Gareth and his little girl Lola love to play fight with one another. Apparently Lola also loves to climb on things, which serves to make her look even more fierce in this video.

The ‘unstable’ weather over the last 24 hours has finally eased up on Tuesday, with thunderstorms easing off to bring in some sunshine to residents that have been trapped in their morning commutes across the country due to waterlogging and road accidents.

The UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has stated the weather will remain partly cloudy later today and tomorrow, with the rain easing off by late afternoon.

The NCMS further stated for Wednesday: “The weather will remain partly cloudy to fair in general, with moderate to light winds over land, and fresh to moderate over the sea.

“The sea will be rough to moderate in the Arabian Gulf, and moderate to slight in the Oman Sea”

However, even as the rain lets off, the relative humidity will increase during night with a chance of mist and fog hindering visibility further.

A similar weather pattern is expected to continue on Thursday.

Traffic continues

By afternoon, Tuesday, commuters still found themselves trapped in waterlogged streets across Dubai, with the worse hit being E66, with its underpasses flooded with water, along with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

Residents have also alerted of traffic jams around Tecom and Dubai Media City due to flooding, while parts of Discovery Gardens also remains under water.

Dubai Airports, which earlier confirmed seven flights were diverted last night due to the weather, has announced more delays expected today.

Highlights

Dubai Airports has confirmed seven flights were diverted last night due to the weather, with more delays expected today.

The weather bureau for the UAE reports moderate to heavy rainfall over Sweihan and adjoining areas in Abu Dhabi this morning.

Morning commuters complain about hour-long delays on major highways across the UAE today, as waterlogged streets slow down traffic.

Around 9.15am the situation continued with Jo tweeting: “Unbelievable traffic coming out of Dubai Silicon Oasis and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road heading from Dubai to Al Ain exit.”

Nazih Fares said: “Do not take Al Ain Road towards Dubai. Traffic jam all the way from Outlet Mall. Alternate towards Bypass Road if you can.”

Further up on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road are reports of flooding in Al Barari.

Pic credit: Khaja Mohideen

Sunita tweeted of a similar situation on Sheikh Zayed Road, saying: “Traffic nightmare near interchange five getting into Dubai Media City. All five lanes blocked.”

The situation at the Greens Community Roundabout and Discovery Gardens remains similar, with uprooted trees in the latter and debris on the roads adding to the traffic situation.

Several parts of the UAE remains flooded, with reports coming in from commuters that E66, near Dubai Silicon Oasis, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Arabian Ranches and Dubai International City are the worst hit.

Pockets of waterlogging also reported in Dubai Studio City, Motor City and Al Quoz Industrial Area.

Earlier, residents were reporting that the traffic lights at DIP roundabout were not functioning, while the stretch to Hessa Street remained underwater in large parts.

Heavy showers on outskirts of Dubai are being reported.

Roundabouts at Arabian Ranches are flooded and traffic is moving very slowly.

A truck has overturned on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, near the Fruits and Vegetable market, heading towards Sharjah. Pockets of the highway also slow moving due to waterlogging; similar situation at the Arabian Ranches roundabout.

Pic credit: Waqar Muhammad Aslam

Residents woke up to a second day of gloomy, overcast skies with a lightning storm streaking across parts of the UAE well into the morning hours of Tuesday.
 
The country’s weather bureau expects the wet weather to ease up late today, even as a marine warning stays in force until midday Wednesday for the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea.

Click to see: Video: Hail storms snowy fascination of UAE residents

The National Center for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) for the UAE stated: "Rainfall will continue over northern and eastern areas. Areas may experience thunder at times with fresh winds and blowing dust and reducing visibility."
‎
With the increased cloud cover, the NCMS has also warned for another drop in temperatures with lows of 13 degrees Celsius in the internal areas of the country, while the mountains could dip to five degrees or less.

 
The 'unstable' weather pattern, which struck UAE late Sunday night, blew in a freak hail storm that swept across the desert landscape of Sweihan, Al Abjan and Nahil in Abu Dhabi, turning the desert white, with residents commenting it had snowed in the capital.
 
Commuters in Al Ain city also experienced hail driving down E66 to Dubai, even as parts of the country remained waterlogged, as police authorities in the northern emirates assembled emergency crew to the streets to assist with the traffic and warn people of flash flooding near the wadis.
 
The NCMS recorded over 38.2mm of rainfall ‎at Jabal Jais on Monday, with wind speeds across the country rising to 65kmph, while waves in the Arabian Gulf peaked at 12 feet.

Pic credit: Khaja Mohideen
 
Meanwhile, scores of traffic accidents were recorded across the UAE, with authorities appealing to residents to drive carefully with their headlights on and choosing to stop their vehicles in a safe place if visibility drops due to the rain.
 
In Abu Dhabi, one person died and three others were injured resulting from seven separate accidents that the police stated were a direct result of driving inefficiently in such weather conditions.
 

Meanwhile, a car caught fire in Dubai yesterday during the mid-morning commute on Sheikh Zayed Road, while another person reportedly died when his vehicle overturned on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

Fees for the UAE tourist and visit visa have been increased, and the option of extending the stay by 10-days or 30-days have been cancelled.

“From January 1, 2015, the option to extend tourist visa by 10 days has been cancelled,” a representative at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai call centre confirmed to Emirates 24|7.

Even the one-month extension has been cancelled.

“Fees for tourist visa (single entry) have increased, and is approximately Dh250.” The earlier fees was Dh210.

“Multiple-entry tourist visa will now cost approximately Dh350.”

Fees for visit visa, which can be sponsored by residents in the UAE, has also been increased, and revised.

“The 30-day visit visa is approximately Dh350, and would require a refundable deposit.” Earlier, it cost Dh300. This visa can no longer be extended by 30 days.

“The 90-day visit visa is approximately Dh 790, and would also need a refundable deposit.” She added that earlier it was Dh660.

With the 30-day extension scrapped, there will now only be 30-day and 90-day visit visas.

UAE residents enjoyed a rare hail storm on Monday, even as rains are expected to continue in some parts of the country on Tuesday.

Heavy hail storm struck parts of the country blanketing extensive stretches in white. And social media was flooded with images with  many calling it ‘snow’.

The National Centre of Meterology and Seismology has said that the images circulating on the net is not of snow but hailstones, reported ‘Emarat Al Youm’.

Cold wave and rain is due to low pressure and movement of clouds from Saudi Arabia towards UAE, the centre said.

Tuesday will see cloudy to partly cloudy skies with chances of rain the morning in some parts and drop in temperatures, while strong winds may reduce visibility.

Hail (and snow?) for Monday delight

Monday night saw thunder and lightning in some parts of the UAE, even as medium to heavy rain is forecast in some northern and eastern parts of the country today, according to the national weather bureau.

Residents went berserk on social media posting pictures of what they claimed was 'snow' in UAE.

Meanwhile, the National Centre of Meterology and Seismology has said that the images circulating on the net is not of snow but hailstones, reported ‘Emarat Al Youm’.

Cold wave and rain is due to low pressure and movement of clouds from Saudi Arabia towards UAE, the centre said.

Tuesday will see cloudy to partly cloudy skies with chances of rain the morning in some parts and drop in temperatures, while strong winds may reduce visibility.
 

Vide by Thajun Nisa

EARLIER: Hail the snow in Abu Dhabi; Ras Al Khaimah floods [video]

Hail storms continue to down the Dubai-Abu Dhabi highway, with John Guiller tweeting: “It’s raining ice along the way! Al Ain-Dubai Road!”

Nazih Fares tweeted: “Traffic is nuts this morning in Dubai. Don’t take Al Ain or Umm Suqueim Road. Don’t know about the rest.”

 

#16011#

A video posted by @h_h8000 on Jan 18, 2015 at 11:33pm PST

Hail and floods

While the UAE reels from an ‘unstable’ weather pattern that is expected to last 24 hours, Abu Dhabi has borne the brunt of the storm with hail pounding down on commuters in the morning hours of Monday.

Picture credit: Dave Laureles

A hail storm was reported in parts of Sweiham, Shahama and Al Taweela, experienced by commuters driving down the highway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Picture credit: Dave Laureles

The country’s National Center for Meteorology and Seismology (NMCS) confirmed the news with Emirates 24|7, saying: “There was heavy rain and hail in parts of Al Ajban, Abu Dhabi last night and this morning.”

Al Ain

Pic credit: Nouman Nayyer

However, the NCMS also reiterated, that images flooding social media websites claiming that snow has struck the UAE were incorrect.

The spokesperson stated: "Due to the intensity of the hail storm that struck parts of Abu Dhabi and continues to do so, it appears that it may have snowed. But what you see is intense hail."

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Police has urged commuters to proceed with caution as thunderstorms and high cross winds continue to lash the capital.

The government authority tweeted: “Medium to heavy rain in different areas in city of Abu Dhabi and highways. Motorists are urged to drive cautiously.”

Thunderstorms in UAE 'live': Car on fire on Sheikh Zayed Road

Commuters in the northern part of the country are facing their own weather chaos during the morning drive, with residents in Ras Al Khaimah waking up to a flooded city and high cross winds amidst the thunder and lightning storm.

Cars were submerged in water-clogged streets, as commuters complained of taking twice the time to get to work, only to find those areas flooded.

The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has warned people to stay away from flowing water during a lightning storm as flooding began in parts of the country.

The RAK Police has issued an alert warning residents to avoid Wadi Bih  tweeting: “We emphasize the importance of not frequenting mountainous areas such as Wadi Bhi or such places to avoid flooded valleys.”

It further stated: “There is a great pool of water in the Ras Al Khaimah Marine Sports Club area on the Corniche denominators causing huge traffic of vehicles.”

To communicate with the police in case of an emergency, RAK Police is requesting people to call 07 235 6611 or 07 235 6600

Ras Al Khaimah

Pic credit: Maria Khan

A man has undergone 190 cosmetic procedures in order to look like a human Ken doll. And now, he has gone through another procedure to remove what he terms were his 'Julia Roberts' veins from his forehead, reports Daily Mail.

(YouTube)

The 34-year-old  Justin Jedlica who is addicted to plastic surgery got his veins removed at the risk of even going blind. It was an extremely risky surgery as the surgeons needed to go in through the inside of his eyelids to be able to burn the veins off. The man from New York told the daily that many surgeons had turned him away and refused to perform the surgery.

(YouTube)

He admits that every part of his body has been "worked on" but he claims that he is still far from perfect and wants to still keep pushing the limits in his bid to remain one of the most extreme plastic surgery addicts.

(YouTube)

Recently, he also underwent a four-piece back enhancement surgery using implants that he had handcrafted himself, the daily revealed.

(YouTube)

Some of the procedures that he has undergone inclue  five rhinoplasties, a cranial brow bone lift, shoulder implants and augmentations to his cheeks, lips, buttocks and chin.

(YouTube)

Justin's thirst to be more 'plastic' is far from quenched. He is looking forward to getting abdominal implants and calf implants.

(Getty Images)

His goal is to be 100 per cent plastic.
 

Reality television star Kim Kardashian had announced that she wants to eat her own placenta after giving birth to her baby because she thinks it will make her look younger.

Now sister Kourtney Kardashian has followed her after giving birth to her third child.

Kourtney revealed that she takes capsules made from her placenta after she gave birth to her baby.

The 35-year-old shared a photo of the pills she had made from her afterbirth. Gushing about the "#benefits" of capsules, she wrote alongside the snapshot, "Yummy...PLACENTA pills!"

She added, "No joke...I will be sad when my placenta pills run out. They are life changing!"

 

Yummy...PLACENTA pills! No joke...I will be sad when my placenta pills run out. They are life changing! #benefits #lookitup

A photo posted by Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) on Jan 10, 2015 at 4:35pm PST

Kourtney claims that it has given her a huge energy, and much breast milk, since she took the capsules. Yet there is no scientific basis for those claims.

In a report published on the Mirror, Linea Sharif, director of Independent Network capsules placenta says, "It is a solution for those who wish to take advantage of the placenta after birth, instead of cooking and eating it, since it doesn't taste good."

Pointing out that after birth the placenta placed in the sterile ice, then drying it and milling to turn it into capsules which is easy to stored and used.

Previously, Hollywood moms like former Playboy model Holly Madison and Mad Men actress January Jones also ingested their own placentas.

"It's not gross or witchcrafty," Jones said in 2012 interview. "It's a very civilized thing that can help women with depression or fatigue. I was never depressed or sad or down after the baby was born, so I'd highly suggest it to any pregnant woman."

Apple’s spearhead smartphone iPhone 6 has emerged as the top selling smartphone during the first half of the ongoing month-long Dubai Shopping Festival, electronics retailers in the emirate maintain.

“Across categories, among smartphones, the iPhone 6 has really been the big seller for us, now that availability and stocks have stabilised as per demand,” Nadeem Khanzadah, Head of OmniChannel Retail, Jumbo Electronics, told Emirates 24|7. “Mobile phones have done well generally this DSF,” he says.

“There is an increase in the demand for smartphones,” agrees Mahesh Chotrani, Assistant Vice-President, Jacky’s Electronics, and also lists the iPhone 6 among the top-sellers.

Khanzadah maintains that since its Dubai launch in late September last year, the iPhone 6 saw erratic supply of devices in certain configurations. “The second half of December and the first half of January have been the first 30 days to have seen ‘regular’ supply of the iPhone 6 in the in-demand colour and capacity configurations,” he says.

“Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are selling well, with customers getting used to the bigger screen sizes,” he maintains, elaborating on the benefits of the bigger screen for users.

Jacky’s Chotrani lists “the iPhone 6, Samsung Edge, the Huawei Honor 5c and Lenovo Vibe X2” as the hottest selling smartphones this DSF.

“DSF this year has been great for Jacky’s,” adds Chotrani. “We have seen a growth of 12 per cent in sales vis-à-vis last year,” he adds.

“We’re looking forward to a growth of 20 per cent in sales during DSF,” adds Jumbo’s Khanzadah. On the other hand, Landmark’s electronics retailer Emax expects sales to surge by 30 per cent this DSF while Eros Group expects a sales growth of 25 per cent.

 “The Galaxy Note Edge too has been selling well for us, especially after Samsung launched the scheme with the ‘Dh1,000 gift vouchers’. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has done well too, as has the Sony Xperia Z3 and the HTC M8, among the premium smartphones,” adds Jumbo’s Khanzadah. “In the affordable segment, Oppo has begun showing good numbers, as well as Obi,” he says, without mentioning specific devices.

Amit Rupchandani, Obi Mobiles’ managing director for the MEA region, expects 1.5 million tourists to visit Dubai during the 32-day shopping extravaganza. “Normally, DSF accounts for close to 30 per cent of the annual sales turnover for the mobility segment,” says Rupchandani. “We are a new player, but are very positive about our growth numbers this DSF,” he adds.

UAE is being considered as a venue for a title fight between Manny Pacquiao and British boxer Amir Khan if the proposed May 2 showdown between Floyd Mayweather and the Filipino ring legend doesn't happen.

Amir Khan has emerged as the top weltweight contender after outclassing American Devon Alexander in December and is emerging as a Plan B option for Pacquiao who has been chasing Mayweather for the last five years.

Khan, 28, wants to take on the best in the sport in the peak of his career and has also been calling out to Mayweather.

The Bolton fighter even issued a five-day deadline which expired on January 16 for Mayweather to agree to fight him while Pacquiao has given the unbeaten American until end of January to sign up.

Pacquiao has relentlessly pursued Mayweather ever since he called out publicly for a May 2 fight in December taunting his rival on social networks.

“I can easily beat @FloydMayweather, I believe that.” he tweeted on Tuesday in his boldest challenge yet.

During an interview for his upcoming documentary film title 'Manny', when asked why he believes a deal with Mayweather has not been finalised, Pacquiao said: "I don't know. Maybe he's scared to lose."

The eyes of the boxing world have long been on a showdown between the unbeaten Mayweather (47-0, 26 knockouts) and eight-division world champion Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 knockouts), two of the greatest boxers of their generation.

But if it doesn't happen, Amir 'King' Khan is emerging as another option for a potential mega fight with the Filipino fight king.

Already a two-time world champion, Khan demonstrated he certainly has the 'fastest pair of hands' and great boxing acumen to shut out his Alexander.

"I really believe I've earned my shot against the best boxer in the world, and that's Floyd Mayweather," said Khan (30-3-19KOs), targeting a bout against Mayweather or Pacquiao after retaining his WBC Silver welterweight title in Las Vegas in December.

"I think I'm getting better with age. I'm better than I was at 26 and now just starting to hit my peak at 28. I worked very hard and put on one of my best performances."

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme, he added: "This victory puts me in a great position now to fight the biggest names of boxing - the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao. That's where I belong."
 
Although Mayweather dismissed his challenge by saying he is not a big enough name for pay-per-view events, Khan proved to be a big draw when he was in holiday in Dubai recently.

Pacquiao's long-time adviser Michael Koncz told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard/Viva Sports that Amir Khan is the "front-runner" to face 'Pacman' who is "not going to sit around and wait" for Mayweather.

Koncz revealed that Khan offered to fight Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi or England although it would create problems for the pay-per-view audiences in the US and South America because of the time difference which would necessitate staging the fight around 3.00am.

But if the financial offers were good enough to overcome the pay per view losses, then staging the fight in the UAE or Britain would be seriously considered, the report added.

Pacquiao's coach Freddie Roach is endorsing a contest between the Filipino and his former stable mate Khan.

"Me, I like that match... I like how Khan is fighting, I like how his chin is holding up," Hall of Frame Trainer Roach has said in an interview with thesweetscience.com.

A Dubai boxing promoter has been in talks with Bob Arum of Top Rank to get Pacquiao fight in Dubai and was in Las Vegas when Khan outclassed Alexander.

'Prince' Amir Shafypour, Promoter and Managing Director at Golden Cage Promotions and Events, has been on the line with Pacquiao's manager Freddie Roach to make this a reality.

"We are confident of hosting a fight featuring Pacquiao with or without Mayweather," Prince Amir told Emirates 24|7.

Pacquiao vs Khan in Dubai perfectly fits the bill since it would be followed by large community of Filipino and British expatriates in the Middle East.

A UAE investment group earlier upped the stakes in its bid to lure Floyd Mayweather Jr to fight Manny Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi by raising the unbeaten American's already record-setting purse to an unprecented $120 million.

President and chief operating officer of Akbar Productions, LLC of New Jersey, Akbar Muhammad  made a formal offer to Mayweather Promotions.

The offer was later withdrawn since there was no response from the Mayweather camp.

A motorist crashed his ultra-expensive Lamborghini Huracan while driving at a speed of 330 kilometres per hour on Hungary's M7 highway.

The incident has been captured on film, which clearly shows the speedometer pointing at 330kph (205mph). The sports car goes out of driver's control after overtaking other motorists and flips and spins.

The video has most likely been taken by the passenger sitting in the sports car. The videographer can be heard yelling out as soon as the car goes out of control and the camera suddenly jerks out of focus, reports UK daily Mirror.

Fortunately for the Lamborghini driver and his passenger, both of them escaped the car crash with their lives. However, according to a report by Top Gear, the passenger suffered serious injuries when the car crashed into the side of the road and exploded into a ball of flames. 

The driver has been charged for dangerous and reckless driving and endangering the lives of fellow passenger and other motorists.

Is there a ring on Katrina Kaif or not?

(Getty Images)

According to Bollywood Gossip, Katrina was seen keeping her left hand hidden at birthday girl Farah Khan's party.

(Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)

So did Farah see anything?

(AFP)

Farah was quoted as saying, “I swear, Katrina didn’t shake hands with me. So I couldn’t notice her palm. She instead hugged me and I didn’t notice anything on her neck.”

(Getty Images)

Is Sonam looking for friend in Anushka?

It is said that two actresses can never be friends, but Bollywood divas refused to accept this and says it's nothing but a myth.

The latest addition in the gang to prove the saying wrong is Sonam Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.

The two actresses took to microblogging website Twitter to open their mutual admiration club.

It seems Anushka has attended the screening of Sonam's next film 'Dolly Ki Doli' and was all praise for her.

She tweeted, "Thoroughly enjoyed #DollyKiDoli .Filled wid funny uncanny moments.@sonamakapoor U r super cute & spunky.dulhas are hilarious.All d best guys."

To this Sonam replied, "@AnushkaSharma thanks so so much for coming!! Love you for it!!"

Even the 'Raanjhnaa' star had praised Anushka for her performance in her last release 'PK'. She had tweeted, "@AnushkaSharma you are so effervescent and earnest and so unbelievably cute as Jagoo!"

Sonam has a history of criticising every other actress in the industry and it is good to see her talk positively about other stars.

Alia Bhatt, Siddharth's romantic getaway

(Instagram)

The latest Bollywood buzz is that actor Siddharth Malhotra celebrated his 29th birthday in the company of the 'Highway' girl, Alia Bhatt.

This news all the more steams up the rumours of Siddharth's alleged love affair with 'Student Of The Year' co-star.

Instagram
 
If reports in Indian media are to be believed the two were in Goa partying on the special occasion.

Interestingly, the duo is also accompanied by Sid's mentor and buddy Karan Johar and also director Ayan Mukerji.

Instagram
 
Both Siddharth and Alia seems to have got a good break from their work. While Siddharth is busy with Karan Malhotra's 'Brothers' starring Akshay Kumar and Jacqueline Fernandez; Alia is doing Vikas Bahl's 'Shaandaar' with Shahid Kapoor.

Varun clueless on Alia, Sidharth affair

Bollywood stars just need to attend few events and parties together to be labeled as couples by the paparazzi.

That's what happened with Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra.

The duo has been painting the town red at various events with joint appearances. Rumours of their alleged relationship started gaining momentum after they arrived in the same car at actor Ranbir Kapoor's Christmas bash and apparently remained inseparable for the entire night.

Their undisclosed New Year vacation fanned the link-up rumours further. Both were caught at the airport when they returned from their getaway.

(Getty Images)

In the meantime, Alia and Sidharth's 'Student of the Year' co-star, Varun Dhawan seems happy for the duo.

Varun who was once rumoured to be dating Alia said that he is happy for all lovers in this world. When asked specifically about his happiness for Alia and Sidharth, Varun chose the diplomatic route. "I am happy for whoever is in love."

(Getty Images)

Bollywood.celebden reported that Varun fringed ignorance and asked the media, "Are they in love? I don't know. I was in Vegas."

Well, even we don't know the truth. We shall wait for more substance in the rumour before commenting further.

Is there trouble between Arbaaz, Malaika?

Recently, co-producers and Bollywood couple Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan launched the music of their movie 'Dolly Ki Doli'.

(AFP)

The event was a huge success but the paparazzi present didn't miss the chemistry or rather the absence of it between the husband and wife.

Celebden.com reports that throughout the event Arbaaz and Malaika exchange cold vibes.

Both husband and wife kept safe distance and didn't indulge in any kind of verbal communication.

(Getty Images)

At one point Malaika tried to make a casual conversation but Arbaaz was disinterested.

To salvage the situation the wife lovingly held Arbaaz's arm but the latter seemingly peeved at something almost wrestled his arm free out of her grasp.

While Malaika who was gifting movie merchandise to the crowd was asked by a lens-man to pose. Malaika then asked Arbaaz almost twice to pose which he ignored.

(AFP)

He instead clicked selfie with a fan.

While leaving the venue the couple stood for a customary photo. Even here Arbaaz made no attempt to strike a 'loving husband pose.'

He kept his arm secured inside his jeans pocket.

(AFP)

Later Arbaaz drove off alone in his car but not before having a disinterested word with Malaika who then had to leave in a different car.

Bipasha wants Salman to remain bachelor 'forever'

The first person Bollywood fans want to see hitched is actor Salman Khan, but one celebrity thinks otherwise.

(AFP)

Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu does not want her 'No entry' co-star to tie the knot irrespective of the fact that he is the most eligible bachelor.

(AFP)

When an Indian daily asked her, whom she considers the hottest bachelor, the actor asked for a list of stars and Salman being at the top, his name cropped up first.

(Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)

However, Bipasha’s  prompt response, "No. Salman is going to stay bachelor for the rest of his life. He is better off as a bachelor."

Man claims Gauhar paid him to slap her

After the hullabaloo of ‘Bigg Boss 7’ winner Gauahar Khan slapping fiasco, the accused Mohd Akil Malik claims that the actress had paid him to do so, Indian express reported.

While speaking to Zee news, Malik stated that he was a junior artist seeking a big break in the industry and giving him hopes of his gala launch was none other than Gauahar Khan herself, but ofcourse with conditions applied.

Malik claims that the dame had promised to get him a role in Salman Khan’s ‘Dabangg 3’ on condition that he slapped her on the sets of the music reality show ‘India’s Rawstar’. She had also promised that she wouldn’t press any charges against him as this was supposed to be a publicity stunt.

He claims that he did not know Gauahar Khan until November 28 when he waited for her to finish her shoot to inform her that he was a big fan of hers and requested her to help him in his pursuit. However, the actor stated that he had to return the favour.

(AFP)

Malik added, on November 30, the two met in Gauahar’s car where the plans were made. He said, “She told me that I will have to slap her on stage. Gauahar also promised me that she would go and tell the police that she has pardoned me and they would not be able to take any further action against my act. In return, she promised to get me a role in ‘Dabangg 3′. Her driver too was a witness to this entire conversation.”

The reason Malik slapped Gauahar was simply because she donned a skimpy attire which “damages the mind of the youth”, he further added “I grew greedy to get a role in films. Everyone today wants to work in films. Hence I did it.”

Tha actress has however denied such accusations and has asked her lawyer to get back to culprit.

Kangana confesses she is dating; is it Hrithik?

It may not be surprising to know that Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut is dating, but this time it comes right from the horse’s mouth.

(AFP)

Kangana recently informed the Indian media about her relationship status, "I am in a relationship and enjoying this state."

(AFP)

The 'Queen' however choses to remain silent about who is the lucky man in her life.

She said, "I don’t want to talk about it right now. It's very special to me and I am glad to have found a companion. I hope I get into the position when I can talk about it. Right now, speaking about it would be unfair on the other person. As it is, relationships are difficult, aren’t they?"

(AFP)

The actor has off late been paired with her 'Krissh 3 co-star' Hrithik Roshan.

Katrina hides; Ranbir and Ash celebrate

Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif have been the talk to of the town, the couple recently hosted a terrace party after moving in together.

Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor and Karan Johar were seen together in the picture of the gathering posted on twitter.

While the stars were all enthusiastic about the event, Katrina seemed to be shying away from the camera. Although, it’s evident that Ranbir and Katrina are in a relationship, the couple has never made it public.

The couple was celebrating the grand opening of  ‘PK’ where Ranbir is seen in a cameo at the end of the  movie.

Shah Rukh no to Bigg Boss

Bollywood’s King Khan does not watch reality show ‘Bigg Boss’. But why? We are yet to learn.

Twitter

However, this at least clears why he did not promote his movie ‘Happy New Year’ on the show, despite patching up with Salman Khan.

The news was broken by his dear friend Farah Khan, who will take the reins from Salman Khan beginning next month.

Twiter

Salman, whose contract will end on January 4, 2015 refused to take an extension as he doesn’t have any free dates as he would be busy with ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’.

Farah, a self-confessed ‘Bigg Boss’ fanatic, has been roped in after a couple of other actors, including Anil Kapoor, reportedly said ‘No’ to hosting the show.

(SANSKRITI MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT)

“I am a ‘Bigg Boss’ junkie. I follow all the contestants and I’m thrilled to be hosting it…” Farah also praised Salman calling him a mind-blowing host and said that no one can take his place.

And…she is confident of making Shah Rukh Khan start watching the show, as well. “SRK doesn’t watch Bigg Boss. But if I am hosting, I will make sure he watches it.”

Kareena to play Salman's ex-girlfriend?

After Milkha Singh and Mary Kom, cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin's life is all set to be explored on silver screen.

(Getty Images)

According to the latest buzz, Kareena Kapoor is set to play the role of Sangeeta Bijlani in the Emraan Hashmi-starrer.

A leading publication quoted a close source as saying, "It all depends on how much space the script has created for the female protagonist.

(Getty Images)

"At this juncture in her career, Kareena is not interested in playing the supporting female lead. She did do so in 'Singham Returns' this year. But that was more because Rohit Shetty is a dear friend.

"She is interested in doing the Azharuddin biopic because she hasn't done any biopics yet. She has also not worked with Emraan Hashmi so far.

(Getty Images)

"It all depends on the length of the role. She will be hearing the script from director Tony d'Souza as soon as she returns from her annual vacation in Gstaad in Switzerland."

Anushka, Virat living in together?

Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and Indian cricketer Virat Kohli have spilled the beans about their relationship to the media.

(Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)

Now reports in Indian media suggest that the 'PK' actress has decided to live in with her cricketer boyfriend.

(Getty Images)

It is believed that the couple are serious about each other and have organically taken the next step in their relationship with the decision of living together.

They don't shy away from being spotted together or being clicked anymore.

(Getty Images)

It has been reported earlier that Virat often stayed with Anushka whenever he visited Mumbai.

Anushka can't stop talking about Virat

Actress Anushka Sharma has been making headlines not just for her upcoming movie 'PK' opposite Aamir Khan but her love life with cricketer Virat Kohli.
 
She has not been holding back about her romance with Kohli in all her interviews.

And this time the 26-year-old actress is doing the rounds of media with her statement on Kohli's performance during the 1st test between India and Australia.

The actress gave out a statement saying, "I think he is making the entire nation proud and we all should be proud of him and this whole moment."

Indian Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma attends the launch of the official mobile game for the upcoming Hindi film "PK" in Mumbai on December 12, 2014. AFP

Earlier, the actress admitted she's dating cricketer Virat Kohli. Anushka said that her relationship with Virat Kohli is very "pure" and she doesn't want to defile it, by making it gossip for people.

Like Virat, the actress who will be soon seen in PK, said, "We are not hiding anything." Anushka added, "We are two normal young people in a relationship."

Ranveer Singh, Deepika's twitter romance

"Don't we look great together?" ;) #leelajaisikoinahi #4YearsOfRanveerSingh.

That's how Ranveer Singh decided to celebrate his completion of four years in Bollywood - tweeting picture of Deepika Padukone and himself.

(Twitter)

Ranveer has seized the opportunity offered by the flurry of behind-the-scenes photos posted on his Instagram to mark his fourth year in Bollywood to include a picture of his 'Ram-Leela' co-star Deepika Padukone, cheekily hinting that rumours of an off-screen romance may be true.

This picture speaks 1000 words - many more than any statements and clarifications.

It is the closest the actor has come to confessing to a relationship with Deepika.

(AFP)

Deepika on her part till now remained diplomatic when asked about Ranveer.

Well the public scrutiny is unlikely to stop now, more so after this tweet.

Sunny Leone scared of co-star?

Actor Sunny Leone apparently refused to shoot after her co-actor Mohit Ahlawat created a ruckus on the sets.

(Facebook)

The two actors were shooting for Bobby Khan's film 'Leela'.

Mid-Day reports that Mohit flew into a rage after seeing the way a person was talking to Sunny. He was so infuriated that he allegedly slapped the concerned person.

(Facebook)

Unit sources state Leone was petrified seeing Mohit's outburst. She then insisted that her husband Daniel Weber accompany her for the shoot.

She even refused to step out of the vanity van until her security was ensured. Sunny even told the makers that she won't shoot till her husband arrived on the sets.

(Facebook)

While Sunny remained unavailable for comment, producer Bobby Khan downplayed the event.

Ranbir-Kat London plans

It's that time of the year when the paparazzi has some spicy stories up on their sleeve to report, as the film stars go about painting various towns of the world red and 'redder'.

B Town's famous couple Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif always manage to top the headlines, either for their live in relationship or being captured by the shutterbugs in parties.

And this time they are in news for their New Year's special plans.
 
As per media reports Ranbir and Katrina will celebrate New Year in London this time.

Since past few years, they have been celebrating it in New York. The destination is London because, Katrina's mother resides in the city and Ranbir intends to spend some days with her. Katrina was willing to celebrate New Year with family.
 
Also the rumours are rife that Ranbir is going to discuss his wedding plans with Katrina's mom on this occasion. Earlier the Kapoor boy has introduced her mother Neetu Kapoor to Katrina's mother in London.
 
Seems like the wedding is on cards soon.

Salman Khan and Lulia Vantur parting ways

Salman Khan is at it again. Only this time, according to the latest gossip on masala.com, he is sad.

(Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)

His (alleged) girlfriend Lulia Vantur has to return to Romania to renew her Indian visa.

The rumours are that Salman and team have worked hard to try and get her papers done without her leaving.

(Twitter)

Why?

She will miss being here for his birthday at the end of December.

Salman Khan's apology to Katrina Kaif

Salman Khan created quite a stir when he addressed his ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif as 'Kapoor' at the wedding party of his sister Arpita Khan.

Salman also joked that Katrina had lost her chance of becoming a 'Khan' (refering to their affair).

A video clip that showed the entire eppisode went viral on social networking sites.

News had it that Katrina was not too pleased with this, though boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor laughed it off.

However, after realising the damage he had caused, Salman was quick to apologise.

He did not realise that a carefree comment could cause so much trouble for KAtrina.

He therefore rushed to Katrina's home personally and apologised for the harm caused.

Shah Rukh, Aishwarya on remake trail

AFP

Indian media is abuzz with news that Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will reunite for director Rohit Shetty's next project.

The movie is a remake of the classic Kishore Kumar- Madhubala starer - 'Chalti ka Naam Gaadi'.

AFP

Shah Rukh and Aishwarya spun magic in 'Devdas' and fans will be looking forward for this remake.

Kajol was earlier approached for the lead role opposite SRK, but things didn't work out.

Priyanka's property used to run brothel

Priyanka Chopra, who had rented out a 3000 sqft property to a spa in Mumbai suburb, ran into trouble over a sex racket.

To the actress' horror, the Mumbai Police recently busted a sex racket being run under the garb of a spa on a floor of a building owned by her.

According to a report in Mid-Day, three women were rescued and manager was arrested in the on November 7 raid while the spa owner is on the run.

The women have been sent to a rehab centre.

The actress has now sent a notice to the spa owner. According to a website, the actress, in addition to sending the notice has cancelled the lease for the entire floor of the building.

Karan to bring Ranbir, Aishwarya together?

Last week news of Aishwarya Rai and Aamir Khan's first film together was floating all over.

(Getty Images)

But now the recent reports claim that Ranbir Kapoor will be seen sharing screen space with Aishwarya in Karan Johar's next directional venture.

(Getty Images)

A leading publication in India reports that the film will also have Anushka Sharma paired opposite the actor.

(Getty Images)

Ranbir and Anushka would be romancing each other in their next film 'Bombay Velvet' and this would be their second film together.

Aishwarya was earlier said to be making her much-awaited comeback with 'Jazbaa'.

Katrina unhappy with Salman Khan?

Twitter

We all heard of the incident when Salman, during Arpita Khan's wedding in Hyderabad, called Katrina, 'Kapoor' instead of Kaif.

Soon a video emerged, which went viral, showing Salman pulling Katrina's leg. The actor said, "I gave you a chance to become Katrina Khan, but you chose to be 'Katrina Kapoor'!"

It seems like Salman Khan's comment on Katrina didn’t go down well with the 'Bang Bang' actress.

The actress also gave Arpita's wedding reception on Nov 21 a miss.
 
If reports in Indian media are to be believed, Miss Kaif was completely embarrassed by Salman's comment in front of all the guests.

Twitter

She is also unhappy about the fact that other's had fun at her expense.
 
But Katrina's spokesperson says, "The news is not true at all, Katrina was out of town for a shoot on the day of reception in Mumbai. The reception was for those who couldn’t make it to Hyderabad."

A Saudi man with his friend went into a sweets shop in the Gulf kingdom and gave the worker SR500 note after picking couple of items. Once the worker began counting the change for him, the man picked the SR500 note and put it back into his pocket.

The worker then gave him the change, not realizing that the Saudi had not given him the SR500 note. He later told his manager that he lost his concentration once that customer waved the note in his face.

The incident took place at a sweets shop in the central Saudi town of Aflaj, where the unknown man and his friend were caught on camera robbing the worker face-to-face without his knowledge. But the film later showed the worker appears to have woken up when he returned to his counter after the customer left and checked the drawer.

“The worker told his manager that when the customer waved the SR500 note in his face, he lost his concentration and did not realise he was deceived at that time,” the Saudi Arabic language daily Alyoum said.
 

Violetta Degtiareva, a 23-year-old rising Russian tennis player dubbed as the next Anna Kournikova, dropped dead after a training session.

On January 12 Degtiareva suffered from heart failure. It is not yet clear as to whether she died at her training centre or on the way to hospital.

Friends and colleagues of a stunning tennis player have expressed shock at the news she had dropped dead from heart failure.

Her most notable career moment was reaching the quarter-finals at the ITF-Turnier in Turkey.

Her good looks often meant people mentioned her in the same vein of Kournikova, who, despite never winning a major title was one of the most recognizable and highly paid female athletes on the planet during her time on tour.

(Facebook)

Blonde Violetta had started to attract similar fame.

The blonde beauty was born in the city of Rostov in south-western Russia close to the border with Ukraine.

News of her death was not immediately released and only became public when her close friend and fellow tennis player Anastasia Vdovenco, 20, posted it on Facebook, where it was picked up by Russian media.

Anastasia said: "I can hardly believe it. Rest in peace."

UAE’s oldest telecom operator Etisalat has launched a new prepaid promotion, offering free access to Facebook, WhatsApp, BBM and Twitter with every recharge.

This comes within days of the new operator, Du, offering a similar promotion to its pre-paid customers.

Etisalat has gone one up on Du by maintaining that its offer “has no conditions attached to usage or expiry of the recharged credit balance, therefore customers do not risk losing their credit”. On the other hand, the Du promotion limits validity of talk time only until the validity of social package.

Etisalat maintains that “social networking is the hottest trend in recent times and continues to grow exponentially in the UAE.”

The telecom operator cites a survey conducted with university students in the UAE by two Zayed University professors, James Buie and David Bulla, which found that a vast majority (72 per cent) of the respondents use social media at least 21 hours a week.

Socializing with friends was the main use of social media and communicating with family was the second greatest reason stated by respondents of that survey.

Etisalat says its new promotion addresses the growing demand of its customers to access social networking apps anytime, anywhere, powered by 3G and 4G mobile networks.

“Social media is not only helping our customers engage with each other, but also in staying connected with trends and changes in their environment,” said Khaled ElKhouly, Chief Marketing Officer at Etisalat.

“In addition to the free data advantage with every recharge to access social media apps, it gives Wasel customers subscribing to this offer the freedom to use their talk time at their own pace. They will not lose their credit,” he added.

Social media in the UAE

Facebook: The UAE tops the regional rankings across several social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, consistently having one of the highest user penetration users in the region. The UAE has more than 5 million active Facebook users, according to the UAE social media outlook 2014 report, compiled by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG).

The report highlights that he UAE is at the forefront of Arab countries when it comes to the utilisation of technologies such as social media in the provision of public services, whether for citizen engagement, innovation, or intergovernmental collaboration. 

The number of Facebook users in the UAE has tripled from 1.6 million in 2010 to 5 million in October 2014 – a growth of 200 per cent – with 3.3 million people joining Facebook over that period.

The UAE has consistently, since 2010 when Facebook data collection first started, been ranked first or second among all Arab countries in terms of Facebook penetration, and been one of the top 10 largest Facebook populations in the Arab world. 

LinkedIn: Since early 2012, when LinkedIn data collection first started, the UAE has emerged as the country with the highest LinkedIn penetration in the Arab region. The number of users has increased from over 860,000 in February 2012 to roughly 2.1 million in October 2014, with a growth of 142 per cent, or 1.2 million users during that period.

Twitter: While Twitter doesn’t divulge information about the number of users per country, it is estimated that the UAE had about 500,000 active Twitter users by the end of last year. “Our results reveal UAE to be a nation of Twitter users tuned into what’s happening locally and who express their feelings on Twitter,” it said in a statement.

WhatsApp: The UAE is ranked among the top 10 worldwide in WhatsApp adoption rate. The WhatsApp adoption rate is the percentage of mobile internet users who are active WhatsApp users. In the UAE, that’s 63 per cent, which puts it ahead of countries such as Italy, Germany and the UK (62, 57 and 34 per cent, respectively).

Etisalat’s Free Social Data promotion

Harvey Champine wrote about his adventure inside the Swedish store Ikea. He even wrote about it on an American website, Bro Bible, about his experience.

Harvery writes about over indulging on hot dogs and feeling sleepy as he roamed inside the Ikea store. With his tummy full of cheap meat, he was tempted to turn down the covers of a loft bed, meant for kids, and went off for a short nap, reports UK daily Metro.

When he came awake, he realised that the whole world had gone home and the store had closed for the night. He did not panic or try to grab the attention of security personnel. He simply rolled back to sleep only to wake up the next morning when the buyers were back and busy shopping.

He climbed down from the loft bed, with no one from the store any wiser about their uninvited overnight guest. He helped himself with the other shoppers' leftover food comprising meat balls and other beverages and went back to his home that night to sleep in his own bed.

The man was so taken by his adventure inside Ikea that he concluded his blog with the following words:  "This vacation had everything… I’ll be giving you all five stars on TripAdvisor, IKEA."

UAE is being considered as a venue for a title fight between Manny Pacquiao and British boxer Amir Khan if the proposed May 2 showdown between Floyd Mayweather and the Filipino ring legend doesn't happen.

Amir Khan has emerged as the top weltweight contender after outclassing American Devon Alexander in December and is emerging as a Plan B option for Pacquiao who has been chasing Mayweather for the last five years.

Khan, 28, wants to take on the best in the sport in the peak of his career and has also been calling out to Mayweather.

The Bolton fighter even issued a five-day deadline which expired on January 16 for Mayweather to agree to fight him while Pacquiao has given the unbeaten American until end of January to sign up.

Pacquiao has relentlessly pursued Mayweather ever since he called out publicly for a May 2 fight in December taunting his rival on social networks.

“I can easily beat @FloydMayweather, I believe that.” he tweeted on Tuesday in his boldest challenge yet.

During an interview for his upcoming documentary film title 'Manny', when asked why he believes a deal with Mayweather has not been finalised, Pacquiao said: "I don't know. Maybe he's scared to lose."

The eyes of the boxing world have long been on a showdown between the unbeaten Mayweather (47-0, 26 knockouts) and eight-division world champion Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 knockouts), two of the greatest boxers of their generation.

But if it doesn't happen, Amir 'King' Khan is emerging as another option for a potential mega fight with the Filipino fight king.

Already a two-time world champion, Khan demonstrated he certainly has the 'fastest pair of hands' and great boxing acumen to shut out his Alexander.

"I really believe I've earned my shot against the best boxer in the world, and that's Floyd Mayweather," said Khan (30-3-19KOs), targeting a bout against Mayweather or Pacquiao after retaining his WBC Silver welterweight title in Las Vegas in December.

"I think I'm getting better with age. I'm better than I was at 26 and now just starting to hit my peak at 28. I worked very hard and put on one of my best performances."

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme, he added: "This victory puts me in a great position now to fight the biggest names of boxing - the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao. That's where I belong."
 
Although Mayweather dismissed his challenge by saying he is not a big enough name for pay-per-view events, Khan proved to be a big draw when he was in holiday in Dubai recently.

Pacquiao's long-time adviser Michael Koncz told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard/Viva Sports that Amir Khan is the "front-runner" to face 'Pacman' who is "not going to sit around and wait" for Mayweather.

Koncz revealed that Khan offered to fight Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi or England although it would create problems for the pay-per-view audiences in the US and South America because of the time difference which would necessitate staging the fight around 3.00am.

But if the financial offers were good enough to overcome the pay per view losses, then staging the fight in the UAE or Britain would be seriously considered, the report added.

Pacquiao's coach Freddie Roach is endorsing a contest between the Filipino and his former stable mate Khan.

"Me, I like that match... I like how Khan is fighting, I like how his chin is holding up," Hall of Frame Trainer Roach has said in an interview with thesweetscience.com.

A Dubai boxing promoter has been in talks with Bob Arum of Top Rank to get Pacquiao fight in Dubai and was in Las Vegas when Khan outclassed Alexander.

'Prince' Amir Shafypour, Promoter and Managing Director at Golden Cage Promotions and Events, has been on the line with Pacquiao's manager Freddie Roach to make this a reality.

"We are confident of hosting a fight featuring Pacquiao with or without Mayweather," Prince Amir told Emirates 24|7.

Pacquiao vs Khan in Dubai perfectly fits the bill since it would be followed by large community of Filipino and British expatriates in the Middle East.

A UAE investment group earlier upped the stakes in its bid to lure Floyd Mayweather Jr to fight Manny Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi by raising the unbeaten American's already record-setting purse to an unprecented $120 million.

President and chief operating officer of Akbar Productions, LLC of New Jersey, Akbar Muhammad  made a formal offer to Mayweather Promotions.

The offer was later withdrawn since there was no response from the Mayweather camp.

Am I driving safe? If not, please call on this number – this is something that we see written on most commercial vehicles, private company vans and pick-up trucks as we head to work from home or as we drive around the city doing our daily chores.

But, most of us rarely bother to ever call on the number listed on these vehicles. Call this a lack of civic sense, just a busy lifestyle that we live or the sheer belief that these things are only for display without any teeth to penalize the erring drivers, most of us in the UAE are guilty of not reporting something that can endanger our lives or someone else’s on the roads.

A new poll run by Emirates 24|7 reveals that majority (59 per cent) of the residents who participated in the poll say calling on these numbers to report rash drivers is a waste of time and they’ve never really bothered to do it.

On the other hand, the so called residents who will do their two bits to keep the roads safe, say they do call on these numbers. Of these, 28 per cent said they did call when a driver seemed to be on a joyride but they are really not sure what happened next and if any disciplinary action was taken against the driver.

Then, there are 12 per cent of the respondents, who said they did bother to call but the number didn’t exist or was out of service, pointing to the dismal behaviour of the companies, which take the driving skills of their driver rather recklessly.

It was only a very small number of participants (just a mere 2 per cent) who called and were satisfied with the response.

Reporting a rash driver can lead to lesser number of accidents on the road. Dubai Traffic police urges motorists and residents to report any traffic violations they spot to the police control room immediately.

This is part of the “We Are All Police” programme, which started in 2004 and authorities urge general public to report any reckless driver or any traffic violations so that necessary action can be taken against them.

And many of us are responsible citizens and residents. Under the programme, almost 32,000 traffic fines including 13,000 recorded via cameras installed were issued in 2013.

There were 2,330 traffic incidents in 2014 up until the end of October, as per Dubai Police. The incidents included everything from serious accidents that resulted in deaths, to minor ones that did not result in injuries or deaths.

A sauna could be a very good idea during a cold winter day.

Unfortunately, it was the cause of death of a father in the seaside city of Miami in the United States.

According to WPLG, the man was found dead inside a sauna at the condominium complex where he lived.

This is a photograph of the sauna where the body of Dennis Antiporek was found.

Dennis Antiporek, 68, was found by his daughter, Laura, according to reports.

"While I called 911, I was opening the door so I could breathe," Laura Antiporek was quoted as having said. She described the intense heat coming from the room where her father was found -- and that his face was unrecognizable, WPLG said.

The family claims that the sauna's timer outside was not working when Dennis Antiporek died.

An attorney for the family says he was "cooked alive," the report from WPLG said.

The family of Dennis Antiporek announced during a news conference that they are planning to file lawsuits against the property owner, the management company and the manufacturer of the sauna.

Harvey Champine wrote about his adventure inside the Swedish store Ikea. He even wrote about it on an American website, Bro Bible, about his experience.

Harvery writes about over indulging on hot dogs and feeling sleepy as he roamed inside the Ikea store. With his tummy full of cheap meat, he was tempted to turn down the covers of a loft bed, meant for kids, and went off for a short nap, reports UK daily Metro.

When he came awake, he realised that the whole world had gone home and the store had closed for the night. He did not panic or try to grab the attention of security personnel. He simply rolled back to sleep only to wake up the next morning when the buyers were back and busy shopping.

He climbed down from the loft bed, with no one from the store any wiser about their uninvited overnight guest. He helped himself with the other shoppers' leftover food comprising meat balls and other beverages and went back to his home that night to sleep in his own bed.

The man was so taken by his adventure inside Ikea that he concluded his blog with the following words:  "This vacation had everything… I’ll be giving you all five stars on TripAdvisor, IKEA."

Saudi Arabia's new king, Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, is a veteran of the country's top leadership, versed in diplomacy from nearly 50 years as the governor of the capital Riyadh and known as a mediator of disputes within the sprawling royal family.

Salman, 79, had increasingly taken on the duties of the king over the past year as his ailing predecessor and half-brother, Abdullah, became more incapacitated. Abdullah died before dawn Friday at 90 years old.

Salman had served as defense minister since 2011 and so was head of the military as Saudi Arabia joined the United States and other Arab countries in carrying out airstrikes in Syria in 2014 against the Islamic State.

He takes the helm at a time when the Muslim kingdom and oil powerhouse is trying to navigate social pressures from a burgeoning youth population — over half the population of 20 million is under 25 — seeking jobs and increasingly testing boundaries of speech on the Internet.

Salman's ascension hands throne to yet another aging son of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who is thought to have had more than 50 sons from multiple wives.

Salman's health has been a question of concern. He suffered at least one stroke that has left him with limited movement on his left arm.

The Saudi throne has for decades passed between Al Saud's sons. Prince Muqrin, the youngest of the sons at 69, was named crown prince in the royal court statement that announced Salman as king.

Each succession has brought the kingdom closer to a time when the next generation — Al Saud's grandsons — will have to take over.

King Abdullah had carried out a slow but determined series of reforms aimed at modernizing the country, including increasing education and nudging open the margins of rights for women. Salman appears to back those reforms, but he has also voiced concerns about moving too fast.

In a 2007 meeting, he told an outgoing U.S. ambassador that "social and cultural factors" — even more than religious — mean change has to be introduced slowly and with sensitivity, noting the power of the multiple tribes in the kingdom, according to an embassy memo of the meeting leaked by the Wikileaks whistleblower site.

He struck the same theme in a 2010 interview with Karen Elliot House, author of "On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines." He told her that while Americans are unified by democracy, Saudi Arabia is in essence unified by his family, the Al Sauds. "We can't have democracy in Saudi Arabia, he said, because if we did every tribe would be a party and then we would be like Iraq and would have chaos," House told The Associated Press.

That was House's second meeting with Salman. Her first was in the 1980s when, she said, he "seemed to be rather kind of stiff and regal and he pontificated more than he responded." But in 2010, "he was a different guy, kind of softer and less formal and much less self-important."

Salman was one of so-called "Sudeiri Seven" — seven sons born to one of Abdul-Aziz's most favored wives, Hussa bint Ahmad Sudeiri. The seven full-brothers were seen as a center of power within the family. Abdullah's predecessor, King Fahd, was among the seven, as were Abdullah's first two crown princes, Sultan and Nayef, who died in 2011 and 2012 respectively before ever reaching the throne.

Salman appears to have played a frequent role in ensuring the Al Saud family's unity. The 2007 U.S. Embassy memo said he "is often the referee in family disputes." It pointed to an incident after King Abdullah formalized the Allegiance Council, a body of top royals that is tasked with voting on succession issues based on merit and not just age.

Salman is also known to have extensive contacts among the country's tribes and his influence is further extended through a network of family businesses, including a stake in the pan-Arab newspaper ASharq Al-Awsat.

At a relatively young age, Salman became the governor of Riyadh in 1963 and over the next 48 years he oversaw its transformation from an isolated desert town into a crowded city of skyscrapers, universities and Western fast-food chains. He also saw it struggle to keep up with demand for affordable housing and sufficient public transportation for its 4 million residents. The post made him well known internationally, as he played host for VIPs and international envoys and helped secure foreign investment.

In discussions with U.S. diplomats in 2007 revealed in several memos, Salman spoke out against militancy, but added that Jewish and Christian extremism has fed Islamic extremism — even warning that the United States will one day see a threat from Jewish and Christian radicals. He told the Americans that the key to bringing stability to the Middle East is to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding that Israel is "a burden on the U.S."

Salman's sons include Prince Abdulaziz, the deputy oil minister; Prince Faisal, the governor of Medina; and Prince Sultan, the first Arab astronaut and current head of the tourism authority

Another son with influence is believed to be Prince Mohammed, the eldest son from Salman's third wife. In his 30s, Mohammed is the head of his father's royal court.

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has mourned the death of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia who passed away before dawn on Friday.

He prayed to Allah Almighty to bless the soul of the late king with mercy in Paradise.

Also read: Saudi King Abdullah dies, brother Salman is new ruler

His Highness President Khalifa said, "We mourn the death of one of the most notable leaders of the Arab Nation and Muslim Nation who generously gave a lot to his people and his nation and sincerely defended the causes of the Arab Nation and the Muslim Nation.

“As we express our sincere condolences to the Saudi royal family and the people of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the death of the great late king, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, we express our full confidence that King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will continue his blessed march serving the causes of the nation and advance the Arab joint action."

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa praised the late king for being dedicated himself to the service of his people and nation and worked on bolstering cohesion of the Arab Nation.

He emphasised that with the death of the late king, for the Arab Nation and the Muslim Nation, was a loss of a great figure who never hesitated to serve the causes of his nation until the end of his life.

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan also ordered a three-day mourning, starting today Friday, and that the UAE national flag be flown at half-mast at all government departments in the UAE and at all embassies and diplomatic missions of the UAE overseas.

Sheikh Khalifa has ordered that an absentee funeral prayer be performed for the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud after the Isha (night-time) Prayer today, Friday, at all mosques in the UAE.