Yearly Archives: 2004

A spectacular exhibition of contemporary art, which opened in Berlin on Tuesday amid Jewish protests, drew accusations that its billionaire owner was exploiting art to redeem his family’s Nazi past. Jewish protesters say the vast collection is founded on ”blood money”.

The United States government opened a -billion civil trial against the giants of the tobacco industry on Tuesday, arguing that the firms conspired for decades to hide the dangers of smoking, and illegally marketed cigarettes to children. The landmark case, five years in the making, could also lead to tighter tobacco legislation, including a ban on such descriptions as ”low tar” and ”light” cigarettes.

In Lagos, expect chaos. There are gun battles in Bogotá. Crime has been a curse in Karachi. But there is nowhere on earth quite like this. According to a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the capital of Papua New Guinea has beaten all-comers — again — to take a title that no city on earth would covet.

A poll in 20 swing states published on Tuesday showed John Kerry still clinging to a narrow lead over President George Bush in the key election battlegrounds, but it raised questions about the reliability of such polls at a volatile point in the campaign.