Monday, October 05, 2009 NEW YORK: The Obama administration says it is committed to diplomacy with Iran, but is reviewing the possibility of imposing enhanced sanctions. US officials stress they will not wait forever for Tehran to come clean about its nuclear ambitions.The White House says the latest round of multilateral talks on the Iranian nuclear dispute began well. Officials say they are now waiting to see if Iran follows through on the pledges made Thursday in Geneva.US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice says the onus is on Tehran to adhere to the commitments it has made."If it does not, time is short. We are not interested in talking for talking's sake," said Rice. "We are not interested in interminable negotiations. They have to demonstrate conclusively that their program is for peaceful purposes."During an appearance on the NBC television program Meet the Press, Rice declined to discuss specific deadlines.
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...
Comments