KABUL: Afghan villagers told a public health official Monday that a NATO air strike killed six civilians in a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, but the military alliance said four to eight militants were killed. Thirty others died in a spate of violence around the country. Four people were wounded in the air strike, including one woman, and had been taken to a hospital in Asadabad, the capital of Kunarprovince, said Asadullah Fazli, Kunar's chief of public health. Fazli said that villagers from Wata Pur district told him that six civilians died during the air strike, and that three houses were destroyed. NATO's International Security Assistance Force said that ``four to eight'' enemy fighters were killed and that intelligence intercepts indicated ``the hostile intent of the enemy to attack ISAF posts.'' Still, a spokesman said it was possible civilians were wounded.
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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