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Last glimpse of Kate before baby is born

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The Duchess of Cambridge has carried out her last solo engagement before the birth of her baby, christening a cruise ship in Southampton.

Even at eight months pregnant, Kate proved she is still a style icon, with the Hobbs spotted coat she wore to the event selling out within minutes of her arrival.

Kate is now on maternity leave, with just one month to go until her July 13 due date.

She will reportedly keep a low profile until the birth, with sister Pippa throwing her a private baby shower in the next couple of weeks.

Kate looked like she was having a great time, despite the chilly weather.

The royal bump has really blossomed in the past month.

Kate was there to christen new cruise ship the Royal Princess.

The Duchess looked positively glowing.

She chose coat from British high street chain Hobbs.

Kate’s coat skimmed over her growing bump.

Kate seemed in excellent spirits at the event, which is her last before maternity leave.

Kate accessorised with a black Jane Taylor hat and black court shoes.

She will now enjoy four weeks off to prepare for the birth of her baby.

Kate is due around July 13.

She is said to be thrilled by the prospect of becoming a mother.

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Curtis Stone’s wedding album

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Here are the first pictures of Aussie chef Curtis Stone and Lindsay Price’s wedding!

The pair tied the knot at a private villa on the Spanish island of Mallorca earlier this week.

“The wedding festivities were enjoyed by family and close friends,” a representative for the pair said. “The four days of festivities included an evening ceremony, followed by dancing under the stars and a day out on the Mediterranean.

“Curtis baked the wedding cake – carrot – Lindsay’s favourite.”

The couple have been together since 2009 and welcomed their first child, Hudson in November 2011.

See the beautiful pictures of the pair’s special day here.

Curtis and Lindsay tied the knot earlier this week.

The pair married at a private villa in Spain.

The four-day celebration included close family and firends.

Curtis and Lindsay have been together since 2009.

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Kate’s last solo outing before birth

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Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge has just completed her final solo engagement before taking maternity leave.

The duchess looked glowing as she christened the Royal Princess cruise ship wearing a leopard-print coat by UK retailer Hobbs, a black fascinator and black heels.

Duchess Kate, who is due to give birth to her first child with husband Prince William in July, told the gathered crowd “I name this ship Royal Princess, may God bless her and all who sail in her.”

See all of the pictures and video of Catherine’s final solo appearance here.

Kate followed in Diana’s footsteps becoming the “Godmother” to the Royal Princess.

Kate explores the ship.

Kate showed of her growing bump in a leopard-print coat.

Kate tests the horn of the ship.

Kate christens the ship!

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Designer explains Beyonce Photoshop shocker

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Princess Mary flies flag for Aussie fashion

Roberto Cavalli's image of Beyonce in his designs (left) and the real thing (right).

Designer Roberto Cavalli has responded to criticism over his super-slim ‘stylised’ depiction of Beyonce wearing his designs.

Cavalli’s version of the pop star was closer in shape to a Barbie doll than Beyonce’s usually “bootylicious” figure with her curves smoothed over, waist pinched in and legs stretched to unnatural heights.

Related: Beyonce Photoshopped beyond recognition

The designer was accused of Photoshop abuse, promoting poor body image, and airbrushing one of the world’s most recognisable women beyond recognition.

After the media brouhaha over the images, Cavalli responded via Facebook, excusing the image because it was “a sketch and not a photo”.

“It is only meant to be a stylised and artistic vision,” the post read.

“Roberto Cavalli loves women and more than anyone else has exalted and highlighted the female shape with his creations.”

The statement went on to say that the image of Beyonce was within Cavalli’s “signature style” of the “glorification of sensuality and femininity”.

So does highlighting the female shape mean stretching legs, cinching wastes, and leaving no room for bulge?

The response has only subjected to the designer to further criticism, with critics pointing out the differences between the designer’s version of “femininity” and reality.

Your say: Do you think Cavalli’s response excuses this image of Beyonce?

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Confirmed: Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez having a boy

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Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez welcome baby boy

Halle Berry’s fiance Olivier Martinez has accidentally confirmed the pair are having a boy.

Chatting to reporters on the red carpet of a film festival in France yesterday, Olivier, 47, let slip that the pair’s first child would be a son.

“My son will be an American, but I remain French,” he said.

“I remain a Frenchman in America, but I adapt to American culture. I feel good there — but I’m still a foreigner.”

Halle denied she knew the sex of the baby, but said she was surprised to be pregnant at 46.

“I feel fantastic. This has been the biggest surprise of my life to tell you the truth,” she said.

“I thought I was kind of past the point where this could be a reality for me. So it’s been a big surprise and the most wonderful.”

While we’re sure Halle and Olivier are overjoyed to be expecting a boy, one person isn’t so thrilled. Halle’s daughter with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, five-year-old Nahla, has been praying for a baby sister.

“Every night, we do our prayers,” Halle said. “She says, ‘God, please bring me a bunk bed and a baby sister.’ And I say, ‘I can do one of those things, I know for sure. The other one, we’ve got to keep praying on.’”

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Rupert Murdoch: Sixty years in the headlines

Rupert Murdoch has lived most of his life behind the headlines but he was in them today, after filing for divorce from his third wife Wendi Deng.
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Rupert Murdoch and Anna Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch has lived most of his life behind the headlines but he was in them today, after filing for divorce from his third wife Wendi Deng.

Rupert was just 21 when he took over his father’s media business News Limited, which he has since transformed into one of the world’s biggest media conglomerates.

But while business success has come relatively easy, marital harmony has been harder to hold on to. This is his third divorce. The last one, from second wife Anna, cost him $1.2 billion.

These pictures chart Rupert’s remarkable life so far.

Rupert taking over Sydney’s *Daily Mirror* in 1960.

Rupert taking over Sydney’s Daily Mirror in 1960.

Rupert in his office in 1968.

Rupert and Anna with their daughter Elisabeth in 1969.

Rupert with his second wife Anna in 1969.

Rupert with his beloved *News of the World* paper in 1968.

Rupert with his beloved News of the World paper in 1968.

Rupert in London 1969.

Rupert and Anna in November 1977.

Rupert and Anna with their sons Lachlan and James in 1987.

Rupert and Anna with Elizabeth Taylor and Malcolm Forbes in 1987.

Rupert and Anna in 1988.

Rupert and Anna Murdoch with their son Lachlan in 1989.

Rupert with his second wife Anna in 1998, shortly before they split.

Rupert and Wendi with his son Lachlan and daughter-in-law Sarah in 1998.

Rupert and Wendi shortly after their wedding in 1999.

Rupert and Wendi in 2002.

Rupert with his mother Dame Elisabeth and his eldest daughter Prue McLeod in 2005.

Rupert and Wendi with his son Lachlan and daughter-in-law Sarah in 2007.

Rupert and Wendi with Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban in February 2007.

Rupert and Wendi with Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness in New York in 2008.

Rupert with embattled News International executive Rebekah Brooks.

Rupert at his mother Dame Elisabeth Murdoch’s funeral in December 2012.

Rupert and his third wife Wendi at the Oscars in 2013.

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Before and after airbrushing pictures go viral

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Before and after airbrushing pictures go viral

Before and after retouching of a lingerie model. © Debenhams.

A UK department store has kick-started an anti-airbrushing campaign by releasing provocative before and after retouching pictures.

The images — which feature a lingerie model — have gone viral on social media, being shared more than 40,000 times in 24 hours.

One image shows the model in her natural state, another shows her marked up for retouching and the third shows the finished, drastically slimmed and unrealistic, image.

By the time the image was ready for publication the model’s face, neck and body had been slimmed, her teeth and eyes whitened, her cleavage enhanced, her skin colour altered and her legs made much thinner.

Department store Debenhams released the pictures as it announced its new ban on retouched lingerie model shots.

“As well as being a positive from a moral point of view, it ticks the economic boxes as well,” Sharon Webb, Head of Lingerie buying and design for Debenhams, said.

“Millions of pounds a year are spent by organisations retouching perfectly good images.

“As a rule we only airbrush minor things like pigmentation or stray hair and rely on the natural beauty of models to make our product look great.”

Debenhams has vowed to never use airbrushed lingerie models again and has urged other brands to ditch retouching too.

“We want other retailers to follow suit and encourage positive body image through minimal retouching rather than bombarding them with unattainable body images,” a spokesperson said.

Debenhams has previously worked with models with disabilities and size 16 mannequins in an attempt to promote inclusiveness.

The 2013 Positive Body Image Awards are open for nominations. To enter, visit the Positive Body Image Awards website. Nominations close on June 21, 2013.

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Parents shocked by suicide note assignment

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Parents shocked by suicide note assignment

Parents at a New York City private school are shocked at an assignment asking their kids to write a suicide note for their English class.

Students as young as 14 were asked to write a farewell missive in the voice of a character who takes her own life in novelThe Secret Life of Bees.

“Channel fictitious character May Boatwright by writing in first person — as if they were her — about her legacy and how they wanted to be remembered by her sisters,” the task outline asked.

The part of the project that has outraged parents with children at the pricey Upper West Side school asked children to justify suicide.

“How would you justify ending your life? What reasons would you give?”

While the School’s principal said he had received no complaints about the macabre assignment, parents have gone to theNew York Postwith their concerns.

“We were pretty stunned at the scope of the assignment,” said one father.

“We thought this was such an outrageous assignment for a 14-year-old to get.”

This isn’t the first time a suicide note has been set as a creative writing task and caused controversy.

A French teacher was suspended just six months ago after assigning 13 and 14-year-olds with the task of writing such a letter.

In 2011 an Australian school taught the novelSmithereens— which includes short stories about suicide and asks students to write two of their own — against the advice of experts.

And last year in England a mother was shocked to find a note her teenager had written for a similar assignment, mistaking it for the real thing.

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Denise Richards: Why Charlie and I will always be friends

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Denise Richards: Why Charlie and I will always be good friends

Denise Richards has revealed the details of her complicated relationship with her ex-husband Charlie Sheen.

The 42-year-old divorced Charlie in 2006 after four years of marriage, but the pair say they are now the best of friends.

After years of bickering and disputes, Denise and Charlie are now trying to get along for the sake of their daughters.

But it took Charlie’s break-up from his third wife, Brooke Mueller, to get the pair back on good terms.

“This is awful to say, but it’s true. When his third marriage started to fall apart, he and I started to become friendly,” Denise revealed during an appearance on HuffPost Live.

Denise said that once Charlie and Brooke’s marriage ended, the pair were able to focus on their two children, Lola, 8, and Sam, 9.

“In the last few years, things have gotten really great with us,” Denise said.

“We’re very close and we’re good friends, which is great because it’s great for our kids.

“From day one, I’ve always wanted to keep the kids a priority and suck it up for them, but it takes two people to do that.

“He sees the benefit, too, that when we get along, it’s good for the kids. It’s not fair to them to be around parents who can’t stand each other.”

Denise, who also has an adopted two-year-old daughter named Eloise, is currently acting as temporary legal guardian for Charlie and Brooke’s four-year-old twin boys Bob and Max.

Denise was granted legal custody of the twins after child protective services removed the children from Brooke’s home last month. Brooke is currently being treated for addiction at the Betty Ford Clinic in California.

Despite Denise and Charlie’s mended relationship, she has shot down rumours that the pair are getting back together.

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New food labels to help fight obesity

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New food labels to help fight obesity

A new food labeling system that would give packages a health star-rating has been proposed as part of a federal government campaign to combat obesity.

The new scheme would see food packages ranked in half-star steps with a top ranking of five stars, aiming to encourage food manufacturers to make their products more healthful to achieve better ratings, The Australian reports.

The plan, which would be trialled as a voluntary code, will be put to state and federal ministers on Friday.

The star ratings system would apply to all packaged, manufactured or processed food presented ready-for-sale by retailers.

State ministers and dairy farmers are reportedly among those expressing concerns about the scheme which would see milk treated differently from soft drinks and confectionary, and nutrient information expressed in “per pack” form rather than “per serve”.

The proposal comes after two years of development following the controversial ‘traffic light’ food labeling system that was dumped by the government in 2011.

Other labeling systems that have been suggested include Queensland’s desperate bid to curb the states obesity crisis that was proposed earlier this year that would see graphic images of fat featured on junk food labels, similar to shocking anti-smoking images printed on cigarette packets.

Your say: Do you think a star rating would help the nation’s obesity problem? How do you think the issue should be tackled?

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