South Africa – Taung Agricultural College in the North West has received a donation of US $1 million from Danish company Haldor Topsøe, which specialises in research and technology. Speaking at the donation handover ceremony, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said the college must use the funds not only to produce brilliant students, but teachers who [...]

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Luanda - Angola will hold the first meeting of African Health Ministers jointly with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and African Union (AU) Commission from April 14 - 17 to discuss a proposal to set up an African Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention, among other matters.

The meeting, to take be held under the theme “Let's Turn Africa into a Healthier Continent”, is expected to be attended by about 300 participants, including health ministers, experts and international partners.

The four-day meeting aims to identify the key actions needed to speed up the progress toward universal health coverage, mechanisms to face the risk factors of non-communicable diseases and to reach an agreement regarding the establishment of an African Agency for Medicines.

The event also aims to reach consensus on the two crucial processes -- creation of the African Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention, as well as mechanisms of joint accountability for the implementation of Declarations and Commitments assumed by the health ministers of the continent.

According to the programme of the conference, the participants will review the current state of the African plan to end with avoidable maternal and infant mortality rates.

The initiative to hold this conference resulted from a co-ordination and consultation of efforts among the WHO, the AU and the Angolan government, in view of the need to find answers to new threats to the African population’s health and challenges of development for the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). – SAnews.gov.za-NNN-ANGOP

Big U.S. recalls by General Motors and Toyota have put the auto industry on a record pace as companies try to avoid bad publicity and punishment from an increasingly aggressive government.

On Wednesday, Toyota announced it was recalling nearly 1.8 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix a spate of problems, including air bags that might not inflate. It's part of a worldwide recall of 6.4 million cars and trucks.

So far this year, automakers have recalled about 9 million vehicles in the U.S. If that pace continues, the nation would break the record of 30.8 million recalled vehicles set in 2004.

Most of the recalls are from Toyota and General Motors, two automakers that are under government scrutiny and facing bad publicity and allegations that they concealed safety issues.

Five things Toyota owners should know.

Toyota's latest recalls were announced before the company even developed specific repairs. They come two weeks after the Justice Department skewered the Japanese automaker for covering up problems that caused unintended acceleration in some cars starting in 2009. Toyota agreed to pay $1.2 billion to settle that case, but federal prosecutors can resurrect a wire fraud charge if the company fails to comply with the terms of the settlement.

Toyota's actions come as rival GM recalls 2.6 million small cars for defective ignition switches the company links to at least 13 deaths. Of those, 2.2 million are in the U.S. As that crisis unfolded, GM announced recalls of another 3.4 million U.S. vehicles.

GM is facing a Justice Department investigation, and last week its new CEO was grilled by Congress over its handling of the ignition recalls. It also faces fines of $7,000 per day for missing a deadline to answer questions from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said automakers historically have been quick to fix safety problems when faced with government investigations and bad publicity.

"The manufacturers as a whole look through their inventory of defective vehicles and recall some of the ones that they had passed over before," he said.

After highly publicized cases in the past, such as Toyota's unintended acceleration problems and Ford's trouble with Explorers and Firestone tires in the late 1990s, automakers at first quickly issued recalls. But recalls dropped off as the bad publicity faded, Ditlow said.

But this time may be different because of the Justice Department's investigation of Toyota and the prospect of criminal charges against GM and some of its employees in what lawmakers have called a cover-up of the ignition switch problem.

"That can be a real game-changer," Ditlow said. "There's nothing that changes corporate behavior as much as criminal prosecutions."

Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst for the Edmunds.com auto website, said things changed when NHTSA got more aggressive with fines and enforcement against Toyota in 2009 and 2010. "But the GM recall has compounded the fact that they have to be more proactive," she said.

The high number of recalls could also be attributed to the use of common parts across an automaker's entire vehicle lineup, she said. When something goes wrong, more parts have to be replaced.

Through Wednesday, GM had recalled about 5.6 million cars and SUVs in the U.S. this year, while Toyota was at 2.85 million.

Automakers in the U.S. are required to notify NHTSA and recall cars within five days of discovering a safety defect. But corporate committees that govern recalls can take a long time to determine if a faulty part is a safety defect. That means recalls can take longer than the five days, Ditlow said.

But now companies appear to be finding defects and acting faster. Ditlow said he expects smaller recalls in the future as companies move quickly to fix parts and limit the impact of a problem.

Toyota's U.S. recall announced Wednesday includes the following vehicles in the U.S.:

— 1.3 million vehicles with faulty electrical connections that could cause air bags to deactivate. Included are the 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Tacoma, 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris and 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe. If the air bags deactivate, they could fail to deploy after a crash. The Vibe, which is made by General Motors Co., is included in the recall because Toyota designed and engineered it for GM when the two companies shared a factory in California. GM says 40,500 Vibes will be recalled.

— 472,500 small cars with defective springs in the front seat rails, which could prevent the seats from locking in place. Included are the 2006-2010 Yaris hatchback, 2007-2010 Yaris sedan and the 2008-2010 Scion XD.

Toyota said no injuries or crashes have been reported related to the recalls. The company is working on remedies. Dealers will replace the defective parts for free when parts are available.

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In times where runners from Kenya and Ethiopia tend to dominate the major marathons it rarely happens that the podium of these races features athletes from three different continents. The women’s race of the Vienna City Marathon could produce such a result on Sunday. While Kenya’s Caroline Chepkwony and Japan’s Mai Ito are regarded favourites [...]All set for Vienna Marathon 2014 is a post from: Time-to-Run Marathon



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Comedian Ed Byrne is promising cyclists willing to go from Couch to Connacht a good laugh when they arrive in aid of the national suicide prevention and bereavement charity Console.

The Dublin-born funnyman is seeking the last few volunteers to sign up for the 200km Console East-West Cycle from Celbridge to Galway.

Wise-cracking Ed, who regularly appears on TV shows such as Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 Cats and Have I got News For You, has vowed to put on a cracking night's entertainment for Console's cyclists when they reach their destination at Galway's Clayton Hotel.

The one-day event is designed for every category from beginners to serious cyclists – with enjoyment the key.

“Console's East West Cycle is about having fun as well as raising funds so we are delighted to have Ed on board,” said Console founder and CEO Paul Kelly.

The charity has just 30 places left and they are asking would-be cyclists sign up now so they can get in shape before setting off from Celbridge on June 7.

Top ultra-distance cycling champion Ricky Geoghegan has designed a programme to get those new to cycling up to speed in an eight-week period.

“Ricky has come up with a brilliant 'Couch to Connacht' training schedule that will enable at complete novices to get on their bikes and cycle to Galway,” said Paul.

The route along the old Dublin to Galway road includes rest stops in Kinnegad, Moate, Ballinasloe and Loughrea where cyclists will be met by local fundraisers with refreshments.

After their hard work, Console cyclists will enjoy an overnight stay in Galway's Clayton Hotel where Ed and some very special guests will provide the entertainment.

The charity has set a fundraising target of €250 per cyclist plus a registration fee of €50 and people can register at console.ie

Energy provider Airtricity, Applegreen and Cuisine de France are among the leading Irish businesses sponsoring the Console East-West Cycle.

“Thanks to our sponsors we can guarantee that every single cent raised will go to Console services ensuring they are free and readily accessible, so people in need can get help when they need it most,” said Paul Kelly.

Nationwide professional suicide prevention and bereavement charity Console offers counselling services and 24-hour helpline support to people in crisis and those bereaved by suicide (Freephone 1800 247 247).

The charity has full-time counselling centres in Limerick Cork, Dublin, Wexford, Galway, Kerry and Mayo. It also offers services in Kildare and Athlone and has recently opened a service in London.

Counselling, advice and general support is available for any individual, couples, groups, families or children who have been affected by suicide.