Saturday, June 27, 2009 JOHANNESBURG: A goal by Dani Alves before the end of regulation time gave Brazil a 1-0 victory over host nation South Africa and a spot in the Confederations Cup final against the United States, the surprise of the tournament.The South African squad put up a valiant effort and was just one well executed play away from making its dream of victory a reality against a rival that seemed out-of-sorts for much of the match.The win sends Brazilians into the final against the United States, a team they handily defeated 3-0 in the round-robin phase of the tournament.The United States advanced to the final with a stunning 2-0 victory over Spain, ending the Iberian nation’s long winning streak dating back to last year’s Eurocup.Brazil is the defending champion of the Confederations Cup, which is played every four years and is held in the same country that will also host the following year’s World Cup.
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...
Comments