Widow of chain smoker wins $23.6BILLION in damages from tobacco company she sued over his death

A Florida jury has slammed the nation's No. 2 cigarette maker, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., with $23.6 billion in punitive damages in a lawsuit filed by the widow of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer in 1996.

The case is one of thousands filed in Florida after the state Supreme Court in 2006 tossed out a $145 billion class action verdict. That ruling also said smokers and their families need only prove addiction and that smoking caused their illnesses or deaths.

Last year, Florida's highest court re-approved that decision, which made it easier for sick smokers or their survivors to pursue lawsuits against tobacco companies without having to prove to the court again that Big Tobacco knowingly sold dangerous products and hid the hazards of cigarette smoking.

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Damages: A Florida jury awarded the widow of a chain-smoker a $23.6 billion judgment for punitive damages

The damages a Pensacola jury awarded Friday to Cynthia Robinson after a four-week trial come in addition to $16.8 million in compensatory damages.

Robinson individually sued Reynolds in 2008 on behalf of her late husband, Michael Johnson Sr. Her attorneys said the punitive damages are the largest of any individual case stemming from the original class action lawsuit.

So poignant, lost children of Flight MH17: Smiling happily in family snapshots, some of the innocent victims of the tragedy

Smiling in happy family snapshots, these are the innocent child victims of Flight MH17.
They are among the 80 youngsters thought to have been on board the doomed jet as they travelled with their families on holiday or to visit relatives.
Australian mother Rin Norris lost her father Nick and her three children Mo, 12, Evie, ten and eight-year-old Otis.

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Victims: Marnix van den Hende (left), 12, and his elder brother Piers (right), 15, were killed aboard Flight MH17

Men in uniform abduct woman in Lagos

A four-man gang said to be kidnappers stormed Oshodi under bridge on Saturday, snatching a young woman at gunpoint.

One of them was reported to have worn the uniform usually used by officials of the anti-robbery squad.

Our correspondent gathered that the victim was walking along with her mother when she was confronted by the men. It was said that the mother was threatened with a gun when she wanted to defend her daughter.

It was learnt that the gang, who were said to have arrived at the Oshodi area around 2.30pm, whisked the woman away in a Honda Pilot jeep.

PUNCH Metro also learnt that the young woman struggled to avoid being abducted by snatching handcuffs from one of the abductors and smashing it on his head.

The man, who was reported to be on a uniform with a scorpion logo at the back, corked his gun to disperse a crowd who wanted to help the woman.

CIVIL DEFENCE MEMBER IN POLICE CUSTODY OVER MURDER:Stabs School Teacher to Death

A member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Assistant-Inspector Lasisi Kabir Iyanda, has been arrested and detained in Police custody over the brutal murder, on 27^th June, 2014, of a 32-year-old Kamaldeen Muritala, an Islamic Religious Knowledge teacher attached to Titilope Islamic Comprehensive High School, Ejigbo, Osun State.

 

Preliminary enquiry by Police detectives from the Osun State Police Command, Osogbo reveals that the victim, Kamaldeen Muritala died at Baptist Hospital Ejigbo from complications arising from fatal stab wounds inflicted on his neck with a jack-knife by the NSCDC member during an argument close to the entrance of an examination hall where National Examination Council (NECO) examination was taking place.

Mad woman found with dead boy: Eyes, tongue removed

A suspected madwoman has been arrested today at the Mile 2, area of Apapa, Lagos State, in possession of a dead boy whose eyes and tongue had been removed.
Eye witness claimed that the woman was arrested at about 30:4pm, on top of the Mile2 Bridge, inward Apapa Wharf route.

How the woman was discovered is yet unknown, but another witness said that she was apprehended by a team of OPMENSA operatives after a passer-bye raised the alarm.

Guard kills Babcock varsity female student in hotel

The hotel
| credits: www.hotels.com

A security guard, Azeez Ibrahim, has shot dead a female undergraduate of Babcock University, Busayo Ogunkoya, during a birthday party in a hotel in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that 22-year-old Ogunkoya was celebrating with her friends on Saturday evening, July 5, 2014, at Mambillah Hotel, when the guard fired a shot that killed her.

Our correspondent learnt that immediately the incident happened, there was confusion as the people fled the hotel.

A source said Ibrahim was drunk.

He said, “The incident happened on Saturday night when Busayo and her friends were having a party.

“She did not know the person celebrating, but she was invited to the party by her boyfriend.

“The party was going on fine until the security man, who was holding a gun which he claimed he had seized from some robbers, mishandled the gun and fired a bullet which hit Busayo. The guard was said to be drunk.”

Why Jonathan couldn't meet Chibok girls, parents •FG must negotiate with Boko Haram —Tambuwal

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan was unable to meet with the Chibok girls who escaped and their parents in Abuja, on Tuesday as promised, because they were hurriedly ferried out of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by the Nigerian branch of the BringBackOurGirls campaign.
The president had, on Monday, during her visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, promised Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani child right activist, who survived Taliban assassination attempt over her campaign for girl education in her country, that he would meet with the girls and their parents, who accompanied Malala on the visit.
However, President Jonathan was unable to do so on Tuesday, because the BringBackOurGirls campaigners moved them out of Abuja.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the presidency had dispatched a bus to convey them to the Presidential Villa to enable him discuss with them, but the BringBackOurGirls campaigners, who apparently had custody of the girls, were said to have rejected the vehicle, in spite of the plea of members of the Malala Foundation.