<h2>Mud island</h2>
Groundsmen prepare the pitch at MIG Cricket Club in Bandra East by smearing heaps of mud across the ground
<h2>Mehfil with a mission</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Mehfill_e.jpg" alt="Mehfil-e-baithak performs at previous event. Pics courtesy/Avinash Padsalgi" width="1280" height="720" /> Mehfil-e-baithak performs at previous event. Pics courtesy/Avinash Padsalgi
Youth talent platform Mehfil-e-Baithak will present its biggest showcase on June 28 at Acharya Atre Rang Mandir, Kalyan, marking a shift from its intimate caf&eacute; gatherings to a full-fledged auditorium production.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/ZP-Students_e.jpg" alt="Students of a ZP primary school in Palghar" width="1280" height="720" /> Students of a ZP primary school in Palghar
The event is being organised in collaboration with <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/search/-kalyan-articles" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">the Inner Wheel Club of Kalyan, a women-led social service</a> organisation, to support ZP Primary School in Juni Jawhar, Palghar, by helping provide basic facilities for students.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Avinash-a_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;We started in caf&eacute;s with audiences of 60 to 80 people. This larger venue allows us to reach more people while contributing to a meaningful cause,&rdquo; Avinash Padsalgi (above), performer, Mehfil-e-Baithak shared with this diarist.
<h2>Long live Larry</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Larry-cat_e.jpg" alt="Larry the Cat" width="1280" height="720" /> Larry the Cat
<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/keir-starmer-resigns-as-uk-prime-minister-to-stay-until-successor-is-chosen-23636299" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The resignation of the former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer</a> on Monday arrived with a quirky, but comforting milestone for his fans across the globe. Starmer became the sixth prime minister to resign from office while Larry the cat remained at residence. Adopted in 2011 by then prime minister David Cameron, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office has seen off David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and now, Keir Starmer.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Downing-Street_e.jpg" alt="Successive UK Prime Ministers leave 10 Downing Street. pics courtesy/ @Number10Cat on X" width="1280" height="720" /> Successive UK Prime Ministers leave 10 Downing Street. pics courtesy/@Number10Cat on X
To put this in context, the late Queen Elizabeth II witnessed 15 prime ministers over the span of her 70-year reign. While social media spun the jokes, Larry has quite another problem to deal with. It seems incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham will move in with his pet dog, Axel, by his side. Burnham may do well to offer an olive branch seeing the online popularity of Larry. Civil wars are never good for politics.
<h2>The unforgettable Asha tai</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Zanai-Bhosle_e.jpg" alt="Zanai Bhosle performs at Gorillaz&rsquo;s concert" width="1280" height="720" /> Zanai Bhosle performs at Gorillaz&rsquo;s concert
Few fans might know that the late music icon <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/article/asha-bhosles-final-collaboration-with-ar-rahman-leaves-fans-emotional-23636184" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Asha Bhosle&rsquo;s final record before her passing in April 2026</a>, lives on in an unlikely album: British virtual band Gorillaz&rsquo;s The Mountain. The track titled Shadowy Light recently echoed across seas during the band&rsquo;s performance at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in England on June 20.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Asha-Bhosle-a_e.jpg" alt="Asha Bhosle. pics courtesy/ @zanaibhosle" width="1280" height="720" /> Asha Bhosle. Pics courtesy/@zanaibhosle
In a moment that feels like a fitting tribute to the veteran, visuals from Bhosle&rsquo;s decorated career took over the concert&rsquo;s screens as her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle joined the band on stage to perform for 70,000 eager fans. &ldquo;The love and respect resonated through the stadium,&rdquo; Zanai shared in a social media post later.&nbsp;
<h2>All on board</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Sthamba-1_e.jpg" alt="Participants at a community building event at Sthamba in Andheri" width="1280" height="720" /> Participants at a community building event at Sthamba in Andheri
Pride Month celebrations are finding new ways of expression and interaction. This weekend, a storytelling and community-building event called, Play With Pride will be held at an Andheri brewery. Organised by Adventuring Guild Mumbai in collaboration with the TWEET Foundation, the tabletop role-playing event aims to create a welcoming space for LGBTQiA+ individuals and allies while raising funds for transgender welfare and empowerment.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Sthamba-2_e.jpg" alt="A table top role-playing game. Pics courtesy/Raj Panchmatia" width="1280" height="720" /> A table top role-playing game. Pics courtesy/Raj Panchmatia
The programme features six parallel role-playing adventures and a Blood on the Clocktower session, encouraging participants to explore themes of identity, belonging and self-expression through collaborative storytelling. &ldquo;When people play a character, it gives them the freedom to express themselves in ways they may not always be able to in real life,&rdquo; said Raj Panchmatia, (right) founder-member, Adventuring Guild Mumbai.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Raj-Panchmatia_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
All ticket proceeds will be donated to the foundation. &ldquo;Importantly, we want people to be aware of safe spaces where they won&rsquo;t be judged based on their identity,&rdquo; he told us.

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Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

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