Monday, July 06, 2009 BANGKOK: Opposition members in Thailand's Parliament called Monday for the resignation of the foreign minister after police filed charges against him for alleged involvement in demonstrations that climaxed with the seizure of Bangkok's airports last year. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and 35 other leaders of the ``Yellow Shirt'' movement face criminal charges including illegal assembly, attempts to stir unrest, and breaches of aviation law and terrorism for the eight-day siege of Bangkok's two airports in November and December.
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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