COLOMBO: Three shells slammed into a make-shift hospital in Sri Lanka's northeastern war zone on Wednesday, killing 38 civilians, a doctor said."Three shells hit the hospital today and 38 people were killed," T. Varatharajah, a doctor working at the facility in Mullivaikal, said.He said the attack followed a similar strike on Tuesday, when 47 people were reported killed and 56 wounded.He did not say who was responsible for the shelling, although the rebels blamed government forces for the attack.The Sri Lankan military denies it is using heavy weapons in the area. Sri Lankan authorities also say that doctors there are hostages of the Tigers and have questioned the credibility of their accounts.
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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