Picasso fetches $20m for Sydney University

A PABLO Picasso painting given to the University of Sydney has fetched more than $20 million at an auction in London, with the sale proceeds to fund health research at the institution.

The 40cm-wide painting, Jeune fille endormie, was one of 11 artworks given to the university last year by an anonymous donor, on the basis that any sale proceeds would go to research.

The brightly coloured cubist work, which Spanish-born Picasso painted in 1935, depicts his French lover and muse, Marie-Therese Walter, asleep over her arms.

It was brought to Australia a year ago by plane in the mystery owner's carry-on luggage, University of Sydney spokesman Dr Andrew Potter said from London today.

When it was auctioned by Christie's yesterday (London time), it fetched £13.5 million ($20.8 million), which was above its top end pre-sale estimate of £8 million ($12.31 million).

Bidding was fierce, with the bidding starting at £7 million ($10.8 million) before escalating to the final price in less than two minutes.

"We understand it was a British buyer," Dr Potter said.

"We're not aware of the name. There is some suggestion the name will be released in the next few weeks."

The painting was auctioned in London rather than in Sydney because the market for such works was much bigger in the United Kingdom, Dr Potter said.

"Collectors of work like this are not normally in Australia," he said.

Money raised from the painting will go towards research into obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease at the university.

Originally acquired by Walter P Chrysler, founder of the motor company, the painting changed hands just once before it was donated to the University of Sydney in 2010 by the mystery benefactor.

It was shown at a Picasso retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1939, and an exhibition of works from the Chrysler collection in 1941.

It had since been hidden from view in a private collection.

The painting was part of an overall gift to the university which included other paintings, cash and jewellery.

Tornado warnings rattle Midwest

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Tornado warnings were issued for parts of the Midwest on Tuesday night and the National Weather Service reported a possible tornado touchdown in a Minneapolis suburb that resulted in no injuries.

The renewed storm activity came less than a month after a massive tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri, and killed 155 people in the deadliest tornado to hit the United States in more than 60 years.

The National Weather Service said numerous rotating thunderstorms across central and southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin produced one report of a tornado. Warnings were issued for many areas, including the Chicago suburbs.

The possible tornado touchdown occurred in the Minneapolis suburb of Coon Rapids, where trees were knocked down and garages appear to have been damaged, an emergency dispatcher for Coon Rapids police said.

There were no injuries reported, the dispatcher said.

The National Weather Service planned to verify on Wednesday whether a tornado had actually touched down in Coon Rapids.

The agency also issued tornado warnings for eastern Lake County, Illinois, which is near Chicago, and it gave out less urgent tornado watch advisories for broad swaths of Michigan.

(Reporting by David Bailey: Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Peter Bohan)

Brazil: World's oldest person dies.

The Associated Press
SAO PAULO - A Brazilian woman listed by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest person died Tuesday, just weeks shy of her 115th birthday. The title now reverts to a woman in the United States.

Maria Gomes Valentim died of multiple organ failure, said Helerson Lima, a spokesman for the nursing home where she lived. Valentim would have turned 115 on July 9.

Guinness said Tuesday on its website that Valentim, "the first Brazilian super-centenarian to hold the title," died at the age of 114 years, 347 days.

On May 18, Guinness determined that Valentim was 48 days older than the person previously considered the world's oldest human, Besse Cooper from Monroe, Georgia.

"With Maria's passing, the title of Oldest Living Person reverts back to American Besse Cooper, age 114 years 299 days," Guinness said.

The Georgia woman's son, Sid Cooper, said Tuesday that his mother is doing well at her Monroe retirement community.

"She's gained some weight, she's eating real good," Sid Cooper said.

"Her memory is still really good," he added. "She remembers things from a long time ago and recognizes people."

Guinness verified that Valentim was born on July 9, 1896, in the city of Carangola in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. She lived there all her life.

Last month, Guinness said on its website that Valentim, who was known as "Grandma Quita," attributed her longevity to a healthy diet: eating a roll of bread every morning with coffee, fruit and the occasional milk with linseed.

Valentim's family told reporters that she had a stubborn streak and always made a habit of minding her own business. They also said that her father lived to be 100.

"She says she has lived long because she has always taken care of her own life , and not meddled in the lives of others," granddaughter Jane Ribeiro Moraes, 63, told a local newspaper in May.

Valentim married her husband, Joao, in 1913. He died in 1946.

Valentim is survived by four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren. Her only son died at age 75 in the early 1990s.

Valentim was scheduled to be buried Tuesday afternoon at the Carangola cemetery.

California lawmakers: No budget, no pay

By Jim Christie
(Reuters) -SAN FRANCISCO 
There's no reward for a job poorly done, California lawmakers were told on Tuesday as their wages and expense pay were suspended after passing a budget that did not "add up."

Controller John Chiang on Tuesday said he was acting under terms of a law approved by voters last year, the "On-Time Budget Act of 2010," to withhold lawmakers' pay if they miss a mid-June deadline for balancing the state's books.

Democrats pushed a budget through the legislature last week, but Governor Jerry Brown, a fellow Democrat, vetoed the budget a day later, saying it was filled with "legally questionable maneuvers, costly borrowing and unrealistic savings" and didn't close a $10 billion gap.

Chiang on Tuesday vowed to withhold paychecks until lawmakers submit a balanced spending plan for the fiscal year that starts on July 1.

Last Wednesday was the deadline for lawmakers to submit a budget to Brown.

"My office's careful review of the recently passed budget found components that were miscalculated, miscounted or unfinished," Chiang, also a Democrat, said in a statement.

"The numbers simply did not add up, and the legislature will forfeit their pay until a balanced budget is sent to the governor," he said.

Assembly Speaker John Perez said Chiang's decision gives the legislature's Republican minority control of the budget process, since they have refused to vote for Brown's plans to put a temporary tax extension up to a popular vote.

Without any Republicans lending support for that, Democratic leaders said they opted to drop Brown's plan to try to push through their own budget last week.

California is notorious for late budgets. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the state's current budget last October, 100 days after it should have been in place.

Jack Pitney, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, said the loss of pay could act as a catalyst. "Withholding paychecks might lubricate discussions," he said.

A report released by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on the heels of Chiang's statement may also encourage California's leaders to bear down on the budget.

California's already low credit rating is at a "crossroad," S&P said.

A lengthy budget impasse extending into the new year could result in a "patchwork" budget similar to one Brown vetoed, S&P said, which "may lead us to lower the state's long-term rating depending upon the severity and duration of the cash crisis that we believe could precede it."

Legislators were quick to voice their discontent.

"Our state government right now reminds me of a troop of boys lost in the wilderness," Democrat Mike Gatto said in a statement.

(Reporting by Jim Christie; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Norwegian Cruise Line Unveils Designs For New Builds

Project Breakaway to incorporate best of the best of Norwegian's fleet

Miami: Norwegian Cruise Line ("Norwegian") today unveiled the first look at its new balcony and mini-suite stateroom designs for Project Breakaway, the project name for the company's two new next generation Freestyle Cruising ships scheduled for delivery in April 2013 and April 2014. Each of the 144,017 gross ton vessels will have approximately 4,000 passenger berths. Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian's chief executive officer, presented the designs to more than 1,000 travel partners attending Vacation.com's annual conference in Las Vegas.

"The overall design theme for Project Breakaway's staterooms is 'modern boutique hotel meets the sea.' We strongly considered the overall needs of our guests when designing these staterooms and wanted them to be greeted with an ambiance that is warm and inviting and has a very contemporary feel with clean, modern lines," said Sheehan. "We also wanted to maximize the use of space within the staterooms, so that our guests are as comfortable as possible and storage space is well planned throughout.

Ultimately, our goal is to achieve a really good balance of form and function - well designed, beautiful, comfortable and sensible living space."

Project Breakaway ships represent an opportunity for the Norwegian guest to "break away" from the routine of work, school, and daily stress, and find a true respite at sea. These new ships will take the best of the best from all of Norwegian's existing ships drawing on the line's experience of having launched 10 ships in the past 10 years - starting with Norwegian Star and Sun in 2001 and culminating with the launch of Norwegian Epic in 2010.

The mini-suites are a roomier version of the balcony stateroom with a larger, more luxurious bathroom that incorporates a large, modern double sink with two faucets complete with a mosaic glass tile back splash. There are open and enclosed storage spaces under the sink. The bathroom also features an over sized spa-like shower with a rain shower head and multiple body spray jets, along with a separate handheld shower head.

Norwegian will reveal additional stateroom category designs on its Facebook page (www.ncl.com/facebook) in July. More exciting announcements will happen throughout the summer, fall and beyond with the first ship scheduled to open for reservations this October.

 Information on Project Breakaway can be found at:

www.ncl.com/breakaway.

Marie Osmond: is 'Bold and Beautiful'

With all she has done in her career, there's still one thing Marie Osmond has not done that she can now check off of her list: appear on a soap.

Osmond told "Entertainment Tonight"  on the red carpet at the 38th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards that she has agreed to take a role on the CBS daytime drama.

Standing with one of the soaps stars and an Osmond family friend, Adam Gregory who plays "Thomas Forrester," Osmond joked about becoming a daytime actress.

"That's right, you only have 'One Life to Live,' and 'All My Children' asked me to do a soap, so I'm doing 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' 'cause I'm bold, and he's beautiful," the NutriSystem spokeswoman and former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant said.

Asked whether she would be playing Gregory's love interest on the show, Osmond joked that anything is possible as she is only "7 years older" than the actor.

For more information visit:

 http://www.marieosmond.com/ 

Pixar Announces Official Date for New Film

By Alex Suskind
A new Pixar film is on the horizon! Granted, we don't have much information on it yet.

The good news is that today Disney decided to set an official release date for a yet-to-be-named, original, non-sequel Pixar flick. The bad news is that it won't be out until November 27, 2013 (well, that and the fact that we don't know what the actual film is going to be about). But just because we're in the dark doesn't mean that we can't begin speculating.

Hit the jump for a few guesses on what it may be as well as what else is on the horizon at Pixar.

'Cars 2' comes out this Friday, June 24. On deck for 2012 is 'Brave,' a story set in medieval Scotland; it will also be the studio's first foray into fairy tales, as well as the first to star a female protagonist. 'Monsters University,' the prequel to 2001's 'Monsters, Inc.' is slated for a June 2013 release date.

As for this to-be-determined project, /film had a prediction as to what it may turn out to be: "The best guess we have is that this is 'Up' director Pete Docter's mystery project, which we heard about last year. He was working with 'Little Miss Sunshine' and 'Toy Story 3' writer Michael Arndt on the film."

For more information visit: http://www.pixar.com/