| Govt, opposition differ on ways to make it flawless
The ruling BNP and the opposition Awami League (AL) lawmakers yesterday in parliament agreed about the need for a flawless voter list, but differed on the ways to have it prepared. The AL lawmakers called for the voter list to be prepared through reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC). They said the chief election commissioner (CEC) and two election commissioners must resign for the people to regain confidence in the EC. In reply to AL lawmaker Abdur Razzak, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed said they too want a flawless voter list, but the constitution does not allow the government power to remove any member of the EC. "It's solely the Election Commission's jurisdiction to prepare the voter list. We hope they will prepare an accurate voter list in accordance with the Supreme Court's verdict," Moudud said.
Asbestos, Quebec, Seeks a Healthier Name Not Linked to Cancer
July 14 (Bloomberg) -- Yves Legault says it would be easier attracting employers to his Quebec hometown if its name didn't make people think of cancer. ``It's a real hurdle,'' said Legault, head of industrial promotion for the town of Asbestos. He said a window maker decided last year against opening a plant in the community because its main U.S. client said, ``If you build in Asbestos, we're not interested.'' That attitude is pushing Mayor Jean-Philippe Bachand to propose dropping the Asbestos name, a move that some of its 6,700 residents oppose. The asbestos mine owned by Mine Jeffrey Inc. is the biggest employer in the town, which is about 175 kilometers (110 miles) east of Montreal. ``Asbestos as a name doesn't sell,'' said Bachand, who plans to hold a public debate by the end of the year and then put the matter to a vote.
NN jury gives record $10M in asbestos suit
NEWPORT NEWS -- For four years, Buddy Jones came home covered in asbestos dust from his job making gaskets and sealing pumps at Northrop Grumman Newport News.
On Wednesday, the first anniversary of Jones' death from lung cancer at age 60, a Newport News jury awarded his widow $10.4 million in a wrongful death suit, filed against three companies that manufactured the shipbuilding materials.
Of the thousands of asbestos lawsuits that have come before the Newport News Circuit Court, the verdict was the biggest award the court clerk could recall.
The attorney representing Jones' widow called the verdict a landmark because a third of the judgment will come from a company, John Crane Inc., that made sealing products with asbestos but hasn't agreed to settle any such cases.
Alimta® or with Platinol® Benefits Patients with Recurrent Mesothelioma
According to results recently published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, treatment with the chemotherapy agent Alimta® (pemetrexed) with or without the chemotherapy agent Platinol® (cisplatin) provides benefit for patients with malignant mesothelioma who have received prior therapies. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops in the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior of the chest. It is often caused by chronic exposure to asbestos. The majority of patients are not diagnosed until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage and treatment with surgery or radiation is not an option. Patients with this disease often experience symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, pain, fatigue, and an inability to eat, which lessen their quality of life.
Government help for victims of Mesothelioma
Proposals to help victims of mesothelioma, a particularly debilitating form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, will be debated in the House of Commons today. MPs will debate Government amendments to the Compensation Bill which seek to reverse the effects of the House of Lords' Barker vs Corus judgment in mesothelioma cases. The practical effects of the Law Lords' judgment would mean that claims could take much longer to be concluded, and would make them much more difficult and time-consuming for claimants in circumstances where they and their families are already under considerable pain and stress. In some cases, claimants would not receive full compensation. DCA Minister Bridget Prentice said; "These amendments will mean proper compensation for thousands of people who contract this terrible disease because they were negligently exposed to asbestos." The amendment will ensure that people suffering from mesothelioma due to another's negligence will be able to receive full compensation from any responsible person as quickly as possible.
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