Tuesday, August 18, 2009 NEW DELHI: Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has reacted to a possible arms deal involving sale of US drones to Pakistan. Krishna has emphatically told America that an arms sale would create instability in the region adding that in the past, such weapons have always been used against India. Pakistan has drawn up a big list of military purchases from the United States. But, what's worrying India is that Islamabad is lobbying hard to get the deadly Predators Drones from the United States. The worries of New Delhi are that any military equipment bought by Pakistan is essentially meant to be used against India, said Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna. Pakistan is seeking Predator Drones from the United States saying they need the drones to fight militancy along the Afghan border. But, invariably the drones would be used along the Indian border both for spying and combat missions, he worried A list has been drawn up and they include helicopters, night vision devices, laser guided ammunition. Predator drones are particularly worrisome as they constitute top of the line technology. They are unmanned aerial vehicles with weaponry that can accurately hit targets. The United States is using them extensively for fighting militants, including in parts of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province area. India does not have anything equivalent to the predators and there is concern about India having them. Currently India is working to get an equivalent of the predator. This is the Harop system from Israel but it will be a long time before India gets them, he added.
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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