If you constantly complain of back pain, you are not alone. Majority (8 out 10) people will be affected by it at some point in their lives and 90 per cent say low back pain is recurrent.

The peak age of incidence of low back pain is 30 to 50 years old. Majority (80 per cent) of the time acute neck and back pain will improve without treatment in 8-12 weeks. Ninety per cent of the population has bulging discs, which are synonymous with degenerative discs, and are not a problem.

On an average, human beings flex 3,000 to 5,000 times a day. Back pain can affect any part of the spine but the most commonly affected area is the lower back or the lumbar.

Back pain can come as a dull, constant or sudden sharp pain. Nonspecific back pain which excludes pain due to neurological compromise or tumors constitute of 85 per cent of all back pain.

Causes of back pain could be varied like sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, wrong postures while sitting, standing or lifting weights, inappropriate footwear to name a few.

Chronic low back pain is more than mere body pain and it has far reaching consequences which affect your physical, emotional and psychosocial health.

Therefore, it is very important that you manage your pain in the right way and find correct solutions to it.

Research in recent years have brought out something interesting. They found out that many a times treatment to chronic low back pain was not effective due to other bio psychosocial factors.

It’s very important that you have a good team, which includes specialist doctors, physiotherapists and nurses.

A good team will be able to pick up the musculoskeletal, bio psychosocial or the combination of these or even additional factors to guide you to the correct solution.

Most importantly, you should be on the look-out for symptoms and consult a doctor if these persist.

If you have low back pain which is getting worse each week, you seem to be in constant pain even after being rested, your legs feel weak and you seem to be in chronic pain for more than 3 months – these are red signals that you need to see a doctor and you might be referred for physiotherapy.

Physiotherapist will do a detailed assessment and give a treatment plan which may include exercises, modalities to reduce pain, manipulation techniques. Many a times physiotherapist have to deal with secondary manifestations of the problem before coming to the root of the issue like muscular spasm, trigger point, joint stiffness to name a few.

[This information has been provided by Dennis Daniel (Physiotherapist MPT MSK (UK)]

Gold clung to gains from a two-day rally on Wednesday, supported by short-covering following a dip in the dollar after soft US manufacturing data.     

The outlook for the metal, however, remains bearish due to a looming US rate hike, with all eyes now on the US non-farm payrolls data due later in the week.

A strong jobs report would further bolster the likelihood of a hike later this month, reducing the appeal of dollar-denominated gold.     

Spot gold slipped slightly to $1,067.80 an ounce by 0704 GMT, after gaining about 1 percent in the past two sessions.    

"The fate of gold is still very much determined by US monetary policy," said Mark To, head of research at Hong Kong's Wing Fung Financial Group.

"Prices will consolidate around current levels until the policy meet in mid-December."    

The expected US interest rate increase will drag gold prices to the $1,000 level, he added.  

Bullion fell to a near-six-year low last month and posted its biggest monthly drop in 2-1/2 years in November as investors believed higher rates could weaken demand for non-interest-paying bullion.     

The Federal Reserve is widely expected to raise U.S. rates for the first time in nearly a decade at its next meeting on Dec. 15-16.    

ABN Amro on Tuesday maintained its negative outlook for gold prices in 2016, mainly on expectations the Fed would slowly raise rates into next year, and said prices could fall below $1,000 per ounce in the coming months.     

Traders will be eyeing US payrolls data on Friday to gauge the strength of the economy and its impact on the Fed's rate decision.    

Data on Tuesday showed US manufacturing contracted in November for the first time in three years, though other data showed an increase in construction spending in October. Analysts said the manufacturing weakness will not deter the Fed from raising rates this month.   

The US dollar fell from an 8-1/2 month high on the weak data on Tuesday, but ticked up on Wednesday.     
 

Gold rates for December 02, 2015

 
DD/TT RATES AT 03.45 PM - 1 December 2015

Weekly Gold Rates 

   
Get retail Gold and Forex rates with Emirates 24|7 

Rates will be updated twice daily

Emirates 24|7 brings you the daily Dubai gold rate (22k, 24k, 21k and 18k), as well as currency exchange rates, including the Indian rupee, Pakistani rupee, Philippine peso, Sri Lankan rupee, sterling pound, euro and may more against the UAE dirham (US dollar).

The rates for 24 carat, 22 carat, 21 carat, 18 carat and Ten Tola (TT) Bar (11.6638038 gram) will be updated four times a day to keep them fresh and relevant for buyers of gold bars and gold jewellery in the UAE.

The update times for Retail Gold Rate in Dubai will be at 9.30am, 2.30pm, 5pm and 8pm (unless there is drastic fall or rise in the international rate).

On Saturdays, the gold rates will be updated at 9.30am and this rate will stay static through Saturday and Sunday until the international market reopens on Monday.

Please note that the retailers add making charges separately to the quoted rate of gold.

The Retail Gold Rate in Dubai is being supplied by the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group.

Foreign Exchange Rates

The Foreign Exchange Rates of major currencies will be updated twice each working day at around 8:30am and 3:30pm.

These will cover both the Remittance Rates [for sending money] and the Currency Notes Rates [for buying and selling of currency notes].

The Foreign Exchange Rates are being supplied by UAE Exchange.

An Egyptian man clutching a kitchen knife tried to slaughter his wife in the middle of the street in the capital Cairo but she was saved by residents who repeatedly kicked the husband and hurled rocks at him.

A YouTube film published on social networks showed the unidentified husband forced his wife on the ground and tried to slit her neck before he was attacked by scores of residents attracted by the woman’s screams.

The film showed many of them hit him with rocks while others kicked him, forcing him to flee the crowd. They chased him but he threatened them with the knife and ran away.

It was not clear why the man wanted to kill his wife and Egyptian newspapers which published the film did not mention if he was arrested.

A Turkish court on Thursday sentenced three men to life in prison for the murder and attempted rape of a 20-year-old female student that unleashed a wave of anger over violence against women.

Ozgecan Aslan was bludgeoned and stabbed to death in February after she was returning home from a shopping trip on a minibus, in a crime that sparked nationwide street protests.

The court sentenced minibus driver Ahmet Suphi Altindoken to 'aggravated' life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.

His two accomplices -- his father Necmettin Altindoken and a friend Fatih Gokce -- received the same terms, it added.

The aggravated life term is the highest punishment possible in Turkey after it abolished the death penalty in 2002, and means maximum jail terms with tougher conditions.

In this case, the three will serve at least 40 years in prison, defence lawyer Efkan Bolac told the private NTV television station.

According to the indictment, Ahmet Suphi Altindoken drove Aslan to a wood after all the other passengers had got off and then tried to rape her.

The young woman fought back using pepper spray but Altindoken then bludgeoned and stabbed her to death.

Altindoken's father and friend were found guilty of helping him burn and dispose of the body. The remains were found by police and the three were arrested.

The Turkish authorities acknowledge there is a grave problem of violence against women - often involving wives killed by their husbands - but activists say nowhere near enough action has been taken.

According to the Platform to Stop Violence Against Women, 258 women have been murdered in Turkey so far this year and 286 in 2014.

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza is on a high - wining tournament after another. As the numbers of Slams and title wins increased so did her remuneration quote to attend events.

The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh sports department dropped the idea of inviting Mirza as chief guest for its annual sports awards function after state government refused to meet her demand for a makeup kit and chartered jet.

The event was to take place on August 29 but was postponed according to Mirza’s schedule.

Sports minister, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, herself made the disclosure. The minister said Mirza had asked the state government to arrange a chartered jet and Dh4139 worth make-up kit.

The minister also claimed she received the list of demands just four days before the function.
 
Now instead of the tennis player, senior badminton coach Pullela Gopichand will attend the function.

Fastfood gets a Filipino makeover in Dubai, with Jollibee hitting the big numbers.

"Our outlet at the Dubai Mall is the most successful we've ever had in the world," revealed Dennis M Flores, vice president for International Markets at Jollibee in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Europe. “As we speak today, it’s our number 1 store in the world in terms of revenue.”

The positive response has evidently accelerated their expansion plans, with Jollibee spreading to two more stores by the end of this year. “In our first year, we are opening three stores. We opened our first outlet (Dubai Mall) in May, and we are opening two in December – in Mall of the Emirates and Burjuman Centre.” And, “that’s the fastest we have grown in any country in a single year on its debut.”

Flores adds that next year they have planned for four more outlets in the UAE. “And, by 2020, we should have roughly around 30 stores in the UAE. In the GCC, we see ourselves having a 130 stores. So, a quarter of those stores will be here in the UAE.”

However, finding a spot in Dubai Mall wasn’t easy, and he claims there are “4,000 brands in the wait list to into the Dubai Mall”.

“I have to grant it to our partners in the UAE for felicitating the acquisitions in their prime malls.” Flores, however, was reluctant to detail the high rents he pays for Dubai Mall outlet. “This is one of the most expensive stores I’ve ever seen. They charge premium rent, but the exposure they give is worthwhile.”

Flores claims Dubai was big on their expansion plan, as it’s a “flagship store”. However, their move saw a slight glitch. “There was a delay (with our entry into the market) because there was a Jollibee that was operating here. We had a franchise in the past but he was renegade franchise… he never followed standards and we tried to terminate the relationship but he never gave up.”

That problem was solved, and Jollibee is on its way to authentic taste and flavour. “It’s good taste and good value. We price ourselves based on our competition. Any fastfood chain worth its salt will check that. We are happy to say we have 5-10 per cent lower than our competition.

The Philippine fastfood biggie began its journey in 1978 as an ice-cream parlour in Manila. “That was the time when McDonald’s was not in the Philippines. Couple of years later, McDonald’s entered the market, and the founders of Jollibee had two choices – whether to franchise McDonald’s or start out on their own. I would say they made the right decision of pursuing Jollibee.”

The menu highlights its Asian heritage, with lots of rice and flavor, but Arab cuisine will see buns and fries replacing rice to adapt to the changing palate.

Like the Big Mac, Jollibee has a two-piece chicken joy which is quite popular. “Although our customer base is still predominately Filipino, we want other nationalities to come in and give it a shot.”

An angry brother shot his elder sister dead because she voted in Pakistani local elections after he had forbidden her to do so, police said Wednesday.

The murder occurred in the town of Taxila 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Islamabad on Tuesday, according to officials.

Danish Ali, 20, was furious because his sister Asifa Noreen, a 32-year old schoolteacher, had defied his instructions and cast her vote, local police official Naeem Abbas told AFP.

"According to a report filed by the deceased's father, Ali shot Noreen with his pistol and she died on the spot at their home," Abbas said.

Police were still hunting for Ali, who is on the run.

Women's turnout is usually weak in the most conservative rural parts of Pakistan because of male perceptions that their place is in the home.

But incidents of women being killed for voting are rare, although hundreds of Pakistani women are murdered each year in cases of domestic violence or on the grounds of defending family "honour".

The Aurat Foundation, a campaign group that works to improve the lives of women in Pakistan's conservative and patriarchal society, says more than 3,000 women have been killed in such attacks since 2008.

Gold slumped to a near-six-year low on Thursday after comments from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen virtually cemented the case for a U.S. rate hike this month, while the strength in the dollar also pressured the metal.   

Spot gold fell to $1,045.85 an ounce, the lowest since February 2010, before steadying at $1,052.35 by 0643 GMT. U.S. gold futures slid to $1,045.40, the lowest since October 2009.    

Fed Chair Yellen said on Wednesday she was "looking forward" to a U.S. interest rate rise that will be seen as a testament to the economy's recovery from recession.   

Yellen expressed confidence in the U.S. economy, saying job growth through October suggested the labour market was healing even if not yet at full strength.    

"The market took these comments as a good indication that the Fed would raise rates at the next FOMC meeting later this month," said HSBC analyst James Steel, said referring to the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee.   

A rate hike in December, widely expected in the market, would be the first in nearly a decade. Gold, as a non-interest-paying asset, would not benefit from higher rates.   

"Gold is likely to remain fragile and vulnerable to the downside as investor sentiment is clearly negative," Steel said.   

Yellen's comments come after expectations for a Fed rate hike at its Dec. 15-16 policy meeting were slightly shaken on the back of poor manufacturing data released earlier in the week.

However, private employment data on Wednesday was stronger than expected, adding to gold's troubles.   

U.S. nonfarm payrolls data on Friday will be keenly watched for more clues.    

The dollar jumped to its highest in 12-1/2 years against a basket of major currencies on Wednesday after Yellen's hawkish comments.

A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.    

Investors are rapidly pulling out of bullion funds, adding to the pressure on the metal.     

Assets in SPDR Gold Trust, the top gold-backed exchange-traded fund, fell 2.41 percent to 639.02 tonnes on Wednesday, the lowest since September 2008.   

The outflow is the biggest single-day percentage drop in four years.       

Gold prices could see another trigger later on Thursday as the European Central Bank announces its policy decision.   

"Any further accommodative measures by the ECB later tonight would likely spell further downside risk for gold prices," OCBC Bank said in a note.     

Gold rates for December 02, 2015

DD/TT RATES AT 03.45 PM - 1 December 2015

Weekly Gold Rates 

   
Get retail Gold and Forex rates with Emirates 24|7 

Rates will be updated twice daily

Emirates 24|7 brings you the daily Dubai gold rate (22k, 24k, 21k and 18k), as well as currency exchange rates, including the Indian rupee, Pakistani rupee, Philippine peso, Sri Lankan rupee, sterling pound, euro and may more against the UAE dirham (US dollar).

The rates for 24 carat, 22 carat, 21 carat, 18 carat and Ten Tola (TT) Bar (11.6638038 gram) will be updated four times a day to keep them fresh and relevant for buyers of gold bars and gold jewellery in the UAE.

The update times for Retail Gold Rate in Dubai will be at 9.30am, 2.30pm, 5pm and 8pm (unless there is drastic fall or rise in the international rate).

On Saturdays, the gold rates will be updated at 9.30am and this rate will stay static through Saturday and Sunday until the international market reopens on Monday.

Please note that the retailers add making charges separately to the quoted rate of gold.

The Retail Gold Rate in Dubai is being supplied by the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group.

Foreign Exchange Rates

The Foreign Exchange Rates of major currencies will be updated twice each working day at around 8:30am and 3:30pm.

These will cover both the Remittance Rates [for sending money] and the Currency Notes Rates [for buying and selling of currency notes].

The Foreign Exchange Rates are being supplied by UAE Exchange.

A well-known TV presenter working for the Saudi-owned Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) TV channel was seriously injured while her driver was killed in a road accident on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai on Wednesday.
 
Shahd Ballan, 27, has just left Dubai’s Media City and was heading for Abu Dhabi when her car tyre was punctured, forcing her driver to stop on the hard shoulder.
 
Another car hit her vehicle from behind before a third car banged into the two vehicles. A fourth car which was moving at high speed rammed into Shahd’s vehicle, killing the driver and seriously injuring the TV presenter and news reader.
 
Police said Shahd was rushed to hospital, where 10 doctors performed an operation on her to save her life before she was admitted to the intensive care unit.
 
Newspapers quoted doctors as saying Shahd suffered from fractures on various parts of her body and that she would remain in the ICU for a while.
 
Shahd had worked for Dubai’s state-run Dubai TV before moving to MBC channel 1 as a presenter and news reader in 2013.
 
Born in the Southern Syrian town of Suwaida, Shahd graduated from the American University in Dubai in 2011 and joined Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Media College, where she graduated in film direction.
 
Shahd’s father is the cousin of the late popular singer Fahd Ballan.

AFP

Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor Khan make a good Bollywood on-screen couple, despite that they have never worked together after Subhash Ghai's film 'Yaadein' in 2003.

It was their rumoured affair during the movie that saw the two actors walk away in different directions.

Reports suggested that Kareena and Hrithik might come together for Sanjay Gupta's next.

Sanskriti Media

The makers had approached Kareena but Hrithik's father Rakesh Roshan clearly said that Kareena is not in the film.

A popular entertainment tabloid recently reported that Hrithik will be working with his director father Rakesh Roshan once again and the film is set to kick start in February. It doesn’t have a title yet but the daily reports that it will be love story cum revenge drama directed by Sanjay Gupta.

AFP

Sanjay Gupta tweeted: "Ok guys its true that I am working on my next with Hrithik and Rakeshji. But we have not confirmed the lead actress as yet. We will soon :-)."

He continued, "It would be any director's dream come true to get Hrithik and Kareena together for a film. But we have not finalised our heroine yet."

Karisma Kapoor's divorce getting messy?

Actress Karisma Kapoor and estranged husband Sunjay Kapur had filed a mutual consent divorce petition in Mumbai's Family Court and were to end their 12 year old marriage before the end of 2014.

And since, they are unable to reach a consensus, both the parties decided to withdraw the joint petition for divorce.

The court will decide after speaking to Sunjay. Karisma, who was present in the court went through a long counselling session behind closed doors.

Mid Day reports that Karisma and Sunjay have been arguing about is the terms of a Trust being set up for the welfare of their two children, Samaira and Kiaan Raj Kapoor.

Sunjay doesn't want to handover the control of the Trust to Karisma. As a result, Karisma is not giving Sunjay access to their children.

Karisma and Sunjay tied the knot in September 2003.

Preity Zinta getting married... soon?

Sanskriti Media and Entertainment

In the latest wedding buzz, Bollywood's dimpled girl Preity Zinta is all set to marry, according to the reports.

Though the actress herself has denied the news, Times Of India has reported that sources close enough to the actress have confirmed that she's about to fly to USA in January 2016.

AFP

There, she'll be getting married to her American boyfriend, Gene Goodenough at a small and intimate ceremony.

The two have been going steady for a while now and it was Gene who stood by Preity throughout her problems with her ex-boyfriend Ness Wadia.

Katrina doesn't like talking about Salman

Salman and Katrina promote 'Ek Tha Tiger'. (Supplied)

Katrina Kaif, who is Ranbir Kapoor's girlfriend, feels that it would be disrespecting her 'existing relationship' if she talks in public about her ex-boyfriend Salman Khan.

During an appearance on Niranjan Iyengar's talk show 'Look Who's Talking with Niranjan', Katrina was asked about her relationship with the 'Dabangg' actor.

AFP

Katrina replied: "He is an amazing person and everyone in and out of the industry knows that. His parents and family treated me like a daughter always. But it does not seem respectful to my existing relationship if I talk about Salman or his family in the media; hence I choose not to mostly."

On being asked about her 'existing relationship' and her marriage plans with Ranbir, she said: 'Ranbir is my all-time friend'.

Shah Rukh to bring Parineeti, Alia together?

According to rumours Shah Rukh Khan is going to produce a female oriented flick starring Alia Bhatt and Parineeti Chopra in the lead.

The film is said to be directed by Farah Khan, who has been holed out in Goa for some time now working on her script.

 Farah is considering Parineeti and Alia to star in her two heroine drama flick.

Farah has also revealed that Shah Rukh will be producing her next project.

Parineeti had a rough 2014 with back to back flops like 'Daawat-e-Ishq' and 'Kill Dil' while Alia has been giving one hit after another until 'Shaandaar'.

The two girls have been often pitted against each other and it will be interesting to see how things work out in this chick-flick.

Salman talks about rumoured girlfriend Iulia

AFP

The grapevine has always been abuzz with talks of Salman Khan and Romanian TV personality Iulia Vantur being in a relationship.

And some time back, there was a rumour doing the rounds that Salman is secretly engaged to Iulia.

AFP

But later the actor rubbished all the rumours by saying, "There is a lot of buzz about a lot of things about me, which is never true. Yes, I read what is written, hear what is said, and my right answer to your question would be that I am indifferent to all of it. The small things don't bother me at all, but they bother my parents. And that really bothers me."

Salman has always been linked to leading ladies such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif.

But the actor is still unmarried and always laughs it off when he is asked about his marriage.

Yuvraj Singh, Hazel ready for marriage?

(AFP)

Before the dust could settle around the big fat Indian wedding of cricketer Harbhajan Singh and actress Geeta Basra, cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actress Hazel Keech's marriage rumours is creating a buzz in the gossip columns.

It is an open secret that Yuvraj and Hazel are a couple and the two attended Harbhajan's wedding together.

Indian media also reported that the couple will be formally engaged by the end of November and wedding will be held in February 2016.

Facebook

The cricketer's tongue-in-cheek reply to these rumours has put all speculations to an end.

The all-rounder took to Twitter to deny reports about his 'impending wedding'. He wrote, "So now my dear media has decided the venue and month of my marriage can u also tell me the dates so I can get ready well in time!"

Yuvraj had previously dated Bollywood actress Kim Sharma and was also linked with Deepika Padukone.

Shah Rukh Khan shows his 'love bite'

Twitter

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is back on the sets of Rohit Shetty's 'Dilwale' after his birthday celebrations and apparently the actor got into a bit of trouble.

The actor got in a 'pub brawl' which resulted in a bruise on his arm.

Shah Rukh posted a picture of his 'pretty and pink love-bite' explaining that since he is the 'romantic hero' and all that, even his injuries reflect the same.

Looks like the actor shot for a bar fight scene for 'Dilwale' and got this bruise.

He tweeted, "My love bite from a bar fight. Being a romantic hero even my injuries look…well…pretty & pink! From sets of #Dilwale."

Are Hrithik, Kangana avoiding each other?

Sanskriti

Rumours of a fling between Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut was the talk of the town till they decided to part ways.

The 'Queen' actress was rumoured to have ended the relationship as Hrithik was not ready to take it forward.

It was also speculated that perhaps they had a bitter break-up.

Sanskriti

The two actors, who worked together in 'Krrish 3', are till conscious of prying eyes. During the opening ceremony of ongoing MAMI film festival they avoided each other like the plague.

Though they had a common group of friends at the event, the two stars never mingled with them together.

Sanskriti

They did pose for a group picture and maintained a distance between them - much to their relief.

While Hrithik was seen chatting up with Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapoor, Kangana was seated far away. However, as soon as Hrithik left the gang, Kangana joined the others and chatted away.

Deepika trying to follow Priyanka Chopra?

In this file photograph taken on April 28, 2015, Indian Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone poses during a promotional event ahead of the forthcoming Hindi film ‘Piku’ in Mumbai. AFP

Deepika Padukone is keen on doing Hollywood films and wants to explore to work in the West.

During the ongoing Jio MAMI festival the actress said that she is interested in doing Hollywood films and is ready to explore work opportunities.

Deepika was earlier offered a role in 'Furious 7' which she had to decline due to her commitment to 'Ram Leela' promotions.

Priyanka Chopra poses for a photograph during the 'Star Guild Awards 2015'. (AFP)

As she gears up for two back-to-back releases, Deepika said if something interesting comes her way she will definitely take it up.

Actors like Priyanka Chopra and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have made appearances in Hollywood projects.

Priyanka is the first female actor from India to play lead in a US TV series. The actor is playing the role of Alex Parrish, a rookie FBI recruit with a mysterious past in 'Quantico'.

Anushka not ready to marry Virat

Last weekend, Anushka Sharma was spotted out with boyfriend Virat Kohli and her father on what was rumoured to be a house-hunting spree.

A report in mid-day quotes a source as saying, "Anushka and Virat have been open about their relationship because they are sure about taking it to the marriage altar. Their families will meet soon and decide the wedding date. In all likelihood, they will get hitched early next year."

But the actress isn't getting married any time soon, insists a statement on behalf of the 'Dil Dhadakne Do' star, seemingly impelled by reports in the press of a possible 2016 wedding to cricketer Virat Kohli.

The statement reads: "There is no truth to the stories/rumours about Anushka Sharma's impending wedding. Currently she is busy and happy with her work commitments. She has always been open about her life and would appreciate it and request everyone to wait for her to make announcements about her life instead of speculating."

Deepika, Ranbir's chemistry made Katrina insecure?

Actress Katrina Kaif has not asked filmmaker Anurag Basu to 'fire up' her chemistry with boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor in their upcoming comedy-drama film 'Jagga Jasoos', said her spokesperson.

(AFP)

Katrina is reportedly worried about Ranbir's chemistry with his former girlfriend, actress Deepika Padukone's in upcoming film 'Tamasha'.

"These rumours are clearly someone's imagination running wild. Though this makes fodder for gossip, it is categorically and entirely untrue. These stories are misleading to the audience and fans in general. Such idle gossip is really avoidable and childish," Katrina's spokesperson said in a statement.

Deepika and Ranbir are returning on the silver screen together after two years in filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's 'Tamasha', which is slated to release on November 26 in UAE.

Sanskriti Media and Entertainment

Meanwhile, 'Jagga Jasoos', which is slated to release in June next year, will feature the couple after 2010's 'Raajneeti'.

It really comes as a shocker that megastar Amitabh Bachhcan's granddaughter Navya Naveli, who is studying in England had to face body-shaming in her school.

This clearly indicates that such a grave issue does not spare the high and mighty too.

Also Read: Amitabh's granddaughter Navya to make her debut

Her mother Shweta Bachchan Nanda was furious to see her daughter being bullied.

Shweta Bachchan Nanda wrote an article in Indian newspaper DNA, where she revealed that her daughter Navya, who is about to turn 18 soon was teased in school for being too skinny.

Here is an excerpt of her write-up in DNA. 

In a couple of days, my eldest turns 18, an adult. It's a big deal in the UK, where she currently schools. I am in party planning mode, when one night, my phone buzzes insistently. It’s my daughter, she’s not okay; a flurry of texts and screenshots later, I am updated… along with falling victim to a lot of teenage “mean girling” she has been body-shamed (when you are ridiculed or bullied about your body, either too fat or in her case, for being too skinny).

My immediate reaction was one of utter rage! You bring your kids up with such love and care, not a day goes by when you don’t tell them or remind them in different ways just how wonderful they are.... And then, someone callously brings it all crashing down and their only authority is that they are your child’s peer and their word will, for a while, mean more to them than manna from heaven. It is the worst kind of bullying, simply because it leaves the most lasting impact!!

Shweta shared moments from her childhood, where she didn't really know what to do with herself.

I remember my teenage years, a growth spurt at age 12, a disastrous haircut and an overbite that could compete with Bugs Bunny, I was the human equivalent of a bottlebrush. Painfully thin, gawky, with limbs that were growing faster than I knew what to do with... and then there was acne. It’s a miracle I ever left the house. And as if in conspiracy, everything I wore only helped to enhance my awkwardness. It was in a particularly inauspicious chemistry class (not my forté, I am prone to the arts) when dressed in all yellow, I knocked over a test tube with something vile and frothy in it, and managed to burn a little hole in my partner’s folder. He was naturally livid and told me to “stop flapping about like Big Bird.” The name stuck! It has defined me since. In my heart, I am always ungainly, flappy Big Bird! Knocking my elbows on table corners and getting my sleeves caught on door handles…  a disaster in heels, my balance is always off. I prefer to make it sound like it’s an intentional sartorial choice that I wear flats. Though years of painful orthodontic treatment have sorted out the overbite, I still find it hard to open my smile for fear of any teeth showing. I snap myself out of this nightmare of a flashback and look at an image I have of my daughter, on the wallpaper of my phone. She is everything I would have loved to look like, at age 18. Beautiful long hair, delicate nose, long lashes and elegant artistic hands… a perfect collection of atoms, but more importantly, she has a heart that is equally soft and brave.

I ring her phone, she picks up, stifling her tears, I can feel her pain and my heart breaks a little more… I tell her this isn’t going to be the last time someone will be hurtful to her, but she cannot let the world define who she is. She is born into a family that prides itself on defying conventions. She won’t understand what I mean till she herself is much older, but has the sensitivity to make me feel she does. I hang up and can’t help but say aloud to myself,
"Welcome to the world baby girl, learn to roll with the punches, it is the first lesson of adulthood."
 

India's government has faced mockery on social media for tweeting an apparently doctored photo of its image-conscious prime minister surveying the flood-hit southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Narendra Modi tweeted an image of himself looking out of a helicopter window as he flew over the area on Thursday, saying he was "pained by the devastation" he had seen.

The scene through the window was barely visible, but when the government's press department later tweeted what appeared to be the same image, the view through the window was sharp and clearly showed flooding.

The department later deleted that tweet, but not before thousands of followers had taken screen grabs of the apparently manipulated image.

"Very silly of @PIB-India to photo-shop @PMOIndia aerial survey of Chennai," tweeted Prashanth Rao, referring to the state capital.

"Worst photoshop ever!" tweeted Wilbur Sargunaraj. "Why does our PM need false and exaggerated propaganda???"

Modi travelled to Tamil Nadu on Thursday to survey the damage from weeks of flooding that has killed 269 people.

The prime minister is a prolific tweeter with more than 16 million followers.

Wiyang Lautner was detained after he allegedly lost control of his supercar while racing against a Ferrari and hit a middle-aged couple and a street vendor waiter in Surabaya, East Java.

He crashed into Mujianto, 44, Srikanti, 41, and her husband 51-year-old Kuswanto whose body was dragged along by the Lamborghini for several metres before it smashed into a tree, police said.

How do used cars fare by mileage in the UAE? With the aim to find out which countries rack up more kilometers, Carmudi, the best way to sell or buy your car online, analysed and compared thousands of its global car listings. The team further examined data based on car age and fuel type. The cars examined ranged from 2 to 5 years old.

Used cars in the UAE have by far the highest mileage per car across Carmudi markets. The average is over 79,000 km, a staggering number compared to the global average of 47,000 km. Used cars under two years old in the UAE alone average 47,000 km. Five year old cars, on the other hand, reach an average of 103,900 km.

The Gulf country has long been dependant on four wheeled vehicles as the main form of transportation. The fact that a lot of residents commute outside of the cities in which they reside, helps explain the longer, on average, drives in the UAE. Public Transportation in the emirates are limited to intracity travel, further intensifying this effect on mileage. Despite the recent removal of subsidies from fuel prices, costs have not skyrocketed as much as consumers had feared, allowing drivers to continue using their car as they were before: to go everywhere. Hot weather conditions also encourage commuters to seek refuge in private, air-conditioned vehicles.

When looking at brand and mileage, Carmudi found that Japanese used cars on offer on the UAE website tend to have been driven further than brands from other countries. Makes like Mitsubishi, Nissan, Honda and Toyota, among others, all range between 75,000 and 82,000 km. Western cars listed were often less traveled; Ford, BMW and Land Rover averaging 61,000 km.

It seems that transportation infrastructure, as well as affordable fuel prices, both help UAE drivers settle on longer commutes, making it Carmudi’s market with the highest average mileage for a used car.

An Oklahoma woman was arrested for suspected child abuse after doctors treating her 5-year-old daughter over the weekend reported that the child weighed 19 pounds and was severely malnourished, police said on Thursday.

Christina Calhoun, 25, was taken into custody on Wednesday. Her daughter was taken by ambulance to a Tulsa hospital for breathing problems, and doctors reported the girl was dehydrated, malnourished and suffered from chronic medical neglect, police said.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has previously investigated Calhoun for child neglect, including one substantiated case earlier this year for failing to provide nutrition and medical attention, according to police reports.

Calhoun was being held at the Tulsa Jail with bond set at $100,000. There was no lawyer listed on her online arrest report. She is due to appear in court on Dec. 9.

According to the Tulsa World newspaper, additional arrests may be made in connection with the case. Police believe other people may have seen the child's condition and not reported it, it said.

In a bizarre incident, a 48-year old woman who jumped from 7th floor balcony in a bid to end her life survived, however, she landed on an 81-year-old man who did not survive the incident.

The incident occurred in Spanish town on Alicante, reports UK daily Metro.

According to reports in the local daily, El Mundo, the woman was allegedly suffering from depression.

Both the man and the woman were taken to the nearest hospital, but the elderly man could not be saved. The man's wife was also admitted to the hospital to be treated for shock.

 

A video posted by HotRod (@daniggahot) on Dec 2, 2015 at 4:59pm PST

Amateur video of San Francisco police surrounding a suspected knifeman and gunning him down in a hail of bullets went viral Thursday on social media and provoked outrage.

The short clip is the latest video posted online showing US police using what appears to be excessive force on suspects - many of them black and often with lethal effect.

The video, taken in broad daylight with a mobile phone by a passenger aboard a bus parked nearby, shows a man wearing a dark jacket walking and leaning against a wall as he is surrounded by at least seven police officers with their weapons drawn.

The suspect waves his hands, then puts them briefly in his pocket. A knife is not visible in the footage.

As the suspect slowly limps and continues to ignore commands from police, the officers open fire. The person taking the film dives away from the bus window so the footage ends, but about 20 gunshots can be heard ringing out.

San Francisco police said that the dead suspect met the description given by witnesses of a person who had stabbed someone earlier that day. It was not clear when it happened.

An officer had tracked him down and quickly called for backup.

"The suspect was armed with a knife, believed to be the weapon used in the stabbing," police said in a statement.

"As the suspect had already demonstrated that he was a danger to others by having stabbed an earlier victim, the officers could not allow him room to harm anyone else."

Police said they ordered him to drop the knife "numerous times," but he failed to comply.

They fired non-lethal bean bags - used normally in crowd control - at him and doused him with pepper spray. The man fell to one knee, but did not drop the knife and tried to walk away.

An officer blocks him.

"Still armed with the knife, the suspect moved towards that officer," police said.

"At this point, fearing serious injury or death, officers fired their department-issued handguns at the suspect. The suspect was struck by the gunfire and fell to the ground."

Police in the United States have come under intense criticism for using excessive force against suspects.

Earlier this week Chicago's mayor fired the city police chief after a graphic video of a white officer fatally shooting a black teenager 16 times sparked a week of protests.

Gold rates for December 04, 2015

DD/TT RATES AT 03.45 PM - 1 December 2015

Weekly Gold Rates 

   
Get retail Gold and Forex rates with Emirates 24|7 

Rates will be updated twice daily

Emirates 24|7 brings you the daily Dubai gold rate (22k, 24k, 21k and 18k), as well as currency exchange rates, including the Indian rupee, Pakistani rupee, Philippine peso, Sri Lankan rupee, sterling pound, euro and may more against the UAE dirham (US dollar).

The rates for 24 carat, 22 carat, 21 carat, 18 carat and Ten Tola (TT) Bar (11.6638038 gram) will be updated four times a day to keep them fresh and relevant for buyers of gold bars and gold jewellery in the UAE.

The update times for Retail Gold Rate in Dubai will be at 9.30am, 2.30pm, 5pm and 8pm (unless there is drastic fall or rise in the international rate).

On Saturdays, the gold rates will be updated at 9.30am and this rate will stay static through Saturday and Sunday until the international market reopens on Monday.

Please note that the retailers add making charges separately to the quoted rate of gold.

The Retail Gold Rate in Dubai is being supplied by the Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group.

Foreign Exchange Rates

The Foreign Exchange Rates of major currencies will be updated twice each working day at around 8:30am and 3:30pm.

These will cover both the Remittance Rates [for sending money] and the Currency Notes Rates [for buying and selling of currency notes].

The Foreign Exchange Rates are being supplied by UAE Exchange.

Skies will be cloudy on Saturday with fresh winds blowing across the UAE.
 
An NCMS report forecasts poor visibility at times due to wind kicking up dust in some areas.
 
There are chances of fog over internal areas, too.
 
Seas will be “rough to very rough” and beach-goers are advised to stay safe.
 
Minimum temperatures will hover between 12 and 18 degree Celsius in mountainous areas, with the maximum temperature in internal area to touch 30 degree Celsius.
 

Dubai-based Emirates Airline has announced some changes to its baggage policy.

The weight per passenger that the carrier allows is 30kg in economy class, 40kg in business class and 50kg in first class.

The good news is that the amount of weight that one is entitled to remains the same in each class.

However, some dimensional changes are going to be enforced According to the airline, for tickets issued on or after November 15 this year, passengers will not be able to carry individual items with total dimensions exceeding 300cm (118 inches).

Until then, the airline will continue to accept items beyond 300cm (118 inches) and up to 400cm (157 inches) in length in exceptional cases.

After November 15, however, Emirates noted that items bigger than 300cm cannot be transported as checked baggage, and must be sent as cargo or freight.

“There are no exceptions to this rule,” it states.

Even before the said date, for bigger items, the airline said it’s advisable to check with local Emirates office for details at least seven working days prior to travelling with such items to avoid any unpleasant surprises and hassles at the airport.

Any baggage that exceeds these set limits will be referred to Emirates SkyCargo, it said.


Number of bags

Those travelling to Canada, North America or South America, should be aware of the baggage policy that applies on these routes.

Those flying on these long-haul flights have half the per-bag size allocation although the total weight allowance is higher than on other routes.

“For itineraries including any destinations in Canada, North or South America, different baggage rules apply. For Canada and North America, customers are allowed two bags of up to 23kg each in economy class, and two bags of up to 32kg each in first class or business Class.”

“For South America, customers are allowed two bags of up to 32kg each in all classes,” says the carrier.

Those flying on these long haul flights should ensure that the total dimensions of each piece must not exceed 150cm (59 inches).

Customers with individual items exceeding above dimensions up to 300cm (118 inches) will be charged an additional fee. Individual items with total dimensions exceeding 300cm (118 inches) cannot be transported as checked baggage, and must be sent as cargo or freight.

For customers with two pieces of luggage in all three classes, the total combined dimensions of both pieces should not exceed 300cm (118 inches), advises Emirates. These are applicable on tickets issued on or after November 15, 2014.

For passengers whose tickets are issued prior to November 15, 2014, the total dimensions (length+ width+ height) of each piece must not exceed 158cm (62 inches). For economy class customers with two pieces of luggage, the total combined dimensions of both pieces must not exceed 273cm (107 inches).

Customers with baggage exceeding these dimensions will be charged an additional fee, the airline noted.