LONDON: A large fire in London's historic legal centre sent flames soaring above the skyline of the capital today.London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the fifth floor and roof of Breams Buildings were alight but everyone had been safely evacuated without injury. The office block, off Chancery Lane, houses a number of barristers' chambers as well as the asylum and immigration tribunal.Twelve fire engines and 60 firefighters attended the blaze after LFB received a call at about 3.30pm. City of London police cordoned off Chancery Lane at the junction with Fleet Street, and stopped traffic from entering. An LFB spokesman said there were reports of cylinders involved in the fire, and the roof area of the building had been under refurbishment.Breams Buildings was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1885 and was the home of Birkbeck College for a 65-year period that included the second world
Sunday, February 28, 2010 HAVANA: Hundreds of wealthy merchants and cigar aficionados from all parts of the world gathered in Havana this week to bid high stakes for humidors full of premium cigars. Cuba's annual Habanos festival ended on Friday night with an auction of ornate humidors of cedar and mahogany stacked with hand-rolled stogies that raised 800,000 euros ($1.09 million dollars). Habanos S.A. executives this month said cigar sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos. But even with the creation of the Julieta, Garcia said Habanos has only modest hopes for 2010 sales, due largely to a weak economy in Spain, the biggest market for Cuban cigars. The flavor of premium tobacco relies on the soil and climate in which it is grown. The western province of Pinar Del Rio, famous fo...
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