Saturday, July 04, 2009 KHOST: Two US soldiers were killed in an explosion in eastern Afghanistan Saturday, the US military said,as Afghan authorities reported that 32 rebels died in an ensuing US helicopter attack. "There was an incident with a possible IED (improvises explosive device) in Paktika province this morning in which two US service members were killed," Sergeant Charles March, a military spokesman said. The military spokesman could not give further details but Hamidullah Zhwak, a spokesman for the local administration, said the US casualties occurred when a fuel tanker was exploded by the rebels in front of a government building."After the blast the American helicopters came in and attacked the Taliban who were preparing to attack the district headquarters," he said, referring to the Zirok district where the incident took place.
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