Egypt's Eika believes that following their gruelling win over Italy, their match against Argentina was one game too far.

21-year-old YouTuber and lifestyle blogger, Danish Zehen died an unfortunate death on December 20. The news came as a shocker to many as Danish was the participant of the show, Ace of Space. Reportedly, he died in a car accident on Thursday morning.

Apparently, the accident took place on the Vashi highway. The visuals of the accident and the entirely damaged car have surfaced online. 

 

 

 

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ITS A LAST MONTH I THINK DANISH IS DOING PRANK 😭I DON'T KNOW ITS REAL OR FAKE BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE IT IF ITS REAL PLZ PRAY FOR HIM 😭 LEGEND NEVER DIES 😭 PLZ PRAY FOR HIM AND #fambruh #fambruharmy #danishzehen plz come back 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

A post shared by ID CLOSED 😑 (@beliberboy._) onDec 19, 2018 at 9:05pm PST

According to Mankhurd Police, who are investigating the accident, the 21-year-old lifestyle blogger was returning home after attending a wedding when his car met with an accident. Zehen, a resident of Kurla, was immidiately taken to the Fortis hospital Vashi where he succumbed to injuries.

The Mankhurd police has registered an ADR in the case and are currently investigating the matter.

Over the last few years, Zehen had amassed a massive following on YouTube and Instagram thanks to several viral posts. With a following of more than 3 lakh, his fans are pouring condolences and praying for his family to cope up with their unbearable loss. Danish had made an appearance in ex-Bigg Boss contestant Vikas Gupta's reality show, Ace of Space.

A few hours ago before this accident, Danish had shared a few stories on Instagram, while he was driving. The 21-year-old left the reality show in the first week of December and assured that he would return back to the show. 

 

 

 

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Last Video Of #RIP😥 #danishzehen #fambruh #fambruharmy #coolestbadboi Allah Mere Bhai Ko Jannat me ala se ala mukam ata farmaye Ameen. 🙏Plz pray for His Soul

A post shared by Rockx Azhar (@the_rockx_azhar) onDec 19, 2018 at 8:38pm PST

 

 

 

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I can’t believe we will not get to see that precious smile again, when I first saw someone’s story about @danish_zehen , tbh I didn’t understand what’s happening. then I went over to his account and saw his tags where people posted pictures of a car crash and later I realized what had happened. I was shook, I was heart broken. Danish Zehen was a very very nice person and I swear he is going to be missed. You were a gem danish, may your soul Rest In Peace - @danish_zehen @karmasphere @abhirajchadha #danishzehen #ripdanishzehen #aceofspace @lostboyjourney #mtv #mtvindia #ripdanish #rip #danish #ace #space #vikasgupta @mtvindia @aceofspace2018 @mtvaceofspace___ @danish._._zehen

A post shared by Akanksha Abhiraj (@abhirajakanksha) onDec 19, 2018 at 7:48pm PST

 

 

 

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Dekhte hu mujhko tujhse pyaar hogaya ❤ï¸Ââ¤ï¸Â #coolestbadboi

A post shared by Danish Zehen ♠ï¸Â (@danish_zehen) onDec 19, 2018 at 3:04am PST

His mass popularity and fan following also won him several brand endorsements. Among them was Gillette, for which he was the digital brand ambassador.

With inputs from Anamika Gharat

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The already reducing cover of mangroves in Navi Mumbai is set to be chopped further, with a proposal being submitted by CIDCO to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, seeking to take mangrove area equivalent to approximately 16 football fields for setting up extra high voltage transmission (EHVT) Lines. Presently, the EHVT Lines are passing through the proposed area for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) as well as the approach funnel of the airport. They will have to be shifted to facilitate the construction of NMIA, and make the airport operationally safe.

CIDCO has already submitted the proposal regarding the shifting of EHVT lines to the central government. The linear portion of 9.0361 hectare of forest land has been proposed for the diversion. Some 24.01 hectare of non-forest land is required for the R823.45 crore project. The portion of the land required for the project also includes areas around 10 villages in Raigad district and the forest patch that will be diverted will be from Sonkhar, Ulwa, Targhar, Vaghivli, Panvel, Kamothe, Kharghar.

CIDCO says
Speaking to mid-day, CIDCO PRO Priya Ratambe, said, "We are going to do compensatory mangroves plantation against the forest area that will be diverted for the project. Since I don't have the complete technical details, I cannot explain when the compensatory transplantation work will start and when it will be completed. But, we will have to cut mangroves as it is required for the airport project and is unavoidable."

Against transplantation
Reacting to the proposal, activist Nandakumar Pawar, who has been constantly raising his voice against destruction of mangroves in Navi Mumbai said, "In the name of development, the authorities are ignoring the importance of the ecologically rich mangroves that are home to a rich biodiversity. It is really sad on the part of authorities to say that they will be doing transplantation and compensatory transplantation at other place because everyone is well aware of the fact that the survival rate of transplanted trees is extremely less."

He added, "I'm a fisherman and since I was a child, I've made several attempts to grow mangroves but there has been no success. The nine hectares of mangroves that will have to be diverted is an important area and this patch will never get its environment back. We're against this decision."

Massive destruction
The teams appointed by the Maharashtra State Mangrove Monitoring Committee have recorded massive destruction of wetlands and mangroves in at least four places in Uran, and the killing of 4,500 aquatic plants along NH 348. Swiftly acting on a series of complaints filed by environment groups – The Nature Connect and Shree Ekvira Aai Pratishtan (SEAP) – the mangrove committee has directed the revenue and forest departments to investigate and report the destruction.

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Actor Bhumi Pednekar has been trying to propagate positive social messages through her movies as well as her nature protection initiative 'Climate Warrior.' The actor believes that every individual has the power to make a difference amid these testing times.

The 30-year-old actor shared that she always tries to make a positive difference via her movies. "I believe all of us have the power to make the world a better place in our own unique ways. I try and do that through my cinema and the way I lead my life," Bhumi said.

 

 

 

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It has been an absolute honour to have spoken to Ms. Amla Ruia - who has done leaps and bounds of work in water harvesting in India. In our brief conversation, we spoke about her work across India with water harvesting and how it is the time to reinforce the absolute need and necessity to conserve this natural resource. She is a #ClimateWarrior and a true inspiration !

A post shared by Bhumi✨ (@bhumipednekar) onApr 20, 2020 at 10:34pm PDT

"I have mostly gravitated towards cinema that is meaningful and leaves a message. From 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' (against body shaming) to 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' (women's hygiene) to 'Saand Ki Aankh' (women empowerment), etc. I have deeply connected with these films. I would like my films to leave a positive message on society and thankfully my films have done so effectively in their own way," she explained.

The 'Bala' star said that she wants to walk the talk when it comes to leading a conscious way of life. She said, "I also want my actions to echo that I deeply care for society and my fellow citizens of the world. That's the reason why I started 'Climate Warrior'. It is a platform through which I want to tell people that we have to care for nature, we have to take care of it because our future, our existence depends on it."

The 'Saand Ki Aankh' actor who is also an active environment activist also pledges to work hard towards climate conservation as it is the need of the hour. She said, "Climate change and climate justice is something that I deeply care for and I intend to work really, really hard to spread the awareness of nature conservation in every way possible."

Talking about the alarming issue of climate change, Bhumi shared that she wants people to spread the word and work actively towards the cause. She said, "I want to collaborate with as many people as possible to spread the word that the time for us to act is now. We have already lost a lot of time and if we don't act now, all will be lost. We owe it to the world and our future generations and we have to take care of our gorgeous planet and preserve it."

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A lot of men don't pay attention to their skin and let it suffer. Just take out a few minutes from your busy schedule and rinse, tone, exfoliate, moisturise daily without fail for a lasting youthful skin, suggest experts. Shubhika Jain, Founder of RAS Luxury Oils, and Megha Asher, Founder of Juicy Chemistry have listed a regime important for men:

1. Use natural homemade scrub: If you use soap to clean your skin, it is one of the biggest mistakes. Soap strips your skin off of nutrients that are necessary. Men need skin exfoliation to remove the dead skin. Using a natural, herbal/home-made scrub can help you remove impurities and other debris that are clogged in the pores along with keeping the skin healthy. Men who shave will find that their cleanser helps ensure the razor has a clean shaving surface to avoid ingrown hairs and razor burn.

2. Always moisturise: Since your skin is tougher and is thicker, it tends to get rough very easily. Hence, it needs its moisture. In addition to that, not all moisturisers are the same. One of the best ways to ensure proper hydration is to use a face oil or a face serum. It is a myth that using oil on an oily face makes it oilier. Actually it is the reverse of that. Super absorbent face oils are like elixirs and help in balancing the sebum production and controlling oil production.

You can also try active plant ingredients like a light aloe vera gel based moisturiser, that works best naturally by hydrating skin and protecting against the damaging, age-accelerating effects of UVA and UVB rays and seal moisture into the skin.

3. Use toner before and after cleansing: Toners keep you refreshed on the go while making your skin look dewy and naturally glowy. They also balance the oil levels in the skin. The toner can be used before and after cleansing the face.

4. Keep a facial scrub handy: Face scrubs help in exfoliating and removing dead skin cells that makes the skin look dull. It helps to prepare the skin for shaving. Scrub 1-3 times a week depending on the skin type for a better looking skin.

5. Applying sunscreen: Men are not as conscious about their sunscreen use as women, but they should be. UV rays lead to accelerated skin aging and can cause skin cancer. It is important to wear a sunscreen if you are going to be outdoors for more than 30 minutes.

One of the most common causes of wrinkles and premature ageing is sun exposure and damage. Using a daily SPF cream will significantly help your skin in the fight against ageing and also decrease the risk of UV-induced skin damage.

6. Use mild and soothing shaving products: Many men shave either daily or every few days. Shaving products should protect and moisturise the skin. They should also be mild and soothing; harsh products can remove the skin's natural lipids which are already under pressure from shaving.

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Members of koli society in Naigaon are fed up with the influx of drug addicts in their area. Triggered after the alleged suicide of a young junkie from their society a few days ago, they have decided to catch the menace in their nets, so to speak.

They have started rounding up druggies in the area and, one by one, taking them to be admonished in front of their parents, in a bid to make the elders aware what their kids are up to and work towards putting a stop to it.

Around 400 men and women from Amol Nagar, Parera Nagar, Vijaya Park, Mariyam Nagar, Koliwada and Kuchuda have started patrolling the area at night and have, so far, caught 15-odd drug addicts red-handed. The youths, after being taken to their families, were warned that they would be taken to the police if they were caught again.

Fighting the good fight
A social worker from the area, Ashish Vertak, said, "The population of Naigaon has increased in the past few years and is set to rise further with hundreds of complexes and colonies under construction. While this has brought a lot of people from other parts of the city to stay here, their bad habits have followed too.

"We have seen people sitting by the seashore drinking and getting high at night; many of them are youths from our society. We are simple fisherfolk and don't want such nuisance in our area. Hence, we decided to fight the root of the disease and started communicating with others from the society."

Hundreds of residents have started patrolling the area at night. Pics/Hanif Patel

The residents have created a WhatsApp group and also formed a sangathan, named Naigaon Koli Vyasanmukti Thalaval. The latter's founder members are Yogesh Bhayandarkar, Mahindra Bhayandarkar, Nivrutti Ghusekar, Satish Koli, Pravin Vartak, Sai Bokale, Nandakumar Vaity, Hemant Holekar, Hemant Masnekar, Sada Godavarikar, and Vijay Vaity.

Saving the children
Mayur Bhayandarkar,
sangathan member
'Over the past several years, we have seen more and more youths getting addicted to drugs. Through this campaign, we are trying to save our children and make
them aware how narcotics will destroy their lives. If we don't do this, who will? All we want is for them to come out of this rut'

Satish Koli,
founder member of sangathan
'After seeing teenagers fall prey to the habit, we decided to fight to remove this disease from the root. We held discussions with other locals and started this campaign. We are now planning to meet police officers and request them to take strict action against those involved in selling drugs and destroying the future of our children'

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The SSC paper leak case this year probably has a first — parents of some students are under the police scanner for allegedly buying the question paper for their children. Following preliminary investigations, the cops are likely to pick up some of the parents in the case. Surprisingly, the students who received the papers are academically bright and there is no reason for them to indulge in such an act, the police said.

A police source close to the investigations revealed, "We noticed that students had received these papers and that their parents, too, were aware about it and vice versa in some cases. We have also got the names of a few parents who have bought these question papers for their children. Also, the students who bought these question papers have taken the money from their parents after telling them the reason for it."

Career Classes in Bhiwandi, whose owner, Wazir Rehman Shaikh, allegedly sent out question papers on WhatsApp

On Wednesday, two police stations in Bhiwandi registered separate paper leak FIRs. The first case was registered at Bhiwandi City police station earlier in the day by Govind Sharma, founder of Samvad Foundation, an NGO. He alerted the board after he and several of his colleagues received the History paper on their phones at 10.10 am; the exams begin at 11 am. The police have already arrested Wazir Rehman Shaikh, owner of Career Classes, from Bhiwandi, for sending out the papers on Whatsapp.

Later in the day, the Narpoli police filed an FIR on the complaint of a teacher after three girl students were found discussing the History and Political Science papers on WhatsApp. Preliminary investigations in both cases has put some parents in the dock.

The leaked question papers that were circulated via whatsapp

Questioning everyone
When contacted, DCP Zone-II Ankit Goel said, "We are questioning everyone right from students to their parents. It is part of our investigation to know each one's role in order to reach the main culprit."

He added, "There is a complete trail. We have arrested one accused who is not the main accused in this case, but with his help we are trying to reach the mastermind. We are going back to every message for this. We need a few more days to investigate and reach the main accused who took the photos of the question papers."

The cops are closely monitoring the images circulated on the WhatsApp group and are analysing the photographs to reach the main accused in this case. In both the cases, the paper was leaked from Bhiwandi an hour before the exam. It indicates that someone from the centre had clicked the photos and sent it to students who then forwarded it further, a police officer said.

Paper leak trail
The police are checking every step of the question papers' journey and where exactly in the process it got leaked. The question papers are usually transported from the divisional office to custodies in each area a day before the exams. In the Mumbai division, there are 75 custodies, which are in schools, where the paper reaches a day in advance amid tight security. Depending on the distance between the custody and the exam centre, papers are sent off on the day of the exams to their respective centres. Examiners then break the question paper seal and distribute the papers to students 10 minutes before the exam starts to give students time to read it.

The two cases
On Wednesday morning, the Bhiwandi police registered an FIR under the Information Technology Act under the IPC as well as the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act after receiving a complaint from the Mumbai divisional board.
The same night they made one arrest.

Later that day, the board's flying squad caught three girl students with mobile phones seated inside an autorickshaw. They were in the vehicle despite the last bell being sounded to enter the exam hall.

"The students were supposed to be in the exam hall by 10.15am. They had History and Political Science papers. A day before, they had created a group called 'Toppers' and in the morning they circulated the question papers. We have seized their phones and six others who received these papers. These girls seem to be toppers," said MB Shinde, senior inspector of Narpoli police station in Bhiwandi.

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Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya (CSMVS) will host the first-ever guided tour of its space and precincts led by eminent conservation architect Vikas Dilawari, who is also involved in the conservation of the museum, a Grade 1 building in the UNESCO World Heritage Precinct. Later in the evening, a panel discussion will be held on The Craft of Architecture.

Vikas Dilawari

Pop quiz

1) Originally called the Church of St John the Evangelist, its steeple was used as a landmark for ships entering Bombay harbour. Name this church.
2) Inside which building in Fort can you spot a splendid stained glass design of the 12 zodiac signs?
3) From which famous landmark did the last British troops leave India after Independence, in 1948?

Answers:

1) Afghan Church;
2) Convocation Hall inside University Library;
3) Gateway of India

ON Today, 11 am (guided tour); 6.15 pm (panel discussion)
AT Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda.
CALL 22844484
FREE

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It's a busy morning inside the sprawling open kitchen at Chembur's Pot Pourri with blogger-author Saee Koranne-Khandekar helming the activity with help from executive chef Vinod Garde. In the last 10 days she has been pretty much relegated to this section of the 175-seater space. The only time we see her stepping out is to answer a phone call or greet a guest. The reason is a new culinary experiment that will see the restaurant, known for dabbling in global cuisine, present a new face of Maharashtrian food. One that you might not identify by its appearance — we did not — but certainly by taste.

Chicken Bhujing is a street dish available inVirar. Bhujing, derived from the Marathi word, bhujne, is a process of roasting chicken with potatoes on charcoal and then mixing it with nylon poha and masalas

Creating a new avatar
Starting today, Pot Pourri will roll out a new menu curated by Khandekar that will be available only till October 24. The objective is to showcase how traditional Maharashtrian recipes can be tweaked and made palatable to an evolving audience, who might otherwise gawk at the idea of eating faraali misal or varan phala at a gourmet restaurant. Having said that, Khandekar is clear that food won't carry any 'deconstructivist' baggage. Portion sizes are hearty, and there are no foam, vapours and gasses to accompany it.

Pathare Prabhu pot pie with tomato saar

"I had to mainly work on the way I approached certain traditional dishes," says Khandekar, who in 2016, authored Crumbs! Bread Stories and Recipes for the Indian Kitchen, that offered more than 40 recipes of Indian and international breads. She adds, "For instance, if I said thalipeeth with koshimbir, people who are not familiar with the cuisine, might say, 'Oh, this is just too experimental for me'. They might find it intimidating and rustic, and not want to eat it at all." In order to give the spiced Maharashtrian pancake a makeover, Khandekar has created thalipeeth tostadas, topped with a creamy guava-based yoghurt salad. The dish, prepared using bhajanee (flour made from roasted grains, legumes and spices), has been fashioned to look like the Mexican tortilla with guacamole. If you have tasted the Maharashtrian snack, a powerhouse of nutrition, the taste will hit home. It's the yoghurt that helps balance the spiciness of the pancake, making it a sumptuous bar snack.

Faraali misal is eaten while fasting. Here's it's served with a peanut dip

Khandekar believes that although, thalipeeth has for centuries been a 'multigrain' offering, the idea of bringing into the mainstream never took off due to its seemingly regional strappings. "Somewhere, in the name of 'evolution', we have drifted away from what's intrinsic to the culture. Our cuisine which was earlier very millet and rice-heavy has now moved to being wheat heavy. Seasonal items like gourds barely make an appearance," she adds.

Modak icecrean with crispy vermicelli; Baked coconut fudge karanji with vanilla icecream

Getting global recognition
For any regional cuisine to reach the pedestal of a fine dine, it needs to go through a rite of passage, believes Rajendra Agnihotri, executive chef, at White Charcoal Fine Dine, Empressa Hotel, Andheri. "In terms of food, the key lies in the attention to detail when it comes to ingredients and methods of preparation. The ingredients need to be sourced from where it originates and the chefs need to be local who have specialised in the cuisine; it has to be authentic to the T. If you're making the classic kombdi rassa, you would need gavthi chicken. The one purchased from a supermarket won't have the same taste," he says. When it comes to Maharashtrian cuisine, it's the diversity that makes it complex. In fact, the vegetable Kolhapuri that you might have seen on almost every Indian restaurant's menu doesn't exist in the region, adds Khandekar.

Saee Koranne-Khandekar with chef Vinod Garde. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

"There is nothing called as Veg Kolhapuri. If you go to Kolhapur, there are so many different masalas. There's no one-size-fits all masala." Akshay Deshpande, Sous Chef (Indian specialty), Conrad Pune, who grew up eating Maharashtrian food at home, admits that he's seen little of the food on the fine dine space. "It has been over eight years that I have taken up regional cooking professionally, but I admit that the cuisine in its entirety is an extremely unexplored cuisine. I think it's because it's extremely rustic and there's no standardisation so to speak," he says.

The cuisine from Vidharbha, the north-eastern region of Maharashtra, known for its extreme climates, is famous for its extremely spicy flavours, while Konkan is more mellow given all the coconut and kokum that goes into it. According to Khanderkar, who has extensively researched traditional Maharastrian cuisine, what has made winners out of misal pav and puranpoli, are the people who migrated from Western Maharashtra, introducing it to Mumbai through khanavals. "They made a business out of it and that's why it is what it is," she says. But those dishes that did not transition to the mainland, are yet to enjoy their moment in the sun.

Back to basics
The 'unsophisticated' appearance makes it a tricky business. She, for one, had to battle one critic in her own home. "My husband was of the opinion that Maharashtrian food is not visually appetising," she says. But chefs are now channelling their energies into presentation. The modernist element is consistent throughout Khandekar's menu. Take the Pathare Prabhu Pot Pie with tomato saar, served in a shot glass. The latter is a spicy tomato soup made with curry leaves and chillies. It's eaten with rice in parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Here, the dish is a take on the shepherd pie. The taste is unmistakably Pathare Prabhu, courtesy the signature fragrant garam masala which gets its edge from the fennel seeds that are ground along with Bengal gram, fenugreek, whole wheat and black peppercorn. All ingredients, we are told, have been sourced locally.

Agnihotri feels the local and regional cuisines are slowly making their way into the mainstream. And, it's a lot to do with the growing realisation of the food miles concept, which is a way of expressing just how far the food we eat travels from the farm where it is first produced, before it ends up on our tables. Although the expression was first coined back in the 1990s, it has entered public consciousness given the awareness of carbon footprint and environmental degradation. "You want to tap into indigenous resources. It's to do with chefs who are going back to roots. There's a return to basics," he says.

The winners

• Chicken Bhujing, a signature street dish popular in the confines of Virar and Vasai. Those living outside the parameters may have no clue. The chicken is roasted along with potatoes and then fried and steamed with onion. It's then mixed with nylon poha and a special masala mix
• Orange kharvas with dink crumb and kaakvi is a colostrum pudding served with fried edible gum, fresh orange and sugarcane molasses
• Varan Phala Ravioli is their take on the Maharashtrian pasta. It is made with whole wheat and stuffed with coriander and goda masala in a tuar dal sauce

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The ace shuttler Saina Nehwal's biopic has faced several hiccups ever since the makers announced the film in 2017. Shraddha Kapoor, who was the first choice, has now backed out from the project due to her hectic schedule. Parineeti Chopra has been already approached to replace the Baaghi actress, and she has given it a nod.

On playing Saina Nehwal, Parineeti Chopra says, "I was dying to do a sports-based film. Its a part of my personality as an actor that I have never explored, and I am so happy that I get to portray a strong and powerful girl like Saina! She has put our country on the world map and I excited to put in all the training and hard work that comes with learning the game of Badminton and portraying Saina on screen."

"We want to wrap Saina by this year end for an early 2020 release, so going ahead with the project is a decision made by mutual consent. We are glad Parineeti has come on board for the film. Saina has made every Indian proud and we can't wait to take her story to the world in the year of the Olympics," says producer Bhushan Kumar.

Shraddha Kapoor, who had even started shooting for the biopic, had earlier said that she had been practising for the role for many months and during the process, she realised how hard it was for Saina to achieve the success. "I clocked 40 classes of badminton in preparation for this biopic. It's a really tough sport, but I am enjoying myself. To get an insight into the life of a sportsperson is fascinating. Saina's journey itself is so interesting right from her misses to her injuries and victories," Shraddha said in an old statement. Unfortunately, Kapoor is no more part of the film.

Bhushan Kumar also made an official announcement through Twitter.

Delighted to welcome @ParineetiChopra on board for the Saina Nehwal biopic!

#AmoleGupte @NSaina @deepabhatia11 @sujay_jairaj @TSeries pic.twitter.com/dl7MP820Ov

— Bhushan Kumar (@itsBhushanKumar) March 15, 2019

Finally, the film, which has not yet seen the light of the day has landed in the Kesari actress' kitty.

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Representational picture

San Francisco: To help small and large businesses reach out to 1.3 billion people who use Messenger every month, Facebook has launched an Augmented Reality (AR) tool for them. With this tool, the businesses can leverage the "Camera Effects Platform" to easily integrate AR into their Messenger experience, bringing the virtual and physical worlds one step closer together.

"When a person interacts with your business in Messenger, you can prompt them to open the camera, which will be pre-populated with filters and AR effects that are specific to your brand," David Marcus, Vice President of Messaging Products, said in a blog post on Tuesday.

From there, people can share the image or video to their story or in a group or one-to conversation or they can simply save it to their camera roll.

"To date, there are over 300,000 active bots on Messenger, and over 8 billion messages are exchanged between people and businesses each month -- that's 4 times the amount of messages exchanged since just last year," Marcus informed as Facebook began its annual two-day F8 Developers' Conference in San Jose on Tuesday.

"Today, there are 200,000 developers actively building experiences, forging connections between people and the brands they love and bringing real value to their everyday lives," the post added.

To begin with, ASUS, Kia, Nike and Sephora will launch AR effects for their Messenger experiences.

Facebook also announced that buyers and sellers in its Marketplace will be able to communicate across languages with "M Translations".

"Now when people connected through Marketplace receive a message in a language that is different from their default language in Messenger, M will ask them if they want to translate the message.

"This will help drive commerce between buyers and sellers despite language barriers. At launch, translations from English to Spanish (and vice-versa) will be available in Marketplace conversations taking place in the US," the post further said.

Facebook will gradually roll out "M suggestions for translations" in additional languages and countries.

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If your grandparents are struggling with isolation, showing them how to use Facebook may help as researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have found that social networking sites offer tools and activities that may help older adults feel more empowered and less lonely.

Facebook and similar social networking sites could play a critical role in easing isolation and making them feel like they are part of a large community, said the study published in the journal New Media and Society.

"This is important, especially for older adults who might be aging in place, because they have mobility constraints that limit their ability to socialize," said study co-author S. Shyam Sundar, Professor at the Pennsylvania State University in the US.

For the study, the researchers recruited more than 200 participants who were 60 years and older and used Facebook for at least a year.

The researchers "friended" the participants on Facebook so they could count the number of times they used the various tools in the site during the past year.

The participants were also asked to respond to a questionnaire that captured the gratifications they obtained from Facebook.

Older adults who posted a lot of personal stories on Facebook felt a higher sense of community, and the more they customised their profiles, the more in control they felt, Sundar said.

The researchers also suggested that commenting on and responding to them gave older users a feeling of social interaction.

Sundar added that using social media is not a uniform experience that is either all bad, or all good, but offers multiple functions for diverse users.

Older adults are increasingly adopting social media, in general, and are a growing number of Facebook's total membership, said Eun Hwa Jung from National University of Singapore who worked with Sundar.

Facebook is considered the most popular social network among older adults, the researchers added.

The researcher also emphasised that developers of social media networks should consider the needs of this growing group of users.

For example, they should create features that enhance the identity of older adults while simultaneously protecting their privacy.

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San Francisco: Facebook has announced a new tool for website owners and developers that will alert them about phishing attacks on their platforms. "We are extending the capabilities of our 'Certificate Transparency Monitoring' tool to make it easier for developers to learn about new domains that are maliciously created to implement phishing attacks," security engineer David Huang and software engineers Bartosz Niemczura and Amy Xu said in a blog post late on Wednesday.

Phishing websites try to trick people into revealing their passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information.

The tool, announced during the F8 annual developer conference in San Jose, alerts website owners of these scams so that they can take action to protect their domain and the people who use their websites.

"Certificate Transparency Logs" are designed to keep a record of all valid security certificates issued by publicly-trusted Certificate Authorities.

"We have been using these logs to monitor certificates issued for domains owned by Facebook and have created tools to help developers take advantage of the same approach," the post said.

Using these tools, developers can learn about certificates that are mis-issued for the domains they control.

"We are extending the capabilities of our tool to send alerts when certificates are issued for potential phishing domains," the post added.

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New Delhi: Fasten your seat-belts - and log on. You may soon be able to call people up, send office emails, check Facebook as well as watch instant videos while air-borne, according to a proposal approved by the Telecom Commission allowing air travellers in India to access in-flight mobile and internet services.

Passengers, used to being told by the crew to switch of all electronic devices, have been wondering how the system would work. PTI answers some frequently asked questions.

What is in-flight internet technology?
In-flight connectivity systems primarily use two kinds of technology. In the first, an onboard antenna picks up signals from the nearest tower on the ground. The connection will remain seamless up to a certain altitude unless the plane passes over an area without ground towers.

In the second scenario, satellites beam signals directly to antennas installed on the airline. This is more effective when the airline is passing over a water body compared with ATG (air-to-ground)-based networks which use satellites to beam the signal first to a transmitter on the ground and then to the antennas on the airline.

What happens next?
The data is transmitted to a personal electronic device such as a smartphone or a laptop through an onboard router, which is connected to the plane's antenna. The antenna transmits the signals, through satellites, to a ground station, which redirects the traffic to a billing server that calculates the data consumption.

In case the internet services through onboard WiFi are permitted to be used only in flight/airplane mode, the plane's antenna will link to terrestrial Internet services provided by telecom service providers. When the aircraft has climbed to 3,000 metres, normally five minutes after take-off, the antenna will switch to satellite-based services. This will ensure continuity in the Internet services to passengers and prevent cross-interference between terrestrial and satellite networks. The airlines may depend on the services of either foreign satellites or ISRO's indigenous GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation system (GAGAN) for the purpose.

GAGAN was jointly developed by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) with a view to assisting aircraft in accurate landing. The GAGAN signal is being broadcast through two Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites - GSAT8 and GSAT10.

What are the challenges?
For the technology to function, airlines and service providers will have to put a server on the flight along with the equipment to convert satellite signals into data packets. They will also have to add the equipment to re-orient the antenna to face the satellite so the reception quality is not affected.

Interruptions, when the airline moves from the range of one satellite to another, are bound to happen. In general, in-flight WiFi is expected to be slower than on the ground. However, latest technologies may change that scenario.

Will users have to pay more?
Airline passengers may have to bear the initial cost of installing antennae on aircraft. It would be easier for airlines to have the equipment installed on the new aircraft rather than taking planes out of service for retrofitting. The additional costs could find a way into ticket fares, unless the airlines, despite rising jet fuel prices, decide to bear the costs themselves.The high cost of installing equipment for full-service carriers could discourage low-cost carriers.  Foreign airlines that service Indian airports or use Indian airspace may offer in-flight connectivity much before domestic carriers do so because some of them are already providing such services globally.

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Popular instant messaging platform, WhatsApp, has rolled out a new feature that allows users to view content from Facebook and Instagram within the app. The update is expected to increase user engagement in the messaging platform.

The latest update has been rolled out for select iOs users. WhatsApp support will allow users to play Instagram and Facebook videos within the app, without exiting the chat. Presently, a user who receives videos or images from Facebook, Instagram or any such app would be redirected to these apps to view the content. However, this is set to change with the new update, reports The Verge.

The latest update also introduced the ability to add and revoke admin privileges from users in a group chat. It empowers admins to edit the subject, description, and icon of a chat that is already underway. In November 2017, WhatsApp rolled out an update through which one can view YouTube videos directly inside the messaging app, in picture-in-picture mode.

If a YouTube link has been sent on a conversation, then users can directly view the video through the link on WhatsApp itself, as it will no longer be re-directed to YouTube. Instead, the YouTube clip will appear within a small floating window on your screen, thus implying that you can watch YouTube videos and message at the same time.

On a related note, the update is also expected to be rolled out to Android users in the coming weeks.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from ANI)

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Microsoft Surface Pro 4

After receiving complaints regarding a screen flicker defect in some Surface Pro 4 devices, Microsoft has offered to replace the eligible devices free of charge.

The faulty devices qualified for replacement should be up to three years from the time of original purchase, Microsoft Support said in a blog post late Friday.

"We will ship you a replacement device as soon as you return your existing device. Typically, it will take 5-8 business days for you to receive an exchange device from the date that you ship your current device back to us," the post added.

Users that have already paid for a screen-replacement will get a refund.

In February, Microsoft had said that it was monitoring the situation.

The tech giant has clarified that the replaced devices will be refurbished.

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Baidu Facemoji Keyboard. Pic courtesy/YouTube

Chinese tech company Baidu, populary known as China's Google, on Monday said that its third party app "Facemoji Keyboard," has reached over 30 million downloads since its launch.

The keyboard, that is slowly gaining popularity in India, comes with emojis, GIFs, stickers and emoticons, and supports over 100 languages, out of which 22 are Indian dialects, Baidu said in a statement.

The "customisable" keyboard features voice-recognition for easy speech-to-text functionalities and themes designed for special occasions.

With "Facemoji Keyboard," Baidu expects to achieve a three times growth by the end of this year.

"Facemoji Keyboard" was first launched in Japan under the name "Simeji" in 2008.

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San Francisco: A data set of over 3 million Facebook users collected via a personality app was available to download freely for anyone for almost four years, New Scientist reported. The data set was collected via the personality quiz app "myPersonality" by academics at the University of Cambridge.

"The data was highly sensitive, revealing personal details of Facebook users, such as the results of psychological tests.

"It was meant to be stored and shared anonymously, however such poor precautions were taken that deanonymising would not be hard," the report said.

The data sets were controlled by David Stillwell and Michal Kosinski at the University of Cambridge.

"More than 6 million people completed the tests on the myPersonality app and nearly half agreed to share data from their Facebook profiles with the project," said the report.

Alexandr Kogan, at the centre of the British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica scandal, was previously part of the project.

"Cambridge Analytica had approached the myPersonality app team in 2013 to get access to the data, but was turned down because of its political ambitions," the report said.

Facebook last month suspended "myPersonality" from its platform, saying the app may have violated its policies.

The social media giant on Monday said that is auditing each and every app that has access to the data of its users and has already suspended 200 apps which failed to comply with its policies.

The company CEO Mark Zuckerberg had promised a thorough investigation and audit into apps that had access to information before Facebook changed its platform policies in 2014 -- significantly reducing the data apps could access.

"To date, thousands of apps have been investigated and around 200 have been suspended -- pending a thorough investigation into whether they did in fact misuse any data," Facebook said.

If Facebook finds evidence that these or other apps did misuse data, it will ban them and notify users via Help Centre on its website.

Appearing before the US Congress in April, Zuckerberg told lawmakers that his own personal data was part of 87 million Facebook users that was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

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Facebook has rolled out new updates in its Stories feature that are available for the users in India first and will reach the global users later.

One such update is "Voice Posts" that will let users share their thoughts via audio to their friends and families.

"Voice posts lets you share in the moment without having to share a photo or video. This could also help people who can't necessarily write in the language they want to share in," Connor Hayes, Director of Product Management, Facebook Stories, wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

People will now be able to save the photos and videos they capture through the Facebook camera, where only they can see them when they log into their Facebook account.

"This allows people to save the photos and videos they capture without taking up space on their phone," the post read.

It can also be used to save photos you might want to share later, so you don't have to edit or post them while you're out with your friends and instead enjoy the moment and share them later.

"In the coming weeks we're rolling out an archive for people to save the stories most important to them. After a photo disappears from your story, you can find it in your story archive - a place only you can see. You can always choose to not save them," said the post.

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When the trailer of Shank’s hit the Internet two years ago, it garnered over 2,00,000 views in under a fortnight. And, why not? Until then we had not really seen stylised montages of modaks and varan bhaat being served in a fine-dining ambience. The trailer had us curious about Ashay Dileep Javadekar’s film, which looked like a documentary. Where is this Shank’s, the Marathi fine-dining place, we wondered. Two years on, with the release of the film online, we have the answers.

The 1 hour, 11 minute-long film, shot on a Canon Powershot and iPhone 6, traces the journey of Shashank Joshi, a man who nurtured and nourished his dream of being a chef, right from his boyhood days in a small town in Maharashtra. We know him, little by little, through his family, especially one cousin he is close to. We know him through his college friend, through food critics and historians, and most importantly, his mentor’s daughter Pauline with whom he has the most extraordinary journey. We see how he had to fight the odds, and nearly give up before he makes his dream a reality.

Bhave in a still from the film

A generous part of the film is made of lush close-up shots of Maharashtrian food that is sure to get Indians, especially those from the state, excited. And for Westerners, well, it’s Indian food like they have never seen before — a far cry from tandoori chicken, paneer masala and dal makhni. The screenplay uses a documentary narrative to tell a fictional story. Javadekar seems to be an ardent believer of the phrase: God is in the details. The care with which each character has been crafted, from dialogues to props and their stories, you forget that none of it is real. That’s also because of the convincing performances the actors bring to the table. Makarand Bhave becomes Shashank, in the controlled passion with which he narrates his story. Playing Pauline Bonnet-Joshi, his partner in crime, is Melissa Ehrlich Blevins. She brings so many moods into her account, from compassion, to vulnerability, excitement, and determination. The supporting cast is also impressive.

Besides telling an absorbing story, Shank’s makes us ponder on questions like how the West perceives Indian cuisine, the importance of educating customers on the food, and also, the gender bias in the industry, a reality that is larger than we wish to acknowledge. Food for thought, quite literally. The film can be streamed seamlessly, at a reasonable price on a pay-per-view platform. Shank’s heroes Maharashtrian food like never before, but, more than that it urges dreamers, aspiring restaurateurs in this case, to make their real voices heard. Minus a few rough edges in production, the film might remind you of Chef’s Table. That’s interesting because when this film was made, Chef’s Table was yet to hit the screen. A word of caution though: Do not watch it on an empty stomach, unless you are looking to work up an appetite.

Log on to: www.njemovies.com
Price: Rs 99

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Washington D.C.: Gaybourhood, or traditionally gay neighbourhood, still face a subtle form of discrimination from 'straight' people. According to a study conducted by the University of British Columbia, straight people living in such neighbourhoods, say they support gay rights in theory, but many interact with their gay and lesbian next-door fellas on the street in ways that contradict those sentiments.

"There is a mistaken belief that marriage equality means the struggle for gay rights is over," said Amin Ghaziani, the study's senior author. "Prejudice and discrimination still exist- it's just more subtle and difficult to detect."

The researchers interviewed 53 straight people, who live in two Chicago gaybourhoods - Boystown and Andersonville.

They found the majority of residents saying that they support gay people. However, the researchers found their progressive attitudes were misaligned with their actions.

While many residents said they don't care if people are gay or straight, some indicated that they don't like gay people who are "in your face".

When asked about resistance from LGBTQ communities to the widespread trend of straight people moving into gaybourhoods, some of the people interviewed responded with accusations of reverse discrimination and described gay people who challenged them as "segregationist" and "hetero-phobic."

Some said they believed they should have open access to cultural gay spaces, and were surprised that they felt "unwelcome" there.

"That feeling of surprise, however, exemplifies a misguided belief that gay districts are trendy commodities when they are actually safe spaces for sexual minorities¿, added Ghaziani.

When the researchers asked residents if they had done anything to show their support of gay rights, such as marching in the pride parade, donating to an LGBTQ organization, or writing a letter in support of marriage equality to a politician, the majority said they had not.

Many also expected their gay and lesbian neighbours to be happy and welcoming of straight people moving into gaybourhoods, expressing sentiments like, "you wanted equality- this is what equality looks like."

With gay pride celebrations fast approaching around the world, Adriana Brodyn, the study's lead author, said it is important to pause and reflect on the state of LGBTQ equality.

"I hope that our research motivates people against becoming politically complacent or apathetic," she said. "If we do not motivate ourselves to be aware of this subtle form of prejudice, then it will just continue to perpetuate."

The study appears in the journal City and Community.

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Redoing your office interiors? Try out some of the must-have elements in office spaces like the right furniture, adding nature to the surroundings and activity based settings. Ishan Thacker, Associate Director, Vector Projects (I) Pvt. Ltd. and Amit Ramani, Founder and CEO of Awfis Space Solutions list some recommendations.

1. The right furniture: This plays a pivotal role in any kind of work space setting. Offices need to invest in the right kind of furniture to increase their employees' efficiency. Opt for something that has high functionality over ordinary designs. Adjustable desks and chairs can be a good choice; multipurpose furniture can also be added to save space. Another new entrant in the space is reconfigurable furniture that can be customized as per need. It provides both the required flexibility as well as privacy.

2. Go back to nature: Add in a little nature to your premises with biophilic designs. The latest trend in the office space, the presence of plants and other natural elements can add positivity within the environment and improve the air quality.

3. Activity-based settings: It is exciting to be at a workplace that engages you with diverse group of people and gives you the opportunity to network and collaborate. Flexible workstations, new age cabins, activity-based settings including comfortable couches and beanbags, breakout zones, meeting lounges and pods are some of the attractions in an office that provide a natural crossroad for employees to meet and share ideas, thereby enhancing their motivation levels and productivity.

4. Ergonomic lighting: Our cortisol level drops significantly under artificial and poor lighting conditions and dimly lit workplaces strain the eyes, causing headache and drowsiness. This can lead to poor productivity. Natural light is the best. Daylight that filters through the space not only affects employee well-being but also boosts the energy and mood level. Consider making the best use of natural light and swap the florescent bulbs with personal lamps, string lighting, and soft coloured bulbs to keep your employees alert and attentive.

5. Aesthetic appeal: Everything from layout, to furniture and even artwork is subject to appeal in a workplace. The idea is to create a transcendental experience for the user and to design a warm casual space that works as an incubator for ideas. Materials like wood and metal bring warmth and rustic feel to the space. Keeping in mind the fact that the office workspaces today are dynamic in nature and are witnessing rapid changes, the workplace style should be bold, industrial and vibrant with new age materials, technology and decluttered design vocabulary.

6. Technology: A modern office space is incomplete without the right technology. Integrated systems, fast-speed internet connections and latest hardware and software are things your office must have to appeal to the incoming tech-savvy generations. Not only that, office can also invest in mobile devices or rather agile settings to help one switch easily from one place as to another. The new workforce prefers more flexibility which will in turn result in enhanced productivity.

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Beards are to men what make-up is to women, and a quick Internet search of actors in a pre- and post-beard phase will confirm this. Such has been the impact and acceptance of facial hair that they have gradually crossed the barriers of hipsterdom to find their way to boardrooms. But are corporate firms with a strict formal dress code open to men with beards?

"We have a strict dress code, where a shabby demeanour is unacceptable. We even keep daily checks; employees cannot walk into the office in jeans or sports shoes, especially when they have client interactions. But full beards are not a concern. We have employees with full beards and twirled moustaches," says Sudhir Dhar, CHRO – director HR, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Dr Sujaya Banerjee

Rohan Vaswani, CHRO, Nexus Malls, a fully owned subsidiary of investment firm Blackstone Group, shares a similar thought. The company follows a formal dress code from Monday to Thursday and smart casuals on Friday. "You can't walk into the office with your shirt not tucked in or in bright blue trousers. But beards, if they are well-kept, are fine," shares Vaswani.

Dress to impress
"The first impression is created by the physical appearance of a person; it's later that you have an interaction and people get influenced by your personality. So, if you seem shabby, you create a perception even before you talk," says Dhar.

He adds that as long as one is confident of carrying it off and not look out of place, a beard is acceptable.

Rohan Vaswani

"We conduct training on executive presence — how to look, behave and dress like a leader. These aspects are now becoming increasingly important as often, you find that people are competent but they don't make it beyond a point because they don't look like the part or someone who can represent the organisation before multiple stakeholders. It's not about good looks but about appearance. A haircut and a well-groomed beard are a part of this understanding. You can't have a two-day stubble where you look like you have just woken up and come to work. We actually check if there's a valid reason behind an unkempt stubble: Is the employee unwell? Or is he battling a low?" says Dr Sujaya Banerjee, CEO and founder of Capstone People Consulting.

Do you shave before an interview?
Most HR personnel we spoke to felt there's no middle ground; you either opt for the clean-shaven look or wear a groomed full beard. "It's better to shave off a two-day stubble and not go in between. It can be interpreted as a sign of laziness," warns Dhar.

"I am more interested in knowing if a person has the right competence and capability for the job. The older generation, however, associates beards with carelessness and mistrust. Traditionally, even in films, the bearded guy will always be the villain or from the underworld. If a full beard is groomed, it's fine. Long hair is not allowed. You are not an artist or performer, you are corporate. Hence, certain norms remain. We allow personal freedom as long as you stay well-groomed," adds Banerjee.

Make a bearded impact
"Some people look smarter with a beard," says Dhar. Vaswani feels that real estate companies are often promoter-driven, and the vision of the promoter and the top management often reflects on the staff where people would go the extra mile to keep with the image. "Those with gaunt features can look fuller with a beard. It also saves you the trouble of having to shave every day. A good beard can actually help you appear stronger. Also, today, people look for organisations where individuality is encouraged, where you can bring your authentic self to work. It's motivating to be in an organisation where you can express who you are, as long as it doesn't hamper business. So, if the beard is within acceptable parameters, all's well," says Banerjee.

Grooming tips
Keep it clean
Wash your beard three times a week to prevent the build-up of dead skin cells.
Keep it moisturised Oil your beard daily to keep it soft and moisturised.
Shape it up
Trim your beard when you see stray hair or as desired to maintain the shape. Repeat this once every two weeks when you want to maintain a consistent length.
Kaushal Pratab, founder, Shepherd For Men 

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Sexual harassment is one of the most unfortunate acts that can happen in a workplace. It is a crime in its truest form that puts a woman’s safety and security in question. Sexual harassment is not only difficult to experience, but also an adverse event that is difficult to eliminate. We have heard stories related to sexual harassment in workplaces several times and about female employees getting wrong hints from their male colleagues (managers at times), dirty looks, unwanted dinner invitations, being touched inappropriately or hearing lewd comments. Sexual harassment should be dealt smartly and tactfully. We have listed six such measures to tackle sexual harassment in a workplace:

1. Get in touch with the HR team: Almost every organization has a dedicated Human Resource cell that looks after anti-harassment policies. A woman who falls prey to sexual harassment should immediately get in touch with the anti-harassment team of the HR division for immediate action against the accused and his untoward behavior. Also, the HR team possess good knowledge of anti-harassment policies, which they should implement without any delay.

2. Document the situation: Do not endure sexual harassment and report it immediately. Find out if there are other victims also, gather witnesses and secure the statement of witnesses in written. Also, find out if there are any video recording or CCTV footage of the event. Put all documents and video recordings in front of the HR or top management while complaining.

3. Inform the supervisor: Whoever is harassing you, be it your team member or somebody from other teams, inform your immediate supervisor about the entire incident. Write an official email citing the incident and request the supervisor for a personal meet. A supervisor has the right to know about what is going on with the team members.

4. Draw a line: It is good to engage in jokes and informal talks with colleagues, but do not forget to draw a line and maintain a gap between you and the male colleagues. Be direct and straightforward and speak up when you are not liking their attitude or behaviour towards you. Ask them to stop their 'over-funny' acts and not to cross limits. This will help you tackle sexual harassment in the initial stage right after you get wrong vibes.

5. Talk to the harasser: Do not stay away from the accused and speak with him directly. If he does not apologize and discontinue doing so, let him know that you are going to file an official complaint for being sexually harassed at workplace. If he still continues to harass, take strict and immediate action. Women have the right to go for legal actions too. 

6. Get in touch with senior management: If everything fails and your supervisor cannot take any action against the event, get in touch with the senior management of the organization. Put forth all evidences including video footages and written statements and let the senior management know about it. Ensure that the management handle the situation tactfully and take strict steps against the accused.

Many women who are victims of sexual harassment tend to stay quite because of threats or the fear of losing their jobs. However, this is not the solution to prevent sexual harassment. Women must raise their voice if they are molested or sexually abused in their workplaces. Only if their voices are raised, they will get the strength to fight against such ill acts.

Based on a discussion with Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, the DoPT (Department of Personnel & Training) issued fresh guidelines regarding 'sexual harassment of women at workplace' in December 2016. Following are the guidelines the DoPT issued:

1. Brief details of the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act including the number of cases received and disposed shall form a part of the Annual Report of all ministries/ departments and authorities there under.
2. The enquiry of cases must be completed within 30 days and under any circumstances within 90 days from the date of the complaint.
3. The ministries/ departments etc. have to keep a watch on the complainant so as to ensure that she is not victimized in any manner because of her having filed the complaint. The aggrieved woman has been given further option to send representation to the Secretary or head of the organization in case she feels that she is being victimized because of her complaint. The concerned authority will be required to dispose of this complaint within 15 days.
4. All ministries/ departments etc. are now required to submit a monthly progress report to the Ministry of Women and Child Development so that the progress can be monitored.

Illustrations/Ravi Jadhav

Girgaum, Kamat Chawl Thakurdwar
Celebrating the festival for the last 122 years, simplicity is key for Kamat Chawl residents. And they are happy to share tales from the forgotten pages of history and freedom struggle. Here, they do not follow the concept of themed decor and celebrate the festival in an absolute traditional manner. The idol is made of eco-friendly material called shadu. Following the spirit of why the festival was started in the first place, the pandal is built by the residents and each one volunteers to manage the space and the stage area.

Khetwadi, Tulsi Building Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal
This is the 75th year of the pandal and, like each year, the Ganesh idol is made up of different things, mostly edible. For instance, dry fruits, cereal and pluses, chikki, and stationery and diamond have been used. This year's focus is on kids and the theme is Disneyworld. The idol is made of Cadbury chocolate and the children cannot wait to see their favourite sweet take the shape of their favourite deity.

Malad, Shree Sai Darshan Mitra Mandal
For the last 11 years, this eco-friendly Ganesha has been a hit with devotees. Made from paper and cardboard, the organisers use various concepts including football erasers, pencils and cars. This year, Bappa is giving a shout out to nostalgia as the idol is made of old coins of 1 paise, 10 paise and 20 paise. The mandal's focus is to create awareness and education, especially about global warming.

Ghatkopar, S G Barve Nagar Sarvajanik Ganeshostav Mandal
Since 1966, the pandal's idols, one large and one small, have been luring devotees to this suburb. This year's theme is a dreamy fusion of a golden pillared palace, the religious oeuvre of Om Ganapataya namah and the galaxy. A daily bhandara of rice, dal, chole, bhaji, papad, pickles and gulab jamun feeds a thousand people. A blood donation drive along with free blood test and blood group check is done during the 10 day period.

Fort, Fort Vibhag Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandal
Celebrated since 1956, this is one of the biggest fully centralised pandals in the city. This year, they have invited special artists from Rajasthan to create a palace setting. Their finesse and specially crafted artwork adds to the grandeur of the pandal. While you are here, you can easily spot a celeb or two. The maha aarti, especially for the police department, is scheduled for tomorrow.

Thane, Narvir Tanaji Mitra Mandal
For the last 38 years, this pandal has been not only known for its large murti and grand themes but also for reaching out to those in need, especially in rural areas. Bappa will happily rest in the grand Rajasthani Palace and overlook the tasks the members of the mandal will take up. Medical camps and a beautifully curated cultural programme that will see participants sing, dance and create beautiful flower arrangements and rangolis are in store for the Utsav.

Tilak Nagar, Sahyadri Krida Mandal
For the last 41 years, this pandal has been dedicatedly putting up themes on social awareness. This year, their theme is 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan' and will include artworks illustrating places from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, highlighting important destinations like the Himalayas and Madurai's Meenakshi Temple. These will be interspersed with reproductions of the metro, rail space research, army personnel and agricultural families to show how they co-exist to form an integral part of society.

Cars honk as they make their way through Bandra-Kurla Complex to get to offices or to the newest eatery that has set up shop in the swanky financial district, the people in them all but oblivious to a small park in the back lanes that acts as a haven for the city's youth.

Annul Pale from the Meteoric crew trains at City Park, BKC

You will find them all here - collegians skipping classes, teens on their skateboards, and a group of young men performing exhilarating tricks on their bicycles. These are the city's BMX riders, for whom cycles are not simply modes of transport, but a way to express themselves.

The Sharptune crew at the Cycling Festival of India, held last weekend at Nehru Centre, Worli. Pics/Ashish Raje

"There is a community of approximately 45 BMX riders in Mumbai. Many of us prac-tise here at City Park daily," says 22-year-old Manoj Jaiswal, a Sion resident who was introduced to the sport by his neighbour in 2011. "We used to train along Carter Road promenade and the streets of BKC, but cops would arrive and shoo us away. And no public park allowed us entry with our bicycles. We ran out of places, but eventually, this park's management allowed us to use it."

This struggle is not new to the BMXers, who often end up travelling to far-flung - and thus less crowded - locations like Kalyan and Navi Mumbai. After all, in a city starved of space for even pedestrians, it's hard to imagine people giving up their precious streets to a sport they view as - in Jaiswal's words - a circus act.

Dipak Panchal

The beginnings
BMX racing took off in California back in the 1970s, inspired by motocross. It didn't take time for its popularity to rise among the youth, and soon, you could find them trying tricks on their own cycles across the world.

Rahul Mulani

Bandra resident Rahul Mulani was among the first few to bring the BMX movement to Mumbai three decades ago. "When we started out around 1987, we used to practise at a parking lot near Scandal Point in Breach Candy. There were fewer cars in the city back then, so there was plenty of space for us," he says.

Manoj Jaiswal

Not just empty parking lots; the seafront promenades used to be fair game, too. Thirty-year-old Dipak Panchal, who dropped out of college to pursue his passion for BMX and now runs a bicycle store in south Mumbai, shares that even as late as 2005, he could be found practising his moves at Marine Drive.

"Lately, whenever I have tried to practise there, policemen passing by have come and stopped me. They have even deflated my bicycle's tires, and there have been times they've threatened to throw me in the back of their van," he says, adding, "If there is a rule preventing people from cycling on promenades, they can tell us that without being rude. They allow elderly gentlemen to cycle peacefully, and even though we're not causing any damage to people or property, we are treated like criminals."

So, to avoid such conflicts, his crew, Sharptune, practises at a space they have rented out in Bandra. Last week, at the city's first cycling festival, amidst panel discussions and stores exhibiting the latest gear, they got a chance to show off their skills, but such events are few and far between. Though Panchal and Mulani try and organise jams and competitions, sponsors are hard to come by.

Need of the hour
Today, Mulani and Panchal, as well as the rest of the community, stick to a handful of spaces, including their own building compounds, that they know won't draw any unwanted attention.

"Even skateboarders are now getting recognition. In 2015, Khar Social set up a ramp, but it is too small for us to practise on, even though our requirements are not too different from a skateboarder's," says Jaiswal, whose crew, Meteoric, comprises skateboarders too. And because BMX is hidden away from the spotlight, the community is growing slower than it would have, had its members been given the chance to showcase their skills in public without any fear of repercussions.

The problem in India, Panchal believes, is that cricket overshadows every other sport. This leads to other sports, especially extreme sports like BMX, being ridiculed and even neglected by the public and the authorities. "The country's first pump track came up in Hyderabad this year, and it was built by a private body. We don't see the Cycling Federation of India [CFI] taking any interest in the BMX community," says Mulani.

VN Singh, assistant secretary, CFI, which is based in New Delhi, says they can't do anything for the sport until it is officially recognised. "I know it's an Olympic sport, but until there are enough practitioners of BMX in the country, we can't provide any support," he says. He follows this up by saying that a pump track in Delhi is in the offing, but quickly adds that he doesn't know how long it will take. "You see, we don't have the funds for it."

The civic body is bracing for the Centre's projection of a high number of COVID-19 cases in the coming days and to ensure full preparedness, it has beefed up work on new facilities to treat patients and has started recruiting additional medical staff to run these centres.

Senior BMC officials said that a major recruitment drive is underway to hire over 3,000 doctors, nurses and ward boys on a contractual basis. BMC is planning to rope in medical staff from the city and the green zones across the state. A senior civic official said a circular has been sent out to deans of medical colleges and ward officials for the recruitment.

Civic officials said they are preparing for around 70,000 COVID-19 cases over the next two weeks. "We will hire doctors who are part of the Indian Medical Association as well as interns, post graduate students from private medical colleges for the COVID Care Centres (CCC). Since the centres are meant for asymptomatic patients, there is no need for specialised medical equipment and can be run by a basic medical staff," the senior BMC official said. He added that the doctors, nurses and ward boys will be hired for a period of three months.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani, however, said there will be some restrictions for doctors. We will only allow specialists who aged below 55 years as a precautionary measure, he said, adding, "The new recruits will work in three shifts."

The BMC is setting up CCCs for asymptomatic patients in various schools and colleges. Besides, city's largest centre, with a capacity of 1,000 beds, is coming up at the MMRDA grounds at BKC. "The work is underway and we are trying to complete it by next week. The centre will have beds and oxygen supply, but no ventilators," said an MMRDA official, adding that Jupiter Hospital in Thane is helping with designing the centre.

It will also have a laboratory that will be the primary testing centre for complete blood count and haematology. The MMRDA official said they will bear the cost of construction while the BMC will provide the staff and other support to run the facility.

The decision on who will run the facility is yet to be taken, said a civic official, adding, "The state government may ask a medical college to handle it."

3
Total no. of months the doctors, nurses and ward boys will be hired for

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A video purportedly showing bodies of COVID-19 victims lying unattended near coronavirus patients at a civic-run hospital here has surfaced, following which a BJP MLA hit out at the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Latching on to the video, BJP legislator Nitesh Rane said this shows the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) does not pay attention to the safety of patients.

The video purportedly showed some bodies lying near COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion area of Mumbai. Rane tagged the video in a tweet on the micro-blogging site on Wednesday night. "The Sion hospital has shown utmost negligence by letting COVID-19 patients sleep among the bodies of those who died of the same disease. The BMC boasts of being the richest civic body but pays no attention towards the safety of patients," the BJP leader said on Thursday.

He noted that the hospital in Sion mostly gets patients from Dharavi, the biggest slum area in the country. "Is this how we treat our working class? Such carelessness of the medical staff and the Sion hospital could result in further spread of coronavirus infection," he said. As the video stirred a controversy, the hospital's dean Dr Pramod Ingale said relatives of the those who died of COVID-19 are reluctant to take the bodies. "That is the reason why the bodies were kept there unattended. We have now removed the bodies and are probing the matter," he said.

Asked why the bodies were not shifted to a mortuary, Ingale said, "There are 15 slots in the hospitals mortuary of which 11 are already filled. If we shift all the bodies to the mortuary, it will be a problem for bodies of those who died of causes other than COVID-19." Till Wednesday, Mumbai reported 10,527 COVID-19 cases and 412 deaths.

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Representational Picture

Appearances always matter at the workplace, but dressing professionally for office in warmer and humid weather is quite hard. Hence, it is essential to keep oneself updated with fashion trends in scorching heat by opting trends like pastel shades and mixing and matching outfits.

Sagar Suri and Surya Suri, founders of men's wear brand Steele suggested a few tips to look cool at workplace

* Pastel and neutral coloured shirts like ivory and grey can be worn to get an elegant look and since it does not absorb heat, it is soothing to the eyes.

* Printed shirt outfit or light check shirt is the best option for men, as it gives them a bold look.

* Men can wear a light blazer over their vest at the workplace as it enhances the personality.

* Formal shirts over pencil trousers or narrow pants can also be worn in order to look modest and elegant at workplace. This creates a formal and sophisticated look.

* One can wear khaki pants to the office and can uplift their fashion statement at the workplace.

* Light coloured formal suit can also be worn during summer as it gives a formal touch to an individual. Nowadays, it is widely chosen by man, as it is more trendy and stylish.

* White shirt always work at office, as it repels sunlight and is soothing to the eyes.

* Switching on to blue and gingham can make an individual more fashionable and professional. It not only adds bold colour to the outfit, but also enhances the outlook of an individual.

Karan Oberoi, Actor and Model, too suggested some tips:-

* If you are a suit person go for a light fabrics like cotton, linen or any other breathable stuff. Also choose light colours to stay comfortable during the sweltering days.

* Another way to face summers in style is to stick with a classic outfit that works anywhere and everywhere. A lightweight semi formal white shirt with grey or blue check pants will keep you cool in the hot days

* For meetings and formal events, an unstructured Navy blazer is just perfect. This is one of the most versatile, stylish, and comfortable pieces your wardrobe should have.

* If you require to wear ties to work, go for a silk-knit ones for summer

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Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel on Friday cautioned against the temptation to shoehorn too many Formula One races into a revised calendar, describing the move as "not realistic". The 22-event F1 season has been decimated by the Coronavirus with nine races either cancelled or postponed. The French Grand Prix scheduled for June 28 is also in doubt as is the Belgian Grand Prix, set for August 30.

F1 chiefs have floated the idea of making up for lost time by staging races on successive weekends or even having two races on the same weekend.

Staff burnout issue

However, Ferrari star Vettel fears such a move could lead to burnout for team staff. "We drivers are a little privileged," Vettel told reporters by teleconference from his home in Switzerland. "Of course, the races are tiring but there have to be limits for the staff. They must rest. "We must also see if it is easy to reschedule races, if the circuits are not already taken. Many questions remain. I think the schedule will be busier, but 10 consecutive weekends is not realistic."

Vettel suggested that he would favour staging races without fans if it allowed a quick resumption as long as it did not become a common feature. Other sports have already toyed with the idea of staging events behind closed doors. For example, the US PGA Tour on Thursday announced plans to resume in June, with the first four tournaments being closed to spectators.

"It's complicated," admitted Vettel. "On the one hand, there is the health of the sport, on the other, that of the people who work in the paddock and especially the fans. "There are several options. No one likes to run in front of empty stands, but we will have to see if it will not allow us to resume much sooner. The first races will probably be a little different, but not too much, I hope, because we want to run in front of the fans."

Vettel insists that for him even a 10-race season is just as valuable as a 22-race campaign. However, he admits that the damage to the sport caused by the pandemic could be fatal for the smaller teams on the grid.

'Small teams in danger'

Without racing, the massive TV and sponsorship revenues have dried up. Half of the teams have already started furloughing staff. Teams have agreed to lower the spending cap from $175 million to $150m. "Some small teams are in danger and, as a family, F1 has to take care of its own."

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Formula One organizers are open to renegotiating hosting fees for races that may take place without fans this season because of the coronavirus pandemic, the general manager of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya said. Joan Fontseré told The Associated Press that Liberty Media is ¿conscious that if races need to go on without fans the contracts with event promoters will have to be somehow renegotiated.

"They are conscious that this is an exceptional situation," Fontseré said Tuesday. "We are obviously on the same page. If they want to keep some races on because of the TV rights, because of the teams ... they know that our income (will be reduced), they realize that this year it will be like that, so for sure we are on the same page" said Spanish Grand Prix organizers at this moment are not even considering a race with fans in Barcelona.

He said it's not only ticket sales that would be affected if the event goes on with empty stands and no hospitality suites. "When the Catalan government invests in F1, it's not only for the tickets that we sell, it's also for the financial impact that the event has in the country, in Catalonia," Fontseré said.

The economic impact for the country will be very reduced. It means no income for taxis, for hotels ... so that changes completely the agreement between the two parties." Liberty Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Spanish GP brings in more than 160,000 million euros ($173 million) to the region, with the total of its financial impact during the year nearing 300 million euros ($325 million), according to data from the track. The attendance for last year's race-weekend surpassed 160,000 people.

Fontseré said he received a couple of phone calls from F1 CEO Chase Carey to discuss possible solutions for the Spanish GP. He said Carey said the series is trying to run as many races as possible, but it was still too early to know when the season would actually resume, whether it would be in the summer or only in the fall. Nine of the 22 races have already been postponed or canceled, and F1 recently put half of its staff on furlough until the end of May. Some teams also took similar actions to reduce costs.

F1 organizers have said they hope to hold between 15 and 18 races this year. The Australian GP and the Monaco GP have already been canceled. Fontseré said the Spanish GP is "completely at the disposal" or organizers and is open to all proposals, be it doubleheaders, shortened weekends or almost anything else other than running on a reverse layout, as that would require too many complex changes to the track and could pose safety concerns.

Among the ideas reportedly being discussed in F1 is to have two or three consecutive races at the same circuit and to use fewer days of on-track activities. There were also talks about changing the format of qualifying and even races. "We need to reduce two things: costs and risks," Fontseré said. "So the fewer people we move, the smaller the risk, and the fewer days we use and the fewer activities we do, the lower the costs. It's an exceptional season and exceptional decisions need to be taken."

He said it is key to have as many races as possible this year in order to have a strong 2021 season, but he would understand if the Spanish GP was eventually left off the calendar. He was optimistic with its chances, though, considering its tradition, infrastructure and location. Fontseré said he can get the Barcelona-Catalunya track ready for a race in "two to three weeks" and expects the Spanish GP to be among the first to resume.

"As soon as we can restart the season, I'm sure that it will be with European races," he said, "and we will be around there."

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American singer Ciara, who is expecting her second child with National Football League (NFL) star hubby Russell Wilson, has some advice for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several hospitals and healthcare facilities in many countries have decided to ban partners from accompanying pregnant women for their doctor's appointments or entering the delivery room.

In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Ciara spoke about how pregnant women should make optimum use of technology to involve their partners during the maternity period.

Ciara revealed how she had to FaceTime Russell so that he could experience the ultrasound with her. "It was the first time we ever had that kind of experience and it was really a moment that marked the time we are living in... we made the best of it, but it was definitely surreal. I took tons and tons of videos, tons and tons of photos during the ultrasound and made the best of that. Also, what we do in our house is we sing to the belly," Ciara said.

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Pistol ace Manu Bhaker has got a new electronic target installed at the makeshift shooting range at her home in Haryana in place of an archaic manual machine that was breaking down frequently and hampering her Olympics preparation. The old machine was causing her "immense irritation". Delighted by the reboot in her training, the teenaged star has got down to preparing with renewed vigour, sure in her mind that the Olympics will take place next year despite the uncertainty in the world of sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have recently got the machine installed at my home and this will be surely more beneficial in my training," Bhaker told PTI from her home at Goria village. Her father set up the range after she showed exceptional skills in the precision sport. Bhaker thanked the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), the organisation that manages her, for promptly getting the machine -- an avant-garde target -- delivered at her home despite the nationwide lockdown enforced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I was facing a lot of issues with the old machine as it was manual. The thread would come off and often it would break down on and off. Now it's very different with the new machine," the 18-year-old Bhaker said. "Since I feel there is unlikely to be any outdoor action and competitions for another three-four months, I thought it will be useful to get this installed at this point in time."

A medallist at ISSF World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympics, Bhaker was primed for success at sport's grandest and biggest stage in Tokyo which was to happen this year, but the unprecedented health crisis intervened and forced a postponement of the Games by a year. With the world still far away from bringing the situation under control, there are doubts if the Tokyo Games would be held even next year.

"Yes, the Indian shooters were in great form heading into the Games, but health is a bigger concern," Bhaker said. "I am very hopeful of the Olympics taking place next year and also confident of maintaining my game and hitting peak form there. This is a difficult time for the world but I have no negative thoughts and I am mentally prepared."

The target HS10 machine from Swiss company SIUS Ascor is designed for all air guns for distance ranging from 10 to 20 meters. Some of the salient features of the machine are its accuracy, integrated high-intensity LED target illumination, low operating costs (no paper rolls/rubber rolls) and it is also suitable for outdoor shooting.

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Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo topped the timesheets by a dominant margin ahead of teammate Max Verstappen, as Red Bull marked themselves out as contenders for victory on the opening day of Singapore Grand Prix practice.

Ricciardo put in a dazzling one minute 40.852 second lap under the floodlights, setting a new record around the Marina Bay street circuit after having already lowered the earlier benchmark with the fastest time in the opening session.

His effort was a massive 0.556 seconds quicker than Verstappen's best. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton meanwhile, chasing a hat-trick of wins this weekend, was third fastest after having been fourth in the opening session.

His title rival Sebastian Vettel, second in the evening, was inconspicuous at night with only the 11th fastest time.

Singapore's tight twists are expected to play to Ferrari and Red Bull's strengths and Vettel briefly lit up the timing screens. Valtteri Bottas, who agreed a one-year contract extension with Mercedes, ended the day fourth-fastest.