KABUL: U.S. forces say international and Afghan troops have killed 11 militants in a firefight in southern Afghanistan.A military statement says the fighting broke out during a Thursday night raid on a key Taliban insurgent in Helmand province. The statement says the forces came under fire from militants inside the targeted compound and returned fire. The statement says one insurgent was captured and 11 were killed. No civilian casualties were reported.The U.S. is sending 17,000 additional troops to southern Afghanistan to stamp out the resurgent Taliban who have de facto control of the region. Senior U.S. officials say President BarackObama plans to deploy 4,000 trainers to build up Afghan forces as part of a new strategy to be announced Friday.
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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