end

Extended Stay




end

Friday Polynews Roundup — Not all polyfamilies are FMF throuples, upcoming in TV and film, and a future of extended chosen family.




end

Friday Polynews Roundup — When this isolation ends, good long-distance sex, how to open a relationship, and more.






end

Texas governor amends lockdown and orders salon owner freed from jail

The governor's order names the Dallas hairdresser who was jailed on Tuesday for staying open.





end

Iran's president says an end to United Nations arms embargo is a 'right'

The Iranian president said Wednesday that lifting a U.N. arms embargo on Tehran would be an “obvious right” and added a veiled warning of unspecified steps Iran could take if the embargo is extended, as the United States wants.





end

Labour Party: Starmer moves to rein in shadow cabinet spending plans

Leaked letter from shadow minister reveals attempt to impose discipline on top team, writes Iain Watson.




end

Met Police end probe into pro-Brexit campaigners

Leave campaigners were accused by the Electoral Commission of breaking the law over spending limits.




end

'B' teams or partner clubs back on the agenda? Clubs may have to 'share resources' to survive

The controversial concept of B teams may be back on the agenda as football tries to navigate a way through Covid-19, Brighton technical director Dan Ashworth says.




end

Coronavirus lockdown sends solo sailor on Pacific odyssey

One man's dream sailing trip nearly ended in disaster as island nations began closing their borders.




end

Coronavirus: 'Phone apps helped me spend time with my dying mum'

Andrew's mother was dying in hospital under lockdown, so he used technology to spend time with her.




end

Coronavirus: Google ends plans for smart city in Toronto

Sister firm Sidewalk Labs cites Covid-19 as the reason for stepping back from its ambitious plan.




end

Facebook and Google extend working from home to end of year

The tech giants plan to re-open offices soon but will allow staff to work remotely throughout 2020.




end

Stimulus Reflex, and sending thanks to Matz

#498 — April 23, 2020

Read on the Web

Ruby Weekly

Credit: Divina Epiphania / Shutterstock.com

Mining for Malicious Ruby Gems: 700+ Gems Affected — Breathe easy as this was all resolved a month ago (and was too obscure to pay off for the hackers anyway) but a security research team recently found over 700 malicious Ruby gems that were subtle typos/adjustments of more popular gems (e.g. atlas-client vs atlas_client – could you tell which one is real?)

Tomislav Maljic

You Can Now Sponsor Matz on GitHub — I appreciate these are challenging times, but if you’ve ever wanted to give a big thank you to Matz, the creator of Ruby, here’s one way to do it. We’re sponsoring Matz now as without him, this newsletter wouldn’t exist! ???? Alternatively, if you have little to spare, maybe send him a thanks on Twitter?

GitHub Sponsors

Ruby Performance Tips — Here’s a collection of practical tips for improving Ruby performance for better user experiences, brought to you by Raygun. Read the tips here.

Raygun sponsor

Full Text Search in Milliseconds with Rails and Postgres — If you’ve never played with full text search with Postgres and Rails, this is a fine place to start. It covers LIKE/ILIKE, trigrams, and ‘proper’ full text searching. We also get to see how Leigh took a query from taking 130ms down to 7ms.

Leigh Halliday

▶  Introduction to Stimulus Reflex — Stimiulus Reflex makes SPA-type interactions very simple by using ActionCable to render pages and then diffing them on the client.

GoRails

Rails Performance: When is Caching the Right Choice? — Before you say “always”, understand that caching is not free and, if done incorrectly, can even make things worse.

Jonathan Miles

???? Jobs

Find a Job Through Vettery — Vettery specializes in tech roles and is completely free for job seekers. Create a profile to get started.

Vettery

Ruby Backend Developer (Austria) — We’re seeking mid-level and senior devs to join us and build top-class backend infrastructure for our adidas apps, used by millions. Our stack includes: jRuby, Sinatra, Sidekiq, MySQL, & MongoDB.

Runtastic

ℹ️ Interested in running a job listing in Ruby Weekly? There's more info here.

???? Articles & Tutorials

How to Customize Webpack in Rails Apps — How to go about configuring webpack when tweaking webpacker.yml just isn’t enough.

Ross Kaffenberger

RSpec Given/When/Then with Symbols — An interesting, alternative way to structure a BDD feature in RSpec. I think I prefer the underscores but YMMV.

Caius Durling

Looking Inside a Ruby Gem — Piotr decomposes a .gem file which turns out to just be a collection of gzipped and tarred files, only some of which are the code.

Piotr Murach

eBook: The Most Important Events to Monitor in Your Postgres Logs — In this eBook, you will learn about the Top 6 Postgres log events for monitoring query performance and preventing downtime.

pganalyze sponsor

Passing Rails Controller Params to SidekiqActionController::Parameters can give Sidekiq issues.

Prathamesh Sonpatki

Catchup Subscriptions with Rails Event Store

Miroslaw Praglowski

Logic-less Ruby Templates with Mustache

David Santangelo

▶  Discussing Ruby for Good with Sean Marcia — Sean talks about founding Ruby For Good (an event about philanthropic Ruby development) and some of the projects it has been responsible for creating.

Ruby Rogues podcast

???? Code and Tools

Impressionist 2.0: A Plugin to Log Impressions in Rails Apps — Impressionist tracks page views and impressions. v2.0 has just dropped but they’re also are looking for new maintainers, so contact them if you want to get involved.

Charlotte Ruby Group

acli 0.3: A Command Line Client for Action Cable — Interesting on two fronts.. first, because it’s an mruby app, and we don’t see many of those, and second, because it lets you play with Action Cable channels in any easier way.

Vladimir Dementyev

Undercover: A Tool to Stop You Shipping Untested Code — It’s like RuboCop but for code coverage rather than code style.

Jan Grodowski

How to Monitor Your Host Metrics Automatically

AppSignal sponsor

Bridgetown: A Modern Ruby (JAMstack) Web Framework — Bridgetown is a new Ruby-based static-site generator based on a fork of Jekyll. It supports plugins and Webpack, so you can use your front-end framework of choice.

Bridgetown

net-ssh 6.0: A Pure Ruby Implementation of the SSH2 Client Protocol — Yes, you can write programs that invoke and interact with processes on remote servers, via SSH2, all in Ruby.

Buck, Fazekas, et al.




end

Coronavirus: Should maternity and paternity leave be extended?

A petition calling for maternity leave to be extended due to coronavirus has attracted many signatures.




end

England's captain and defender Joel Latibeaudiere celebrates after England's win

England's captain and defender Joel Latibeaudiere celebrates after England's win over Spain in the final FIFA U-17 World Cup football match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan stadium in Kolkata on October 28, 2017. / AFP / Dibyangshu SARKAR




end

England's captain and defender Joel Latibeaudiere celebrates

England's captain and defender Joel Latibeaudiere celebrates after England's win over Spain in the final FIFA U-17 World Cup football match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan stadium in Kolkata on October 28, 2017. / AFP / Dibyangshu SARKAR




end

Oceanian contenders line up for shot at world stage




end

ES Tunis hammer six to end on a high




end

Eduardo: Our adventure hasn’t ended yet

Ahead of the match for third place, Al Hilal skipper Carlos Eduardo spoke to FIFA.com about the reasons for his side’s defeat to Flamengo and the importance of their upcoming fixture against Monterrey.




end

Henderson’s Liverpool 'box set' hinting at big crescendo




end

Players of Russia celebrate at the end of the semi final against Iran

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Players of Russia celebrate at the end of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Semi-Final match between Iran and Russia at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout stadium on September 27, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




end

Danil Davydov of Russia celebrates at the end of the

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Danil Davydov of Russia celebrates at the end of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Semi-Final match between Iran and Russia at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout stadium on September 27, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




end

Sergey Abramov (C) of Russia celebrates at the end of the semfinal againstl Iran

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Sergey Abramov (C) of Russia celebrates at the end of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Semi-Final match between Iran and Russia at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout stadium on September 27, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




end

Players shake hand at the end of the match during the FIFA Futsal World Cup round of 16 match between Russia and Vietnam

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Players shake hand at the end of the match during the FIFA Futsal World Cup round of 16 match between Russia and Vietnam at Coliseo Ivan de Bedout on September 20, 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. (Photo by Jan Kruger - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




end

Hosts Paraguay defeat USA to end on high




end

Akaguma's ascendancy a tribute to Ramos's persistence




end

Last-second Zurlo strike sends Italy to semis




end

35 DAYS TO GO! USA End Spanish Dominance

In one of the most surprising results in tournament history, USA ended Spain's 35-match unbeaten streak stretching from November 2006 to June 2009 at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey both scored in the Stars and Stripes' 2-0 win over Vicente del Bosque's La Furia Roja in the semi-finals.




end

Marcelo of Real Madrid and Yasushi Endo of Kashima Antlers battle for the ball

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 19: Marcelo of Real Madrid and Yasushi Endo of Kashima Antlers battle for the ball during the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final match between Kashima Antlers and Real Madrid at Zayed Sports City Stadium on December 19, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




end

Yasushi Endo of Kashima Antlers and Toni Kroos of Real Madrid fight for the ball during the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final 

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 19: Yasushi Endo of Kashima Antlers and Toni Kroos of Real Madrid fight for the ball during the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final match between Kashima Antlers and Real Madrid at Zayed Sports City Stadium on December 19, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




end

Yasushi Endo of Kashima Antlers

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 19: Toni Kroos and Marcelo of Real Madrid close down Yasushi Endo of Kashima Antlers during the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final match between Kashima Antlers and Real Madrid at Zayed Sports City Stadium on December 19, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




end

Santiago Solari, Manager of Real Madrid attends the post match press conference 

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 19: Santiago Solari, Manager of Real Madrid attends the post match press conference after victory in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final match between Kashima Antlers and Real Madrid at Zayed Sports City Stadium on December 19, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)




end

VVS Laxman: Being friends with Indian cricketer doesn't mean you get IPL contract

VVS Laxman shares his views on players being part of IPL on Star Sports Hindi show Cricket Connected: “If you’re friendly with any Indian player it doesn’t mean that you are getting IPL contract. As a mentor, I’m on the auction table and we select players, those international players that have played exceptionally well for their country and can add value to the franchise. Friendship with any Indian player doesn’t ensure entry into the IPL.”

Former Cricketer VVS Laxman shared his views on IPL being held before the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup on Star Sports 1 show Cricket Connected and said, “I think some of the cricket boards will be encouraging the fact that IPL is a big tournament, and everyone acknowledges that. And just before the World Cup it will set the tone for a hectic cricket season. But I just hope that everything is normal, and no one is in danger. And once that happens, I am sure the IPL should kick off the cricket calendar.

VVS Laxman, former Indian cricketer, did not take too well with what ex Australian skipper Michael Clarke's comment of 'being nice to Indian players gets you an IPL spot.' VVS Laxman explained what it takes to get a contract in IPL as well as other topics as the IPL 2020 possibility before the T20 World Cup and more. 

Former Cricketer VVS Laxman sharing his thoughts on Michael Clarke’s comment on being nice to team India doesn’t get you an IPL contract exclusively on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, he said, “Just by being nice to someone doesn’t get you a place in IPL. Any franchise will look at the player’s caliber and value add to the team, which gives them desired results by winning matches/tournaments. These are the kind of players who get IPL contracts. So just being nice to someone will not earn you a spot in the IPL.”

Former Cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth reacts to Michael Clarke exclusively on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, he said, “You do not win matches just by sledging. Aussie’s loss is a loss, his statement was ridiculous I would say. If you ask Nasser Hussain or Sir Vivian Richards who are experienced players, you can never score runs or get wickets through sledging. You need to play good cricket and showcase determination; you need to bowl well to get wickets and bat well to achieve targets. Sledging cannot help in any way according to my opinion”

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news




end

IPL 2020: CSK dressing room has always comprised of legends, says Murali Vijay

One of the most successful teams in the history of the Indian Premier League, people have often questioned what sets Chennai Super Kings apart and opener Murali Vijay feels the legends in the unit over the years have made it one of the best dressing rooms in the world.

"CSK is a very very special team. The kind of players, who came aboard right from the first auction, you name it, they are legends of world cricket," Vijay was quoted as saying by the CSK website.

"It was a great honour for us youngsters to step into the dressing room and rub shoulders with some of the legends. You get to learn a lot of things by watching them and being around them," he said.

While Vijay became a Test specialist later in his career, he started off as an explosive batsman and feels that the format suited him when the IPL started back in 2008.

"Twenty20 was a new format in 2008/09, and I guess my game was suited for white ball cricket when I started. I kind of enjoyed it when the opportunity came to me. I was ready up and going," he said.

Vijay said that the bonhomie in the team made it a joy to perform and get applauded by the legends in the unit.

"The team atmosphere was such that you want to contribute because everyone plays with such energy and intensity. The competition was very high," he pointed.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever




end

IPL 2020 suspended till further notice

The BCCI on Thursday suspended the 2020 Indian Premier League "till further notice", a decision that was conveyed to the franchises a couple of days back and was expected after the lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic was extended. PTI reported on April 14 that the eight franchises along with other stakeholders had been intimated about the indefinite postponement of the event, which was originally planned from March 29. The Board on Thursday said that given the "evolving global health concerns" and lockdown measures implemented by the government, it had no choice but to further postpone the glitzy T20 league.

"...the IPL Governing Council of the BCCI has decided that the IPL 2020 Season will be suspended till further notice," said BCCI secretary Jay Shah in a statement. The pandemic has claimed over 400 lives in India and infected more than 12,000 people. Globally, the death toll has crossed 1.3 lakh. The IPL, which was to run till May 24 as per the original schedule, was first postponed till April 15 after the government imposed restrictions on entry of foreigners due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

The travel bar meant that no international player could compete in the tournament if it went ahead on time. With the situation still not conducive for any sporting activity and the country in the middle of a lockdown till May 3, the BCCI refrained from giving any estimate on when the event might be held. "The health and safety of the nation and everyone involved in our great sport remains our top priority...the IPL 2020 season will only commence when it is safe and appropriate to do so," Shah further stated.

Along with the IPL, all other cricketing action is also suspended right now due to the government directive which bars any large gathering. BCCI was non-committal on when cricket could resume in the country and Shah maintained that India's richest sporting body is monitoring the situation and will seek guidance from the central government as well as states before taking any decision.

"BCCI will continue to monitor and review the situation regarding a potential start date in close partnership with all of its stakeholders and will continue to take guidance from the Government of India, state governments and other state regulatory bodies," Shah added. IPL franchises have had a mixed view on holding the event this year. While Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia has stated that sport cannot be priority at the time of a pandemic, Rajasthan Royals had suggested having the tournament behind closed doors some time this year.

Players -- past and present -- have, however, been united in saying that that the tournament should go ahead at some point given the livelihoods it sustains. The only window which the BCCI can target for hosting the tournament is September-November. For that to happen, India will have to skip the Asia Cup in Dubai or else, Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council will have to agree to postpone the T20 World Cup.

The World Cup is scheduled to be held in October-November.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever




end

IPL | CSK makes you feel that you are part of an extended family: Dwayne Bravo

West Indies and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dwayne Bravo said that former BCCI president N Srinivasan's franchise makes every player feel like being a part of an "extended family". "It's a very unique team, a special team. From the first day that I joined the team I could sense the family atmosphere. Every player who joins the team feels the same way - that it's not just a team but being welcomed by extended family," Bravo told CSK's website.

"Over the years, when you look at cricketers who joined CSK, they only got better...it's a very special franchise," he said. He said that CSK brings the best out of him and the skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is largely responsible for that. "CSK brings the best out of me. I'm trusted by my captain MS (Dhoni) and coach (Stephen) Fleming, and they allow me to be myself," the former West Indies captain was quoted as saying. "We all enjoy each other's success. If my team is winning, that's more important to me than my personal performances," he added. Bravo, who has played in various T20 leagues across the world, said "I don't think you can get another team or environment like Chennai Super Kings."

"It is important that you have a management team, the owners, the captain backing you a 100 per cent... they understand it's a sport, they understand one can't always perform and so they give you the opportunity to bounce back when you have failures," Bravo, who has been a part of CSK since 2011, said. Terming CSK a very unique and special team, the 36-year old Trinidad all-rounder, said he sense the family atmosphere from the first day he joined it. The 2020 IPL season, originally scheduled to begin from March 29, has been put off indefinitely owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever




end

Rishabh Pant is as dominant as Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag: Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina has heaped praise on Rishabh Pant and said that the wicket-keeper is as dominant as Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag. Raina was doing an Instagram Live session with spinner Yuzvendra Chahal during which he praised Pant.

"He is a top cricketer, when he plays well, you become happy and he reminds of Yuvraj and Sehwag, he is as dominant as them, when he plays the flick, it reminds you of Dravid as well," Raina told Chahal during the Instagram Live session.

Raina also said that Virat Kohli's energy is a game-changer while he is leading the team in the shorter formats. "Virat is a solid captain, he has a lot of energy, he can control things, when you are playing shorter formats, you need a lot of energy and passion," he added.

Pant was last seen in action during India's two-match Test series against New Zealand earlier this year. In the series, Pant managed to score 60 runs. The wicket-keeper batsman has often been criticised for not putting a price on his wicket.

Earlier this year, he was replaced by KL Rahul as the wicket-keeper in the shorter formats. Pant would have been in action for the Delhi Capitals if the Indian Premier League (IPL) had commenced from March 29. However, the tournament has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever




end

BWF suspends US Open in wake of Covid-19 crisis

The 2020 edition of US Open badminton championship has been suspended by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday amid the coronavirus pandemic that has stalled the entire world. The World Tour Super 300 tournament was supposed to be held in Fullerton, California between June 23-28.

Over three million people have been infected by virus so far worldwide while in excess of two lakh individuals have lost their lives because of the pandemic.

"The Badminton World Federation can confirm the suspension of the YONEX US Open 2020 set to be held 23-28 June in Fullerton, California," the BWF said in a statement.

"This decision was made in close consultation and consensus with USA Badminton. BWF accepts that all relevant health, safety and logistical risks have been considered by the tournament organisers."

The US Open joins a long list of events cancelled by the BWF as earlier the Swiss Open, India Open, Malaysia Open, Singapore Open and Badminton Asia Championships were called off due to the outbreak as a precautionary measure.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever




end

Navi Mumbai eatery's transgender staff finds a life with new opportunities


Mahi Malini Pujari says initially she would avoid interacting with guests, but has now grown more confident

Last year, restaurant manager Josein Fernanda found herself in a tough spot when a colleague spotted a bodice and a bunch of padded bras in her bag while they were working on a cruise liner in Goa, where she was working as a manager. The 44-year-old, born a boy in Mumbai's Lamington Road area, says she has always felt like a girl and would clandestinely cross-dress. But, it was a secret that Fernanda had zealously guarded until then. "My boss called me and said, 'I don't want this news to leak. So stop indulging in this.' Well into my 40s, I had reached a point where I couldn't conform to society anymore. There was an overwhelming sense to come out of the closet," she says. Fernanda resigned from the job and returned to Mumbai, liberated but uncertain about what the future held.


Shonali Mude, a former runner-up at Miss Trans Queen 2017 joined in January this year. Mude, who might have in another gender made it as a model or an actor, says jobs for transgender are limited. Having gone to auditions at fashion weeks, Mude says she had no luck. She now works as a floor attendant

Being in the public eye
When we meet Fernanda on a weekday afternoon at Third eye Cafe, located on the ground floor of Palm Galleria Mall, Navi Mumbai, she is sitting near the bar with her laptop. The wall facing her reads, 'Be the Change You Want to See'. Wearing a black blazer with slim fit pants and glinting earrings, Fernanda - formerly known as Innocento - has finally embraced change. She chanced upon the cafe while browsing through YouTube, and got in touch with the owners. She now proudly identifies herself as a woman. Along with her, five other trans-women found their lives transformed when were hired as staffers at the restaurant. The cafe currently has six transgender employees, five of whom work as table attendants, while one works as the manager. The restaurant employs around 20 persons.


Josein Fernanda - formerly known as Innocento - finally came out of the closet on learning of this job in January

"As the name suggests, the restaurant was launched with the intention of providing the third gender an opportunity to lead a more respectable life," says co-owner and architect Nimesh Shetty, who started the venture with his partners Prasad Shetty and Nitesh Kandarkar. Nimesh, 27, conceptualised the cafe almost six years ago while working on an architectural thesis around building a community centre for the transgenders. As envisioned, the cafe would be part of the centre. He even conducted a survey to understand whether people would visit a place like this during the thesis. "A lot of people said yes, we accept the third gender. But, are you willing to accept your sister or closest friend as a transgender? That's when people fumbled. This is something we want to work on," says Shetty, who hails from a family of hoteliers.

A typical day
At the restaurant, we see Mahi Malini Pujari, 24, on her feet taking orders and interacting with guests. She's aware of the reaction her presence normally invites - raised eyebrows, unflinching stare, giggles and sometimes nonchalance - but she has learnt to take it all in her stride. In fact, when a bunch of guests arrive, she's the first to guide them to the table and make them comfortable by offering water and exchanging pleasantries. "Initially, I wouldn't utter a word to the guests. I'd take orders and do clearances. I didn't have the confidence to initiate or a hold conversation," says Pujari. The make-up is minimal, just enough to make her look fresh-faced. The 24-year-old worked at Arzoo Foundation, a de-addiction and rehabilitation centre situated at Palghar. Before that she would beg on the streets and in trains. "I joined the hijra community in Bandra after I left home. I didn't even complete my Std X because my parents gave me an ultimatum: 'either I behave like a boy or leave'," she says. Pujari chose the latter. She now lives in an apartment provided by the owners, in Vashi along with the other staff. While the response from the hijra community to her choice of a new career has been fairly encouraging, her family has still not accepted her. "I've let it go," she says.

Know your food
In almost two months' time, Pujari has upped her social skills and also memorised the menu. A part of the credit goes to Fernanda, who the staff treats as 'didi'. "Of course, they need to know how conduct themselves in public. Along with that, she must know the food that we serve here and what goes into its making like the back of their hand. The guests always check with the server first," says Fernanda.

Spread over eleven pages, the menu is extensive with sections separating Italian, Oriental and Indian cuisine. Currently, the restaurant doesn't serve alcohol but it's in the pipeline. We order the beetroot falafel made with parsley pesto, tahini yoghurt and pomegranate for R199. The portion is impressive and scores well on the taste front. "Many come here for the novelty value. But, they'll return only if the food and service is good," says senior staffer Shonali Venkatesh Mude, a former runner-up at Miss Trans Queen 2017, who joined in January this year. Mude, who might have in another gender made it as a model or an actor, says careers as a transgender are limited. Having gone to auditions at fashion weeks or even advertisements, where she'd have to portray a woman, Mude says she had no luck. "I wanted a job where I'd get a steady income."

A group of women sitting next to our table have dropped by from Nerul during lunch hour to celebrate a colleague's birthday. That's the overt reason. The real one is to experience what's it like to be served by transgender staff. "I don't mean to treat them as specimens, but we wanted to experience this. I'm happy that we're finally getting to see them in mainstream jobs. Till now, you would see them begging inside trains," says Divyani Fulzele, who works at an IT firm. When they're about to leave, they compliment Mude and promise to return. This time for the peppy vibe and the food. "Compliments work as a confidence-booster. While I'm more educated and experienced than the rest, there was a trepidation about how it'd pan out. But I like coming to work," smiles Mude, who lives with her partner in Khargar.

Setting an example
In 12 months, owner Nimesh Shetty has interviewed over 600 transgenders for the job by seeking help from NGOs and transgender activist Gouri Sawant. "Actually, it's they who interviewed me because they had more questions than I did. It's natural, because they are leaving their comfort zone and for an all-new territory," he adds. He admits some quit the job within weeks because of adjustment issues. "It's a high-pressure job, where sometimes you clock in 10-12 hours. Some couldn't deal with that," he says.

Shetty feels the challenges of being transgender are different from what gay men or women face. "Here, we are talking about survival. Many get thrown out of the house when they come out." For now, Shetty is hopeful that the restaurant will inspire others to follow suit. "We don't want to capitalise on this as a gimmick. The goal is to inspire."

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Give yourself a unique weekend, go crazy with paints at this event in Mumbai

Go crazy with paints
Give yourself a unique weekend and enjoy a party with lots of colours! Paint away all the week's troubles and discover the hidden artist in you. Gorge on food, sip on a drink while you’re at it. Who knows? Maybe it’ll pave the way for the next masterpiece on your wall.
ON May 26, 12 pm onwards
At Tea Villa Cafe, Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
CALL 8080850000
LOG ON TO insider.in cost Rs 1,500

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Navi Mumbai: Citizen group frees waterfalls from litter on Independence Day

A group of citizens under Environment Life, which works towards cleaning up waterfalls and the space around them, in Mumbai and surrounding areas has cleaned up the waterfalls at Kharghar Driving Range.

The clean-up drive, dedicated to martyred Major Kaustubh Rane, and as a mark of respect for all security forces, was titled 'Waterfall Cleanup Drive VII: Kachare se Azadi' and organised on August 15 from 9 am to 12 pm. To support this cause, the group was joined by retired Air Force sergeant Subhashish Sarkar.

During the drive, the group of 45, aged between six and 70, managed to clear about 230 kg waste from the hill and waterfall area. Till now, Environment Life has carried out such drives at 12 locations, clearing seven tons of garbage left behind by tourists and visitors. Out of the total amount of garbage dumped by picnickers at waterfalls in that area, 150 kg is plastic — plates, spoons, water bottles, wafer packets, carry bags, etc.

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This budget-friendly Vashi eatery is a must-visit for chicken lovers!

We spotted a new eatery in the busy commercial hub of Sector 17, Vashi, and the signboard got our attention immediately — Nothing But Chicken, it boldly announced, Now Open. Mental note to self — must check this place out. Soon enough, we find ourselves at the new eatery one afternoon. With just four high chairs, the place is more a take-away, but we choose to have our working lunch at Nothing But Chicken (NBC).

The décor is cheery and functional with doodles of smiling hens giving us company. We also note signage about the restaurant being Halal & ISO 22000 compliant, and most importantly for us, that the meat is fresh, not frozen.


Chicken seekh kabab

Chicken all the way
At the entrance, NBC sports a huge refrigerated display that has raw, pre-cut and in some cases, pre-marinated chicken portions. You can choose from a variety of sausages — jalapeno and cheese, cocktail, classic salami to name a few — or you could buy pre-marinated chicken, grill it yourself and enjoy it in the comfort of your home. Options include chimichuri, peri-peri, Greek yogurt and pepper, cheesy garlic breast among others.

The second display counter has all the ready-to-eat goodies — you can choose from a variety of sandwiches and salads or simply opt for a pilaf or chicken vada pow, desi burger, chicken seekh pow or chicken kheema pow. We order the chicken vada pow (`65), grilled chicken wrap (`105), two pieces of galouti seekh kabab (`34), three pieces of classic seekh kabab (`48), tandoori tangdi (`102) and chicken mayo roll (`105). We realise much later that they billed us for a classic salad (`82), which we were not served. When we point it out to the staff the following day, they are polite and refund the amount and the applicable taxes, too.


Chicken vada pow

Back to our chicken encounter. The order is served one item at a time, heated in front of us in a microwave oven. The presentation is fuss-free and practical. The wrap, kababs and tandoori tangdi are so hot, they are steaming right to the very last bite.

Vada pav vs burger
We are informed that the lone difference between a chicken vada pow and a desi burger is the flavour and spices of the patty.


Tandoori tangdi

The former comes served with a chicken patty in a brown bread pav with cheese dip and schezwan sauce. It is tasty, but since the dish is named after the popular Mumbai snack, we would have preferred the traditional chutneys to go with it. That, we feel, could have been the differentiating element between the desi burger and the chicken vada pow. The patty is mildly spiced and despite being reheated, hasn’t become tough. This, in fact, is true for everything we order.

The tandoori tangdi is well marinated with the classic smoky taste, cooked just right so it is tender. The chicken mayo roll is too bland and sour for our taste. The galouti seekh kabab and the classic seekh kabab taste different, in a good way — the chicken in both offerings is tender and flavourful.


The interiors

The grilled chicken wrap is a whole wheat roti with a masala chicken filling. It has the right balance of spice and is quite filling. By now, we need something to quench our thirst; NBC stocks regular soft drinks and we wash down our meal with a couple of fresh fruit juices on offer. With its reasonably priced, no-frills menu, NBC is ideal for a quick, VFM meal, or to help you cut down your chicken preparation time at home. With courteous staff, they seem to have their act in order. However, given their location, they are likely to face stiff competition from their F&B neighbours.

Time 9 am to 11.30 pm
At Sector 17, Shiv Center, Next to Arneja Corner, Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
Call 8828812200

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FIFA eFriendlies Home Show live on FIFA.gg




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FIFA eNations Friendlies - The overview




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Baresi: Real football fans understand the importance of defenders

Baresi: I’m lucky to have played at three World Cups




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Here's why Sonu Nigam is trending on Twitter

Singer Sonu Nigam has been trending all through Tuesday, but for all the wrong reasons. A tweet that he posted three years ago suddenly resurfaced on social media drawing online ire. A section of the media even erreonously reported that the singer has been forced to deactivate his Twitter account owing to the cyber onslaught.

The truth is Sonu had deleted his Twitter account long ago, in 2017, after facing massive trolling over tweet comments he had made back then criticising the 'azaan'. He has never been back on the social media microblogging site, though he does have an Instagram account.

Sonu is currently in Dubai, and has not been able to return to India because the lockdown happened. However, the actor posts pictures and videos on Instagram. Sonu's controversial tweets had come around this time in 2017 and a section of the Twiteratti, probably without checking the date, posted screen shots of the old tweets. These screen shots started going viral on Tuesday.

Some of Sonu's fans feel the three-year-old tweet is being resurrected in order to harass the singer in Dubai.

"Wish he hadn't deactivated his account. I fully support him. #WithYouSonuNigam" wrote a fan.

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Arjun Rampal extends helping hand to provide PPE kits to BMC healthcare workers

Actor Arjun Rampal along with his family have extended a helping hand in providing PPE kits to the hospitals, doctors and nurses to help them in the fight against coronavirus. He also urged people to donate 1 uniform for these corona warriors to keep them safe and healthy.

The 47-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a post in which he announced that the Rampal family has extended their support to MEDIQ LIFESCIENCES for providing PPE kits (made in India) in collaboration with Dr Oarsman Doshi to the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) hospital doctors and nurses.

The 'Aankhein' actor also urged others to contribute towards helping the frontline warriors. He captioned the post as, "I request all of you to help here. The real hero's out there, (the doctors and nurses), the PPE. their health is in jeopardy daily, looking after ours, As unfortunately they are not equipped with the armour they need, making them sick by the coronavirus. If each one of you can donate just 1 uniform for these brave hearts, it will keep your soldiers safe and healthy. Please please be generous, they need this and we will get it to them. It's Rs 1200 for the best suits for them."

India's count of positive coronavirus cases reached 18,985 after 1,329 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. Out of the total cases, 15,122 are active cases, 3,259 have been cured and discharged and one has migrated. With 44 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the toll stands at 603.

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