KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah said in comments published Wednesday that a French firm is studying a plan by the Gulf state for a civilian nuclear project to produce power.Al-Watan daily quoted the emir as saying Kuwait is "seriously considering joining the nuclear club but only for peaceful purposes.""A French company is taking charge of the matter," the daily quoted the emir as saying. He did not name the company.Sheikh Sabah also said that generating power through a nuclear programme would "save large quantities of fuel being consumed by power and water desalination plants."The emir stressed Kuwait has no military ambitions with its planned nuclear programme which will be "within international law and standards."Kuwait is a member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which has decided to develop a joint nuclear technology programme for peaceful use under international rules.Besides Kuwait, the group includes Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Last month, the UAE signed a deal with the United States to cooperate in civilian nuclear energy.The Wall Street Journal reported late last year that the UAE has already signed agreements with two US engineering companies, Thorium Power Ltd and CH2M Hill, to help with developing nuclear power plants.The GCC interest in developing atomic energy comes amid a continuing standoff between the West and Iran over its programme of uranium enrichment.The United States has charged that Tehran is using its nuclear programme to secretly develop an atomic bomb, a claim denied by Iran which maintains its nuclear activities are peaceful.
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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