The Duchess of Cambridge's first official portrait was has been unveiled - and was described by Kate as "amazing". Award-winning artist Paul Emsley created the large head and shoulders painting of the duchess set against his trademark dark background. Kate's painting was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and, following her suggestion, depicts her natural, not official, persona. The official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge, by Paul Emsley The Duchess, who wore a burgundy dress...

Traveler numbers increased by four percent year on year between January and August, according to official figures released by the World Tourism Organization on Monday. Over the first eight months of the year, the WTO recorded an increase of 28 million tourists compared with last year's numbers. If the trend takes hold, the WTO predicts that the billion tourist threshold will be reached by the end of the year. Compared with the first five months of the year, which saw an average increase in tourists...

There might be 25 years between them, but Nick Knowles dismissed any concerns about the age gap between himself and girlfriend Jessica Rose Moor as the pair wed in a romantic ceremony in Rome. The DIY SOS star, who turns 50 this year, posed up with his 25-year-old bride as he told Hello! magazine that Jessica 'makes everything sweeter'. He told the magazine: 'I came to the conclusion that you can't spend your life worrying about everybody else. 'She makes everything sweeter!' Nick Knowles, 49,...

Do people no longer have the right to a private life once they become famous? Fans and detractors alike apparently have a limitless appetite for dirt on any kind of celebrity from movie stars to "real" housewives to presidents. But that doesn't mean the incessant buzz of paparazzi hovering over their every move, like flies on a wounded animal, is ethical. On Friday, the French magazine Closer released topless pictures of Kate Middleton and both the royal family and 10 Downing Street (the office...

You would be surprised how many women going through divorces tell me they knew they were making a mistake when they walked down the aisle — in more recent headlines, Kim Kardashian even shared this similar sentiment. Below are five warning signs you may want to consider before saying "I do." 1. You don't get along with his family. Many couples go through with weddings hoping all the family stuff will "just work out." Don't fall into this trap because it seldom does. In fact, issues with in-laws...

My sister has been engaged twice. Although if you remind her of this now, she will scoff and insist that she's only been engaged once and she married that man. However, what she has conveniently tried to forget is that once upon a time she was caught up in a relationship with Paul and she had every intention of marrying him. They were, by his definition, engaged despite my sister not having a ring, because as a hippy who shunned material things, "no diamond could express the feelings in his heart."...

A MUM and daughter are about to go head to head  in the Miss Plus Size  International beauty pageant for bigger women. Here, single mum of four and tea shop owner Michelle, 41, and budding  baker  Bianca, 23, from Charlton, south-east London, talk to JENNIFER  TIPPETT. Michelle says “FOR us, this is the ultimate mother-and-daughter experience — and to both  make the final after 400 ladies from around the world entered is a real  honour. “We both really want...

Newcomer Darcey Bussell adds some sparkle to the Strictly Come Dancing panel as she joins her fellow judges for a spin round the floor - in a mirrored, glitterball-style dress. All four judges will be seen dancing together in a new trailer as a taster for the forthcoming series in which Bussell replaces Alesha Dixon. Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli battle over who can perform the slinkiest moves as they vie for a turn with their new colleague in the BBC One teaser. The quartet...

Last year, Motorola launched the Android powered Motorola Defy+ rugged smartphone. This handset is the successor of the highly popular Motorola Defy smartphone. The Motorola Defy+ is a water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof smartphone. It runs on the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS. However, this handset is not expected to get the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update ever. The Motorola Defy+ is already available for purchase in the UK from last September. Clove, a popular online retailer...

Lena Fokina The Russian “Baby Yoga” Guru In early 2011, a shocking video went viral showing Russian “baby yoga” guru Lena Fokina recklessly twirling and swinging a tiny infant around. Babies as young as two weeks old were shown being flung around the therapist’s head, spinning by their wrists and ankles in her bizarre ‘baby yoga’ routine. In a short interview to a new video by a British media company Barcroft TV, the 51-year-old is seen teaching parents her techniques in Dahab, Egypt. Mothers...