NEW DELHI: An estimated 50 per cent of the 14.4 crore electorate on Thursday exercised their franchise in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls nine states and two union territories, which passed off by and large peacefully barring stray violence in Bihar and West Bengal. The electoral fate of political heavyweights Congress President Sonia Gandhi, BJP's prime ministerial nominee L K Advani, former prime minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda, senior Left leaders Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Basudeb Acharya (CPI-M) and senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh were decided in the third phase that covers 107 constituencies. The 14 constituencies in West Bengal, where the polling was held for the first time in this election, recorded the highest turnout of 64 per cent followed by Karnataka (57), Gujarat (50) and Maharashtra (45 per cent). The turnout in Mumbai, the country's financial hub, was estimated at 45 per cent as the metropolis witnessed the first election six months after the November 26 terror attacks. The lowest turnout of 25 per cent was in Anantnag constituency in Jammu and Kashmir where the separatists had called for given a poll boycott call. With the completion of the third phase, the voters have given their verdict in 372 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. Two more phases are to be held on May 7 and 13 before counting of votes is taken up on May 16.
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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