WASHINGTON: U.S. President Barack Obama is set to revive the system of military commissions for prosecuting Guantanamo detainees, but with more legal protections for the accused, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. The new rules would block the use of evidence obtained from coercive interrogations, the Post said, quoting unnamed U.S. government officials. The proposed rules would also tighten the admissibility of hearsay testimony, and allow detainees at the camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- which Obama plans to close – greater freedom to choose their attorneys, the paper said. But it quoted a White House official as saying that no final decision had been made. One source told the paper the plan awaits Obama's approval.
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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