Friday, September 18, 2009 GAZA: Israel banned the entry of Palestinians into held Al-Quds on the occasion of Jumat-ul-Wida (last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan).Thousands of Muslims wanted to visit Masjid-e-Aqsa for worship on Jumat-ul-Wida but Israel blocked the entry points to Held Al-Quds.According to Israel, the routes were closed for three days in view of security concerns on the occasion of Jewish new year.
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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