MUMBAI: The only surviving suspected gunman in last year's terrorist attacks in Mumbai would be tried as an adult, which means he could face the death penalty, the presiding judge said.The defense lawyer representing Mohammed Ajmal Kasab said his client was 17 at the time of the November attacks and should be tried by a juvenile court. But Indian medical experts declared that Kasab is at least 20 after examining his teeth and X-rays of his bones. Judge M.L. Tahiliyani, who was presiding over his trial, ruled Saturday that the medical tests were enough to prove Kasab was an adult at the time of the attacks. Prosecutors say Kasab, a Pakistani, was one of 10 attackers responsible for killing 166 people and wounding 304 more during the three-day siege of India's financial capital. Nine other suspects were killed during the attacks. He will face the death penalty if convicted. Had he been tried as a minor, Kasab would have faced a maximum of three years in prison.
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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