US tobacco companies face record lawsuit

After five years of legal wrangling, America‘s largest cigarette-makers are today meeting federal lawyers in court for the trial phase of the government’s record $280bn (€229.7bn) 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.