International

9 December 2010: Doctors in Canada are accusing their Government of hypocrisy over its approach to asbestos. (audio and transcript)

9 December 2010: … a business leader has asked the government in Quebec to support a new mine, which would send five million tonnes of asbestos to Asia.

26 February 2011: School children begin inspired protests against asbestos factory in Bihar, India.

28 April 2011: Japanese workers tackling the Herculean task of clearing millions of tonnes of debris from last month’s earthquake and tsunami also face health risks from asbestos and dioxins.

13 February 2012: Italian courts have found two men guilty of failing to comply with safety rules.

28 February 2012: New reforms in UK force sufferers to pay out thousands of pounds in order to just claim for compensation.

21 March 2012: Order of Australia medalist, member of first Australian expedition to Mount Everest and best selling author Lincoln Hall dies of mesothelioma after year-long battle. He had been exposed to asbestos as a kid when building cubby houses.

28 March, 2012: In a landmark British case, Supreme Court Judges rule that insurance liability is “triggered” when employees were exposed to asbestos dust (rather than when symptoms of mesothelioma later emerged). Ruling expected to affect thousands of victims of asbestos.

28 March, 2012: UK Supreme Court ruled insurers should cover the claims of workers who fell ill from exposure to asbestos.

April 17, 2012: Guest writer Joe Schwarz writes about antiquated toxic chemical management techniques.