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UAE announced the start of Eid Al Fitr

The UAE Shawal Moon Sighting Committee announced on Wednesday that Eid Al Fitr will start this coming Friday.

To mark the occasion, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent cables of congratulations to kings, emirs and presidents of Arab and Islamic countries.

Shaikh Khalifa wished them good health and their people more progress and prosperity and the Arab and Islamic Nation all glory, honour and welfare.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also dispatched similar greetings to the leaders of Arab and Islamic countries.

Prayers

Shaikh Mohammad will perform Eid Al Fitr prayers with other Shaikhs and worshippers in Grand Eid Musallah in Dubai.

Click here to read more:  www.gulfnews.com/in-focus/ramadan/start-of-eid-al-fitr-in-the-uae-announced-1.679498

Ezybox Speed-Lite

Ezybox Speed-Lite

The new Ezybox Speed-Lite is a 22cm x 22cm mini softbox which attaches directly onto a flashgun whether it’s on or off the camera. The softbox folds in the same way as our other highly successful Ezybox softboxes making it an ultra portable solution for busy photographers. The Ezybox Speed-Lite also features an inner and outer diffusion layer (both removable) which delivers an unrivalled softness of light from such a small softbox. 

Specifications:

1. Softbox for hotshoe flash
2. Attaches directly onto a flashgun, on or off camera
3. Removable inner and outer diffusion layers
4. Ultra portable and lightweight
5. Assembled in seconds
6. Folds flat for easy storage

Source:lastolite.com

Grilled Shrimp Skewers over White Bean Salad

Our Recipe of the Day is Grilled Shrimp Skewers over White Bean Salad

Fresh herbs make all the difference in this light, summery bean salad that in turn makes an aromatic bed for the easy grilled shrimp. The shrimp and salad are wonderful together but you could also make them separately. Consider skewering and grilling scallops as another delicious option.

Makes 6 servings, about 3/4 cup salad and 4 shrimp each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons packed fresh oregano, minced
• 2 tablespoons packed fresh sage, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 24 raw shrimp (21-25 per pound; see Note), peeled and deveined

Preparation

1. Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, oregano, sage, chives, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the dressing in a small bowl. Add beans, tomatoes and celery to the large bowl; toss well.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high or place a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot.
3. Thread shrimp onto 6 skewers. (If using a grill pan, you don’t need to skewer the shrimp.)
4. Oil the grill rack (see Tip) or the grill pan. Grill the shrimp until pink and firm, turning once, about 4 minutes total. Serve the shrimp on the white bean salad, drizzled with the reserved dressing.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the salad and shrimp separately for up to 1 day. | Equipment: Six 8- to 10-inch skewers

• Note: Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Look for shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or Marine Stewardship Council. If you can’t find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America—it’s more likely to be sustainably caught. Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized. In recipes calling for a specific count, order by the count (or number) per pound to be sure you’re getting the size you want.
• Tip: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)

Nutrition

Per serving: 239 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 115 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 22 g protein; 8 g fiber; 575 mg sodium; 298 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (25% daily value)

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat

Source: eatingwell.com

Larry King and Ryan Seacrest singing Pokerface

Something very, very wrong is going on in this exchange between Ryan Seacrest and Larry King, taped during Seacrest’s Thursday broadcast.

Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com

Manny Pacquiao called online video posted by Floyd Mayweather Jr. an “uneducated message”

Pacquiao  focuses on Margarito bout rather than Mayweather’s derogatory comments:

Champion Manny Pacquiao called online video posted by Floyd Mayweather Jr.,  an “uneducated message” and choosing to instead focus on his upcoming fight with Antonio Margarito, this coming November.

In the widely circulated video, Mayweather goes on an expletive-filled and sometimes racist rant against Pacquiao a newly elected Congressman from the Philippines who faces Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“I just heard about that, but I didn’t see the video,” Pacquiao said Friday. “But it’s an uneducated message.”

“It’s a really cheap low-blow, but again, consider where it came from,” said trainer Freddie Roach. “We tried to fight him. He said no. He doesn’t want to fight.”

Mayweather has Apologized to Pacquiao for his Racially Charged Video Rant

Floyd Mayweather has apologized to Manny Pacquiao for his racially charged video rant against the Filipino Boxer, last Friday.

In the video , Mayweather refers to pacquiao as “ poochiao” “a yellow chump,” and said “Once I stomp the midget, I’ll make that [expletive] make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice.” In addition, he said, “I’m going to cook that [expletive] with cats and dogs. Have some rice with a little barbecue dog.” He also referred to Pacquiao by using a derogatory slang term for a homosexual.

“I do want to apologize for what happened the other night,” Mayweather said. “I want to apologize to everybody. They felt it was a racist comment that came from me. I don’t have a racist bone in my body, you know. I love everybody. Some of my guys are Muslims. Some of my guys are Jews. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, whites, it doesn’t matter. There is nothing but love in my heart, you know what I’m saying?

“I heard this from a few people. The only thing I want to say is, anybody who was offended by what I said the other day, I apologize as a man. I apologize. Forgive me for saying what I said. I was just having fun. I didn’t really mean it, nothing in a bad way. So let’s stay on this roller coaster ride and keep riding, baby. It’s all love.”

Mayweather also sent condolences to his former promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, with whom he has long had a contentious relationship. The body of Arum’s 49-year-old son, John, was discovered in the Cascade Mountains in Washington state Friday. John Arum appeared to have fallen 300 feet in a hiking accident.

John Arum had been missing for several days and it’s not clear in the video whether Mayweather was aware the body had been discovered. However, he offered consoling words to Bob Arum.

“God bless Bob Arum and his whole family, because I heard that Bob Arum’s son had a bad accident,” Mayweather said. “Love to the whole Arum family.”

Source: sports.yahoo.com/box/news
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