World IN BRIEF : JAPAN : 455 Hemophiliacs Settle AIDS Suit

All but one of 456 Japanese hemophiliacs who sued after being infected with the AIDS virus decided to accept a settlement in their legal battle against the government and five firms over the spread of HIV-tainted blood products. The government and pharmaceutical firms had already agreed to the out-of-court settlement, which recommended a onetime payment of $420,000 to each claimant or his or her family, along with continuing monthly payments. Up to 2,000 hemophiliacs are believed to have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.