Their love for one another has never been in doubt, but Angelina Jolie has apparently reinforced the depth of her feelings for Brad Pitt by buying him his very own heart shaped island.

The actress has reportedly paid £12.2 million for secluded Petra as Brad prepares to celebrate his 50th birthday on December 18.

Angelina is understood to have snapped up the island, located some 50-miles away from New York City, after discovering its two sprawling properties were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Brad’s favourite architect.

A source told The Mirror: ‘As soon as Angelina heard the island was on the market she arranged a viewing. She was really impressed. The house is perfect for romantic getaways or as a family retreat.
‘It’s very private.  And Angelina knows the fact the island is in the shape of a heart will mean so much to him.’

Petra’s original cottage was erected in 1950, while its larger property was built from one of Wright’s blueprints in 2008 – 48-years after his death.

The finer details of its intricate design will not be lost on architecture fan Brad, who once admitted that Frank Lloyd Wright ‘changed his life.’

Angelina has previously treated him to a tour of the late architect’s home, Fallingwater, in 2006.

Violence against women and girls directly affects individuals while harming our common humanity. In response to this global challenge, I launched my UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign in 2008. Since then, partners around the world have joined our drive to protect the human rights of women and girls to live free from violence. I welcome the chorus of voices calling for an end to the violence that affects an estimated one in three women in her lifetime. I applaud leaders who are helping to enact and enforce laws and change mindsets. And I pay tribute to all those heroes around the world who help victims to heal and to become agents of change. Last month, on United Nations Day, I had the privilege of meeting again with one such hero: Dr. Denis Mukwege, the founder of the Panzi hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where women go after experiencing terrible atrocities. Dr. Mukwege has said, “Many times we are reduced to tears. Everything is so damaged. But we get to work. We operate. We fix what we can, and that is a lot.” He is inspired by the courage of the women he treats, including the many who go on to help others. Although Dr. Mukwege is dealing with violence against women in the context of armed conflict, his spirit to confront and fix this problem should apply to all of our efforts to help women facing violence in homes, schools and other civilian settings throughout the world, in every country, every society. Traditionally, this Day marks the start of 16 days of activism. From November 25th until December 10th – Human Rights Day – we make a special effort to organize and combat violence against women, an egregious human rights violation. This year, we are raising awareness by wearing the colour orange to symbolize our commitment to this cause. One way to make a difference is to support the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, which helps respond to human rights violations and needs from physical safety to economic security. While the demand for its grants has more than doubled in recent years, the amount it has been able to distribute has diminished by 60 per cent. I appeal to all partners to help meet this vast unmet demand for resources to further advance efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls. This International Day to End Violence against Women is an opportunity for all people to recommit to preventing and halting all forms of violence against women and girls.

China’s first female Chairman Mao impersonator may be a hit with her fans but not with her husband who is refusing to have sex with her because he is put off by her likeness to the late communist leader. Chen Yan, 51, gave up her job as a shopkeeper and is now being paid a fortune by department stores and property developers to dress up as Mao and pose for pictures. But her whirlwind success had taken its toll on her marriage to the point her husband is now said to be ‘disgusted’ by her. She told the Global People magazine that he could no longer stand the feeling that ‘he is sleeping with [the] Chairman and that their sex life had been destroyed.’ Mrs Chen, from Mianyang in Sichuan province, was mocked as a child for having an uncanny resemblance to Mao. She decided to begin a career as an impersonator after appearing on a television talent show where ordinary people impersonate celebrities. Although she didn’t win, she returned home to discover she had become something of a local celebrity. She decided to throw herself into a new career as an impersonator and set about studying Mao’s mannerisms and habits even down to how he held his chopsticks. Her make up, which include’s a Mao-style mole on the chin and his signature hairstyle takes hours to prepare at a cost of £200 a time. According to Zhang Bingjian, an artist and filmmaker who made a documentary about Mao impersonators, Mr and Mrs Chen are now fighting to rescue their marriage.

Cleaners working on an aircraft in eastern India have found 24 gold bars worth more than £620,000 hidden in a toilet compartment – the latest in a series of smuggling attempts uncovered at the country’s airports.

The cleaners had boarded the Jet Airways plane at Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) airport on Tuesday after it had travelled from the eastern city of Patna.

It had earlier been flying on international routes that included the Middle East.

Smugglers have been using a loophole in India’s flight schedules to attempt getting gold into the country without having to declare it to customs officials.

The gold is secretly stashed in an aircraft toilet at its international point of departure, where it remains when the plane lands at an Indian city.

Because that particular aircraft is then used to continue on as a domestic flight, a new passenger picks up the gold on the domestic leg and leaves the plane when it lands, knowing that there will be no customs checks.

India, which rivals China as the world’s biggest gold consumer, has seen a rise in smuggling after import duties were increased three times this year to try to dampen demand for the precious metal.