BOAO: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Saturday announced the establishment of a 10-billion-dollar fund to help promote infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia. Speaking at the opening of the Boao Forum on the tropical island of Hainan in south China, Wen stressed the importance of developing infrastructure in the region in the face of the global financial crisis."We should accelerate the development of regional and sub-regional transport, power and communication infrastructure to gradually achieve interconnectivity and form a network," he said in a speech broadcast live on state television.The annual Boao Forum aims to promote regional economic integration. Wen had planned to announce the new fund at an Asian summit in Thailand last week but it was cancelled due to violent demonstrations.BOAO: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Saturday announced the establishment of a 10-billion-dollar fund to help promote infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia. Speaking at the opening of the Boao Forum on the tropical island of Hainan in south China, Wen stressed the importance of developing infrastructure in the region in the face of the global financial crisis."We should accelerate the development of regional and sub-regional transport, power and communication infrastructure to gradually achieve interconnectivity and form a network," he said in a speech broadcast live on state television.The annual Boao Forum aims to promote regional economic integration. Wen had planned to announce the new fund at an Asian summit in Thailand last week but it was cancelled due to violent demonstrations.
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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