A US federal appeals court today agreed with the major elements of a 2006 landmark ruling that found the nation's top tobacco companies guilty of racketeering and fraud for deceiving the public about the dangers of smoking.

A federal judge has ruled that the top US cigarette makers violated racketeering laws, deceiving the public for years about the health hazards of smoking.

LAWYERS for the world’s leading cigarette makers have admitted that the companies sold dangerous and addictive products, but said they never conspired to hide those hazards.

British American Tobacco and RJ Reynolds Tobacco have agreed to merge their US tobacco businesses, uniting the nation’s second and third largest tobacco companies in an effort to blunt the attacks of sagging sales and cheaper brands.

An Arkansas man has been awarded more than $19m (€16.1m) after a jury found that a tobacco company’s defective product contributed to his wife’s death.