MOGADISHU: A health official says at least 14 people, including women and children, have been killed overnight in Somalia's capital, as fierce weekend battles have continued into the new week.Rufai Mohamed says the ambulance services he leads in Mogadishu collected the bodies of mostly civilians. Hospital officials say they have admitted at least 45 wounded people from the fighting.Battles between Islamic insurgents and pro-government forces began Monday afternoon and continued through the night. The fighting has died down early Tuesday, but sporadic gunfire can be heard in parts of the city. The weekend saw some of the worst fighting in recent weeks, with at least 35 people killed. A local human rights body says as of Monday afternoon 17,200 resident had fled their homes.
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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