Shakira with her new boyfriend: AFTER months of deftly sidestepping the paparazzi, international pop star Shakira has learnt that pictures don't lie. Despite the fact that she and Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué were romantically linked since last year, the two have now made it official - a photograph of the couple sharing a passionate kiss has been used on the cover of Colombian magazine Caras.

The 34-year-old singer is seen closing her eyes and leaning in for a romantic smooch with her 24-year-old former Manchester United beau. London's Daily Mail reported that the Loca singer announced at the beginning of the year that her 11-year relationship with lawyer Antonio de la Rua, 37, the eldest son of the former Argentinian premier, was over. He was rumoured to have been cheating on her.

And last month Piqué up-loaded a photograph from his birthday party on February 2 of himself and the Colombian singer celebrating with friends. The two met during the shooting of her Waka Waka video - the official track of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Barcelona-based newspaper El Periodico de Catalunya claimed they had a string of secret encounters following their initial meeting. It said they both spent a night in the seven-room Hotel Atzaro in Ibiza last July. The footballer is said to have arrived and left wearing the same clothes.