REVEALED: The most likely dates of 2022 Islamic festival Eid Al Adha

The most likely dates of Islamic festival Eid Al Adha have been revealed.

The International Astronomical Centre has announced that Saturday, July 9, is likely to be the first day of Eid Al Adha in most Islamic countries. 

These include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt. 

Observers from these countries would venture out to spot the crescent moon on Wednesday, June 29. Mohammad Odeh, Chairman of the International Astronomical Centre, said the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah is likely to begin on Thursday, June 30. 

Eid Al Adha is celebrated on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah. As per astronomical calculations, the corresponding Gregorian date would be July 9. A four-day break to mark the festival in the UAE begins one day before Eid. Known as the Day of Arafah, this year, the day would likely fall on Friday, July 8. The likely dates of the long weekend to celebrate the festival are: Friday, July 8, to Monday, July 11. 

Last week, the Emirates Astronomical Society had announced the exact same likely dates as per their calculations. The Day of Arafah is the holiest day for Muslims. Haj pilgrims spend the day on a hill called Arafah, repenting for their sins. 

Muslims who couldn’t go for the Haj pilgrimage fast on the day. Eid Al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is marked by offering special prayers. Muslims slaughter livestock — usually, a goat, sheep, cow or camel — to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim's test of faith. 

The festival celebrates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son based on Allah’s command. Before the sacrifice happened, Allah provided him with a ram that the prophet then slaughtered.

PHOTOS: Wizkid & Tems win BIG at the 2022 #BETAwards! See full list

The 2022 BET Awards went down Sunday night (June 26), and in addition to Diddy being honored with the lifetime achievement award, he was joined onstage by a slew of fellow winners.

Going into Sunday’s ceremony, Doja Cat was the year’s leading nominee with six nods, followed by Drake and Ari Lennox with four apiece — but all three artists left with zero wins. 

So who emerged the night’s biggest winners instead? Well, Bruno Mars accepted the prize for album of the year for An Evening With Silk Sonic, joined onstage by songwriter/producer D’Mile in place of his overseas musical partner Anderson .Paak, and Silk Sonic also took home the best group award too.

Find the full list of winners below.

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Ari Lennox
Chlöe
Doja Cat
H.E.R.
Jazmine Sullivan (WINNER)
Mary J. Blige
Summer Walker

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Blxst
Chris Brown
Givēon
Lucky Daye
The Weeknd (WINNER)
Wizkid
Yung Bleu

Best Group
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) (WINNER)
Chlöe x Halle
City Girls
Lil Baby & Lil Durk
Migos
Young Dolph & Key Glock

Best Collaboration
“Essence,” Wizkid Feat. Justin Bieber & Tems (WINNER)
“Every Chance I Get,” DJ Khaled Feat. Lil Baby & Lil Durk
“Family Ties,” Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar
“Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat Feat. SZA
“Way 2 Sexy,” Drake Feat. Future & Young Thug
“Whole Lotta Money (Remix),” BIA Feat. Nicki Minaj

Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Cardi B
Doja Cat
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion (WINNER)
Nicki Minaj
Saweetie

Best Male Hip Hop Artist
Drake
Future
J. Cole
Jack Harlow
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar (WINNER) 
Lil Baby

Video of the Year
“Family Ties,” Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar (WINNER)
“Have Mercy,” Chlöe
“Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat Feat. SZA
“Pressure,” Ari Lennox
“Smokin Out The Window,” Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic)
“Way 2 Sexy,” Drake Feat. Future & Young Thug

Video Director of the Year
Anderson .Paak aka Director .Paak (WINNER)
Benny Boom
Beyoncé & Dikayl Rimmasch
Director X
Hype Williams
Missy Elliott

Best New Artist
Baby Keem
Benny The Butcher
Latto (WINNER)
Muni Long
Tems
Yung Bleu

Album of the Year
“An Evening With Silk Sonic,” Bruno Mars, Anderson.Paak (Silk Sonic) (WINNER)
“Back Of My Mind,” H.E.R.
“Call Me If You Get Lost,” Tyler, The Creator
“Certified Lover Boy,” Drake
“Donda,” Kanye West
“Heaux Tales, Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe,” Jazmine Sullivan
“Planet Her,” Doja Cat

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
“All In Your Hands,” Marvin Sapp
“Come To Life,” Kanye West
“Grace,” Kelly Price
“Hallelujah,” Fred Hammond
“Hold Us Together (Hope Mix),” H.E.R. & Tauren Wells
“Jireh,” Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music
“We Win,” Lil Baby X Kirk Franklin (WINNER)

BET Her
“Best Of Me (Originals),” Alicia Keys
“Good Morning Gorgeous,” Mary J. Blige (WINNER)
“Have Mercy,” Chlöe
“Pressure,” Ari Lennox
“Roster,” Jazmine Sullivan
“Unloyal,” Summer Walker & Ari Lennox
“Woman,” Doja Cat

Best International Act
Dave (UK)
Dinos (France)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Fireboy DML (Nigeria)
Little Simz (UK)
Ludmilla (Brazil)
Major League DJz (South Africa)
Tayc (France)
Tems (Nigeria) (WINNER)

Best Movie
“Candyman”
“King Richard” (WINNER)
“Respect”
“Space Jam: A New Legacy”
“Summer of Soul”
“The Harder They Fall”

Best Actor
Adrian Holmes, “Bel-Air”
Anthony Anderson, “Black-Ish”
Damson Idris, “Snowfall”
Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
Forest Whitaker, “Respect” and “Godfather of Harlem”
Jabari Banks, “Bel-Air”
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”
Will Smith, “King Richard” (WINNER)

Best Actress
Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard”
Coco Jones, “Bel-Air”
Issa Rae, “Insecure”
Jennifer Hudson, “Respect”
Mary J. Blige, “Power Book II: Ghost”
Queen Latifah, “The Equalizer”
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”
Regina King, “The Harder They Fall”
Zendaya, “Euphoria” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (WINNER)

YoungStars Award
Akira Akbar
Demi Singleton
Marsai Martin (WINNER)
Miles Brown
Saniyya Sidney
Storm Reid

Sportswoman of the Year Award
Brittney Griner
Candace Parker
Naomi Osaka (WINNER)
Serena Williams
Sha’Carri Richardson
Simone Biles

Sportsman of the Year Award
Aaron Donald
Bubba Wallace
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Ja Morant
Lebron James
Stephen Curry (WINNER)

PHOTOS: 26 y.o Team USA artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez rescued by her swimming coach

Andrea Fuentes leapt in to rescue Team USA's Alvarez, who had sunk to the bottom of the pool and was not breathing after completing her routine during Wednesday night's solo free final.

"It was a big scare. I had to jump in because the lifeguards weren't doing it," Fuentes was reported as saying by Spanish newspaper Marca. Fuentes, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, dived to the bottom of the pool and dragged Alvarez to the surface before being assisted to get the stricken swimmer to the edge of the pool. 

"I was scared because I saw she wasn't breathing, but now she is doing very well," said Fuentes. 

Alvarez was taken on a stretcher to the pool's medical centre, with teammates and fans appearing to be in shock poolside. 

The US swim team later released a statement saying that Alvarez was doing well. Fuentes, a four-time Olympic medallist, told Spanish radio that Alvarez had fainted due to the effort expended during the routine. "She only had water in her lungs, once she started breathing again everything was OK," said Fuentes. "It felt like a whole hour. I said things weren't right, I was shouting at the lifeguards to get into the water, but they didn't catch what I said or they didn't understand. "She wasn't breathing ... I went as quickly as I could, as if it were an Olympic final." Fuentes said Alvarez planned to rest Thursday and was still hoping to compete in Friday's team event after further medical checks.

Photos: Miss Brazil 2018, Gleycy Correia, 27, dies after surgery

A former Miss Brazil has died aged 27 from massive bleeding and a heart attack after a routine tonsil operation.

Beauty Queen Gleycy Correia, who was crowned Miss Brazil in 2018, died in a private clinic on Monday. Correia, from Macae, southeast Brazil, suffered heavy bleeding and a heart attack after her tonsillectomy operation, which involves the surgical removal of the tonsils. 

She was left in a coma for two months following the cardiac arrest in April. Family priest Lidiane Alves Oliviera said: 'She had surgery to remove her tonsils and after five days at home, she had a hemorrhage. 'She went to Unimed and had a cardiac arrest on 4th April and since then she was in a coma, with no neurological activity. Today she passed away.' 

Her body was sent to the Forensic Medicine Institute of Macae for an autopsy. Pastor Jak Abreu, who knows Correia's family, wrote on social media that her relatives believe that there was medical malpractice during the operation. 

He added: 'God chose this day to collect our princess. We know that she will be greatly missed, but she will now be brightening the sky with her smile..' 

Correia will be buried at 11.30am local time on Tuesday.

Photos: Check out the most followed person on TikTok, Khaby Lame from Senegal

Khaby Lame is officially the King of TikTok. 

The Sengalese-born social media star has overtaken Charli D'Amelio to become the social media platform's most-followed content creator, with an eye-popping 142.4 million followers. 

His accomplishment comes after months of fans campaigning to get him to the top with hashtags like #KhabyToNumberOne. 

The TikToker is best known for his deadpan responses to supposed 'life hacks', in which he'd stitch a clip of an elaborate DIY solution to an everyday problem with a video of himself taking a much more straightforward and easy approach. His hilariously unamused facial expressions made him an instant hit on the platform, where he gained over 15 million followers in just a few weeks per Social Tracker. Alongside his popular videos, Lame has become a celebrity in his own right outside of TikTok. 

This January, he signed a multi-year partnership with fashion house Hugo Boss, and was featured in their 'BeYourOwnBoss' campaign. 

Lame's rise to the top comes two years after viral dance creator D'Amelio beat out Loren Gray to become the most popular person on the platform with 41 million followers. 

Since then, the 18-year-old's fame has amassed millions more followers as well as appearances in feature films and her own reality show on Hulu. 

But that wasn't enough to stop Lame from stealing her crown and becoming the platform's number one creator.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin, world's 6th richest, files for divorce from Nicole Shanahan

As Google Co-founder Sergey Brin seeks divorce from his attorney-entrepreneur wife Nicole Shanahan, he has reportedly asked the judge presiding over the divorce case to withhold spousal support from his soon-to-be ex-wife. 

Brin, who is worth $93 billion, is also not asking his wife to pay him any support either, reports Gizmodo. Brin and Shanahan quietly married in 2015, and they're quietly trying to split now, according to filings with the Santa Clara Superior Court first seen by Insider. 

The divorce filing cites "irreconcilable differences" as the reason Brin and Shanahan are looking to split. Brin and Shanahan separated in December last year. Brin, the world's sixth-richest person, is the third mega-billionaire to seek divorce in recent years, after Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott. 

While Gates had a $145 billion fortune to divide, Bezos and Scott had $137 billion at stake at the time of their divorce. Brin earlier divorced 23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki back in 2015. Married for about eight years, they had two children. According to reports, in the court filing, Brin's attorneys requested termination of the court's ability to award spousal or domestic partner support to Shanahan. 

"All issues as to the property rights or obligations of the parties will be determined by confidential binding arbitration in accordance with a written agreement between the parties," according to court filings.

World Cup fans can face up to 7 years in jail if caught having one-night stands in Qatar

The upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 has been marred with controversies even before the start of the showpiece event in Qatar.

The host nation has been slammed by many over allegations of mistreatment of construction workers and their systematic abuse. Qatar also is one of the few countries in the world with homophobic laws and some other stringent rules that can prove to be troublesome for fans from across the globe who plan to travel to the country for the FIFA World Cup this year. 

Fans can face up to seven years in jail if they are caught having one-night stands in Qatar during the FIFA World Cup 2022. 

The host nation has a strict law in place which bans having sex outside marriage in the country. While the Qatari citizens are already accustomed to the laws and regulations, those travelling to the country to watch the World Cup will have to ensure they are familiar with the laws of the land. 

As per the law, no person can have sex outside of marriage in Qatar and those found guilty can face up to a year in jail, as per reports. 

However, according to the non-profit Human Dignity Trust, those guilty can also face up to seven years in jail if caught violating the law in the nation. A police insider from Qatar opened up on the strict laws in the country which are also in place for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and asserted that the fans should prepare to face some tough times ahead. 

The officer said sex is essentially banned unless you are married to your partner and that there will not be any drink or party culture after the matches. 

“Sex is very much off the menu, unless you are coming as a husband and wife team. There definitely will be no one-night stand at this tournament. There will be no partying at all really. Everyone needs to keep their heads about them, unless they want to risk ­being stuck in prison. There is essentially a sex ban in place at this year’s World Cup for the first time ever. Fans need to be prepared," the police insider told Daily Star. 

“The drink and party culture after games, which is the norm in most places, is strictly prohibited, with very strict and scary consequences if you are caught. There is a feeling that this could be a very bad tournament ­indeed for fans," he added. 

Apart from sex outside of marriage, homosexuality is also banned in Qatar under the Penal Code 2004, a law for which the country has faced intense criticism from across the globe. 

However, those found guilty of having sex with the same gender can face up to a year in jail in Qatar. The FIFA World Cup 2022 is all set to get underway from November 22 and will have 32 teams battling it out for the coveted trophy across 27 days. The tournament will conclude on December 18, just a week before Christmas. 

The showpiece event can prove to be the last World Cup for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez among others.

Culled From WION.

Y'all need to check out Expo City Dubai which was Expo 2020 Dubai site! Opens October 2022!!

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has just announced that the legacy project on the Expo 2020 site, now known as Expo City Dubai (formally — District 2020) is scheduled to open on October 1, 2022.

Speaking at a special ceremony to mark the announcement, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said: “Brothers and Sisters… after the historical success of Expo 2020 Dubai, which was visited by more than 24 million visitors, and which left an indelible mark in the 170-year history of World Expositions…” “Today we announce the transformation of the exhibition site into Expo City Dubai, a city that represents the most beautiful ambitions of Dubai.”

The new Expo City Dubai will include a new museum, world-class exhibition centre, headquarters of cutting-edge and fast-growing companies, as well as some pavilions. The city will represent "the beautiful ambitions of Dubai", said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The transformation of the exhibition site comes after the historical success of Expo 2020 Dubai, which saw more than 24 million visitors and left a mark in the 170-year history of World Expositions. 

Revealing some of the plans for the new city, the UAE VP noted that it would include an environmentally-friendly city that caters to families and future generations. The city would also be connected to a port and two airports. 

Visitors to Expo City Dubai will still be able to access the emblematic falcon of the UAE Pavilion, and that slanting shard of mirrored future — the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion. 

We also know that reworked, remixed and refreshed versions of Luxembourg, Australia, Pakistan, India, Morocco, Egypt and others are on the way, with details on exactly what form they’ll take expected to be announced soon. 

And you won’t even have to live there to relive all that warm and fuzzy Expo nostalgia — details of a new Pavillion pass, giving you access to the revamped attractions will be announced in the coming weeks. 

No word yet on whether that will include the return of the people’s favourite, the Yellow Expo Passport et stamps. 

Some of the pavilions to be retained will be Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Egypt, among others. "It will be a city that embodies the dreams of every city," he added. "The magic of the Expo will continue."

UAE: Employers cannot withhold employees' documents, such as passports, and they cannot charge workers recruitment fees!

The new labour law at a glance.

The updated law gives people the chance to opt for temporary and flexible work, freelance jobs, condensed working hours and shared jobs. But this should be agreed with the employer. 

The new laws highlight and emphasise the protection of anyone in the workplace and especially employees. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender, religion, nationality, social origin, or disability. 

UAE Salary guide 2022 - in pictures

Employers cannot withhold employees' documents, such as passports, and they cannot charge workers recruitment fees. 

Employment contracts can last as long as three years and any indefinite contracts must be changed to fixed-term contracts that can be renewed. Probation should not be more than six months and a two-week notice must be given if an employee is terminated during this time. 

Employees who want to change jobs during the probation period must give a month's notice and a 14-day notice if they want to leave the country. 

Employers may not force workers to leave the country after the end of the work relationship or the termination of a work contract. 

Instead, workers will be allowed to move to another employer and there are plans to allow people up to 180 days to find a job without overstaying their visa. No more than two hours of overtime are allowed in one day, under the new law. Should the nature of the job require more than two extra hours in a day, employees must receive an overtime wage that is 25 per cent more than their regular hourly pay. All employees are entitled to a paid rest day with the option of more depending on the contract. The new law brings in the possibility of a "non-compete" clause being written into a contract. 

An employer is now allowed to stop an employee from competing against them or to participate in a competing project in the same sector. 

This is on the basis that the employee's job has allowed them access to privileged information.

Read the full article HERE.

Audio: Chris Brown's new single ''Call Me Everyday'' ft Wizkid is mahhhhdddddO

Ahead of the release of his forthcoming 10th studio album Breezy, Chris Brown enlists Wizkid for his new single “Call Me Every Day.”

Co-produced by DJ Tunez, Blaise Beatz and Leon Youngblood, the Afrobeats-infused track is the third official offering from Breezy this year, following the previously released singles “WE (Warm Embrace),” which hit DSPs in April, and “Iffy,” which Brown dropped back in January. 

Due out June 24, Breezy will mark Brown’s first full-length offering since his 2020 collaborative project with Young Thug, Slime & B, while serving as the official follow-up to his 2019 album Indigo. 

Listen to it below:

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AWESOME!