Thursday, June 04, 2009 WASHIGNTON: Pressing Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice; the United States says it wants to make sure that Islamabad is acting aggressively against extremist elements within its borders.“Well, we continue to impress upon the Government of Pakistan the importance of bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice,” Assistant Secretary of State, Philip J. Crowley told reporters. “We believe the Government of Pakistan should continue its investigation to ensure that all those who are responsible for the attack are, in fact, brought to justice,” he said.The US, he said, recognises that Pakistan military action in the Swat area has created a significant impact on the ground with roughly 2.5 million displaced persons. “And we along with other countries are trying to make sure that we can help build capacity within the Pakistan Government to be able to support its population during this difficult time.” Asked if the issue terrorist attackers’ release by Pakistan would be brought up during US Special Representative Richarard Holbrooke’s visit to the region, Crowley said the envoy’s trip is primarily focused on the humanitarian situation in Pakistan.
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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