Far more than his three rivals, Romney has tapped these large donors to build his campaign fund. To date, about two-thirds of his money has come from donors who have given him $2,500, the legal limit for a primary campaign, according to the Campaign Finance Institute, a nonpartisan research organization.

By contrast, about 18 percent of Rick Santorum’s money has come from those who have maxed out. For Newt Gingrich, the comparable figure is 16 percent; for Rep. Ron Paul, 11 percent.

Despite the growing role of outside fundraising groups called super PACs, which have been spending millions of dollars on advertising to boost candidates, the ability of candidates themselves to raise money remains crucial because the political action committees are barred from paying such campaign costs as salary and travel.

The disparity in tapping individual donors presents an opening for Romney’s competitors as the campaign winds toward a crucial pair of primaries next week in Michigan and Arizona and Super Tuesday on March 6. As they seek donations, the others are better positioned to ask for more money from people who have given before but haven’t hit the limit.

The major Republican candidates raised a total of $164.5 million from individual donors through Jan. 31, compared with $238 million for the Republican field at the same point in the 2008 presidential campaign, according to data compiled by the Campaign Finance Institute.

Romney is the clear leader. The $62.8 million he raised by the end of January from individual donors topped that of his three opponents combined, according to the Campaign Finance Institute.

But he is pulling in a larger percentage of his money from large donors than any major presidential candidate dating back to 2000, said Michael Malbin, executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute.

The unsuccessful 2008 campaign of Hillary Clinton faced a similar situation.

The Romney campaign said it has ample room to expand its base of donors. Nearly 38,000 donations have come in under $250, a campaign aide said Tuesday, while about 4,000 donors have reached the $2,500 cap.

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France’s labour minister said that Peugeot was in talks about a strategic alliance with General Motors.

Peugeot would not confirm which companies it was talking to. GM said it routinely talks to other firms in the industry.

Last year, Peugeot’s car-making business reported a loss due to tough conditions in the European car market.

In a brief statement on Wednesday, Peugeot said: “In the context of its globalisation strategy and improving its operational performance, PSA Peugeot Citroen looks at potential cooperations and alliances.”

“Discussions are taking place and there can be no certainty at this stage that these discussions will result in any agreement.”

France’s La Tribune said that, if the talks are successful, GM and Peugeot could announce an alliance at the Geneva car show in the first week of March.

London’s Financial Times said the companies had been talking about developing vehicles together that would be sold under their respective brands.

Analysts are sceptical about the benefits of that sort of deal.

“We struggle to see how yet another ‘me-too’ co-operation with GM Europe on componentry will help address any of the fundamental issues,” said Credit Suisse analyst Erich Hause.

The Financial Times report also said that Peugeot’s chief executive, Philippe Varin, visited GM’s headquarters in Detroit in January for a dinner of industry chief executives on the sidelines of the city’s motor show.

A deal would require the approval of the Peugeot family, which still holds 30% of the company’s shares, and because of the way those shares are structured, the family has 48.3% of voting rights among shareholders.

GM reported record annual profits last year of $9.2bn (£5.8bn), but its European operations made a hefty losses of $747m and GM is planning further costs cuts for the business.

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The South-African born singer moved to London in 1970 and made her debut at Ireland’s Wexford Festival in 1972.

Originally a mezzo soprano, she drew acclaim for her roles in the works of such opera giants as Verdi and Wagner. Connell switched to soprano in 1983.

She spent five years attached to the English National Opera from 1975.

Connell then became a freelance artist with the major opera houses.

She died on 18 February at her home in Richmond, south-west London and is survived by several siblings.

War and Peace

Connell appeared at New York’s Metropolitan Opera and also performed at the Bayreuth, Salzburg, Verona and Glyndebourne festivals.

She also had a long association with Opera Australia, which began when she sang at the opening of the Sydney Opera House in Prokofiev’s War and Peace in 1973.

More recently she sang Gertrude in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel for the Royal Opera and Fidelio with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

In December 2008 Connell enjoyed success at the opening night of Puccini’s Turandot at the Royal Opera House.

Her final performance was a recital last November in Hastings.

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The work, which has just been fully restored, is thought to have been painted by a Da Vinci assistant.

“I think what’s important is it enables us to understand how Leonardo worked in his studio,” said deputy director of conservation, Gabriele Finaldi.

The painting moves to the Louvre in Paris for an exhibition in March.

The original hangs in the Parisian gallery so this will allow visitors to compare the two works.

A black layer of paint on the Prado copy was removed as part of the restoration process – this revealed details in the landscape which experts say is evidence the replica was made at the same time Da Vinci painted the original.

The restoration process took two years.

Too risky

Experts discovered that the Prado version was painted on a walnut panel. This wood was used for other small-format panels by Leonardo and his studio, including The Lady with the Ermine and Saint John the Baptist.

The high quality of the materials used in the creation of the Madrid version suggests that it was an important commission.

The Prado’s Mona Lisa has been in the museum since it was opened in 1819.

The newly-revealed painting will be on display there until 13 March.

There are dozens of surviving Mona Lisa replicas from the 16th and 17th Centuries – when copying famous artworks was a thriving business.

The original painting, dating from the early 16th Century, is obscured by several layers of old, cracked varnish.

However, cleaning and restoration is thought to be too risky because the painting is fragile.

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Auctioneers Nate D Sanders said it was the largest collection of Academy Awards to go under the hammer to date.

It includes Oscars won for Hollywood classics such as Wuthering Heights and The Best Years of Our Lives.

The awards can be legitimately sold because they were presented prior to the Academy imposing a ban on their coveted gold honours being resold.

The agreement it requires winners to sign states that they can only sell their Oscars back to the Academy for the nominal sum of $1 (63p).

Organisers expected the 15 Oscars to fetch in the region of $2m (£1.27m) if they are all purchased at Tuesday’s online auction.

Last December the Oscar Orson Welles won for writing his 1941 film Citizen Kane sold for $861,542 (£548,254).

Nearly twice that amount was fetched in 1999 when the late Michael Jackson snapped up the best picture Oscar won by Gone with the Wind in 1940.

One of the most sought-after lots is likely to be the best picture Oscar presented to the Noel Coward adaptation Cavalcade.

Organisers said the award – presented in March 1934 – is “the earliest best picture Oscar to ever be offered in an auction”.

Film lovers in New York can get their hands on an Oscar for nothing this week at a display in the city’s Grand Central train station.

Members of the public can line up to have their photo taken holding an actual Oscar statuette as part of the Meet the Oscars exhibition, which runs until Sunday in the terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall.

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Yesterday evening, Brown tweeted a link to a downloadable remix of Rihanna’s explicit “Birthday Cake” track featuring his vocals.

Rihanna followed suit, tweeting a link to a remix of Brown’s “Turn Up the Music,” which features her on a verse. She wrote along with it,”@chrisbrown Turn up the music remix #RihannaNavy #Teambreezy enjoy!!!”

Brown, 22, and Rihanna, who just turned 24, made headlines earlier Monday when Brown wished Rihanna a happy birthday via Twitter.

Much of the buzz was focused on the two’s communication following their highly publicized 2009 domestic disturbance before that year’s Grammys show. In June of 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of assault with the intent to do bodily harm.

What do you think of their collaborations? “Birthday Cake” is too explicit for us to embed here, but Chris Brown’s “Turn Up the Music” remix is embedded below:


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The not-so-great news: It’s going right back into 8 p.m. against CBS’ “Big Bang Theory.”

Community will return on Thursday, March 15. Then “30 Rock” shifts to 8:30 p.m., followed by “The Office” and “Up All Night.” “Parks & Recreation” will come back on April 19 to finish its run after “Up All Night” concludes its 24 episodes.

NBC was toying with the idea of giving “Community” a different time slot than opening Thursdays against “Big Bang,” where it’s struggled in the past. But perhaps after seeing how, say, “30 Rock” has fared in the slot recently, they realized “Community” isn’t the worst option here.

But that’s not all. There’s new comedies coming to NBC’s midseason lineup too. “Bent” (March 21 at 9 p.m.) and “Best Friends Forever” (April 4 at 8:30 p.m.) and the hidden-camera series “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” (April 4 at 8 p.m.) will debut on Wednesday nights.

“Best Friends” and “Betty White” will take the place of “Whitney” and “Are You There, Chelsea,” both of which will have aired all of their episodes (22 and 12, respectively).

“Bent” is about a “romantic comedy about a womanizing, surfer dude contractor (David Walton) and his beautiful, no-nonsense, type-A client (Amanda Peet), who work together to remodel each other’s lives as they renovate her Venice, California, home.”

“Best Friends Forever” is about a two longtime friends (Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham) who move into a Brooklyn apartment. “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” is a Punk’d-style show with a cast of “sassy septuagenarians.”

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They get their hair, makeup and nails done, shimmy into the proper shapewear, adorn themselves with millions of dollars worth of jewelry, slip on a pair of stilettos, and zip up their one-of-a-kind gowns.

Yet, seconds after they step onto the red carpet, we’ve already decided whether or not their primping paid off.

While it takes a mere moment to wind up on the worst-dressed list, it takes a stunning comeback, or two, before redemption is bestowed. And with everything that goes into achieving a “best-dressed”-worthy look, attendees are lucky they have an entire season to perfect their red carpet style.

“Each awards show has a different personality style-wise, and people have learned to dress accordingly,” said Sarah Bernard, host of “The Thread” on Yahoo!’s Shine. The Academy Awards calls for classic, formal attire, she said, but celebrities can have a little more fun with the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Grammy Awards, which allow for edgier ensembles.

But even a classic look isn’t a surefire way to keep the scrutiny at bay. See, not taking a fashion risk is a risk in itself, Bernard said, adding, “It’s important to mix it up.”

That’s exactly what “Bridesmaids’” actress Rose Byrne did when she showed up at the SAG Awards wearing an Elie Saab jumpsuit.

“It’s so great to see anybody step out of the box and do something not so traditional,” said stylist to the stars Nicole Chavez, whose clients include Rachel Bilson, Scarlett Johansson and Kristen Bell. “(Celebrities) don’t take as many risks on the carpet as they should. … Because people are so quick to criticize, they’re more careful about their selections.”

But red carpet couture isn’t about setting a trend. It’s about wearing something flattering in a style you love, said the new mom, who hasn’t outfitted anyone this awards season.

One red-carpet regular who has stunned this season, wearing gowns that complement her shape, is “The Help’s” Octavia Spencer, said Yahoo!’s Bernard.

And with so many nominations for best actress in a supporting role — she won the award at the Globes and the SAG Awards, among other shows — Spencer is being watched closely.

The actress has developed a relationship with Tadashi Shoji, the Japanese designer behind the lavender gown she wore to the Globes, and the silver number she donned for the SAG Awards.

“My mom always taught us to dance with the one that brung ya, and (Shoji) gave me a lot of clothes while we were on (“The Help”) publicity tour,” Spencer told E!

It’s common for a celebrity to have a relationship with certain designers, Bernard said, referencing Charlize Theron, who wore a standout pale pink Dior gown to the Globes. (Theron is a spokesperson for Dior.)

Bernard anticipates that Spencer will continue her “classy and fashion forward” streak at the Academy Awards on Sunday, possibly with another Shoji creation.

“The red carpet is a very intense situation, and you want to be comfortable out there,” Chavez said. “If you’re confident and comfortable, it reads. It you’re uncomfortable, no matter how beautiful your dress is, it can end up not working.”

The potential for discomfort is one reason footwear expert Meghan Cleary says shoes are the most important part of any red carpet look.

“(Shoes) have the biggest effect on how you feel,” said Cleary, the author of “Shoe Are You?” “They have an actual physiological effect on you — the way you walk and carry yourself, and the way you stand.”

Even for the Academy Awards, which calls for mostly floor-length gowns, “shoes are still in the game,” she said.

Cleary expects most shoes on Oscar night to be delicate stiletto sandals, with jewels and metallic detail. “A lot of times the shoe becomes part of the jewelry.”

And with so much focus on the dress, shoes become a way for celebrities to experiment, and maybe take a fashion risk.

Cleary says pairing a purple metallic stiletto with a red dress would create a fashion-forward and edgy formal look. “I say go for it. Kudos to you,” she said. “But will you be excoriated on the red carpet for that? I don’t know.”

As a celebrity stylist, Chavez says she gravitates toward the rich colors during awards season, because the hues tend to show off detail better than pastels or black numbers. Plus, she said, publications are more likely to run photos of stars wearing bright-colored gowns — like the scarlet Valentino that Michelle Williams wore to the SAG Awards.

The saturated, rich jewel tones are all over the red carpet this season, like the jade green Oscar de la Renta dress Emily Blunt wore to the SAG Awards, or the fuchsia Marchesa gown Sofia Vergara donned the same night.

On the flip side, nude-colored gowns have also been all the rage this awards season — Jessica Biel, Kristen Wiig and Piper Perabo have all tried out the trend, somewhat unsuccessfully. (Each celebrity ended up on at least one media outlet’s worst-dressed list, in addition to getting burned on E!’s “Fashion Police.”)

A nude gown is “so incredibly stunning in real life, yet, just doesn’t translate on TV or in photos,” Chavez said.

Just because a gown looks good in person, she added, it doesn’t mean it will translate for the cameras, which is why Chavez always photographs her clients in a gown before a final decision is made.

Chavez said she expects to see a mix of vibrant, nude and sherbet colors take over at the Academy Awards. But she’s excited to see what some of the newcomers will pull out on the carpet.

“There are a bunch of … cool, young, beautiful girls experimenting with fashion,” she said, giving a nod to Rooney Mara, who has been playing with cutouts and black and white.

In the end, any celebrity can end up on a list of best- or worst-dressed stars. But the fashionistas who push the envelope are the ones we’ll be talking about long after awards season.

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Sound familiar?

The recent momentum of the American recovery feels a lot like early 2011, when many of the same green shoots were driving optimism.

But things went awry last spring when oil prices starting rising and Japan’s earthquake sent economic shockwaves rippling throughout the world. The European financial crisis escalated and the debt ceiling debate in the United States weighed on confidence.

By June, even Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was admitting the economy was hitting a “soft patch.”

Are we finally on the path to a sustained recovery, or will it peter out all over again in 2012?

The answer all depends on a few key challenges:

Tension with Iran poses perhaps the greatest risk to not just the U.S. economy, but the world. About 20% of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s threat to close the critical shipping lane has recently driven a rise in oil prices.

Add recently improving economic data — which often leads oil speculators to forecast greater demand for fuel — and lower supply and higher demand are a recipe for a potential spike in gas prices this spring.

Gas prices are already at their highest levels ever for this time of year, and some analysts predict they’ll hit a national average of $4 a gallon in May. Some regions are even expected to see $5 gas by Memorial Day.

That’s going to hit consumers hard, just as it did last year. Consumer spending slumped in the summer, dragging on economic growth. Job creation soon slowed to a trickle.

“This year, the recovery is largely on the backs of consumers, so anything that undermines consumer spending would pose a risk to the economy,” said Carl Riccadonna, senior U.S. economist with Deutsche Bank.

Because it’s happened before, he doesn’t see $4 gas as a major risk, but anything higher than $4.60 a gallon could be worrisome.

“Four-dollar gas doesn’t scare me, but if the Strait of Hormuz gets shut or bombs start falling on Iran, that would certainly be troubling for the markets and could lead to an oil price spike,” he said.

Government job cuts, especially by states and localities, are likely to continue — and while they’re expected, the impact is not to be taken lightly. The government is the largest employer in the country.

Meanwhile, as companies look ahead to the future, a big question mark hangs in the air: What will happen after the Bush tax cuts expire at the end of the year?

January 2013 also triggers $1.2 trillion in automatic budget cuts, as well as the start of many of President Obama’s healthcare reform provisions.

Hope for further clarity is waning, as Congress isn’t expected to make much progress on any major issues until election season winds down.

“There’s going to be significant uncertainty about fiscal drag,” Riccadonna said, estimating government cuts and uncertainty around fiscal issues could shave as much as two percentage points off economic growth in 2013.

These issues are certainly not a surprise, so employers are likely to weigh them into their hiring and investing decisions in advance.

Last year’s shocks came in the form of revolutions in the Middle East, the earthquake in Japan and Europe’s escalating debt crisis.

While those issues still linger, new problems, including Iran, are brewing around the globe in 2012.

“We’ve removed several key dampening factors, but Iran remains the wild card,” said Beata Caranci, vice president and deputy chief economist for TD Bank. “When we look at the big risks emanating for the U.S., they’re mostly occurring outside U.S. borders.”

Meanwhile, the fastest growing economies in the world, often called emerging markets, are starting to show signs of losing momentum. China, the world’s second largest economy, has recently shown signs of slowing down.

India’s government has predicted its economy could grow less than 7% this fiscal year — its slowest growth since the financial crisis in 2008.

While both governments are starting to take efforts to support economic growth, the jury is still out on the results.

“Given our experience, often times it’s really hard for some of these countries to control their slowdowns,” said John Silvia, Wells Fargo chief economist. “The Asian slowdown could be faster and quicker than expected.”

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During a discussion with CNN’s Piers Morgan about tax rates, Christie made it known that he’s just about had it with Buffett, the world-famous investor who lent his name to a proposed tax hike on the rich.

“He should just write a check and shut up,” Christie said. “I’m tired of hearing about it. If he wants to give the government more money, he’s got the ability to write a check — go ahead and write it.”

Earlier in the interview, responding to a question on class warfare in the political system, Christie, who has developed a reputation for not mincing words, said he didn’t want to discuss Buffett.

“I’m so tired of talking about Warren Buffett,” Christie said. “What are you going to bring up next, his secretary?”

First proposed by President Obama last year, the so-called “Buffett Rule” is intended to ensure that people making more than $1 million a year pay a higher share of their income in taxes than middle-class households.

To drive home the point, Buffett’s secretary attended the State of the Union address in January. She pays a higher effective tax rate than her billionaire boss.

“Middle-class families shouldn’t pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires. That’s pretty straightforward,” Obama said in September.

But the administration, in putting forth Obama’s budget last week, made clear that they are not pushing to implement the Buffett Rule now. Rather, it’s a guiding principle for when — if — Congress takes up tax reform.

Christie, one of Mitt Romney’s most popular and visible surrogates, is frequently mentioned as a possible 2012 running mate for the Republican party’s eventual nominee.

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