ZAMBOANGA: Seven Muslim separatist guerrillas died after a foiled attack on a military outpost in the southern Philippines, a military spokesman said Sunday. Rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked the military in Datu Piang town in Mindanao late Saturday in an attempt to destroy artillery at the base, said Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ponce. "Seven rebels were killed in the fighting, but there could be more as the MILF forces retreated with their wounded," said Ponce.Last week, the MILF bombed a bridge and burned houses in Mindanao as part of what they said were counterattacks against the military. Manila opened peace talks with the 12,000-strong MILF in 2001, but the negotiations collapsed in August last year after the Supreme Court struck down a deal that would have given the MILF control over large areas of Mindanao.
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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