A sinkhole that has opened up near the Pantheon offers a chance for researchers to examine travertine slabs that date back to Roman antiquity.

Continue reading Sinkhole near the Pantheon shines a light on ancient slabs at The Wild Hunt.

So cute, so wholesome! 

Welcome to Cat Cafe Comics, a place filled with adorable and uplifting animal comics! Created by the talented Matt Tarpley, you can follow the cafe's Instagram page here for comics that will make you feel "warm and floofy!"

Get ready to smile! 

Let's bask in the warm sunshine that is wholesome and silly animal photos.

Let the images soak into your skin and heart, and just let that warmth spread to every inch of you. 

It's what you need. It's what we all need. And if for some reason this measurable dump of wholesomeness doesn't satisfy you, there's always more wholesomeness to be found. 

Hugh Weber shared a Twitter thread about his 11-year-old's wild ride with the USPS, and it seems to convey a deeper message. Maybe it's a message that the beauty of humanity itself escapes through human beings' vulnerability. Brace yourself, cause this thread has been known to get the feels train rolling. 

This kind of story brings us back to the days of overthinking some school physics project, only to have one kid come in with the most simple solution and actually make it work. Here are some resourceful DIY solutions that have our respect.

Astronomers found a star that appeared to be orbiting nothing at all – but it’s actually the closest black hole ever at just 1000 light years away

Members of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) today attacked a government office in adjoining Navi Mumbai, to vent their ire over potholes dotting the 39-km stretch between Sion and Panvel. Accidents on pothole-riddled roads have claimed five lives in adjoining Thane region since last month. The victims lost balance and fell as their two-wheeler hit potholes.

The MNS workers stormed in the office of the Public Works Department (PWD) at Turbhe claiming that the Sion-Panvel road is dotted with potholes and has endangered lives of commuters. The protesters shouted slogans, smashed office equipment, threw chairs, pulled down cupboards and smashed window panes, computer terminals, CPU and printers in the office, police said.

They shouted slogans against public works minister Eknath Shinde of Shiv Sena and demanded registering of offences against those responsible for the "shoddy" condition of roads. The demanded that officials concerned be booked for murder in cases of pothole related deaths. An official of the APMC police station said offences have been registered against the protesters.

"If people are dying due to poor condition of roads, MNS will continue to undertake such actions. If the roads are not repaired, the next target will be Mantralaya, the state secretariat in south Mumbai," Navi Mumbai MNS unit chief Gajanan Kale said.

Reacting to the incident, Raj Thackeray said, "If the government can't see potholes, it will at least see this protest". Meanwhile, a video of the PWD office attack has gone viral on social media.

On Saturday, Maharashtra PWD minister Chandrakant Patil appeared to make light of deaths due to potholes, when he said,
"When you talk about a death in such an accident, you forget that five lakh other people have travelled on the same
road. You can not put the entire blame on the (condition of) roads alone."

The MNS protest came a day after Congress workers in Mumbai counted potholes in suburban Bandra as part of its "Aao Potholes Giney" (Come, let us count potholes) campaign, accusing the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation of not being prepared for the monsoons.

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L-R, Radio City's RJ Salil, RJ Archana, Singer Shankar Mahadevan, Mushtaq, Dadarao Bhilorey at Radio City's Kar Mumbaikar initiative at Vashi Toll Naka

Radio City's RJ Salil and RJ Archana filling the potholes in Vashi for the Kar Mumbaikar initiative

Radio City's RJ Salil and RJ Archana along with Singer Shankar Mahadevan filling potholes at Vashi for the Kar Mumbaikar initiative by Radio City

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The lockdown has come as a boon to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which has taken the time to repair the damaged but traffic free Western Express Highway. The work is expected to be completed by May 31. Work on the Eastern Express Highway, which will soon begin, is also expected to be completed by May 31. Mumbaikars can then expect pothole-free smooth roads this monsoon.

According to an MMRDA spokesperson, "The completion period for repairing/improvement of WEH is 11 months, but due to the lockdown, we will be able to complete it substantially within a month by May 31. The cost of the work is R47 crore. Work on repairing/ improvement of the bad patches on EEH will start shortly. Possibly from May 11 and the cost for this is about R30 crore and efforts will be made to complete it by May 31. As per the plans, the works have been divided into 4/5 parts to ensure fast completion."

Sources from MMRDA said the idea is to complete the quality work at the earliest so during the monsoon motorists using these highways don't have to face inconvenience.

The WEH is the main highway connecting the Western suburbs to the city bearing 5,000-7,000 (Passenger Car Unit) PCU/hr per direction for most stretches.

MMRDA has also started addressing the problem of traffic jams at junctions on WEH, which were taking place due to uneven roads because of paver blocks. Few months back MMRDA had started removing the paver blocks on the west side of JVLR junction on the WEH, in order to reduce the obstruction in traffic.

MMRDA has also prepared a plan for the facelift of WEH, and so it has appointed global consultants to study its shortcomings and a project estimated at R100 crore has been planned for the same.

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Mojo's Bistro in Kamala Mills, Lower Parel

Gone are the days when a pub's interiors only made for a cool Insta frame. Today, design based on business sensibilities is having a bigger say in the blueprint. An idea that seems to have caught the attention of owners of new watering holes is to set up an island bar right in the middle of the venue.

Bring in the business
Owners agree that an island bar is accessible from all sides, and thus, results in better business. "In a space as big our Andheri outlet (6,500 sq ft), an island bar suits us perfectly. We didn't want it to be in a corner from where the bar wasn't visible. An island bar in the centre is more accessible, and the service is faster," says Dibyendu Bindal, partner at Agent Jack's.

Bindal feels that sourcing water supply and drainage facilities might be a challenge, but with advanced technology, these issues
can be overcome. Such a placement also offers more space for guests to hang out with their drinks for longer.

The island bar at Andheri's Agent Jack's

Add to the theme
For others, an island bar works as an extension to the décor. A case in point: Juhu's seaside bar, Estella. "We wanted its look and feel to be like a deck. Since we are situated by the sea, we decided to have an island bar and make it a conversation point. It instantly draws guests, like an island would draw visitors," reasons Hitesh Keswani, director, Silver Beach Entertainment and Hospitality. Keswani echoes Bindal's logic when he says that such a design manages to woo more guests as it ensures easier interaction with the bar team.

Pritina Shrestha, managing director, Mojo's Bistro was clear that their spacious open-air venue in Lower Parel would host a bar in the centre. "Four-sided access is not just a quicker way for people to get their drinks, but also gives a 360-degree view to guests at the bar, and those helming it. Thanks to this, we have bartenders performing. We have added LED lights that play up on big-ticket events like cricket matches. This helps us change the ambience regularly," she says.

Juhu's sea-facing Estella restaurant 

Architect take
Island bars in large spaces are a mainstay not just in the city, but internationally too. Suresh Mistry, co-founder of city-based architecture firm SM Studio, which has worked on the Andheri outlet of Agent Jack's, has spotted some of the finest island bars across Hong Kong and Guangzhou. "It is ideal for service as it enables the waiters to attend to every table in lesser time. Island bars also break the monotony of a large space."

The team at architect Sameep Padora's sP+a that designed Lower Parel's Theory and Juhu's Estella, was clear about Keswani's brief. They say, "Since the island bar is the cynosure of the space, the design had to be technically spot on.
Done right, it is the best way to communicate the positioning of the property."

Going by the footfall at the Juhu hotspot, it might just be the new cool island to check into.

April 29 is going to be one of the saddest days for all the Irrfan Khan fans and even Hindi Cinema. His untimely and unfortunate demise has shaken and shocked one and all, especially the people from the fraternity who worked with him and knew him as a human and not just an actor.

Fans mourned the actor's demise by sharing videos of his iconic dialogue. One such viral video that caught our attention was from Life of Pi. In the scene, which occurs at the end of the oscar-winning movie, Irrfan, who played the role of Piscine 'Pi' Patel, says, "I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."

Scene from "LIFE OF PI"

"I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye"

We love and will miss you #IrrfanKhan. #ripirfankhan 🙏💔 pic.twitter.com/BFz0kRGhis

— Devil V!SHAL (@VishalRC007) April 29, 2020

One fan shared the same video with the caption, "The legend #IrrfanKhan was suffering and now he is resting peacefully. You’ll be missed (sic)."

The legend #IrrfanKhan was suffering and now he is resting peacefully
You’ll be missed ❤ï¸Â pic.twitter.com/Q1IcJwIAzG

— AKU WANITA (@ricamenado) April 29, 2020

Another one shared the video with the caption, "Irrfan Khan Great actor. No more. Sad. I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye (sic)".

Irrfan Khan Great actor. No more. Sad.

"I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye".

Yann Martel, Life of Pi #RIP #IrrfanKhan #Bollywood#quotes #life #Pi pic.twitter.com/8htsdXivU5

— Sunil Yash Kalra (@sunilykalra) April 29, 2020

Irrfan played the role of adult Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel in the 2012 adventure drama. Also starring Suraj Sharma, Tabu and Adil Hussain, Life of Pi won universal critical acclaim and won four academy awards.

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On December 11, 2018, the UK Government tabled The Value Added Tax (Input Tax) (Specified Supplies) (Amendment) Order 2018 before the House of Commons to close a VAT avoidance loophole that is exploited by some UK insurers.

EU customs controls are not being applied effectively, an EU audit has found, with importers able to take advantage of loopholes to reduce or evade their duty liabilities.