Cuba's silver lining: Luxury cigar exports surge amid economic downturn • FRANCE 24 English

As Cuba's week-long Habano festival kicks off, partly state-owned cigar manufacturer Habanos SA announced a 31 percent boost in revenue over the course of 2023. The record turnover is due to high demand for luxury products globally in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also in this edition, we take a look at the European Union's plans to make its defense industry more self-reliant, as well as fresh data highlighting the gender pay gap in the Australian private sector.

Read more about this story in our article: https://f24.my/A9ge.y

🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen
🔴 LIVE - Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN

🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/

Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen
Follow us on X (Twitter): https://f24.my/Xen
Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen
Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen
Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen