Friday, November 27, 2009 NEW DELHI: India on Friday voiced "serious concern" over what it termed a military nexus between its neighbours China and Pakistan, warning that New Delhi would try and match Beijing's growing firepower.Defence Minister A.K. Antony said India hoped to improve fractious relations with regional countries but that it must remain vigilant about ties between Pakistan and China."The increasing nexus between China and Pakistan in the military sphere remains an area of serious concern," Antony told a seminar in New Delhi."We have to carry out continuous appraisals of Chinese military capabilities and shape our responses accordingly."In the latest cross-border spat, China recently conveyed its "strong dissatisfaction" over the Dalai Lama's trip to the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh which is claimed in full by Beijing.Antony repeated Indian criticism of arch-rival Pakistan, accusing it of failing to take responsibility for the attacks in Mumbai last year that left 166 people dead.
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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