RAMALLAH: Palestinian officials say a Palestinian teen was killed by Israeli army fire near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.The youth was killed late Friday near the Beit El settlement. The Israeli military says soldiers guarding the settlement spotted a group of Palestinians who threw firebombs toward the gate of Beit El. The military says troops fired warning shots and then toward the group. Palestinian security officials said Saturday that a16-year-old was killed and a 19-year-old was wounded in the leg. Also Saturday, the Gaza-Egypt border opened to allow Gazans seeking medical treatment to leave the blockaded territory. Gaza's borders have been virtually sealed since the Islamic militant Hamas seized control two years ago.
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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