$US280bn sought from tobacco firms
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US government on Tuesday begins a major court battle to win $US280 billion ($400 billion) that it says major tobacco companies earned from the public by covering up the dangers of smoking.
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A $280bn government lawsuit against the largest cigarette manufacturers in the United States begins on Tuesday with both sides confident of victory.
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The Gallaher Group, maker of Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut cigarettes, confirmed that it had received a takeover approach from a bidder it did not identify, setting off a 22 percent gain in its share price. Gallaher confirmed the bid in a statement to the London Stock Exchange after the market closed Wednesday. The bid reinforced recent speculation that the tobacco industry is due for consolidation and shares rose across the sector. ÂWe see the tobacco sector broadly benefiting from the Gallaher approach,Â said a Goldman Sachs analyst, Mark Lynch. ÂExpectations of industry consolidation have been widespread for many years.Â Analysts said one potential bidder for Gallaher would be Japan Tobacco. Gallaher has long been linked to Japan Tobacco, as it holds the right to market and sell Japan TobaccoÂs Camel cigarettes in parts of Europe. Credit Suisse said a tie-up between the two would be a Âparticularly good strategic fit.Â It would address Japan TobaccoÂs subscale position in Western Europe and strengthen its competitive position in Eastern Europe, the brokerage firm said.
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WASHINGTON - After five years of legal wrangling, the nation's largest cigarette-makers are meeting federal lawyers in court for the trial phase of the government's record $280 billion civil racketeering suit against the tobacco industry.    The government alleges the industry conspired to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking and the addictive nature of nicotine, and illegally targeted children through marketing campaigns...
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Nigeria's government says it is suing three cigarette firms for $40bn compensation for promoting underage smoking.
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Japan Tobacco Inc. said on Friday it was in talks to buy smaller rival Gallaher Group Plc after sources close to the matter said the world's third-biggest cigarette group had made a 7.5 billion pound ($14.7 billion) cash offer for Gallaher.
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One billion people will die of tobacco-related diseases this century unless governments in rich and poor countries alike get serious about preventing smoking, top World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Monday.
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Japan Tobacco Inc has said it has reached an agreement to buy British rival Gallaher Group for 2.25 trillion yen (19.1 billion dollars) including debt, in Japan's biggest ever corporate acquisition.
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China, home to one in three of the world's smokers, is set to see a huge rise in its health care costs as a lack of education and the government's vested interests frustrate prevention efforts, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned.
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Gallaher, the maker of Silk Cut and Benson & Hedges cigarettes, says it has been approached by a buyer.
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The world's third largest cigarette  group, Japan Tobacco Inc (2914.T), on Thursday made a 7.5  billion pound ($14.7 billion) cash offer for rival Gallaher  Group Plc , sources close to the situation said.
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Rising tobacco use and poverty will fuel cancer across the developing world, more than doubling the number of new cases to 27 million by 2050, experts predicted on Thursday.
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Global anti-tobacco efforts aimed at avoiding tens of millions of preventable deaths have been slow to take hold, and no country has fully adopted the World Health Organization's recommendations, WHO said on Thursday.
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A committee working on tax bills passed by the US House of Representatives and US Senate failed to agree on key tobacco-related provisions, Reuters reported Oct. 5. The corporate tax bill passed by the Senate
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A new global treaty on tobacco is sure to be trouble for tobacco companies.
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European governments urgently need to spend more money on combating smoking, a continent-wide study of anti-smoking policies said on Tuesday.
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The United Nations health agency yesterday issued its strongest policy recommendations yet for controlling tobacco use, urging all countries to ban smoking at indoor workplaces and in public buildings.