BANGKOK: Renewed gunfire erupted Monday at the scene of anti-government protests in Bangkok where dozens of people were wounded in earlier clashes with the army, foreign news agency reported. Gunshots have been heard in Thailand's capital and soldiers are firing water cannons at anti-government protesters as violence escalates in Bangkok. Red-shirted protesters have retreated slightly after soldiers moved in midday Monday to the area around Victory Monument, a major traffic circle in Bangkok.The clash comes after as soldiers tried to quell anti-government protests that have swelled, calling for the country's prime minister to resign. Earlier, in a different part of the city, soldiers sprayed automatic weapon fire into the air and threw tear gas to clear protesters blocking roads at a major intersection.
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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