Sunday, August 02, 2009 KABUL: Following the bloodiest month for foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan, foreign officials announce the death of four more US-led soldiers in the war-ravaged country. Senior US military officials in Kabul confirmed that three American troops were killed on Saturday when a roadside explosion ripped through an army convoy in the troubled southern Kandahar Province. More than two hundred foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this year. A Saturday statement by the French military confirms that a French soldier was also killed in deadly clashes with Taliban militants north of Kabul. Two other soldiers were wounded in the clashes. Deaths among US-led NATO troops have also soared this year, particularly in the insurgency-hit southern and eastern provinces where deadly fighting is ongoing. Seventy-four foreign troops -- including 43 Americans -- have so far been killed in militant attacks across Afghanistan during the five past weeks. July was the deadliest month for international forces since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
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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