Wednesday, September 23, 2009 TEHRAN: Iran says it has built a new generation of centrifuges for enriching uranium, and is testing them. The head of Iran's nuclear agency made the announcement but did not say when they would be ready to go into production at the Natanz atomic plant. Centrifuges can be used to produce fuel for nuclear power and also to make nuclear weapons. The announcement comes a few days before Iran enters fresh talks on its controversial nuclear programme. "Our scientists have built a new generation of centrifuges, and cascades with 10 centrifuges each are now being tested," said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran.
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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