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<p>Phillip Morris South Africa is offering a new range of reduced risk products to reach their vision of a smoke free world.</p>


How PMSA’s smoke free vision is affected by FDA clamp down on menthol cigarettes

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<p>He’s not afraid to share his views on what’s wrong with Africa’s education system or how to fix it. Dr David Namwandi, the founder of Namibia’s privately owned International University of Management spoke to CNBC Africa’s Monique Vanek about these issues at ABN Event Productions&#8217; Future of Education Summit.</p>


David Namwandi on how to fix Africa’s education system

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<p>According to the UN, by 2050 the world&#8217;s oceans will carry more plastic than fish. What role can businesses play in curbing this? Thembakazi Ndamase, Marketing Director from Sodastream joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How corporate SA plays a part in combatting plastic pollution

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<p>Arrowhead Properties reported a drop in vacancies dropped from 12 to 7.9 per cent for the year ended 30 September 2018. The group&#8217;s property portfolio and listed investments suffered decreased income contributions. Joining CNBC Africa for more is Mark Kaplan, CEO, Arrowhead.</p>


Arrowhead reports reduced vacancies, decline in FY dividend

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<p>It is that time of the year when most people are travelling out of their homes heading to various holiday destinations. In South Africa festive season also experiences increased road carnages resulting in increased insurance claims too. Naked Insure has issued some warnings and tips for motorists to remember if they find themselves involved in accidents which might save them some challenges with their insurance companies or just reduce their headache. Co-Founder of Naked Insure Sumarie Greybe joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Tips for motorists during high peak accident season

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<p>Knight Frank South Africa is now Galetti Corporate Real Estate. The company re-branding comes after finalisation of an investment deal with black-owned private equity business, Symmetry Capital Partners. CEO John Jack joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Knight Frank SA concludes investment deal with black owned private equity business

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<p>The multi-million dollar sell off of the remnants of one of the biggest business stories in South African history got underway in the last hour. Under the hammer went the remains of the liquidated TNA newspapers once owned by the Gupta brothers who are alleged to have used undue influence over the state to win contracts that made them billions. On sale will be everything from chairs and tables to fridges. Auctioneer Clive Lazarus spoke to CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Gupta media assets auctioned off

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<p>The illict tabacco industry has come under fire with SARS investigating illegal traders. With promises from SARS of a crackdown, how much has been done? Joining CNBC Africa for more is Francois van der Merwe, Chair of the Tobacco Institute for Southern Africa.</p>


How Tom Moyane caused illicit cigarette trade in SA to blow up

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<p>Joining CNBC Africa to share analysis about the latest developments in local labour legislation is Advocate Tertius Wessels, Legal Director, Strata-G Labour Solutions.</p>


How will SA regulate minimum wage bill?

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<p>Joining CNBC Africa to discuss the challenges faced by women in South Africa’s corporate space is Donna Rachelson, CEO of Branding &#038; Marketing YOU.</p>


How to achieve gender equality in the workplace

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<p>Assets belonging to Gupta-linked media groups are set to be sold on auction tomorrow and will open with the sale of The New Age Media’s previous headquarters in the Midrand. CNBC Africa&#8217;s Lubabalo Mashiqana shares more details.</p>


Seized Gupta assets up for auction

<p>ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) &#8211; Ethiopia’s prime minister met members of 81 opposition parties on Tuesday to discuss ways of reforming the electoral system, his office said, as he pressed on with promises to open up a political arena dominated by his coalition.</p>
<p>Abiy Ahmed has turned national politics on its head since coming to power in April by welcoming back exiled opposition and separatist groups, releasing prisoners and appointing a formerly jailed dissident as head of the election board.</p>
<p>The meeting focused “on highlighting the reforms required to ensure the upcoming election is free &amp; fair, and the shared responsibilities of all,” his office said on Twitter. There was no immediate comment from any of the opposition groups.</p>
<p>Abiy’s ruling EPRDF coalition has been in power in Ethiopia &#8211; a major Western ally in an unstable region &#8211; since 1991. The grouping and its affiliated parties currently hold all the seats in parliament.</p>
<p>Last week he appointed Birtukan Mideksa as head of the board preparing for the next national elections, scheduled for 2020.</p>
<p>Birtukan was one of dozens of opposition figures arrested in the violent aftermath of a 2005 vote &#8211; when an opposition coalition stood against the government across the country, then challenged the EPRDF’s victory.</p>
<p>Security forces opened fire on crowds who took to the streets accusing the government and the election board of rigging the 2005 vote. Dozens died.</p>
<p>Abiy &#8211; the first member of Ethiopia’s majority Oromo group to lead a coalition long dominated by ethnic Tigrayans &#8211; has promised to rein in the powerful security services and started consultations to rework an anti-terrorism law that critics said had criminalised dissent.</p>
<p>Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Andrew Heavens</p>


Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held a meeting with opposition parties, here’s what was discussed

<figure><img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242751/original/file-20181029-76384-1torm2j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="File 20181029 76384 1torm2j.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1" /><figcaption>High magnification view of mosquito pupae and larvae underwater.<br />
<span class="attribution"><span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-mosquito-pupae-larvae-underwater-134180195?src=FIzxvIwFKsqKs5Wq0P2SbQ-1-51">7th Son Studio/shutterstock</a></span></span></figcaption></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wei-chiao-huang-580146">By Wei-Chiao Huang</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-at-buffalo-the-state-university-of-new-york-925">University at Buffalo, The State University of New York</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-lovell-588898">Jonathan Lovell</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-at-buffalo-the-state-university-of-new-york-925">University at Buffalo, The State University of New York</a></em></p>
<p>Is it possible to eradicate malaria?</p>
<p>It is a question with which many researchers have grappled, and many ideas have been proposed. The reason malaria has garnered so much attention is that it is one of the deadliest diseases, infecting 200 million people and killing <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/malaria/index.html">more than 500,000 annually</a>, with infants in Africa suffering the majority of fatalities.</p>
<p>The disease is a huge burden for humanity, damaging economies and social development. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/malaria/index.html">According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, malaria treatments cost Africa nearly US$12 billion per year. Reports have shown that nearly <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/malaria/index.html">1,700 cases</a> are diagnosed annually in the United States, usually in people who have recently traveled to regions of Asia and Africa where the disease is endemic.</p>
<p>For some decades, researchers have being working on a novel idea called a “transmission-blocking vaccine.” This vaccine is different from traditional vaccines that protect the recipient from getting the disease. Here, the vaccine blocks the transmission of the parasite that causes malaria from an infected human host to mosquitoes.</p>
<p>When a human receives such a vaccine, specific antibodies are generated in the blood. When a mosquito bites and ingests the blood of an infected human, both the parasite and antibody are taken up into the mosquito’s stomach. Once inside the mosquito, the antibody attaches to the parasite and inhibits its development. This prevents the mosquito from transmitting the disease to another person.</p>
<p>The concept is bold but has not yet been tested in large-scale trials.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243740/original/file-20181103-83626-1g5m9ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243740/original/file-20181103-83626-1g5m9ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243740/original/file-20181103-83626-1g5m9ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=460&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243740/original/file-20181103-83626-1g5m9ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=460&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243740/original/file-20181103-83626-1g5m9ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=460&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243740/original/file-20181103-83626-1g5m9ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=578&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243740/original/file-20181103-83626-1g5m9ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=578&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243740/original/file-20181103-83626-1g5m9ao.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=578&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">How the transmission blocking vaccine works. The cycle of disease begins when a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite bites the first individual, infecting him with the disease. The paracite then replicates in the liver and spreads into the blood. When the vaccine is injected into the infected person, it stimulates the body to produce antibodies that then attach to the new parasites. When another mosquito feeds on the infected individual, it slurps up the malaria parasite and the antibody. The antibody prevents the immature parasite from developing, which means that this mosquito is unable to transmit the disease.</span><br />
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wei-Chiao Huang</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure>
<h2>Liposomes: A vaccine carrier</h2>
<p>A vaccine works by showing the body a piece of the disease-causing microbe. The part itself doesn’t cause disease but gives the body a preview of the invader so that it can prepare antibodies that will tag the microbe and label it for destruction.</p>
<p>To develop a potent vaccine that induces a strong antibody response, the choice of protein from the disease-causing organism is critical. Scientists home in on particular proteins that the microbes produce to spike the vaccine. For our work, we chose a well-studied protein called Pfs25, which is found on the surface of the malaria parasite.</p>
<p>The parasite displays this protein on its surface when it is developing in the midgut of the mosquito. Pfs25 as target protein for transmission-blocking vaccine has been clinically <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02013687">tested</a> <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02532049">in</a> <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01867463">Phase</a> <a href="https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02334462">I</a> <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02942277">trials</a>; however, progress has been limited. That’s because, by itself, the Pfs25 protein triggers only weak production of specific antibodies.</p>
<p>In other approaches, researchers have taken steps to genetically engineer a modified and more potent Pfs25 for <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02013687">other</a> <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/results/NCT02532049?view=results">clinical</a> trials. In general, such approaches are promising, but there is some potential risk that the target protein does not exactly mimic the natural protein on the parasite.</p>
<p>We believe that a new type of vaccine that incorporates liposomes may be a promising candidate for a transmission-blocking vaccine adjuvant. An adjuvant is another vaccine component that potentiates the immune response. Liposomes are hollow spheres made from fat molecules.</p>
<p>The advantage of the liposomes, compared to just the Pfs25 protein alone, is that they can help deliver more parasite protein to immune cells. These cells uptake the liposomal vaccines and trigger the production of more antibodies which then target the parasite for destruction and block the disease.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/%7Ejflovell/people.html">Jonathan Lovell’s</a> team has developed a liposome as a vaccine to fight against malaria. In 2015, Dr. Lovell’s team figured out how to anchor proteins to the liposome by attaching them <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2236">to a string of amino acids called a histidine tag</a>. The tag works like an anchor which attaches the protein to the liposome.</p>
<p>Adding a cobalt-containing molecule, with a structure similar to vitamin B12, made the liposome-protein structure stable.</p>
<h2>Eliminating the spread of malaria</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0271-3">The Lovell lab developed</a> a cobalt-laced liposome-based vaccine that displays the parasite proteins on its surface.</p>
<figure class="align-center "><img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243731/original/file-20181102-83635-1rcyw17.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/243731/original/file-20181102-83635-1rcyw17.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=221&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243731/original/file-20181102-83635-1rcyw17.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=221&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243731/original/file-20181102-83635-1rcyw17.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=221&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243731/original/file-20181102-83635-1rcyw17.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=277&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243731/original/file-20181102-83635-1rcyw17.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=277&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/243731/original/file-20181102-83635-1rcyw17.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=277&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Making a liposome vaccine: The Pfs25 protein is tethered to a histidine tag (green) and mixed together with a cobalt-containing liposome. The two parts combine to make a vaccine that is injected into the mouse. The insert shows how the histidine tail interacts with the liposome to keep the proteins firmly attached.</span><br />
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Making this vaccine is simple. Once we have the cobalt liposomes and the Pfs25-histidine molecules, we simply mix these parts together, and the structures form spontaneously. When this Pfs25 liposome is injected into mice, it triggers high quantities of antibodies.</p>
<p>The antibodies in the mice blocked development of parasites in the gut of the mosquito. So we expect that when an uninfected mosquito bites a person infected with the malaria parasite, the blood it sucks up will carry the parasite and the human antibodies that will prevent the parasite from multiplying in the insect’s gut.</p>
<p>When we tested this vaccine in mice, the animals continued to produce antibodies for more than 250 days. These antibodies produced throughout this period prevented the development of the malaria parasite throughout this period.</p>
<h2>Moving forward</h2>
<figure class="align-center "><img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242747/original/file-20181029-76399-1tylcyj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242747/original/file-20181029-76399-1tylcyj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=294&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242747/original/file-20181029-76399-1tylcyj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=294&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242747/original/file-20181029-76399-1tylcyj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=294&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242747/original/file-20181029-76399-1tylcyj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=369&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242747/original/file-20181029-76399-1tylcyj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=369&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/242747/original/file-20181029-76399-1tylcyj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=369&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Malaria disease around the world, 2014. Warning map for travelers with high risk of contracting malaria.</span><br />
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/malaria-disease-around-world-2014-warning-235538464">Peteri / Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Another valuable feature of the cobalt liposome is that we can attach a variety of proteins from different stages of parasite development to create a particle that triggers the production of many types of antibodies – each targeting a unique part of the parasite. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-018-0271-3">Our results showed</a> that five distinct malaria proteins could be attached to the liposome surface.</p>
<p>The antibodies from mice immunized with liposomes carrying multiple proteins recognized many stages of parasite development. The results seem promising. In the future we plan to explore the safety of this vaccine and whether it will work for different species of malaria.</p>
<p>Our next step is to test our vaccine in other animals. Eventually the aim is to translate this technology to human clinical trials and assess whether the liposome technology and the transmission blocking vaccine strategy is an effective tool for preventing the spread of malaria.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" 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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/105553/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wei-chiao-huang-580146">Wei-Chiao Huang</a>, Ph.D. Candidate in the Biomedical Engineering Department, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-at-buffalo-the-state-university-of-new-york-925">University at Buffalo, The State University of New York</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-lovell-588898">Jonathan Lovell</a>, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-at-buffalo-the-state-university-of-new-york-925">University at Buffalo, The State University of New York</a></em></p>
<p>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/a-vaccine-that-could-block-mosquitoes-from-transmitting-malaria-105553">original article</a>.</p>

Malaria treatments cost Africa nearly $12bn per year, this vaccine can help eradicate it…

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<p>Diversified chemicals group Omnia Holdings Limited released its unaudited results for six months ended 30 September showing 12 per cent increase in revenue with operating profit down by 75-percent. CNBC Africa is joined by Omnia Group Managing Director, Adriaan de Lange.</p>


Omnia’s Adriaan de Lange on how they are benefiting from US-China trade war

<p>LONDON (Reuters) &#8211; Rio Tinto will sell its 69 percent stake in a Namibian uranium mine to China National Uranium Corp (CNUC) for up to $106.5 million, it said on Monday, as China seeks to bolster supplies and Rio offloads less-profitable assets.</p>
<p>Analysts said that China, which is targeting nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels and already owns stakes in Namibian uranium production, was an obvious buyer of the shares in the Rossing mine.</p>
<p>Rossing is the world’s longest-running open pit uranium mine, operating since 1976, and has produced more uranium than any other mine.</p>
<p>The Iranian Foreign Investment Company holds a legacy 15 percent stake that goes back to the original funding of the mine, which could have been a problem for some potential buyers.</p>
<p>An industry source close to the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there had been interest from private equity and from China.</p>
<p>The other shareholders are the Namibian government (3 percent), the Development Corporation of South Africa (10 percent) and individual shareholders (3 percent).</p>
<p>Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques said the company would work closely with CNUC “to ensure a smooth transition and ongoing sustainable operation at Rossing”.</p>
<p>No one from CNUC was immediately available for comment, though an executive at China National Nuclear Corp said in October it was looking to secure supply for an expected ramp-up in China’s nuclear power generation.</p>
<p>The sale is also in line with global miner Rio Tinto’s disposal strategy, following on from its exit from thermal coal this year. It is also trying to sell some of its aluminium assets.</p>
<p>Monday’s binding agreement comprises an initial cash payment of $6.5 million, payable at completion, and a contingent payment of up to $100 million following completion.</p>
<p>The contingent payment is linked to uranium spot prices and Rossing’s net income during the next seven years.</p>
<p>The transaction is subject to merger approval from the Namibian Competition Commission, with expected completion in the first half of 2019.</p>
<p>Rio Tinto’s London share price eased 0.3 pecent on Monday, against a 0.5 percent gain for the sector index.</p>
<p>The mining sector as a whole has weakened this year as the recovery of 2016-17 has faltered and doubts have surfaced about Chinese demand in the face of trade tensions with the United States.</p>
<p>Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru, Melanie Burton in Melbourne and Barbara Lewis and Clara Denina in London; Editing by David Goodman</p>


China buys Rio Tinto’s stake in Namibia uranium for $107 million

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<p>A group of young people from Diepsloot Combined School, who took part in ‘Robotics for the Future learning program’ offered by I-Innovate, have created some robotics as a means of responding to their community needs. Some of their innovations include a robot that respond to high crime levels in Diepsloot and electricity challenges.  For more CNBC Africa is joined by 15-year old Phindile Mailula, 14-year old Kelebogile Matloga and I-Innovate CEO, Trisha Crookes.</p>


These SA students are using AI to tackle challenges in their community

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<p>The fourth quarter results for the RMB/BER Business Confidence Index has been released showing the lowest numbers in 2018. This after the previous two quarter index reflected almost average business confidence picking at just over 40 regarded as neutral. The latest index shows the Business Confidence to be standing at a low 31. Ettienne Le Roux, Chief Economist at RMB joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


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