The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Washington - The U.S. federal government is going after big tobacco companies for $280 billion US, saying they deliberately misled people about the dangers of smoking. Citing industry documents, Frank Marine said the conspiracy started in 1953, with the pattern of misrepresentation and lies continuing for 50 years. The government is suing under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. It wants the industry to pay a record $280 billion US ? money it claims was earned through deception. United Nations - The rule of law is being "shamelessly disregarded" around the globe, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan warned on Tuesday in the opening session of the General Assembly. Leaders must "rigorously" uphold international law to protect civilians from genocide and crimes against humanity, he said, or "history will judge us very harshly." New York - U.S. President George W. Bush called the coming decades an opportunity for the United Nations to help spread freedom and democracy, while defending his country's actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his address to the UN General Assembly, Bush said "the rights of mankind are advancing across the world and the enemies of human rights are responding with violence." Bush defended the military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq as having removed oppressive regimess.
