Cancer Patient Wins Record $417 Million Payout In Johnson & Johnson Talc Case

As Johnson & Johnson faces thousands of U.S. lawsuits over potential cancer risks of its talc-based products, a California jury ordered the company Monday to pay $417 million in damages to a terminally ill woman.

Eva Echeverria, 63, who is undergoing treatment in hospital for ovarian cancer, testified through a video deposition that she’d used Johnson’s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene for more than 50 years before halting the practice in 2016, the Los Angeles Times reported. She only stopped after watching a news story about a woman with ovarian cancer who had also used the talc for a similar purpose, she said.

At the time, Echeverria had already been treated for ovarian cancer for almost a decade. 

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded Eva Echeverria, who has an incurable form of ovarian cancer, a record $70 million in compensatory damages and $347 million in punitive damages on Monday.  (Lucas Jackson / Reuters)

Agreeing with the plaintiff that there was a connection between her cancer and her use of Johnson & Johnson’s products containing talc, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded Echeverria $70 million in compensatory damages and $347 million, a record total in punitive damages on Monday. 

Nigeria ranks third in global internet crimes behind UK, U.S., says NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says Nigeria currently ranks third globally in cyber crimes behind the UK and the U.S.

NCC’s Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this on Tuesday at the ongoing 2017 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference’ theme is: “African Business: Penetrating through Institution Building”.

Danbatta, at a breakout session with the sub-theme: “The Business of Cyber Law, Internet Policy and Privacy Rights”, moderated by Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN) a former NBA President, said the number of internet users in Nigeria has hit 91.6 million.

“About N127 billion was the estimated loss to cybercrime in Nigeria in 2015; Nigeria ranks third in global internet crimes behind the UK and U.S.

“A critical factor militating against Africa’s economic resurgence is the weakness of its institutions.

“Nigeria ranks 169 out of 199 on the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings; we are in a middle of a revolution and the rise of what we call the networked society.

Oldest Kids In Class Do Better, Even Through College

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Starting kindergarten later could boost kids' grades and improve their odds of attending a top college. Being the youngest kid in class can hurt their academic performance.

Children who start school at an older age do better than their younger classmates and have better odds of attending college and graduating from an elite institution. That's according to a new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Many parents already delay enrolling their children in school, believing they'll do better if they're a bit older. It's sort of "academic red-shirting," says one of the study's authors, David Figlio, an economist at Northwestern University, using a term that originated in college athletics and refers to recruits who are held out of games for a year.

Inspirational Quotes

Be humble and never think you are better than anyone else. remember for dust you are and to dust you shall return.

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You deserve someone who never stops trying to show you how much you mean to them, even after they have you.Don’t ruin other people’s happiness just because you can’t find your own.

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C/River To Commence Exploration As Govt Discovers Uranium, Others

The Cross River State Government says it has discovered new solid mineral deposits across the three Senatorial Districts of the state and if fully tapped would tremendously transform the economy of the state and reduce its over dependence on federal allocations.

The search and discovery of the resources follow a geological mapping of the state by some Chinese geologists from Shian Xi Province of China after an MOU signed between the Country and Cross River State.

Some of the minerals discovered in commercial quantity were Uranium, iron ore, manganese, tourmaline, barites, marbles, Galina, spherite, coal, kaolin, sulphite, rutile as well as new limestone deposits.

JAMB Fixes Cut-Off Marks For Tertiary Institutions

Candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria now have cause to smile as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed the minimum cut-off marks for 2017, despite the ongoing strike by the academic staff union of universities.

At a policy meeting on the 2017/2018 admission exercise in Abuja, the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, announced 120 as the minimum cut-off marks for admissions into universities in Nigeria.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, and heads of tertiary institutions across the country.

The cut-off mark for admission into polytechnics and colleges of education was fixed at 100, while that of innovative enterprising institutes was pegged at 110.

Rodents Forced President Buhari To Work From Home – Garba Shehu

President Muhammadu Buhari will work from home after rodents damaged his official office during a more than 100-day overseas medical absence, a presidential spokesman told AFP Tuesday.

The rodents damaged furniture and air conditioning fittings in the president’s official Abuja office while he was in London receiving treatment, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu said.

“These are also general works and it is not uncommon for Nigerian presidents to also work from the presidential villa. He has used the residential office for many years,” said Shehu.

“What is important is that the job gets done. Whether he does it from his bedroom or his sitting room or his anteroom — it does not matter. Let the job be done. And the job will be done,” Shehu told the Arise News broadcaster.