Wednesday, October 28, 2009 LONDON: Launching the 10th British Hajj delegation here on Tuesday, the UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband praised the contributions of the Muslim community in the progress and development of the country, pledging dispensation of all possible facilities for British Hajj pilgrims, Geo news reported on Tuesday.He appreciated Islamic values for compassion, equality and empathy and said the role of British Muslims in various fields of British life cannot be overlooked. He spoke of the diversity within the Muslim communities living in the UK and said though they may have come from different Muslim backgrounds, yet they are united by bonds of brotherhood and tolerance and mutual respect as enshrined in the Islamic teachings. Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan and diplomats from other Muslim countries based in the British capital were also present at the occasion. The Foreign Secretary said the UK has been sending Hajj delegation for a number of years and its medical contingent has done outstanding job in treating pilgrims only from Britain but other countries as well. He further said the French Government taking a cue from the British Government has also decided to send a similar Haj delegation this year. He was hopeful that other European countries where Muslims live in substantial numbers will soon adopt this policy as well. The Saudi Arabian Ambassador in London Prince Mohammad bin Nawaf told the gathering of the massive development that has taken place in the Holy cities of Makkah and Madina to provide maximum facilities to the pilgrims this year. He also spoke of the special measures adopted by the authorities to deal with the cases of swine flu and said some 10,000 medical personnel have been recruited to deal with the possible outbreak of the disease. The Ambassador also noted that ample stockpile of anti-flu viral has been stored to provide immediate relief to any sick pilgrim.He said the Saudi Health Ministry has also prepared a database of all intending pilgrim which would help to facilitate in the treatment of HINI virus should any pilgrim comes down with the disease. The British Hajj delegation will be led by Lord Patel of Blackburn for the 10th year running. He said some 23,000 British Muslims will be traveling to the holy land on November 11 while the medical contingent will comprise 16 members including at least nine doctors. The BHD will be based in Mekkah and will provide clinical services for around three weeks. He said serious illnesses will be referred to Saudhi hospitals which provide free treatment during Hajj.
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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