Updated at: 0311 PST, Wednesday, October 21, 2009 WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to hear a plea for freedom from Chinese Muslim Uighurs held in Guantanamo Bay despite being cleared of all charges, who argue they should be released in the United States. The drawn-out case comes after a federal judge last year ordered that the men should be released onto US soil where families from the large Uighur community are willing to host them.But that decision was overturned on appeal, pushing their lawyers to turn to the Supreme Court in a bid to free the 13 men, who hail from the Uighur Muslim minority in China's remote Xinjiang region. The men, who have been held on the US military base in Cuba for more than seven years, were among 22 Uighurs living in a self-contained camp in Afghanistan when the US-led invasion of the country began in October 2001. Amid US administration fears that they face persecution if returned to China, five were freed in 2006 and sent to Albania, and four have been resettled in Bermuda.Another six have accepted to go to the Pacific island nation of Palau, but are still waiting to be transferred from Guantanamo. But all 13 still remaining in the jail contend they should be released in the United States. "All counsel involved are very pleased that the court has taken up the case," lawyer George Clarke told media.
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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