Friday, September 11, 2009 RIYADH: A total of 128 swine flu cases among Umrah performers and residents have been reported since the beginning of Ramadan, a Ministry of Health medical bulletin said. It said all cases had fully recovered and that no deaths among the visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque and Umrah performers have been reported so far. Ajyad Emergency Hospital has been provided with all necessary medical equipment and facilities to meet any medical contingency. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah, Minister of Health, said the ministry has set up six health centers with trained medical personnel inside the Holy Haram. Two of the centers have recently been set up by the ministry to provide medical services to Umrah performers in Mataf and Masa’ while the rest are situated in the upper part of the Holy Haram near the King Fahd Gate.Meanwhile, Egypt decided to delay the start of classes for schools and universities as a precautionary measure.
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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