Saturday, June 13, 2009 KABUL: A British soldier was among three-dozen people killed in a surge of attacks in Afghanistan, authorities said Friday, with violence at record levels two months ahead of presidential elections. The new bloodshed was announced as General David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, warned Thursday of more "tough months" ahead in the battle against extremist insurgents here. Six Afghan policemen were killed on Friday in separate bomb blasts in the eastern province of Paktika and in the southern city of Kandahar, authorities said. Several people were also wounded in the attacks. Another bomb blast killed a British soldier, serving in NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), near Kandahar city on Thursday, the British defence ministry said.ISAF announced meanwhile that four Afghan civilians were killed Thursday in a traffic accident involving one of its vehicles in the northeastern province of Kunar. Two more civilians were killed in the same province Thursday by ISAF mortar rounds fired against insurgents, it said. Also Thursday insurgents attacked a police post in southern Helmand province, kicking off heavy fighting, the interior ministry said. A dozen "enemies of peace" were killed, including two commanders, its statement said.Taliban insurgents also attacked an patrol of Italian ISAF troops and Afghan security forces in southwestern Farah province Thursday, the provincial governor said. Two Afghan soldiers were killed and two wounded, governor Rohul Amin Amin said. Three Italian soldiers were also hurt.
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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