NEW DELHI: Suspected Maoist rebels killed five people, including four policemen, returning from election duty in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, police said Friday. The policemen and one election official had been guarding polling stations in the state when a landmine ripped through their jeep late Thursday night near the town of Muzaffarpur, 70km (43 miles) from the state capital Patna. Bihar, a hotbed of Maoist activity, was one of several parts of India to vote Thursday in the second stage of month-long general elections in which security forces have been on heightened alert for rebel attacks."Police have launched a combing operation in the area against the Maoists," said additional director general of police Neelmani, who goes by one name. Maoist attacks on polling stations during the first phase of voting last week claimed at least 19 lives, including 10 paramilitary troopers and five election workers. Polling in Bihar, which sends 40 members to India's 543-seat national parliament, has been staggered over four phases to ensure adequate deployment of security personnel. India's Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of neglected tribal people and landless farmers.
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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