US Supreme Court allows ‘light’ cigarettes lawsuits

28 December, 2020

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Wednesday, December 17, 2008 The United States Supreme Court on Monday ruled that “tobacco companies that marketed ‘light’ and ‘low tar’ cigarettes may be sued for fraud.” The 5-to-4 judgment is expected to open the way for dozens of lawsuits claiming billions of dollars in damages. In the certiorari ruling penned by Justice Stevens, the […]

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California meat packing firm recalls 143M pounds of beef

28 December, 2020

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Sunday, February 17, 2008 I am dismayed at the in-humane handling of cattle that has resulted in the violation of food safety regulations at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company. In a press release today, California-based Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. indicated that it has voluntarily recalled just over 143 million pounds (65 million kilograms) of raw […]

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US army admits to private security contract in Iraq

28 December, 2020

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Wednesday, February 7, 2007 The United States Army has confirmed that private security guards of the North Carolina security services company Blackwater USA were employed in Iraq by military subcontractors, reversing earlier statements in which army officials denied knowledge of the contracts. Four security guards employed by Blackwater were killed by Iraqi militants in March […]

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Woman finds human finger in bowl of chili at Wendy’s restaurant

28 December, 2020

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Story sources Maria Alicia Gaura and Dave Murphy. “Wendy’s diner finds human finger in her chili” — San Francisco Chronicle, March 24, 2005 Chuck Carroll and Sandra Gonzales. “Exposure to `finger’ in chili would pose little risk, official says” — San Jose Mercury News, March 23, 2005 Dan Reed, Knight Ridder Newspapers. “Woman finds human finger in […]

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Floyd Landis adopts “the Wikipedia defense” as appeal strategy

28 December, 2020

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Tuesday, October 24, 2006 This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. Cyclist Floyd Landis, who finished first in the 2006 Tour de France but is fighting a positive doping test that would strip him of the title, is now […]

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Australia’s Old Parliament House becomes heritage listed

28 December, 2020

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Wednesday, June 21, 2006 Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced on Tuesday that Old Parliament House in Canberra has been heritage listed. It is the 31st entry on the National Heritage List. The listing acknowledges the role the building has in shaping Australia’s culture and protects it from being modified in any way which could […]

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Short-haired bumblebees reintroduced to UK

28 December, 2020

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012 A small population of Bombus subterraneus, the short-haired bumblebee, was reintroduced to the UK yesterday. The bee was declared extinct in Britain in 2000. Around 100 queen bees were captured from Skåne, Sweden after the Nordic nation gave the go-ahead. After quarantine, around half of these were rejected to avoid introducing […]

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Influential rock drummer Ginger Baker dies at age 80

28 December, 2020

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Monday, October 7, 2019 Yesterday morning, English drummer Ginger Baker died in a hospital at the age of 80. The news came from the Twitter account in his name and was independently confirmed by Associated Press with his daughter Nettie Baker. On September 25, it was reported Baker was hospitalized in critical condition. Baker was […]

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Iran’s morality police crack down on un-Islamic dress

28 December, 2020

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007 The Iranian police forces have faced criticism from Ayatollah Hashemi Shahrudi, the head of the judiciary who was appointed by Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for their re-invigorated campaign to do away with un-Islamic dress. Ayatollah Shahroudi proclaimed, “Tough measures on social problems will backfire and have counter-productive effects.” Others have, of […]

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British government scraps planned rules on pay equality

28 December, 2020

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Saturday, December 4, 2010 The British Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition government has scrapped plans by the previous government to change the rules on equal pay between men and women. The previous Labour government included a provision in the Equality Act 2010—Section 78—to allow the government the option to introduce regulations that would require companies to publish […]

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