Two new official photographs of Prince William and his fiancee Kate Middleton, taken by Mario Testino, were released Sunday to mark their wedding next April.One portrait is an intimate close-up of the prince hugging his bride-to-be, while the other shows the two 28-year-olds in a more formal pose, standing side by side in the red carpeted council chamber of St James' Palace in London.
Peruvian-born Testino, who was responsible for some of the most enduring photographs of William's mother Princess Diana, said the young couple were clearly "brimming with happiness" in the shots.
They were taken on November 25, nine days after the couple announced they were finally tying the knot after an eight-year romance. The wedding has been set for April 29 next year, at Westminster Abbey in London.
"I am very happy to have been asked to cover this historic moment that the whole world was waiting for," said Testino, who has taken many family shots of the prince, his brother Harry and his father Prince Charles.
"They are in their prime and brimming with happiness. I have never felt so much joy as when I see them together."
The formal image shows a smiling William and Kate standing close together with Kate resting her left arm on the prince's -- giving a full view of the engagement ring that once belonged to Diana.
She is wearing a white dress from high street retailer Reiss, while he is wearing a dark suit, blue tie and white shirt from Turnbull and Asser.
Monday, December 13, 2010
New photos released of Prince William and Kate
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Colour war: Silver, black battle for top car choice
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Henry Ford famously wrote that a customer of his could have a car painted any colour that he wanted, so long as it was black.Turns out, a lot of people would be just fine with that -- although Ford might have done even better with silver.
A report from paint manufacturer DuPont released Tuesday indicates that silver and black are locked in a tight battle for car-colour supremecy.
A full 26 per cent of cars globally are painted silver, followed closely by black with 24 per cent, the study shows.
Rounding out the top five are white and grey, tied at 16 per cent, and red, at 6 per cent.
But wait -- if you are thinking that your North American neighborhood has far more white-painted cars than either silver or black models, you'd be right.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Jessica Simpson, Inc. Could Surpass $1 Billion
When you think "Jessica Simpson," do you think "billionaire businesswoman"?
No, not immediately.
Truth be told, Simpson is far more famous for who she's dating -- and what she's cooking for Thanksgiving -- than for her amazing business acumen. But alas, wipe those smirks away! Because Jessica Simpson, Inc. (not her real brand) is poised to break the $1 billion mark.
Crazy, right? From shoes to bags to jeans to perfume, Simpson-branded products are a massive commercial success. And the star herself is said to be worth $100 million, according to WWD.com.
You heard that: $100 MILLION. Not bad for the recipient of John Mayer's most infamous diss. It's almost like her ho-hum singing and acting careers are go-nowhere, just-for-fun side projects; her new holiday album "Happy Christmas" is a dismal No. 123 on the Billboard 200 chart. And her last film that had a theatrical release, "Blonde Ambition," grossed just $6,422.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Facebook's Zuckerberg in group of wealthy pledging to give away most of fortunes
By The Associated Press
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Another 17 of America's richest people, including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, junk bond pioneer Michael Milken and AOL co-founder Steve Case, have pledged to give away most of their wealth.
They are the latest to join the Giving Pledge, an effort led by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffett to commit the country's wealthiest people to step up their charitable donations.
They've now signed up 57 people and their families.
The list also includes New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, CNN founder Ted Turner and film director George Lucas.
Though not a formal contract, those who pledge are committing to give away at least half of their wealth to philanthropic causes either before or after they die.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Celine Dion Debuts Twins
Meet Celine Dion and Rene Angelil's twins, Eddy & Nelson!
The singer debuted her new bundles of joy in the pages of People and Hello! Canada on Wednesday.
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: Celine Dion Opens Up On Miscarriage
"The love and what I feel inside, what we have accomplished - I don't know how to put it into words," Celine told People, referring to her difficult journey to conceive. "It's bigger than life itself."
The singer has discovered her new twins, who were born on October 23, aren't allowing her to get much sleep.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Islands fear "end of history" due climate changes
CANCUN, Mexico (Reuters) - Some low-lying island nations face the "end of history" due to rising sea levels unless the world takes stronger action to slow global warming, a spokesman said at U.N. climate talks on Monday.
Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands and the Maldives were most at risk, said Antonio Monteiro Lima, a delegate of Cape Verde who is vice-chair of the 43-member Alliance of Small Island States.
"All these countries are at this moment struggling to survive ... they are facing the end of history," he told a news conference on the opening day of Nov. 29 to Dec. 10 negotiations among almost 200 nations on slowing global warming.
Island states say that storm surges are eroding beaches, blowing salt water onto farmland and contaminating fresh water supplies. In the longer term, they fear that rises in sea levels will wash them off the map.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Hot fields for hiring in 2011
Occupational experts like Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D., say that America is climbing out of recession and that job opportunities are better now than they've been for a long time. But what does this mean for people hoping to advance their career? What can they do in 2011 to be strong candidates in the future job market?
Shatkin answers these essential questions in his book "2011 Career Plan: The Best Moves Now for a Solid Future." In it, he explains that the recovery is a steady upswing, not a hiring boom, and that people will need to be strategic about how and where they pursue employment.
"Jobs are not expected to be plentiful in 2011 -- or for several years afterward," Shatkin says. "In fact, we may see a repeat of what happened after the recession of 2001, when 39 months passed before employment rose back to pre-recession levels. This recovery is also a patchwork affair, with some industries bouncing back much faster than others. For example, in March 2010, while manufacturers were adding jobs, the news and information business was still losing jobs. That's why 'I'll find something' is not an adequate career plan for 2011. You need to choose a specific goal and develop a smart strategy to take advantage of the opportunities that 2011 does have to offer."