowing that, how are you going to treat that car?” he asks.



“You’re probably going to read the owner’s manual four times before you drive it; you’re going to keep it in the garage, protect it at all times, change the oil twice as often as necessary,” says Buffett. “If there’s the least little bit of rust, you’re going to get that fixed immediately so it doesn’t spread — because you know it has to last you as long as you live.”



And then, like a bag of bricks, Buffett hits us with a brilliant realization: The position you’re in with your car is exactly the position you’re in concerning your mind and body.



In other words, the way you treat your car should be no different than the way you treat your body.



“You have only one mind and one body for the rest of your life,” Buffett says. “If you aren’t taking care of them when you’re young, it’s like leaving that car out in hailstorms and letting rust eat away at it. If you don’t take care of your mind and body now, by the time you’re 40 or 50, you’ll be like a car that can’t go anywhere.”



Now, you might be wondering whether Buffett practices what he preaches — considering how&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/18/warren-buffett-buys-breakfast-from-mcdonalds-for-under-3-point-17.html" class="">vocal</a>&nbsp;the billionaire has been about his love for Coca-Cola, hamburgers, steaks and hash browns.



For the most part, the answer is yes.



When a New Jersey nutritional dentist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/id/32544241" class="">wrote Buffett a letter</a>&nbsp;encouraging him to eat more healthy foods, he responded by saying his diet isn’t as bad as most might think.



“I have a wonderful doctor who nudges me in your direction every time I see him. All in all, I’ve enjoyed remarkably good health — largely because of genes, of course — but also, I think, because I&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/05/amazon-billionaire-ceo-jeff-bezos-ask-yourself-these-12-questions-to-live-a-long-happy-life.html" class="">enjoy life</a>&nbsp;so much every day, ”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/id/32544241" class="">he said in his response</a>.



And back in 2007, when he was in his late 70s,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/id/32544241" class="">he told CNBC</a>&nbsp;that his doctor told him two years before: “Either you eat better or you exercise.”



Buffett chose the latter, which he called “the lesser of two evils.”



Gillian Zoe Segal is the author of <a class="" href="https://www.amazon.com/Getting-There-Gillian-Zoe-Segal/dp/1419715704">“Getting There: A Book of Mentors ”</a>and <a class="" href="https://www.amazon.com/New-York-Characters-Gillian-Segal/dp/0393041964">“New York Characters. ”</a> She received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She lives in New York City. Follow her on <a class="" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillian-zoe-segal-64041021/">Linkedin</a>.



This article was first published by CNBC<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/12/billionaire-warren-buffett-greatest-advice-to-millennials-the-1-thing-in-life-you-need-to-prioritize.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/12/billionaire-warren-buffett-greatest-advice-to-millennials-the-1-thing-in-life-you-need-to-prioritize.html</a> <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/paris-notre-dame-cathedral-on-fire-reuters.html"></a>and is republished with its permission.

Billionaire Warren Buffett wants young people to know: Ignoring this is like ‘leaving a car out in hailstorms’

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/nadine-el-bawab/">By Nadine El-Bawab</a>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral has been saved after the roof collapsed Monday as a massive fire ripped through the structure. Firefighters say the fire has been largely extinguished.</li><li>The area surrounding the cathedral was evacuated in case the structure fell.</li><li>A French Interior Ministry official had previously said firefighters may not have been able to save the cathedral.</li></ul>



Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral has been saved from “total destruction,” according to a French fire official, after a massive fire ripped through the structure on Monday and caused the roof and main spire to collapse.



The blaze burned for eight hours, but has now been largely extinguished, according to firefighters. One official was quoted as saying&nbsp;the two iconic rectangular towers have been saved, which will come a relief after one of the towers caught fire earlier in the evening. Earlier, a French Interior Ministry official had said that firefighters might not be able to save the cathedral.



“The worst has been avoided, but the battle isn’t fully won yet,” French President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/emmanuel-macron/" class="">Emmanuel Macron</a>&nbsp;said in a statement outside of the cathedral. He also expressed his sympathies to Catholics around the world, the people of Paris and the people of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/france/" class="">France</a>. The fire broke out just days before Easter.



“We will rebuild the cathedral together,” Macron said, adding that France will start an international fundraising campaign to raise money for the renovations.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">French President Macron speaks outside of Notre Dame after officials declared that the cathedral structure would be saved. <a href="https://t.co/ohhf84VGxm">https://t.co/ohhf84VGxm</a>&mdash; NBC News (@NBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1117907862317961217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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President Macron is treating the fire as a national emergency.



Residents living close to the cathedral were evacuated in case the building collapsed, said Paris Mayor Anne Hildago. The area surrounding the cathedral, Paris’ Ile de la Cite, was also evacuated, according to Reuters.



One fireman was “seriously injured,” an official said. That was the only reported casualty, according to Reuters.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Shot taken from a drone flying above <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/notredame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#notredame</a> <a href="https://t.co/JQmFF1xImV">pic.twitter.com/JQmFF1xImV</a>&mdash; Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmichaiStein1/status/1117883858010169345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the fire soon after the damage began. Late Monday, prosecutors said their preliminary findings suggested the huge fire had been started accidentally.



Firefighters at the scene directed much of their efforts toward saving the artwork stored at the back of the cathedral, which had been undergoing renovations.



Notably, 16 religious statues were removed from the cathedral for cleaning on Thursday — for the first time in over a century — and therefore escaped the fire.



The Paris mayor and firefighters warned people to stay away from the area. 



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Un terrible incendie est en cours à la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Les <a href="https://twitter.com/PompiersParis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PompiersParis</a> sont en train de tenter de maîtriser les flammes. Nous sommes mobilisés sur place en lien étroit avec le <a href="https://twitter.com/dioceseparis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dioceseParis</a>. J&#39;invite chacune et chacun à respecter le périmètre de sécurité. <a href="https://t.co/9X0tGtlgba">pic.twitter.com/9X0tGtlgba</a>&mdash; Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anne_Hidalgo/status/1117840421923827712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Je n&#39;ai pas de mot assez fort pour exprimer la douleur que je ressens face à <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> ravagée par les flammes. Ce soir, tous les Parisiens et Français pleurent cet emblème de notre Histoire commune. De notre devise, nous tirerons la force de nous relever. Fluctuat nec mergitur. <a href="https://t.co/0kRRvAqNIT">pic.twitter.com/0kRRvAqNIT</a>&mdash; Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anne_Hidalgo/status/1117868749644636160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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At one point, as many as four hundred firefighters were working to put out the blaze, according to the Ministry of the Interior for France.



Earlier on Monday, a cathedral spokesman said the entire wooden interior of the Notre Dame was burning and likely to be destroyed.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">wow. Let&#39;s hope such an iconic and historic building can survive this fire. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/notredamefire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#notredamefire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/notredamecathedral?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#notredamecathedral</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paris</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/france?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#france</a> <a href="https://t.co/j4qpcriCIy">pic.twitter.com/j4qpcriCIy</a>&mdash; Andrew Curry (@andrewcurryla) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewcurryla/status/1117848369471164418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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 Video showed people gathering near the cathedral as the fire continued to rage on. 



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">As Notre Dame continues to burn in Paris a group tries to cope with what’s happening by coming together in song&#8230;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDameFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDameFire</a> <a href="https://t.co/wfwh4zQhiv">pic.twitter.com/wfwh4zQhiv</a>&mdash; Angel (@AngelBlabber) <a href="https://twitter.com/AngelBlabber/status/1117885946274312192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century and is famous for featuring in Victor Hugo’s classic novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” attracts millions of tourists every year. 



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">First photos/videos emerge on social media <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> MORE: <a href="https://t.co/OmXn0Zm5j4">https://t.co/OmXn0Zm5j4</a><a href="https://t.co/QZdG5XOUaD">pic.twitter.com/QZdG5XOUaD</a>&mdash; RT (@RT_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1117838648823693317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Earlier on Monday, President Emmanuel Macron mourned the landmark in a tweet and canceled an address to the nation that he had been due to give later Monday evening. 



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Notre-Dame is aflame. Great emotion for the whole nation. Our thoughts go out to all Catholics and to the French people. Like all of my fellow citizens, I am sad to see this part of us burn tonight. <a href="https://t.co/27CrJgJkJb">https://t.co/27CrJgJkJb</a>&mdash; Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1117889484358426625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">After my last tweet, I got a couple DMs asking firefighting related questions about the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDameFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDameFire</a>. I -like most of you- are watching from a world away. But if you’re interested in some profession specific things I’d note/be concerned of, you can follow this thread. <a href="https://t.co/golMnbYsDK">pic.twitter.com/golMnbYsDK</a>&mdash; Gregg Favre (@GreggFavre) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreggFavre/status/1117847726786371585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a>: &#39;The roof has entirely collapsed, there are flames coming out the back of the cathedral as if it was a torch&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/charli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@charli</a>, Journalist at France 24, at the scene of the fire. <a href="https://t.co/2B0IrMiDcL">pic.twitter.com/2B0IrMiDcL</a>&mdash; FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/France24_en/status/1117846962974248960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, <a class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/trump-encourages-france-to-use-flying-water-tankers-for-notre-dame-fire.html">addressed the fire</a> in a tweet early Monday afternoon. 



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1117844987293487104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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British Prime Minister Theresa May also tweeted her support for the people of France. 



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">My thoughts are with the people of France tonight and with the emergency services who are fighting the terrible blaze at Notre-Dame cathedral.&mdash; Theresa May (@theresa_may) <a href="https://twitter.com/theresa_may/status/1117873657924075520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Vatican released a statement that it was praying for firefighters and all “those doing everything possible to confront this dramatic situation.”



“The Holy See has seen with shock and sadness the news of the terrible fire that has devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame, symbol of Christianity in France and in the world,” the statement also said.



Notre Dame had been in the midst of renovations, with some sections under scaffolding.



The President of the U.S. Bishops’ conference, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, expressed his support for the people of Paris in a statement.



“The horrific fire that is engulfing the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is shocking and saddens us all, for this particular cathedral is not only a majestic Church, it is also a world treasure,” he said, adding, “our hearts go out to the Archbishop and the people of Paris, and we pray for all the people of France, entrusting all to the prayers and intercession of the Mother of God, especially the firefighters battling the fire”



<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/scenes-of-notre-dame-cathedral-in-flames.html" class="">You can see images of the fire here.</a>



—Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/paris-notre-dame-cathedral-on-fire-reuters.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/15/paris-notre-dame-cathedral-on-fire-reuters.html </a>and is republished with its permission.

Paris’ Notre Dame ‘saved from total destruction,’ French fire official says, after blaze ravages cathedral

By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mattia-cacciatori-140900">Mattia Cacciatori</a>, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bath-1325">University of Bath</a>

A military coup d’etat in Sudan has ended Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year rule. In a widely publicised press conference, the country’s Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-47891470">announced</a>

<blockquote>
the toppling of the regime and detaining (of) its chief in a secure place.
</blockquote>

Al-Bashir’s whereabouts is of interest because he’s wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide in Darfur. 

The ICC’s case stretches back to 2005 with the publication of <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2005/02/127392-un-commission-finds-sudanese-government-responsible-crimes-darfur">a UN report</a> that accused the Sudanese government of systematic abuses in Darfur. The United Nations Security Council then referred the suspects to the ICC. 

In the following years, the ICC would release two arrest warrants against al-Bashir – in 2009 and in 2010 – on several counts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In 2014, the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/14/omar-al-bashir-celebrates-icc-decision-to-halt-darfur-investigation">shelved the case</a> due to a lack of cooperation in pushing for al-Bashir’s arrest. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/oct/21/omar-bashir-travels-world-despite-war-crime-arrest-warrant">Many</a> saw the shelving as emblematic of the court’s lack of power over powerful individuals, especially sitting heads of state.

The fact that al-Bashir has been deposed will again raise questions about whether there’s a possibility of seeing the former Sudanese president facing trial at the ICC. Commentators have already expressed different opinions on whether he will or won’t end up facing trial at The Hague. Views either highlight the fact that he’s likely to face trial because he no longer enjoys the privileges associated with his position. Or that he still has influence over the new government and, as such, bringing him to The Hague would be extremely complicated.

I believe the trickier question is whether the ICC should prosecute the former Sudanese president. This might seem like a redundant and even immoral question – if not him, then who? But it’s not that simple. 

Let me be clear. I have no sympathy for al-Bashir – nor for any dictator whose policies harm, or aim to harm, civilians. 

But I believe the particular circumstances of al-Bashir’s case mean that the court is between a rock and a hard place. That’s because two very difficult issues arise out of the present circumstances. Both have serious implications for the court and its work, as well as whether sitting heads of state believe they can act with impunity.

<h2>The conundrum</h2>

The idea behind attempted prosecutions of sitting heads of state is that they should be prosecuted – irrespective of their position – in instances when crimes of huge magnitude have been committed.

Originally, the idea was to discourage sitting heads of states from committing heinous crimes by putting in place limits to the exercise of sovereign statehood. In other words, knowing that your position of power is not going to prevent international prosecution, should ideally act as a deterrent. 

Unfortunately, when the ICC attempted to turn this idea into pragmatic action, it met extraordinary resistance. In Kenya, <a href="https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/item.aspx?name=otp-statement-05-12-2014-2">for instance</a>, the prosecution against the current sitting Head of State Uhuru Kenyatta, was dropped in 2014 after the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda, said it was impossible to investigate the crimes further. This was because witnesses were terrified to testify and the Kenyan government refused to cooperate.

In recent years the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/12/african-union-icc-kenyan-president">the African Union</a> has gone as far as suggesting that in the future the court should rather focus on mid-level officials.

But if the ICC doesn’t prosecute al-Bashir, it will give credit to critics who think that the court is essentially powerless against the most powerful political figures in a country. 

On the other hand, if it does, it would suggest that powerful individuals can only be prosecuted when they leave their positions of power. 

And here lies my preoccupation. 

If the Court prosecuted al-Bashir right now, it would be sending a worrying message to other dictators: do whatever you want, as long as you maintain power. Or, to be even more explicit, do whatever you can to maintain power. 

This is a strikingly dangerous message to project for two reasons.

<h2>Dangerous message</h2>

The first problematic message that taking al-Bashir to court would send involves war-torn countries.

The fact that many of the cases in which the ICC is expected to act happen in regions and countries at war, the message is likely to hinder the resolution of a conflict by providing an extra incentive to those in power not to step down. 

Syria provides an interesting example. In the context of the country’s civil war, an al-Bashir prosecution at this stage would warn Syrian leader Bashar Hafez al-Assad about what could happen if he stepped down. Given that recent diplomatic <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/syria-talks-led-russia-iran-turkey-revived-sochi-180730152251886.html">talks</a> to end the Syrian conflict largely revolved around Assad renouncing his presidency, seeing al-Bashir facing trial could stiffen Assad’s position even more.

The second problem is one of perception. To see al-Bashir face trial at The Hague, the Court needs the cooperation of the newly installed military government. But, as academic and Sudan expert Alex de Waal <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/11/world/africa/omar-bashir-sudan.html">points out</a>, al-Bashir was a spider at the centre of an intricate web. And it’s almost certain that at least parts of the new government have been involved in the crimes for which al-Bashir is wanted. Cooperation has historically meant that the Court would need to implicitly agree with the new government that it wouldn’t prosecute its members. 

There’s an uncomfortable precedent to this. The memory of Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, posing for pictures with Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni’s government are still vivid. Back then, the major concern was about impartiality. As Mark Kersten has pointed out, this was <a href="https://justiceinconflict.org/2015/03/19/why-the-icc-wont-prosecute-museveni/">seen as</a> the ICC neglecting state-perpetrated crimes. The Court still needs [to recover from] this incident. 

Where does this leave the ICC? The situation isn’t easy to solve. It seems that the power that states still retain over the Court is an insurmountable obstacle in the prosecution of sitting heads of state. I particular, their willingness, or not, to cooperate. 

In this sense, I think that the ICC is in a lose/lose situation. 

Unfortunately, developments around any case against al-Bashir aren’t likely to redress these problems. They’re more likely to highlight them even more.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115388/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mattia-cacciatori-140900">Mattia Cacciatori</a>, Lecturer in International Relations and International Security, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bath-1325">University of Bath</a>

This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/al-bashir-why-the-icc-is-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place-115388">original article</a>.

Why the ICC is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to Sudan’s Al-Bashir

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) &#8211; Tanzania has agreed a new $1.7 billion financing deal with the World Bank to fund various projects during fiscal year 2019/20, its finance ministry said on Saturday.



The agreement, which is comprised of low-interest loans and grants, includes a $400m loan for education and $300m for a poverty reduction programme.



“Part of the financing will also be used to fund various infrastructure projects, such as roads, water, information and communication technology&#8230;and energy,” the ministry said in the statement.



Tanzania plans to raise its total spending in 2019-20 (July-June) slightly to 33.11 trillion shillings ($14.16 billion), with the funds going towards improving roads, railways and rural electricity supplies.



The financing deal was reached during talks between Tanzania’s finance and planning minister Philip Mpango and the World Bank Vice President for Africa Hafez Ghalem in Washington.



The spending is up from 32.48 trillion shillings in the fiscal year that will end in June.



Loans and grants are a big source of foreign currency for Tanzania.



Reporting by Fumbuka Ng&#8217;wanakilala; Editing by Hereward Holland

This East African country agrees to $1.7 billion financing deal with World Bank

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/david-neagle/">By David Neagle</a>



Behind every&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/24/warren-buffett-and-bill-gates-agree-giving-up-this-one-thing-will-make-you-more-successful.html" class="">successful entrepreneur</a>&nbsp;is a list of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/24/warren-buffett-and-bill-gates-agree-giving-up-this-one-thing-will-make-you-more-successful.html" class="">books</a>&nbsp;that have helped them navigate the intricacies of running a business and living a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/05/amazon-billionaire-ceo-jeff-bezos-ask-yourself-these-12-questions-to-live-a-long-happy-life.html" class="">victorious life</a>.



While more recent books like Phil Knight’s&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Phil_Knight_Shoe_Dog?id=wO3PCgAAQBAJ" class="">“Shoe Dog,”</a>&nbsp;Ray Dalio’s<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ray_Dalio_Principles?id=6LGuDgAAQBAJ" class="">“Principles”</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/20/simon-sinek-these-2-life-changing-books-will-train-your-brain-for-success.html" class="">Simon Sinek’s</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/info/name/Simon_Sinek?id=02r9pqc" class="">“Start with Why”</a>&nbsp;stand out as a few favorites of top CEOs,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/24/warren-buffett-and-bill-gates-agree-giving-up-this-one-thing-will-make-you-more-successful.html" class="">Warren Buffett and Bill Gates</a>&nbsp;both agree that the best business book of all time was written 50 years ago.



When the two billionaires first met back in 1991, Gates asked Buffett to recommend his favorite business book. Without missing a beat, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO answered:&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ZMPTAwAAQBAJ&amp;amp;gl=us&amp;amp;source=productsearch&amp;amp;utm_source=HA_Desktop_US&amp;amp;utm_medium=SEM&amp;amp;utm_campaign=PLA&amp;amp;pcampaignid=MKTAD0930BO1&amp;amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyfzFlo_I4QIVm4izCh2lOwesEAQYAiABEgKg4_D_BwE&amp;amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" class="">“Business Adventures”</a>&nbsp;by John Brooks, then said he would send his copy to Gates.



“More than two decades after Warren lent it to me — and more than four decades after it was first published — ‘Business Adventures’ remains the best business book I’ve ever read. John Brooks is still my favorite business writer,” Gates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Business-Adventures" class="">wrote in his blog</a>&nbsp;back in 2014. (He cheekily added, “And Warren, if you’re reading this, I still have your copy.”)It stands the test of time



“Business Adventures” is a compilation of 12 stories — previously published in The New Yorker, where Brooks was a staff writer — about some of the most important events in 20th Century corporate America. Each profile is a fascinating account of how a certain moment in history shaped an entire company.



But what truly makes the book so brilliant (apart from its wonderful prose) is that it can appeal to readers who aren’t even interested in the nature of finance. It offers a goldmine of lessons about people and life — our instinctive behaviors, what makes us excel and what troubles lie ahead if we give into our inherent savageries.



Here are most essential life lessons from “Business Adventures”:



1. When you become blind to change, you become obsolete.



In his book, Brooks writes about one of Ford Motor Company’s biggest failures: the 1958 <a class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-flop-bill-gates-favorite-case-studies-2014-7">Ford Edsel</a>, which the automaker had intended to be the “new and ultimate” car for middle-class Americans. Brooks notes that Ford wanted to make a car that fit the needs of the American public, so it polled the population to see what they wanted most.



Ford was dissatisfied with the poll results and ended up going its own way. Eager to create hype, it began marketing the car one year before it was even completed. And on launch day, the model was delivered with oil leaks and trunks that wouldn’t open. It was also mocked as being too expensive and using up too much gas.



When you stop paying attention to the evolving changes of society and human needs, you fall behind and become vulnerable to competitors.



2. Failure isn’t a bad thing — accept it, learn from it, and move on from it.



The big Edsel flop led to a $350 million loss. And yet, Ford’s executives took zero responsibility for their failures. In fact, they claimed to have done everything right.



While writing the story, Brooks said a marketing manager told him it was the customers who were at fault. “What they’d been buying for several years encouraged the industry to build exactly this kind of car,” the representative said. “We gave it to them, and they wouldn’t take it. Well, they shouldn’t have acted like that. And now the public wants these little beetles. I don’t get it!”



People often think,&nbsp;If I fail, I will lose something very important&nbsp;— like getting into a good college, working at (or starting) a great company, getting a promotion, making lots of money and so on. But learning from our mistakes is one of the greatest tools for learning; it gives us information on what we need to do differently to succeed in life.



3. Never underestimate the importance of company culture and values.



This is a powerful lesson for anyone — whether you’re a founder, manager, employee or job seeker.



Brooks describes Xerox founder Joseph C. Wilson as being ahead of his time in the ’60s because of how he prioritized building a compassionate work culture. He made it his duty to donate millions of dollars to charities and universities. He implemented progressive hiring policies during the civil rights movement.



“To set high goals, to have almost unattainable aspirations, to imbue people with the belief that they can be achieved&#8230;these are as important as the balance sheet, perhaps more so,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/media/features/books/Bill_Gates_John_Brooks_Business_Adventures_Xerox_Free_Chapter_eReader.pdf" class="">Wilson said once</a>&nbsp;according to Brooks.



Today, more than ever, employees value unity and purpose in a company — and they’re not afraid to quit or reject a job offer from a company with a bad reputation. Having good company culture will likely lead to higher productivity and motivation, fewer employee health issues and less turnover.



Keep this in mind as well if you’re a job seeker. Joining a company with poor culture won’t keep you happy in the long run.If you haven’t read the book&#8230;



Millennials weren’t born when Brooks’ classic first hit shelves in 1969. (Heck, their parents were barely out of grade school.) But every young and driven person should read “Business Adventures” if they want to deepen their expertise, excel in their ever-evolving careers and thrive in life.



This article was first published by CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/why-billionaires-warren-buffett-and-bill-gates-agree-this-is-the-best-business-book-of-all-time.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/why-billionaires-warren-buffett-and-bill-gates-agree-this-is-the-best-business-book-of-all-time.html</a> and is republished with its permission.

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