Human rights court is to hear asbestos case | Old Dominion ...

About 20 former dockyard workers suffering from the effects of asbestos inhalation have taken their battle for compensation to the European Court of Human Rights, which has given the government four months to reply. They are joined by the family of another worker who died from cancer caused by asbestos.

The workers claim the Maltese government, which owned the Malta Shipyards between 1968 and 2003, failed to fulfil its ?positive obligations? to protect their life against the cancer-causing fibre and inform them they were exposed to any danger.

They had been ?constantly, heavily exposed? to asbestos when working at the dry docks, their lawyer Juliette Galea argues. The material was stocked in storerooms while ships containing asbestos regularly came in for repairs. This involved breaking apart fibre casing, releasing asbestos particles into the air in the process.

Once the repairs were completed, the mechanical parts had to be again encased in asbestos. Not only were the particles inhaled but they settled on the clothing they carried back home, affecting their families.

The men said they now suffer respiratory problems and areas of calcification on the lungs, known as plaques. One of them died in 2009 from mesothelioma ? an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos ? and his compensation case is being followed by his family.

Asbestos is a mineral fibre used in construction materials for insulation and as a fire retardant, especially in ships. The fibres are too small to be visible but if inhaled can accumulate in the lungs.

The symptoms of mesothelioma or asbestosis ? irreversible lung scarring ? do not show up until many years after exposure.

The men turned to the ECHR after three Maltese judges sitting in the constitutional court upheld previous judgments which said their request for damages should have been filed in a civil court and not a constitutional one.

Among other things, the complainants failed to use all the legal remedies available to them, the appeals court ruled, turning down their request for moral damages which they made on the basis of another ECHR judgment. The European court has now accepted to hear the case and the Maltese government has four months in which to submit its replies on whether it was aware of the risk associated with exposure and whether measures listed in international treaties were implemented.

The government must say whether the employees were warned about the risks and whether it fulfilled its ?positive obligation? to protect their lives.

The court has also requested the government to give its position, and possibly proposals, about an out-of-court settlement.

In their application, the men pointed out that the link between asbestos and respiratory disease was documented as early as 1938 and the link between the fibre and the cancer was established in the early 1960s.

At that time, Malta became a member of the International Labour Organisation and World Health Organisation, which had both raised awareness about the danger of asbestos since the 1950s. This meant that information about asbestos was available and that the authorities should have known of the danger.

However, they ?were neither informed nor protected from the dangers of asbestos in any way?, they said.

The first available information about the fatal consequences of asbestos, which was not ?publicly disseminated?, was a 1989 judgment that established the Malta Shipyard?s responsibility for Joseph Pellicano?s death from mesothelioma in 1979.

No action was taken after the judgment and the employees were told that ?adequate ventilation? and cloth masks would protect them, they said.

After a number of their colleagues passed away, the men ran a number of medical tests including X-rays that revealed a ?considerable presence? of asbestos in their lungs which had formed plaques.

This suggested there was a ?strong probability? that there were fibres in their stomach lining and other digestive organs while also making them more prone to mesothelioma.

Article source: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120730/local/Human-rights-court-is-to-hear-asbestos-case.430695

Source: http://www.odesinc.com/?p=2530

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Zombies show up to counter Westboro Baptist Church protestors

Hundreds of protestors dressed as zombies turned out to support the troops (KIRO-TV.com)After reading this story, you may begin to see zombies in a whole new light. While they get a lot of criticism over their love of human flesh, it turns out that some zombies also go out of their way to support the troops.

The Westboro Baptist Church had recently announced that it would be holding one of its protests outside the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in DuPont, Washington. But last Friday, the controversial group was met with a far larger group of counter-protestors ? dressed as zombies.

The controversial, Kansas-based church did not explain exactly why it was protesting in DuPont, but they have held a number of similar protests outside of military funerals in objection to gay rights.

That's when Melissa Neace and three of her friends organized the Facebook event "Zombie'ing Westboro Baptist Church AWAY from Fort Lewis!"

"I have decided that the most violent free way to protest back is simple... a zombie apocalypse. So I ask EVERYONE who is able to attend that day, please come dressed in your finest zombie outfit," Neace wrote on the page.

The event page received such a positive response that the zombies outnumbered the protestors by a reported level of 300 to 8, the News Tribune reported.

"We wanted to turn something negative around, into something people could laugh at and poke fun at," Neace told the paper. "It was the easiest way to divert attention from something so hateful."

"I think that their message is very hateful, and Jesus was not a hateful person. He loved everybody," counter-protestor Ashley Winslow told KIRO-TV.

You can watch video of the protest and counter protest from KIRO, here.

Using zombie makeup to protest anti-military demonstrators (KIRO-TV.com)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/zombies-show-block-westboro-baptist-church-protestors-204613653.html

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Automotive Technology: Automotive Repair Advances With Science ...

This world of ours has tremendous ways of expressing its expansion in terms of science and technology. Inventions are sprouting out of any part of the world and discoveries of today could baffle the minds of many people. Top 10 inventions of the year 2010 are:

- Huge Panoramic High-Res Display - a German invention that provides high quality sound and detailed picture.
- Soundproof Panels Made of Latex Membranes - an invention to noise proof your house or building.
- Software that Captures Sports Games Robotically - an invention that films sport games automatically
- Technology that Harnesses Electricity From Fluorescent Light - turns fluorescent light to power
- Small, Handy Ultrasound Scanner - an invention which enable medical professionals to o diagnose patients more promptly in an emergency
- Nano-Generators Used in Clothes to Power Gadgets - energy scavenging technology that can harness energy from clothes.
- See-through Protective Spray-on Liquid Glass - invention that makes your clothing or tiles scratch and stain resistant
- System that Conveys Sound Waves Via Teeth - invention used to treat single sided deafness
- Water-based Material - Replacement for Plastics
- Table that Makes Music Lessons More Fun - an invention to make children learn music much easier.

But as what I can see, they haven't much invented a gadget to make automotive repairs easier for me. I am still on my hard times when my car needs repairs. Without the sentimental value of this car to me, I would have sold it already. But just for old time's sake, I'll just keep it one more year. This just made me realize how an important automotive repair is. You can't just go ahead on buying a new car you're your old one needs repairs. All of us should consider the financial aspect of our decisions. Which choice will cost me lesser money? Is it having my old car repaired or is it by buying a new car instead?

Sometimes our impatience can get the best of us and before we knew it, we just bought ourselves a new car because of it. But before you get to that position, let us first consider the value of automotive repairs could have on our decisions. Although not included in the top 2010 inventions, no mention of any invention that relates to it even, but technology today have already reached a high enough potential that can certainly turn your doubts of having your car function like new after repairs. The professions of our mechanical and automotive engineers have also advanced hand in hand with the new trends and technology of the world today. This means that small problems on your cars carburetor, your cars battery, your cars breaks and the works should be no problem in the hands of our mechanics.

Another way I view automotive repair is that it is a wonderful opportunity to show how you value your car. I am definitely on of the few that gets my car repaired because of its sentimental value to me but I am also one of those which truly benefits from it not just financially because I get to keep my sentimentally valued possession up and running.

Source: http://hammerpapatamandropov.blogspot.com/2012/07/automotive-repair-advances-with-science.html

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NielsFootman: RT @BBCBreaking: #Olympic organisers will release tickets returned by sports federations to the public "session-by-session" http://t.co/ ...

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Source: http://twitter.com/NielsFootman/statuses/229885408496988160

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Many dead in India train fire

At least five people were killed when a train caught fire in southern India on Monday, the railways ministry said, adding the toll was likely to rise with some reports already putting it at 25.

"So far we have five confirmed dead, but we fear the number will go up significantly," railways ministry spokeswoman Chandralekha Mukherjee told AFP. "Rescuers are struggling to get inside the train to extricate people."

The accident, on a long-distance train heading from New Delhi to the southern city of Chennai, occurred in the early hours of the morning near the town of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh state.

"We are unable to identify the cause of the fire yet -- it might have been a short circuit, it might have been due to someone carrying inflammable materials on the train," Mukherjee told AFP.

NDTV television, citing a local railways official, reported that 25 people had died with an unspecified number of other passengers injured. It said the the cause was most likely to be an electrical short circuit.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/25-dead-india-train-fire-025614240.html

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Having trouble getting online? Ask your provider

Webroot's SecureAnywhere Complete 2012 software for computer security on display at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, July 6, 2012. Despite repeated alerts, tens of thousands of Americans may lose their Internet service Monday unless they do a quick check of their computers for malware that could have taken over their machines more than a year ago. The warnings about the Internet problem have been splashed across Facebook and Google. Internet service providers have sent notices, and the FBI set up a special website. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Webroot's SecureAnywhere Complete 2012 software for computer security on display at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, July 6, 2012. Despite repeated alerts, tens of thousands of Americans may lose their Internet service Monday unless they do a quick check of their computers for malware that could have taken over their machines more than a year ago. The warnings about the Internet problem have been splashed across Facebook and Google. Internet service providers have sent notices, and the FBI set up a special website. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Norton's Internet Security 2012 software for computer security on display at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, July 6, 2012. Despite repeated alerts, tens of thousands of Americans may lose their Internet service Monday unless they do a quick check of their computers for malware that could have taken over their machines more than a year ago. The warnings about the Internet problem have been splashed across Facebook and Google. Internet service providers have sent notices, and the FBI set up a special website. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

A customer holds Webroot's SecureAnywhere Complete 2012 software for computer security at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, July 6, 2012. Despite repeated alerts, tens of thousands of Americans may lose their Internet service Monday unless they do a quick check of their computers for malware that could have taken over their machines more than a year ago. The warnings about the Internet problem have been splashed across Facebook and Google. Internet service providers have sent notices, and the FBI set up a special website. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Having trouble connecting to the Internet?

You may be one of thousands across the country whose Internet shut down just after midnight because of malware that took over computers around the world more than a year ago.

The FBI went in late last year to take down the hackers' servers. But they realized if they turned off the malicious servers, all the victims would lose Internet access.

So the FBI created a safety net, using two clean Internet servers, to keep infected users online ? temporarily. They also created a website with fixes for the problem.

But just after midnight, the FBI turned off the safety net.

Now, if you can't read this online, your Internet service provider's customer support desk may be your only solution.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-07-09-Internet%20Woes/id-b8026d53186c4d92a6d6242decad5132

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Does the Electromagnetic Radiation of Cell Phone GPS Jammer Affect

Along with the rapid development of communication, wireless technology development, now is the people in mobile communications tools, essential to comfort, to bring people in, and there are some special places, such as the influence brought etc to prison, a safe need people to the wireless communication begrenzen.Das mobile GPS jammers as the name implies, is cellular functions outside of its operation, with mobile communication device shielding electromagnetic signals launched so that the same frequency of electromagnetic interference can can identify important and useful electromagnetic waves, to determine in a particular area, screened link with the main base, thus achieved the purpose of cell phone use verboten.Sie know in the room with the complexity of the existence of the human body, some electromagnetic wave is an advantage , are some electromagnetic waves for humans you sch?dlich.Bestimmen whether the electromagnetic radiation on the human body, produce a negative impact on the strength of electromagnetic radiation, mainly from the radiation direction and the distance with radiation in such aspects as integral consideration. We know that the electromagnetic shielding of radiation from mobile phones carried by the antenna to point to the selection and design of the antenna mounted directly on the quality of the screening system. To assess the electromagnetic wave of human impact, the protection to control the health of people, all countries formulate their electromagnetic protection Standard.Sprechen us about the installation of the electromagnetic shielding of mobile phone after the work environment.The frequency of the cell phone screen: 800 -880MHz characters: 870, 900,000,000,000,000: 930-960 MHz, 1805-18000000000000 1850MHz, 1900, 1900-1920 characters: MHz, these frequencies are for the job, GSM and CDMA frequency range einstellen.Durch the electromagnetic radiation intensity and frequency characteristics the human body, potential adverse effects can cause the threshold, the environment will be divided into 2 kann.Prim?re standards for safety and environmental protection in the electromagnetic force under standard conditions of electromagnetic radiation intensity live, work and life for all people (including infants, Pregnant women and people who are very weak), are not affected by the harmful effects of the area, special building, remodeling or expansion of radio and television stations, and radar station etc, its inhabitants antenna coverage area must meet the requirements of the ?standard? level entsprechen.Sekund?re standard solution for the central region in this environment to live for a long time to live, the intensity of the electromagnetic wave in all human and labor (including infants, pregnant women and people who are very weak) can lead to potential side effect of the area , this area can build factories and authority, but not allowed to build residential, learn, build hospitals and nursing homes, has adequate measures ergreifen.Mehr than 2 standard of the human body, can bring about the harmful effects, in this to reforest the area or planting to harvest to make to ban but to all the people living and often build the activities of public institutions, such as organ factories, shops and theaters and so on. In this area, this building should be taken, or to limit the time of radiation.

Source: http://cellphonesandradiation.com/blog/does-the-electromagnetic-radiation-of-cell-phone-gps-jammer-affect-people-2/

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