NEW YORK: The United Nations Security Council Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for nuclear disarmament during a session lead by U.S. President Barack Obama.The Security Council meeting, the first presided over by a U.S. president, demonstrated increased international political will to advance the nuclear disarmament agenda Obama proposed during his speech in Prague in April, the White House said in a release.The measure, UNSC Resolution 1887, expresses the Council's concern about the threat of nuclear proliferation and the need for international action to prevent it.The resolution calls for nuclear disarmament, urging all countries to work toward establishing effective measures to effect nuclear arms reduction and disarmament, officials said.A second element called for a strengthened Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty that sets realistic and achievable goals for disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.The resolution also calls for better security for nuclear weapons material to prevent it from falling into terrorists' hands. It also underscored the panel's intent to take action if it finds nuclear weapons or related materials are provided to terrorists.The resolution demanded compliance with Security Council resolutions on Iran and North Korea, calling on both countries to negotiate solutions. The document reaffirmed that the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency plays a critical role in preventing nuclear proliferation and ensuring access to peaceful uses of atomic energy under safeguarded conditions.
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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