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LONDON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A painting by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sold for a record $2.82 million at auction Wednesday, about than triple what it was expected to fetch.

Officials at Sotheby's auction house in London originally expected the landscape painting, The Goldfish Pool at Chartwell, to sell for between $626,000 and just shy of $1 million.

The most a Churchill painting had previously fetched was nearly $1.2 million in 2006.

Wednesday's sale was part of a larger auction of select personal possessions of Mary Soames, the last-surviving daughter of Churchill. Soames died in June.

The auction, which included 15 paintings, furnishings and other works of art, brought in a total $24.3 million.

"The genuine enthusiasm from all those who participated in and visited the sale has been a moving celebration both of Mary Soames and of her father's central place in 20th-century history," said Frances Christie, head of the modern and post-war British art department at Sotheby's. "As the 50th year since Sir Winston Churchill's death approaches, it was a huge honor to have been entrusted with this sale, and to see such appreciation for his skill as a painter."

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Notable deaths of 2014

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Winton Churchill painting sells for record $2.82M

Among numerous factors influencing where the conference places teams from the new six-team pool for bowl games, minimizing recruiting risk is possible for the SEC.

The Big 12 has a big problem, and the new SEC bowl pool system will make postseason recruiting inroads in the state of Texas much more difficult moving forward.

The recruiting rise of the Texas A&M Aggies after the move to the SEC, the subsequent de-emphasis of recruiting in Texas for the Oklahoma Sooners and the continued struggles of the Texas Longhorns have led to a major talent drain for the Big 12 Conference, with much of the talent heading to the SEC.

Of the top 30 players in the state of Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, 11 of them are committed to SEC schools, including nine pledged to the Aggies. The Big 12, meanwhile, has six, with none of the top 15 players pledged to its member institutions.

The elite talent in the state isn't headed to other conferences, either -- recent Texas running back decommit Jordan Stevenson pledged to the Wisconsin Badgers, making him the only top-30 player going to a conference other than the Big 12 or SEC.

Non-conference matchups could help provide the head-to-head boost that Big 12 schools need in recruiting, but the SEC now possesses the ability to limit risk in that regard.

The upcoming bowl games marked the first time the SEC put six teams into a pool instead of the bowls getting their choice in a descending order. After the College Football Playoff and the New Year's games select their teams, the Capital One Bowl gets the first choice.

Then theOutback Bowl in Tampa (vs. Big Ten), Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville (vs. ACC/Big Ten), TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl in Jacksonville (vs. ACC/Big Ten), AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis (vs. Big 12), Texas Bowl in Houston (vs. Big 12) and Belk Bowl in Charlotte (vs. ACC) all draw from a six-team pool.

The conference then consults with the member institutions and officials representing the bowl games to determine placement.

"This bowl process gives us the best opportunity to address several issues that impact SEC fans, including the creation of intriguing matchups, the accommodation of travel for fans, reduced ticket obligations for our schools and a variety of assignments to help prevent repetitive postseason destinations," said retiring SEC commissioner Mike Slive when the new ties in were announced.

From 2,090 Archimede (sleeps four); from 2,400 Ortigia (sleeps six) (020 7377 8518; thethinkingtraveller.com). LM

Not so much a villa as a village, Borgo di Vagli is a hamlet of 14th-century houses, expertly renovated but gloriously lost in time. Just getting there will help you shake off the 21st century quite literally, as the bumpy final 2km of unpaved approach road are a serious challenge. In this hilltop fastness the internet seems an anachronism, with wooded mountains as far as the eye can see: in the restaurant kitchen, the cook is floury to her elbows, while the vegetable garden yields wonderful produce for the table. But a landscaped terrace has two pools for sun-worshipping, and the rustic simplicity of the 21 self-catering houses conceals a wealth of up-to-the minute facilities. For guests who can handle the road, pretty Cortona is nearby, and the historic towns of Tuscany and Umbria are conveniently close.

From 820 through Traditional Tuscany (0800 975 5379; traditionaltuscany.co.uk). LM

On the western edge of the Cinque Terre that string of near-vertical Ligurian villages beloved of walkers Levanto is a characterful, cultured seaside town with a long sandy beach. Its perfect for families keen to combine gentle coastal walks made more accessible thanks to frequent, cheap trains that link the town with all five Cinque Terre villages with some bucket-and-spade time for the kids. Up above the town, but only a 15-minute walk from the beach, pretty, ochre-washed Villa Levanto would work well for a group of friends or two medium-sized family groups. Think of it as a country villa near the beach.

Between June and September, weekly rental varies From 4,550 through Bridgewaters Idyllic Italy (0161 787 8587; bridgewatertravel.co.uk). LM

For a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, you could do worse than this magnificent 18th-century villa in Tremezzo on the western shore of Lake Como, frescoed and stuccoed to the hilt and surrounded by formal gardens that descend to your own private landing stage. Once owned by Duke Gian Galeazzo Serbelloni, an Italian supporter of Napoleon, the villa is a living museum, with trompe-loeil artworks by two pupils of Tiepolo and a historic weaponry collection among its many treasures. There are six luminous double bedrooms done out with true antique noblesse oblige. And if the rental seems steep, bear in mind that it includes your own private butler and chef. It makes George Clooneys place down the road look positively shabby.

From 19,000 through Bellini Travel (020 7602 7602; bellinitravel.com). LM

Sometimes its worth looking beyond the villa rental companies especially in areas like Le Marche, which are patchily covered by most of the usual Italy specialists. Cut-out-the-middleman websites like Owners Direct (ownersdirect.co.uk) and Airbnb (airbnb.com) offer a degree of anti-scam protection and allow you to check out reviews left by previous tenants. Among the well-liked Owners Direct properties in Le Marche is the Monastero di Favari (search for Villa in Apiro) a sensitively restored 17th-century monastery, owned by an Anglo-Italian couple, that sleeps up to 15. On Airbnb, home in on the area just to the north of Urbino and among the first results youll see a lovely old farmhouse near the village of Mondaino, which sleeps six, restored and decorated in romantic bohemian style by an English artist couple, Phelan and Susan Harlock-Black.

Monastero di Favari is a restored 17th-century monastery

Monastero di Favari from 1,180; Mondaino from 610, including Airbnb service fee. LM

Continued here:
The top 10 villa holidays in Italy

While koi ponds require more maintenance than water fountains, they will surely impress house guests.

Local experts share how to incorporate beautiful aquatic features into your landscape.

Section by Kate Miller

Sometimes, there is nothing more relaxing than the sound of flowing water. Just because the beach is right outside our backyards does not diminish the usefulness of the well-placed water feature. Here, outdoor experts explain how to incorporate fountains and koi ponds to create a yard brimming with elegance.

For Debi Bradley, manager of Laguna Coast Pottery, there is one rule when it comes to water features: the more you have, the better. She believes wholeheartedly in integrating water features in your outdoor spaceit just adds something more. The noise that fountains make is like making popcorn, she says. Its a good sound. Its very soothing for stress.

There are plenty of ways to easily incorporate water features, many of which can simply be placed and left. The easiest? A fountain or water spout. Self-sustaining, these kind of features store their own water source, one that is continually recycled. With no irrigation system and little maintenance, these features add a relaxed, elegant mood to a backyard landscape with little effort.

Debi explains that another perk of fountains is their sustainability and versatility. With the same water cycling through its system, a fountain prevents water waste, as long as the splash overflow is appropriately set.

This overflow is easy to control; your fountain can be set to a high or low speed depending on the mood you want to create, whether its a gentle trickling for pleasing background noise or a loud splashing to impress party guests.

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Water Wonders

Move to keep pace with tech landscape; senior employees might be affected

With the structure and nature of deals changing along with the technology landscape, the $108-billion information technology (IT) services industry is scrambling to keep up with the required skill-sets. This means, companies need to retrain and restructure their employee base.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest IT services player, seems to be undergoing a similar exercise. The workforce optimisation, which is still in the planning stage, is expected to get over in February 2015.

According to company sources, every vertical has been asked to identify senior staff who have not been very productive. Employees who have been put under the scanner are above the rank of consultant - senior consultant, principal consultant, vice-presidents, etc.

"These are employees with around 20 years of experience and some 25,000 employees could fall in this category. They would be reviewed during the process which will get over by February 2015, before the next appraisal cycle starts from March," the sources added.

According to one executive, who did not wish to be named, the employees are being evaluated under two criteria - how critical his or her role is and how much revenue he or she has been able to generate for the company. Apart from this, the company is also pulling back staff from onsite locations, especially those whose roles are not being considered as critical. The restructuring, however, will not have any impact on the hiring of junior-level employees and freshers, added the executive.

When contacted, a TCS spokesperson said: "As a performance-driven company, workforce optimisation is a continuous process, which happens throughout the year taking into account employee performance, business needs, and people aspirations. This leads to some amount of involuntary attrition in the company. This is nothing out of the ordinary or a special situation for us to comment about." The company went on reiterate that it is on track to hiring 55,000 professional for FY16.

At the end of the quarter ended September 30, 2014, TCS had a total headcount of 313,757 following a gross employee addition of 20,000.

Analyst covering the company and the sector are not too concerned about the development. Several of the analysts that Business Standard spoke to said this trend has been happening for some time now and players such as Infosys and Wipro, too, have initiated such programmes.

"Around one to two per cent of involuntary attrition happens in almost all the companies and TCS is not an exception. The overall numbers at TCS may be more pronounced due to its size," said an analyst on condition of anonymity.

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TCS plans workforce restructuring

David Murray, chair of the Financial System Inquiry. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer

What you need to know about theMurrayinquiry

If history is any guide, David Murray's financial system inquiry will shape the landscape of banking, superannuation and insurance for years to come.

Its final report, to be published on Sunday, follows in the footsteps of inquiries that have had profound legacies for consumers, businesses and the entire economy.

The 1981 Campbell inquiry paved the way for a wave of deregulation, and the 1997 Wallis inquiry recommended Australia's modern system of market and banking regulation.

There have been seismic shifts in finance since Wallis: a six-fold rise in the $1.9 trillion superannuation pool, a sharp increase in the share of bank loans going to housing, and a shift towards greater concentration in banking.

Depending on what the government decides to do with Murray's recommendations, it has the potential to affect just about everyone in Australia.

But as we learnt during the global financial crisis, finance can be so complex that even many bankers do not truly understand it. With that in mind, here's our guide to the topics that matter most.

Bank capital

Original post:
Murray to shape our financial world

Published December 05, 2014

In this April 15, 2014 photo, inmates harvest turnips at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La. Inmates at the penitentiary are getting state licenses in landscaping and horticulture. The goal is a better shot at employment after release and to use their skills on prison grounds, which are about the size of Manhattan Island. So even inmates not in the program are put to work. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)(The Associated Press)

In this April 15, 2014 photo, inmate Isaac Smith drives mules carrying freshly harvested turnips at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La. Inmates at the penitentiary are getting state licenses in landscaping and horticulture. The goal is a better shot at employment after release and to use their skills on prison grounds, which are about the size of Manhattan Island. So even inmates not in the program are put to work. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)(The Associated Press)

In this April 15, 2014 photo, inmates walk past blooms planted by other inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La. Inmates at the penitentiary are getting state licenses in landscaping and horticulture. The goal is a better shot at employment after release and to use their skills on prison grounds, which are about the size of Manhattan Island. So even inmates not in the program are put to work. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)(The Associated Press)

ANGOLA, La. Men who may never get out of the Louisiana State Prison are getting state licenses as landscape contractors and pesticide applicators.

Some also are teaching other long-term inmates and short-timers who are serving their time in the maximum-security prison so they can get that training.

Forty-seven-year-old Michael Costello added four licenses to the landscaping license he had when he went to prison. He's now working for a pool and spa company owner who's starting a landscaping business.

Costello says he must check in weekly with the court and meet twice weekly with other former inmates and counselors.

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Louisiana short-timers and lifers earn state horticulture licenses in state prison program

What you need to know about theMurrayinquiry

If history is any guide, David Murray's financial system inquiry will shape the landscape of banking, superannuation and insurance for years to come.

Its final report, to be published on Sunday, follows in the footsteps of inquiries that have had profound legacies for consumers, businesses and the entire economy.

The 1981 Campbell inquiry paved the way for a wave of deregulation, and the 1997 Wallis inquiry recommended Australia's modern system of market and banking regulation.

There have been seismic shifts in finance since Wallis: a six-fold rise in the $1.9 trillion superannuation pool, a sharp increase in the share of bank loans going to housing, and a shift towards greater concentration in banking.

Depending on what the government decides to do with Murray's recommendations, it has the potential to affect just about everyone in Australia.

But as we learnt during the global financial crisis, finance can be so complex that even many bankers do not truly understand it. With that in mind, here's our guide to the topics that matter most.

Bank capital

The biggest fear among bank investors is thatMurraywill increase substantially the amount of equity capital the big four must set aside. This would make banks more resilient but also dilute returns, and possibly raise costs for customers.

Continue reading here:
Murray's work to shape our financial world for years to come

New Delhi, December 2:

To improve penetration and increase value proposition in the employment landscape, job portal Monster.com India has announced three new initiatives to improve the experience for job seekers and employers.

The company has revamped its mobile app, launched a new professional networking feature for job seekers and designed Monster Analytics to help companies understand attrition better and retain talent.

Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com (India, Middle East, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, said, With the professional networking feature, job seekers and recruiters can create unique profiles and connect with other professionals if they have worked or studied together. Also, it will give recruiters who are interested in a talent domain the access to similarly qualified pool.

Revamps mobile app

The Monster mobile app allows active and passive job seekers better access based on their career lifecycle with send alerts with recommendations even if they are not actively searching. Through the app, users can also search for and share jobs, connect with other users and recruiters, and identify salary and hiring trends.

It has also designed Monster Analytics for companies to understand attrition trends. Monster also plans to customise its employment index and salary index for specific sectors, he said.

The job portal currently has a user base of 43.8 million people and is growing at an average of 16,000 resumes daily, Modi added.

(This article was published on December 2, 2014)

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Monster.com unveils new features