| Royal bust bought by Sikh
CHANDIGARH: After the SGPC's rhetoric that it would get another of the lost Sikh treasures back to India, Maharaja Duleep Singh's bust has been sold to the highest bidder — a Sikh family — to grace its private collection.
Duleep Singh, who converted to Christianity at an early age and was the son of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh, died a penniless man in Paris in 1893. But his role in history is such that even 114 years after his death, thousands of Sikhs go on a pilgrimage to his grave at Elveden Church.
For the Sikh community, the only consolation today is perhaps the fact that the white marble bust — commissioned by Queen Victoria and made by renowned Royal Academician John Gibson in Rome between 1859 and 1860 — went to a Sikh private investor, who bid £1.7 million.
Before You Build Three bids, references a must before hiring
Q: I've purchased my first home recently, and have finally saved enough to do some remodeling projects. I've never hired a contractor before and want to make sure I do things the right way. I would appreciate your advice on how to proceed. A: Avoid problems by doing your research before hiring a contractor. Ask family or friends for recommendations of contractors they have recently used. Make sure your contractor has a valid contractor's license by visiting the Contractors State License Board Web site, www.cslb.ca.gov. Try to get at least three bids and make sure to ask for references who will vouch for their work. Check out the work yourself. When it comes to a contract, get everything in writing, including a payment schedule. It is against the law for a contractor to ask for more than 10 percent down or $1,000, whichever is less.
UK: Terra Firma Starts Bidding War For Alliance Boots
A 10bn-plus bidding war for Alliance Boots has broken out after financier Guy Hands' Terra Firma consortium trumped the earlier agreed offer by private equity firm KKR and Stefano Pessina.
Hands's private equity firm Terra Firma Investments Ltd., together with medical research charity The Wellcome Trust and HBOS PLChave tabled an indicative proposal at 1,126 pence per share in cash with the Alliance Boots board. However, due to an agreed break fee with KKR and Pessina's investment vehicle AB Acquisitions Ltd., Alliance Boots shareholders will receive 1,115 pence in cash (10.8bn) under this latest offer.
This morning Alliance Boots board of directors recommended an improved 1,090 pence offer from its deputy chairman, Stefano Pessina, and KKR, valuing the group at 10.6bn.
Auction of Oprah's dress benefits BGSU
At the 40th Anniversary of the William T. Jerome Library, Oprah Winfrey's dress did just that, being auctioned off to highest bidder for $7,500.
All of the money raised by the dress will go to the library.
"People know the University needs money for scholarships and athletics, but we [the library] also rely on the generosity of the community," said Kelly Broughton, co-interim dean of University Libraries, after the dress was auctioned off.
About 200 people came to celebrate the library's anniversary and bid on items to help raise money for the library's future.
"I think we sold every single one of our auction items," Broughton said.
The importance of the library to the University and its students was the predominant theme of the night.
Wright's Barnyard auctions off its memorabilia
An amusement center in Lansing run by the same family for half a century was sold off in bits and pieces Tuesday, but the mood was anything but somber. Wright's Hollywood Park -- known for decades as Wright's Barnyard -- closed its doors in December, but an auction to sell off everything from garbage cans to arcade games felt more like a party. .
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