Thursday, September 24, 2009 UN: Iran's president has launched a scathing attack on Western powers, accusing them of spreading "war, bloodshed and terror" in the Middle East and Afghanistan.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Tehran was prepared to warmly shake all those hands which are honestly extended to us.But he accused the West of hypocrisy, saying it preached democracy but violated its fundamental principles.Already speaking to a half-empty chamber, his attacks on the US and its allies - including Israel's barbaric attack on the Gaza Strip, its inhuman policies in the Palestinian territories and its domination of world political and economic affairs - prompted a walkout by the US delegation.
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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