Jetstar and US Learjet 'seconds' from collision

THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority is investigating an air traffic control report that a US Learjet came within 60 seconds of a possible collision with a Jetstar Airbus because of confusion about uncontrolled airspace.
Robert Mason, the head of the air traffic control union Civil Air, last night described the incident as "very concerning" and an example of the havoc that uncontrolled airspace is causing, The Australian reports.
However, a spokesman for the Government's air traffic control manager, Airservices Australia, played it down, saying there was "no safety occurrence and no breakdown of air traffic control safety standards".
An Electronic Safety Incident Report of the incident, written by the air traffic controller on duty and obtained by The Australian, states the incident occurred last Saturday after a section of airspace on the Melbourne to Sydney route suddenly became unmonitored at 7.30am (AEST) due to an air traffic control staff shortage.
A shortage of controllers has increasingly forced large chunks of Australian skies to be left unmonitored in recent months, forcing pilots to rely on themselves and other pilots to avoid collisions.
The ESIR indicated the declaring of uncontrolled airspace on Saturday caused confusion among pilots of several aircraft.
The worst of these was when the pilot an American-registered Learjet flying from Wollongong in NSW to Melbourne baulked at climbing up into uncontrolled airspace despite being cleared to do so.

Beckham gives in-laws $16mn Palm home

England football star David Beckham has given his $16 million mansion on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah to the parents of his pop singer wife Victoria, press reports said on Sunday.British weekly tabloid News of the World reported on Sunday that Beckham has given the keys to the waterfront villa on the palm-shape artificial island to his in-laws Tony and Jackie Adams, parents of ‘Posh' Spice Girls singer, Victoria. "David realised he was not going to be able to spend any time in Dubai," said a source close to 32-year old Beckham, who now plays for Los Angeles football team, LA Galaxy.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban seen after birth of Sunday Rose

NICOLE Kidman has been spotted out and about, looking slim and healthy, with husband Keith Urban, for the first time since giving birth to Sunday Rose.
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While the world waits to see the baby born on July 7 - whose photos they are supposedly not selling to any magazines, for whatever reason - new mother Nicole looks great.
Check out the first picture of Nicole Kidman since she gave birth.
Check out photos of Nicole Kidman's pregnancy.
Nicole recently emailed the NY Post about little Sunday saying, "We are in heaven. Can't stop staring at her in complete awe. Feeling incredibly blessed to have been given this precious little angel. Can't wait for you to meet her!"

Ex List Star's Date Creates Ex-tra Tension

Elizabeth Reaser is probably best known as New-Face Ava on Grey's Anatomy. But the star of new, much-buzzed CBS show The Ex List may have been called a few other things at the TV Critics party for CBS/CW/Showtime at Boulevard 3 Friday night.
That's because party insiders say Reaser's arrival with Billy Crudup caused consternation for his ex—Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker, with whom Crudup has a child.
Our spies say Parker was visibly upset in the back corner of a cabana, as she talked with co-star Justin Kirk. She ultimately wobbled out of the party with her hair mostly hiding her face and her hands on a companion's shoulders to steady her. (Crudup and Parker, you may recall, broke up when she was seven months pregnant with his child in 2003. He soon after was linked to Claire Danes.)
And just in case you needed more drama-rama, Reaser also looked upset and left the party early. Stay tuned.

2008 Sichuan earthquake

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) — Vice Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday that China’s quake relief work had already entered into anew phase and future work would focus on resettlement of the affected people and the post-quake reconstruction.
He made the remarks at a reception held by the Chinese Foreign Ministry to express the country’s gratitude for international assistance in the quake relief efforts.
According to the latest statistics, more than 160 countries and 10 international organizations offered funds, materials and personnel assistance to China.
Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the funds and materials donated by the international community, as well as the rescue and medical teams dispatched by some countries, made great contribution to help the country win the victory

Olympic Games

These five rings -- blue, yellow, black, green and red -- represent the five parts of the world now encompassed by Olympism and ready to compete against each other. Moreover, the six colours (including the white background) thus combined represent those of all nations, without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the French, English, American, German, Belgian, Italian and Hungarian tricolours, the yellow and red of Spain are side by side with the new Brazilian and Australian flags, the old Japan and the new China. It is a true international emblem."
Coubertin (Selected Writings II, p. 460, 1913).
As an image of Olympism, Coubertin thought the rings had deep significance: that of the union between men. He multiplied the image to create a total of five rings. He designed and commissioned the Olympic flag to mark the 20th anniversary of the IOC's founding, on 23rd June 1914 in Paris. Coubertin never said nor wrote that he saw a link between the colours of the rings and the continents. For him, the five rings represented the union of the five continents, but the colours were merely those that appeared in all the different national flags at the time.
-- The results of a survey carried out in six countries (Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Great Britain and the USA) in 1995 showed that 92% of those questioned correctly identified the Olympic rings, which made them the most-recognised symbol. They were followed by the McDonald's and Shell emblems (88%), Mercedes (74%) and the United Nations (36%). (SRI Sponsorship Research International).
-- 86% of those questioned associated the Olympic rings with the world's greatest sports event: the Olympic Games. (SRI Sponsorship Research International, 1995).

mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.[1] Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).
The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis can be made with chest X-rays and a CT scan, and confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

mesothelioma attorneys

Mesothelioma is rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The disease might have been preventable had the asbestos industry acted responsibly decades ago to protect the public from the dangers of asbestos. Unfortunately for the estimated 3,000 Americans diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, the asbestos industry hid the dangers of asbestos from the public for decades after it knew of the risks.
In these pages you will learn about the asbestos tragedy in the United States and how it has affected the lives and health of countless American workers and their families. You will also read about how people are exposed to asbestos, including the types of work sites where asbestos was once common and the trades that worked with and around asbestos-containing products. And you will learn how Baron & Budd was one of the first law firms in the country to fight for the rights of asbestos victims and is still widely recognized as a national leader in asbestos litigation to this day.
For nearly three decades, in courtrooms across the country, Baron & Budd has championed the rights of mesothelioma victims. Here are just a few examples of some of the results we have achieved for our mesothelioma clients:
The cases described here reflect the net amounts of the judgments or settlements our clients received after the deduction of attorneys fees and expenses-in other words, what our clients actually received. The actual settlement or verdict would be higher. These cases were all handled by Baron & Budd attorneys serving as lead counsel.
Specific Results Depend on the Facts of Each Case.
$10,603,661.00 Received by Client after Attorney’s Fees and Expenses for a gentleman who developed malignant mesothelioma as a result of his exposure to joint compound as a construction worker. This case went to trial and resulted in a significant verdict in favor of the gentleman, his wife and children that was listed by a national legal publication as one of the top verdicts in the U.S. that year. The case subsequently settled.
$6,356,942.00 Received by Client after Attorney’s Fees and Expenses, for the widow of a man who died at the age of 50 after developing asbestos-related mesothelioma. He was exposed to asbestos while serving in the Navy aboard nuclear submarines during the 1960s. This case went to trial against the manufacturer of an asbestos-containing pipe covering product. The jury awarded a significant verdict, which was affirmed on appeal.
$4,380,755.00 Received by Client after Attorney’s Fees and Expenses, for an ironworker who worked at a number of industrial sites throughout his career and who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 79.

mesothelioma lawyers

Deciding to pursue legal recourse and selecting an attorney to represent you in a mesothelioma or asbestos lawsuit are important decisions that should be made carefully. I have seen some families receive $500,000 and others be awarded nearly $30 million. I have seen some lawyers reject a case only to have another firm accept it and make a big success of it. And I have seen some families wait nearly three years to receive their first check while others received large checks within three months of filing a claim. The main reasons for these differences are the facts of the patient's situation and the law firm chosen.
The Facts of Your Situation
Some mesothelioma patients know they worked around asbestos, but many do not know how they were exposed or how often. In fact, many people are not sure if they were ever near this carcinogen. Unfortunately, there have been thousands of products that contained asbestos - cigarette filters, hair dryers, brakes, basement and roof materials, pipes, boilers, insulation, and many other products found throughout the home and at work. If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma it is more than likely that you were exposed to asbestos multiple times in your life and that this happened decades before your diagnosis.
In general, the value of your case depends on how many asbestos containing products you were exposed to, the number of identifiable defendants that still exist (many have declared bankruptcy), your age and earning capacity. And the speed of your case can depend on a number of variables including the state where you worked and lived when you were exposed to asbestos.
The Law Firm You Choose
When you have been given the news about this terrible disease, you may not feel that you have the time to deal with the legal questions - Should I talk to a lawyer? Should I file a claim? However, you should not wait too long to learn about your legal rights for at least three reasons:
Statutes of Limitations - There are statute of limitations which means you only have a limited time to file your case after diagnosis. The statute of limitations time period is set by individual states and varies. The clock usually starts ticking on the day of diagnosis.
Financial Pressure - A mesothelioma diagnosis can bring financial stress, less income, more expenses, and treatments that are not covered by insurance. Knowing that money may be on the way from filing a claim can bring financial relief.
Lawyers Can be Excellent Resources - The more experienced mesothelioma lawyers and law firms can often be excellent sources of information about various doctors and treatment options available for this disease.
But, picking a lawyer is serious business and you should not use TV ads as the reason to hire an attorney. Actual credentials are what counts. For example, what type of accomplishments has the law firm achieved? How committed are they to mesothelioma/asbestos cases? Are these cases a substantial part of their practice or just a small piece? How many other cases like yours have they handled?
Also, make sure you understand the fees being charges. Contingency is the term that means that the lawyer gets paid only after they collect money for you. The amount of the contingency fee that your lawyer can charge varies and is usually between 33% and 40%. It is important to discuss fees openly, ask what services they cover, how they are calculated, and whether there will be any extra charges.
Finally, for something as important as a mesothelioma lawsuit, your attorney should not only be experienced, skilled, and dedicated, but also a trusted partner who understands that your health needs always take precedence. The best lawyers are those that are not only expert at what they do, but are also caring, supportive, thoughtful and compassionate.
Below are experienced mesothelioma law firms you can contact. If you would like additional information on choosing a reputable mesothelioma law firm please feel free to call me at 1-619-599-3112.

malignant pleural mesothelioma

From the Department of Medicine (Dr. Rusthoven), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; and Department of Critical Care (Dr. Pistolesi), University of Florence, Firenze, Italy.
Correspondence to: Massimo Pistolesi, MD, Section of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Critical Care, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 85, 50134 Firenze, Italy; e-mail: massimo@unifi.it
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The diagnosis and management of malignant pleural mesothelioma are major challenges that often frustrate both patient and clinician alike. Occupational asbestos exposure to crocidolite or amosite forms of the fiber is the most important known risk factor in North America and Western Europe. Other mineral fibers such as erionite, a naturally occurring fibrous zeolite crystal, are associated with mesothelioma in volcanic tuffs of the Cappadocia region of central Anatolia in Turkey. In addition, other possible factors such as the presence of simian virus 40 and genetic susceptibility have been associated recently with the development of mesothelioma in animal models. These latter findings are increasing our understanding of this disease. In addition, the discovery of elevated levels of various markers such as folic acid receptor , cyclooxygenase 2, and multidrug resistance proteins 1 and 2 in mesothelioma tissue have opened up new areas of potential diagnostic and therapeutic importance. However, traditional treatment modalities—surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy—have evolved slowly, and few gains in therapeutic efficacy have occurred. Recently, however, continuing research efforts have led to novel treatment strategies that are changing the way clinicians view a disease that has traditionally been managed with almost universal therapeutic nihilism. This review explores our current knowledge of this disease and presents current and novel therapeutic strategies