French court widens scope for disability claims from nuclear testing News
French court widens scope for disability claims from nuclear testing

[JURIST] A French pensions court Thursday awarded disability benefits for a non-cancer illness contracted by soldier who participated in French nuclear testing [Wikipedia backgrounder] over 40 years ago in the Sahara desert. The ruling marked the first example in Feench law of testing compensation for diseases other than cancer, and opens the door for others to make similar claims. Andre Mezieres, 65, was stationed about 25 miles from "ground zero" and handled rock samples afterwards without any form of radiation protection. Five years ago he developed a degenerative muscle condition. The US government provides soldiers, other personnel and surviving beneficiaries with compensation for certain "cancers and other serious diseases" [official website] sustained during US nuclear testing [backgrounder] under the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act [claims under the act]. The New Zealand Herald has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Algerian National Liberation Front announces independence campaign

The pro-Algerian independence National Liberation Front released a proclamation on November 1, 1954 announcing the beginning of its campaign for Algerian independence from France, marking the start of the Algerian War. The war would rage for seven years and claim hundreds of thousands of lives until it was ended by the 1962 Évian Accords. Algeria would win its independence on July 3, 1962. Read the full November 1 declaration.

Rent control established in New York City

On November 1, 1943, the federal Office of Price Administration first established rent control in wartime New York City.