MANILA: Flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains have left 20 people dead in the eastern Philippines, officials said Monday.Storms lashed the eastern Bicol region and the southern fringe of Luzon island at the weekend, displacing nearly 50,000 people in five provinces, the Civil Defense Office said. Some parts of the eastern provinces of Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Albay remain flooded."There were 20 reported deaths," the agency said, adding that rescuers were still searching for three people buried by a landslide in the town of Magallanes. Ferry operations across the eastern seaboard remained suspended, while the government rushed relief workers to the affected areas.While the storms were dissipating and moving away, the state weather bureau said the eastern-most island of Catanduanes would continue to be battered by rains and strong winds, which may cause more flooding and floods.
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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