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Responses by civil society activists (who had been targeted by a SLAPP lawsuit issued by Indonesia’s asbestos industry trade association FICMA) to a November court verdict dismissing key accusations brought by the industry were detailed in the article cited below. Parts of the legal situation remain unresolved and for this reason an appeal by the defendants was lodged. According to Dhiccy Sandewa, one of those targeted by FICMA, because of the lawsuit “the trade ministry continues to make excuses for not immediately making a replacement regulation that confirms the obligation of labels and warning signs…” on asbestos-cement roofing products. See: Win over the Industry Association, Asbestos Products of Permanent Sheets Must Have B3 Label.

The very timely article cited below reported on a ceremony held by São Paulo City to present a prestigious municipal award to the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed which marked its 30th anniversary last week. The December 12, 2025 proceedings at City Hall provided the opportunity for ABREA officials and members, trade unionists, civil servants, São Paulo City and federal politicians to reflect on ABREA’s struggle, the obstacles it faced and the almost insurmountable challenges it overcame. See: Câmara de SP concede a Salva de Prata à Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto [The São Paulo City Council awards the Silver Salute to the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos Exposed].

It was reported on December 13, 2025, that a Los Angeles jury had issued a victims’ verdict awarding $40 million to Monica Kent (diagnosed in 2014) and Deborah Schultz (diagnosed in 2018) who had alleged that they had contracted ovarian cancer as a result of using Johnson & Johnson’s asbestos-contaminated talc-based baby powder. The plaintiffs’ attorney told the jury that J&J had known that its iconic baby powder could cause cancer since the 1960s. The company is facing 67,000 lawsuits from cancer sufferers. A spokesperson for J&J said it will appeal the decision. See: Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $40m to women who said talc to blame for cancer.

According to New Zealand’s Public Health Communication Centre, children exposed to asbestos that was contained in imported play sand should be monitored long-term in case those exposures lead to mesothelioma or other cancers. Following the discovery last month (November) of tremolite asbestos in a number of toys being sold in New Zealand, hundreds of schools were tested with 40 having to close temporarily because of contamination. See: Children exposed to asbestos should be monitored long-term – public health experts.

On December 12 a headline from ABC news reported that asbestos-contaminated parts for wind turbines in Victoria had been found in the hold of a ship berthed in Geelong harbor, the second largest port in the State of Victoria. The shipment was quarantined. The next day (see: accc recalls-sand stickers sold across Australia ...), news was released that another asbestos-contaminated product exported from China – Sand Stickers – had been recalled. See: Asbestos-containing wind turbine brake pad shipment docked at Geelong port.

During the launch by the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI) of its National Asbestos Hazards Awareness Movement in Jakarta on December 12, 2025, campaigner Surya Feridan told delegates: “There is no level of asbestos exposure that can be considered safe… The latent nature of asbestos’ dangers makes it a ticking time bomb. Symptoms of the disease only become apparent 20 to 40 years later, when health insurance coverage is often lacking.” See: Alasan logis penghapusan asbes adalah hak asasi kaum buruh Indonesia: Asbes legal mematikan, stop normalisasi! [The logical reason for the removal of asbestos is the human rights of Indonesian workers: Asbestos is legally deadly, stop normalization!].

The latest attempt by Russia to protect its highly valued asbestos market in Indonesia was revealed in the article cited below which documented the existence of the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesia and Russia. The title of the agreement: Cooperation in the Field of Scientific Research on the “Safe Use of Chrysotile Asbestos” is a misnomer as it is universally acknowledged by reputable authorities that no use of asbestos is safe. The Indonesian Supreme Court acknowledged this when it issued a judgment in 2024 mandating that all asbestos-cement roofing carry warning labels. See: Indonesia-Russia Finalize Key MoUs Ahead of INNOPROM 2026.

In 1987 New York pathologist Jerrold Abraham, a specialist in occupational lung disease, found asbestos in his son's backyard sandpit. In an interview with an Australian journalist about recent discoveries of asbestos in colored play sand imported to Australia from China, he said he was “sad but not surprised” that play sand was still contaminated with asbestos. There are, Abraham said, regulatory blind spots in US and Australian regulations; as a result of existing loopholes, the import of toxic material continues to endanger life. See: Fluke discoveries of asbestos in children's sand strike twice decades apart.

The deadly contamination left in the wake of asbestos mining persists not only in the lungs and other organs of workers, family members and local people but also in huge mountains of waste throughout the area. After one hundred years of mining operations, there are now 800 million tonnes of toxic tailings in the land near the Jeffrey Chrysotile Asbestos mine in the town of Val-des-Sources. Local entrepreneurs in collaboration with academics and technical experts claim that valuable minerals can be reclaimed from the tailings, turning them from “toxic waste to green treasure.” See: Turning asbestos from toxic dust to green treasure.

As a result of a ruling finalized by the Court of Rome, asbestos-injured workers from the Videocolor plant in Anagni, Italy will be able to obtain compensation for occupational asbestos exposures experienced between 1990 and 2006 from INAIL, Italy’s Workers’ Compensation Authority. This victory is a result of the verdict won for a maintenance worker with pleural thickenings who had been “exposed continuously, massively and directly to asbestos dust and fibers present in the furnaces, insulation, gaskets, machinery, roller conveyors and numerous structural parts of the plant” for 20 years. The Court confirmed there was a “direct causal link between exposure and pathology.” See: Sentenza Videocolor: riconosciuta esposizione ad amianto [Videocolor ruling: exposure to asbestos recognized].

On December 8, 2025, preliminary measures were announced to address the widespread environmental contamination caused by the war on Gaza. According to the environmental relief and early recovery plan for the Environment Quality Authority (EQA) in Gaza: “debris from destroyed buildings exceeds 60 million tons, including 4 million tons of hazardous waste, 50,000 tons of asbestos, and nearly 100,000 tons of explosives and unexploded ordnance.” To meet the huge challenges faced, a phased plan was devised which aims to provide “relief, recovery and comprehensive environmental rehabilitation.” See: Government operations room reviews the Environmental Relief and Early Recovery Plan of the Environment Quality Authority in Gaza.

After the discoveries of asbestos in children’s play sand and wind turbine parts imported from China to Australia, it was announced on December 6 and 9 that asbestos had also been found in 14 imported fire doors at the new Perth campus of Edith Cowan University (see: Asbestos found in new Edith Cowan University campus in Perth CBD) and might be present in activity sets marketed as part of the Bluey, Paw Patrol and Frozen range of toys. The three “sensory activity sets” were being recalled by Kmart as a precautionary measure. See: Popular Bluey, Paw Patrol toy sets recalled over asbestos fears.

According to the article cited below, another landmark was achieved recently with the approval by municipal officials of a pilot ecological restoration project for derelict and contaminated industrial land in the Giant Panda National Park. The work undertaken successfully eradicated asbestos pollution on an area of 10.55 square kilometers which had formerly been home to the Sichuan asbestos mine. See: 矿山新生，“愈”见大熊猫丨四中全会精神在基层 [Rebirth of Mines, “More” Seen Giant Pandas | The Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session Takes Root at Grassroots Level].

A commentary by experts from the Center for Asbestos-Related Disease on the legacy of environmental asbestos contamination highlighted the ongoing public health risk still posed by unremediated infrastructures and land in Montana, Nevada, California and elsewhere in the US, especially in regions where naturally-occurring asbestos is found. Due to the lethal nature of asbestos-related diseases, the best way to deal with them is to prevent toxic exposures. Concluding their text, the coauthors wrote: “Physicians, public health officials, and researchers must evaluate exposed populations and individuals for AID (autoimmune diseases) and raise awareness that legacy asbestos remains a serious health risk around the world.” See: Legacy asbestos: An ongoing public health risk.

On December 4, 2025 comments made at a press conference held by the Chrysotile Association – a Russian body representing asbestos vested interests – were reported acknowledging that “Russian automakers use only asbestos-free brakes…” According to the Russian and US “experts” who addressed the meeting, this policy was ill-advised due to research which, they said, “confirmed the safety of exposure to chrysotile asbestos fibers for car repair and maintenance professionals.” Several other distortions were contained in the text, including the fact that most Russian asbestos is used in Japan; Japan phased out all asbestos use between 2006 and 2012. See: Ученые призывают вернуться к асбестовым колодкам [Scientists call for a return to asbestos pads].

In November, it was reported that 160 local people had participated in three classes on the safe handling/removal of asbestos-containing roofing products which had been carried out by personnel from Habitat for Humanity International, Vietnam in collaboration with the People's Committee of Long Quang Commune. Asbestos roofing remains a popular product in mountainous areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. See: Long Quảng: Gần 160 người được hướng dẫn thực hành an toàn khi tiếp xúc với vật liệu nghi ngờ có chứa amiăng và kỹ thuật lợp mái nhà đúng cách [Long Quang: Nearly 160 people were instructed on safe practices when in contact with suspected asbestos-containing materials and proper roofing techniques].

One week before Christmas, the UK government issued a blanket denial about the sale of imported asbestos-contaminated toys in response to three questions asked by Labour MP Ian Lavery: “There is no evidence these products are available on the UK market.” They are wrong and the proof was readily available if anyone had bothered to look. Our online research identified at least two of the products recalled in Australia over asbestos fears which had been listed on Amazon UK: Educational Colours Rainbow Sand and Galt Sand Stickers. It seems obvious that given the choice parents and grandparents would prefer to err on the side of caution and choose a gift that did not contain a toxic substance. Shouldn’t someone, somewhere be sounding the alarm? [Read full article]

The long-term committed efforts of grassroots ban asbestos campaigners in Indonesia have transformed the national dialogue from one accepting asbestos industry rhetoric about the “safe use” of asbestos – a Group 1 carcinogen – to one calling for interim health protections prior to an eventual ban on all use. This progress did not go unnoticed by asbestos vested interests; in retaliation, the industry implemented strategies to quash the activities of campaigning groups and lock the Indonesian government into treaties obligating it to maintain the status quo under which the import, use and sale of asbestos-containing goods remains legal. [Read full article]

At the culmination of the December 9-10, 2025, 3rd Regional Asbestos Conference held by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) – Asia Pacific Region that took place in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, the delegates adopted a Conference Statement pledging their commitment “to eliminate the use of all forms of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in our countries and globally…” Specific measures were delineated for future action by trade unionists on the regional hazard posed by continuing asbestos use and strategies discussed for outreach work with the ADB, the ILO, the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, ASEAN & SAARC. [Read full article]

An October 30, 2025 verdict handed down by India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT), the country’s designated court for environmental matters, contained significant findings regarding the continued use of asbestos in the country’s schools. The Court confirmed that: the deterioration of asbestos-containing building material posed a serious human health hazard; there is no safe limit of exposure to asbestos; claims by manufacturers that asbestos fibers were “firmly locked” into roofing sheets were incorrect. The Government was given six months to respond to these findings. It is noteworthy that India, the world’s largest asbestos-importing country, used an average of 438,000 tonnes of asbestos a year between 2021 and 2023. [Read full article]

As Australians were struggling with multiple asbestos scandals, issuing product recalls and demanding better enforcement by federal agencies in recent weeks, in Washington, D.C. the authorities seemed to be adopting a surprisingly laissez-faire position. In October, part of the White House was precipitously demolished to make way for a new ballroom; this was followed in November with an announcement that plans to impose stricter testing protocols for asbestos fibers in talc products had been withdrawn. US politicians and campaigners were shocked by the seeming deviation from best practice whilst a Russian commentator found much to his liking in the moves being taken by the Trump administration which he alleged was trying “to end the witch hunt” related to asbestos. [Read full article]

Groups representing asbestos victims, trade unionists, medical personnel and concerned citizens from Europe, Asia and Australia released a press release on December 9, 2025 congratulating the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) on its 30th anniversary. Commenting on this auspicious event, Sugio Furuya of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) noted that: “ABREA stands as a symbol throughout Asia of solidarity and fellowship. Its sustained efforts to ban asbestos exports to Asia has saved and will save many lives as we work towards an asbestos-free future for all!” Acknowledging our collective debt to ABREA, IBAS Coordinator Laurie Kazan-Allen added: “ABREA gave a face to a worldwide human disaster” (Clique aqui para ler a versão em português). [Read full article]

For decades, the human costs of the asbestos industry’s profits were paid for by workers, family members, local people and communities that had been exposed to carcinogenic fibers liberated by mining, transporting and manufacturing processes. The failure of international agencies to take timely action on the asbestos hazard was due, in some part, to their woeful underestimation of global asbestos mortality. Finally, in 2017 a paper was published which suggested that cumulative annual global asbestos mortality far exceeded previous estimates and could surpass 300,000. The lead author of the 2017 paper was Professor Jukka Takala; details of a presentation he gave last month are recounted in this article including his insightful statement: “Cancer is a disease – Occupational cancer is an administrative decision.” [Read full article]

In the last fortnight a huge furore has been building over news that asbestos contamination had been found in children’s play sand exported from China to Australia and New Zealand. Shortly after the news about the deadly sand broke in Australia, it was reported that asbestos had been found in lift brake pads used across the country by the Chinese-owned energy company Goldwind Australia. In recent years, asbestos alerts for contaminated Chinese exports were issued in multiple countries. Scientific experts have called on the Chinese Government to prohibit the use of all asbestos-containing material. Should the authorities choose to heed their advice it would not only save countless lives at home but would reassure potential importers that products made in China need not carry cancer warning labels. [Read full article]

In less than a week, news that asbestos had been found in colored sand products being used by pre-school and primary school children in Australia reverberated around the world. This was Australia’s second public health asbestos crisis in two years and the media coverage this time round was even more incendiary than it had been in 2024. On November 12, 2025 authorities in Australia and New Zealand confirmed that precautionary measures would be taken following the announcement by the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission that several sand-based products “may contain tremolite asbestos.” A preliminary UK investigation found that one of the products recalled in Australia, currently listed as “unavailable,” had been sold on Amazon UK. [Read full article]

For decades The Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI), a Global Union Federation representing 12 million workers in 117 countries, has been at the forefront of the global campaign to protect workers from toxic asbestos exposures. On November 10, 2025, it issued a position paper recommitting itself to the ban of all asbestos-containing materials. In the new document, the BWI called on the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a member of the World Bank Group and “the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets” – to “prohibit all investments in asbestos, removing its exemption for bonded asbestos materials.”(The following link is to a permitted copy of the BWI paper.) [Read full article]

The furore that had been building since mid-October over controversial plans by President Trump to demolish part of the White House to build a mega-ballroom exploded last weekend with almost universal negative media coverage. It was not only the speed of the demolition of the East Wing but also the lack of transparency over planning, safety protocols and private donors that were driving public outrage with more than half the Americans polled disapproving of the project. Many critics of Trump’s latest “vanity project” expressed concern about the apparent lack of health and safety protocols to deal with asbestos material which was almost certainly present in the structure. [Read full article]

In the run-up to November meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) in South Korea, grassroots activists held “The Ban Asbestos from the Asia-Pacific Region” protest in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul on October 21, 2025. The event was organized by the Asian Citizens' Center for Environmental Health (Eco-Health) and supported by a variety of groups active on environmental and health issues. Commenting on the demonstration, Director of Eco-Health Choi Ye-yong said: “The continued use of asbestos in Asia is contrary not just to APEC’s core objectives but also to the human rights of every individual…. It is time for APEC and other regional bodies to do the right thing and mandate a regional ban on the use of asbestos.” [Read full article]

The news that the first UK toxic talc litigation by cancer sufferers was in the pipeline had been circulating for a couple of years. On October 16, 2025 this was confirmed when a class action began at the High Court in London on behalf of 3,000 plaintiffs who believed their diseases were caused by the use of asbestos-contaminated baby powder produced by the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J). Although news of the class action was reported in North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania, the country with the most intense interest in the case seemed to be Russia, the world’s largest asbestos producer. Interested? Read on. [Read full article]

While much has been written about the deadly health consequences of the commercial exploitation of asbestos, the environmental damage done by asbestos polluters has, to some extent, remained unexplored. The mountains of carcinogenic waste and toxic debris left behind by asbestos profiteers continues to endanger the health of local people long after mining and manufacturing operations ceased. Photographs and text in this article describe multiple examples of the deadly contamination left by asbestos producers and manufacturers in North America, Africa, Asia and Australia. [Read full article]

The article which can be accessed at the link provided was written by Julian Branch, an outspoken critic of Canada’s failure to deal with the deadly legacy posed by the continued use of deteriorating asbestos-containing pipes to deliver water. The head-in-the-sand approach adopted by the authorities and public utility companies to the threat posed by ingested asbestos in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon and British Columbia seems to be validated by the lack of action taken by Health & Welfare Canada – now Health Canada (HC) – and the federal government. Branch detailed decades of missed opportunities and concluded with, considering the neglect shown to date, a possibly over-optimistic hope that a current reassessment of the situation by HC might bring improvements. [Read full article]

Recent developments in East and Southeast Asia have highlighted the continued importance of bilateral and multinational collaborations in the struggle to address national asbestos legacies. The exchange of information and the sharing of expertise remain essential tools in neutralizing the efforts of industry lobbyists who continue to actively promote the interests of asbestos stakeholders at national, regional and international forums. In the post-Covid era, there has been a resurgence of multinational collaborations as illustrated by developments in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Seoul, Korea; and Jakarta, Indonesia which are discussed in this article. [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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