Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Some Agent Orange Benefits Approved

Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange may receive disability benefits for a nerve disease, the Department of Veterans Affairs ruled, but the agency denied links between the herbicide and lung cancer. The VA put off a decision on whether diabetes is related to Agent Orange exposure, waiting for a National Academy of Sciences study expected to be concluded in a year. Agent Orange was sprayed by U.S. troops in Vietnam to remove jungle cover. More than 30,000 veterans have filed claims for disabilities they say are related to the herbicide, which contains the contaminant dioxin.