NEW DELHI: Kashmir is totally closed on Wednesday to protest against holding of Lok Sabha polls being held in Baramulla and Ladakh regions. The strike was called on by Hurriyat leaders, who have been put under house arrest preventing them to lead anti-polls rallies. Streets, roads and market places presented deserted look as Indian security personnel, deployed in thousands in the valley restricted the movement of the people. Security personnel were not allowing Kashmiris to move outside their localities and roads in the cities and towns to foil any attempt of staging anti-polls rallies.The Hurriyat leaders including APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik have described the present polls as a futile exercise as the people of Kashmir want right of self determination and not sham elections being held in the presence of thousands of security personnel.
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...
Comments