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It was reported on September 9, 2025 that the asbestos-laden Italian ferry the Moby Drea, whose arrival at a Croatian shipyard this summer had caused nationwide outrage, was now in the process of being towed to Crotone, Italy by the Greek tug Protug 75. Considering the huge media attention this cause célèbre had attracted, it is curious that there has been hardly any news circulated about the ship’s ignominious departure. See: Moby ferry Drea towed to Calabria amid asbestos controversy.

During a TV interview on September 7, 2025, Belgian politician Valerie-Anne Van Peel, the leader of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), called for the asbestos conglomerate Eternit, now part of the Etex group, to pay one billion+ euros to decontaminate the Flemish built environment. According to regional sources, Eternit asbestos-cement products accounted for 65% of all that material used in Flanders. Experts say that the asbestos eradication of Flanders could cost “between 500 million and 3 billion euros.” See: Amiante: la présidente de la N-VA veut qu’Eternit paie un milliard d’euros à la Flandre [Asbestos: N-VA president wants Eternit to pay one billion euros to Flanders].

The health hazard posed by the long-term storage of 150,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated waste in the Karantina area of Beirut was the subject of a written question submitted to the Parliament of Lebanon by MPs Melhem Khalaf and Najat Saliba. The presence of this toxic material was, they said, “a direct threat to residents of Karantina and surrounding neighborhoods.” The government was asked what measures were being taken to deal with this situation and where funding for the resolution of this problem would be sourced. Free health screening for at-risk residents was proposed. See: MPs warn of ‘ticking time bomb’ as 150,000 tons of asbestos waste sit in Beirut.

A landmark ruling in the Gorizia Court in the northeast of Italy ordered Fincantieri S.p.A., an Italian shipbuilding company, to pay compensation of one million euros (US$1.17m) for the mesothelioma death of a welder from the Monfalcone shipyard. During his employment, the deceased had been routinely exposed to asbestos. According to medical reports, there was a direct causal link between the occupational asbestos exposure and the cancer which caused his death. See: Strage silenziosa dell’amianto: il Tribunale di Gorizia riconosce il nesso con il mesothelioma [Silent asbestos massacre: the Court of Gorizia recognizes the link with mesothelioma].

The stunning commentary, cited below, appeared in the September 4, 2025 online version of The Lancet. The four authors included eminent medical experts from New South Wales, Australia. Reviewing current developments, including the threat by Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency to roll back US asbestos protections, they concluded: “there is no safe level of [exposure to] asbestos, whether chrysotile or amphibole, and global bans remain the only solution to this ongoing devastating occupational health tragedy.” See: Chrysotile asbestos—the deadly consequences of a retreat from national bans.

A thought-provoking and comprehensive piece by journalism professor Solano Nascimento, juxtaposing deadly political ploys with the human consequences they caused, put into stark relief the actions taken by Eternit SA (Brazil’s sole remaining asbestos conglomerate), the Supreme Court, and Goiás State Governor Ronaldo Caiado to postpone the closure of the chrysotile asbestos mine in Minaçu, Goiás. As endless legal and judicial wrangling continued, victims of asbestos-related diseases in Goiás – most of whom had worked at the mine – now struggled for every breath. See [subscription site]: Questões venenosas. Sociedade para a morte [Poisonous Issues. A Society for Death].

Federal deputies in the lower house of Brazil’s National Congress – the Chamber of Deputies – are actively considering plans to lower the age of retirement for people employed in high-risk occupations, including those who mined, processed or handled raw asbestos in mining and also in downstream industries, such as the manufacture of automotive and/or asbestos-cement products, under provisions of Bill (PLP) 42/2023. Depending on the severity of the occupational exposure, applications for early retirement after 15-25 years of service could be granted. See: Aposentadoria especial: a idade mínima vai mudar [Special retirement: the minimum age will change].

Official mesothelioma data for 2024 recently released in Australia highlighted the hazard posed by asbestos exposures which occurred during DIY renovations. According to the statistics, 51% of people with non-occupational asbestos exposure “had possible or probable exposure to asbestos when undertaking major home renovations.” Because of the massive use of asbestos throughout Australia post WW II and the popularity of DIY home renovations, complacency was not a viable option, said Melissa Treby, Deputy Chair of Cancer Councils Occupational and Environmental Cancer Committee. See: DIY Warning: New Cancer Data Alerts Renovators.

The article cited below by Richard Blunt was a timely reminder of the ongoing hazard posed by deteriorating asbestos material which remains in many public buildings throughout the UK. During her medical training, the author’s mother had worked as a junior doctor at an NHS hospital in Birmingham; asbestos contamination was routine during extensive building works which were carried out on site between 1984 and 1988. Thirty years later, she was diagnosed with mesothelioma. In 2025, asbestos continues to pose a serious health risk to people who use public buildings including hospitals and schools. Things could, Blunt said, be very different, if the political will existed to embrace the challenge and act accordingly. See: Asbestos: the public’s right to know.

Last week, a successful verdict was achieved in a test case brought before Judge Chiara Zompì in a lower court in Bologna. The court’s verdict validated the right of a claimant with indirect workplace exposure to asbestos to be compensated. The 70+ year old plaintiff in this case had worked as an administrative assistant from 1964 until 1973 in a sugar refinery where asbestos trays were used for processing sugar. She did not work with asbestos but her office was in a building adjacent to the production facility which she routinely visited to collect data. She now has pleural mesothelioma. See: Amianto, la svolta: impiegata colpita da mesotelioma vince causa pilota [Asbestos, the turning point: employee affected by mesothelioma wins pilot lawsuit].

Working independently, US researchers in Hawaii and Maryland simultaneously reported findings regarding “a new variant of mesothelioma that may lead to more successful treatments” in papers published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. According to Dr. Michele Carbone at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center: “This is a major step in the fight against mesothelioma, one of the most aggressive human cancers. It is also great relief to these families, who are now aware that their tumors can be treated and therefore most of them can live a normal life span.” See: Breakthrough discovery reveals treatable form of familial mesothelioma.

On September 8, 2025, social housing tenants in 350+ apartments managed by the Molenbeekse Woningen Housing Association in Brussels, were informed about the presence of asbestos in their apartments. To avoid disturbing the asbestos, they were warned not to damage, sand or drill walls or ceilings. The contamination was discovered during inventory audits of the association’s building stock. Public meetings are scheduled for November to explain plans for a phased schedule of renovations. Unless the asbestos is disturbed, the tenants were told, there was no health hazard for residents. See: Asbestos found in 400 Molenbeek apartments.

The September 1, 2025 article cited below confirmed that plans were ongoing for the departure of the asbestos-laden Italian ferry the Moby Drea to be moved from Croatian territorial waters on September 2, 2025. According to journalist Zoran Kukilo, the tugboat commissioned to tow the vessel departed on schedule from Valletta, Malta and was due to arrive in Split on September 1. See: ‘Moby Drea’ sutra stvarno napušta Split? Danas stiže tegljač s Malte, u ‘Brodosplitu‘ ogorčeni: ‘Pobijedio je populizam’ [‘Moby Drea’ really leaving Split tomorrow? A tugboat from Malta arrives today, ‘Brodosplit’ is outraged: ‘Populism has won’].

Claims brought against 7 construction companies by 400 plaintiffs were settled in early August 2025 at the Tokyo High Court for a total of 5.2 billion yen (US$35m). The litigants had been exposed to asbestos at various construction sites as a result of which they developed asbestos-related diseases. This is believed to be the largest Japanese settlement in a construction asbestos lawsuit against multiple manufacturers. It was suggested that this agreement would pave the way for many similar settlements. See: 建設アスベスト訴訟　東京高裁で和解成立、建材7社が400人に52億円賠償 [Construction asbestos lawsuit settled at Tokyo High Court, 7 building materials companies compensate 400 people with 5.2 billion yen].

An exposé published on September 2, 2025 revealed that imported fire doors containing asbestos were illegally being sold in New Zealand. The toxic products were imported from China by the PDS company, New Zealand’s largest fire door manufacturer. This discovery was made by WorkSafe on June 30 as a result of onsite inspections. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment was notified immediately; PDS issued a public notice and began to contact affected customers. See: Asbestos detection in fire doors sparks nationwide safety response.

At a meeting in Sicily last week, speakers representing public and private interests considered new opportunities to develop local mineral sources in light of the blockade of Russian exports due to the country’s war on Ukraine. The mining of minerals such as kainite, potassium salt and sulphur could once again provide job opportunities if redundant and toxic Sicilian mines could be remediated. The problem at many of these sites is asbestos contamination. Local people have been waiting for decades for government action to decontaminate these industrial areas. See: Lo stop ai sali di potassio dalla Russia rilancia le vecchie miniere siciliane. Ma prima serve bonificarle dall’amianto [The ban on potash from Russia is reviving old Sicilian mines. But first, they need to be cleared of asbestos].

The high-profile participation of ministers and institutions from the Cambodian Government in recent activities in Phnom Penh designed to raise asbestos awareness and implement a transition to asbestos-free technology reconfirmed the Government’s commitment to ending asbestos use and building medical capacity to diagnose and treat citizens injured by toxic exposures. Opening the three-day conference: Improving Diagnosis and Response to Occupational Cancers: Asbestos and Dust Related Diseases Cambodian Health Minister His Excellency Professor Chheang Ra called for the country to prioritize inter-ministerial collaboration to establish frameworks restricting toxic imports and phase-out asbestos consumption. [Read full article]

The timely article by Professor Arthur Frank is a damning indictment of global failures to engage with the threat posed by the continued presence and use of deteriorating asbestos-containing products throughout national infrastructures. Such toxic substances contaminate our homes, schools, hospitals, vehicles, water systems and environment. Almost half the text of this new feature, dealt with the health hazard posed by the use of asbestos pipes to deliver water. The concluding words of this commentary were chilling: “it is alarming that increasing amounts of exposure and increasing findings of ingestion-related asbestos disease continue to be noted in the scientific literature, with little being done to either educate the public or to educate physicians about these risks.” [Read full article]

A new medical scheme was launched by Liz Darlison, from Mesothelioma UK, and Kim Brislane, from Australia’s Asbestos Dust Diseases Research Institute (ADDRI) at an August 27, 2025 meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The initiative is a collaboration of Mesothelioma UK, ADDRI and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS). Welcoming news of the positive reception for the pioneering program, IBAS Coordinator Laurie Kazan-Allen said: “Asbestos-related diseases are notoriously difficult to diagnose. Experience has shown that building medical capacity of nursing staff can make a huge impact on the experiences of patients and family members.” [Read full article]

A recent analysis of global asbestos trade figures for 2023 revealed startling developments in four former Soviet Union Central Asian countries. While the world’s two biggest asbestos producers Russia and Kazakhstan consumed a mere 0.76 and 0.72 kilograms/kg per person that year, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan used a staggering 3.4 kg and 2.34 kg per capita and Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan 1.6 kg and 1.57 kg. According to an academic paper by scientists from the Kyrgyz Republic and Italy (2024), awareness of the asbestos hazard and asbestos monitoring capacity in all four countries are extremely low. [Read full article]

The headline of a front-page article in the Daily Mail on August 4, 2025 was as shocking as it was controversial: “Asbestos Kills More Troops than Taliban.” According to the first sentence in the hard-hitting exposé by Steve Boggan: “Asbestos killed nine times more military veterans than there were British victims of the Taliban during the Afghan campaign, government records reveal.” While a handful of other UK news outlets picked up this story, it was widely covered by the Russian media. This development was noteworthy as Russia, the world’s biggest producer of asbestos, continues to deny that asbestos exposures can cause cancers and other deadly diseases. [Read full article]

News that an asbestos-laden 50-year-old Italian ferry – the Moby Drea – was bound for Croatia in July/August 2025 was not well received by people living near the Brodosplit shipyard. The day after the ship arrived, hundreds of people turned up for a high-profile protest which was supported by NGOs and local politicians including the new Mayor of Split. Campaigners continue their efforts to secure answers to the very detailed questions raised by the seemingly illegal import of the toxic waste site that is the Moby Drea. The uproar in Split shows no signs of abating any time soon. [Read full article]

It continues to amaze me how each country needs to do its own research to reaffirm the deadly consequences of asbestos exposures. Newly published reports about the health hazard posed by airborne and waterborne asbestos fibers in Kyrgyzstan, Iran and Canada are typical. According to the texts of these academic papers: “a remarkable amount of chrysotile (white asbestos)” was found in the air and lungs of people living near asbestos processing factories; air samples taken in high-traffic areas had high to very high asbestos fiber concentrations; and samples from rivers in a former asbestos mining region showed “an increase in the concentration of asbestos fibers in the water and sediments.” [Read full article]

During the 20th century, a handful of multinational conglomerates controlled global asbestos production, processing, marketing and sales. For decades, the industry’s dominance of the asbestos agenda enabled it to off-load liabilities onto individuals, communities and governments. The price paid by the injured was horrific and the economic costs incurred were colossal. Recent political and legal developments in the UK, the Netherlands and Australia suggest that traditional corporate asbestos avoidance strategies may have been compromised. [Read full article]

An intriguing and somewhat confusing headline – Trump Administration, Reversing Itself, Won’t Rewrite a Ban on Asbestos – in the July 7, 2025 issue of the New York Times caught my attention. Three weeks previously, the Republican government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had confirmed its intention to overturn asbestos prohibitions implemented by the previous administration. By July 7, all that had changed. The shift in approach from formal rulemaking to the provision of guidance on complying with the terms of the prohibitions realigns the US with other G7 countries and 36 of the OECD’s 38 members which have banned asbestos. For the time being, the status quo has been reinstated. Whether it remains in place, only time will tell. [Read full article]

In the run-up to the UK’s annual day of asbestos remembrance – Action Mesothelioma Day – the latest national asbestos mortality data was released on July 2, 2025. With the number of deaths from other asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) added to those from mesothelioma, the total annual death toll, once again, exceeds 5,000, more than three times the number of road traffic fatalities and nearly eight times the number of murders which occur every year in the UK. Since the first AMD was held in 2006, it’s been calculated that more than 100,000 Britons have died from asbestos-related diseases. It is tragic to think of the many more lives which will be lost due to government intransigence, bureaucratic obstacles and lack of technical capacity. [Read full article]

Welcoming the new Korean President, who took office on June 4, 2025, civil society groups launched a rolling program of weekly public rallies in the capital to highlight critical issues including the country’s deadly asbestos legacy, the dumping of Fukushima nuclear wastewater and Korea’s humidifier disinfectant disaster. Despite achieving a remarkable success in eradicating the asbestos hazard from schools, dangerous asbestos loopholes and unaddressed problems remain, including failures of compliance with mandatory asbestos regulations; the continued presence of nearly a million asbestos-contaminated buildings; and the lack of support for some groups of asbestos victims. [Read full article]

On June 24, 2025, the Constitutional Court of Slovenia handed down a historic verdict upholding the successor right of relatives to bring a legal action for the asbestos death of a family member. According to the Court, the previous position which barred them from doing so – as laid out in the Act on Remedying the Consequences of Work with Asbestos – was unconstitutional. As a direct consequence of this ruling the National Assembly must adopt measures implementing this policy reversal within one year. In the meantime, heirs of deceased victims whose asbestos-related diseases had been medically recognized may submit compensation claims. [Read full article]

On June 16, 2025, President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed its intention to overturn asbestos prohibitions implemented by the previous administration. According to the EPA’s motion, the process of re-evaluating the 2024 regulations would take at least 30 months and most likely a lot longer. While polluters and vested interests – some of whom formerly employed current EPA officials – are no doubt, delighted with this news others have warned of the dire consequences for American citizens of future asbestos exposures. [Read full article]

Around the world, mobilization over the asbestos hazard continued to accelerate in recent weeks. Among the issues tackled were: the rights of victims, the responsibility of governments, deadly national legacies, the eradication of contaminated infrastructures and the need to outlaw asbestos use in countries which have not yet done so. The initiatives rolled out by civil society groups, trade unions and governments to raise public awareness, support the injured and protect populations in Asia, Africa and Europe confirm that the global asbestos discourse is now an integral part of mainstream discussions on human rights, environmental justice and green technology. [Read full article]

I always knew there was something Quixotic about the confrontation of British mining conglomerate Cape Asbestos by thousands of South Africans from poor mining communities in the late 1990s; just how epic the battle was has taken me 30 years to fully appreciate. The publication of a new book – In A Rain of Dust, Death, Deceit and the Lawyer who Busted Big Asbestos – was a revelation with its tale of corporate crime, apartheid capitalism, boardroom clashes, vulture funds and a huge cast of characters. Summing up the importance of this publication, one UK campaigner said: “This new book has a relevance not just to those of us fighting for the rights of the asbestos-injured but to everyone concerned about human rights, environmental justice and corporate responsibility.” [Read full article]

In a press release issued today, asbestos victims’ groups from around the world came together to welcome a new book: In a Rain of Dust – Death, Deceit and the Lawyer Who Busted Big Asbestos which was published in London on May 13, 2025. The text written by David Kinley joins the pantheon of other English-language classics which stripped away carefully crafted corporate façades to show the ugly reality which lies behind asbestos industry profits. The gripping story of how a London-based human rights solicitor with little prior knowledge about asbestos called to account one of the UK’s biggest asbestos conglomerates is not only a riveting read but also a timely reminder of the consequences of an industrial legacy that continues to cause death and destruction on a global scale. [Read full article]

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Demonstration in Woluwe Park, Brussels, 2006

Under cloudy skies, members of Belgian and French Asbestos Victims' Associations from Dunkirk and Bourgogne marched side-by-side in the third annual demonstration organized by ABEVA, the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims. Erik Jonckheere, ABEVA's Co-chairman, condemned the government which still refuses to recognize the plight of the asbestos injured.

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