Communications Minister Manoj Sinha on Monday said 26 banking and non-banking companies have shown interest to collaborate with India Post Payments Bank.

"The Department is in various stages of discussions with them. A decision on formal partnerships will be taken after carefully evaluating the entire value proposition they propose for the common man," Sinha said in a reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

The India Post Payments Bank had launched its two branches in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Ranchi (Jharkhand) on January 30 with basic products and banking services in partnership with the Punjab National Bank.

Some of the banks and non-banking companies that have shown interest to partner with India Post Payments Bank are YES Bank, Union Bank, State Bank of India, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, HSBC and Royal Sundaram.

The payments banks are different from regular banks and are not allowed to undertake lending activities directly. 

They can accept demand deposits only that is savings and current accounts and will initially be restricted to holding a maximum balance of Rs 100,000 per individual customer.

Following the Reserve Bank of India guidelines for licensing of payments banks, it cannot accept Non Resident Indian deposits. Payment banks cannot set up subsidiaries to undertake non-banking financial services.

Singers Justin Bieber and Zayn Malik are reportedly planning to collaborate for a new single.

The rumours of them working together started coming up after Bieber retweeted a link of Malik's new single from his upcoming album featuring rapper PARTYNEXTDOOR.

"Justin has been really complimentary of Zayn's new music and there have been tentative discussions about them working on something together," a source told The Sun newspaper.

The source said that the two are becoming friends.

"They are in touch and chatting about all sorts and getting on like a house on fire. Justin even re-tweeted a link to Zayn's single on his Twitter which he doesn't just do for anyone," the source said. 

"It would be a huge collaboration if it happened so watch this space," the source added. 

In a latest development to the EC-Congress row over organisational polls, the Election Commission (EC) on Monday extended the deadline set for the party from June 30 to December 31.

The EC had on January 30, 2017, directed the Congress to conclude its organisational elections by June 30, rejecting the grand old party’s plea for a one-year extension.

The poll panel conveyed its decision in a letter to the Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation Janardan Dwivedi.

The EC had also asked the 131-year-old party to submit a complete list of office-bearers, members of committees, etc elected at such elections latest by July 15, 2017.

Actor Brad Pitt reportedly wants to fix his relationship with actress Angelina Jolie for the sake of their six children.

According to a source, Pitt is trying to figure out what's best for their children – Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 8 – so they can have a normal life, reports hollywoodlife.com.

"No matter how much Angie has hurt him, Brad was, and is, determined to mend his relationship with her for the sake of the kids," the source said.

"Their welfare is more important than anything else in this world and he knows having a respectful relationship with Angie is what's best for those kids," added the source.

They have been in a custody battle for the children.

Singer Katy Perry and actor Ryan Phillippe were reportedly "flirting and giggling" at singer Elton Johns 70th birthday party.

"Katy Perry and Ryan Phillippe were totally flirting at Elton John's birthday party! They were seated at separate tables but he made his way over to her and sat down next to her," a source told.

"She was totally giggling and at one point he had his hand on her knee. Then he took off but came back late with for more flirting," the source added.

Perry and Phillippe were joined by Neil Patrick Harris, Jon Hamm, James Corden and Heidi Klum at the star-studded party on March 25. 

The news about them flirting comes as a shock because Perry was reportedly thinking about rekindling romance with her former beau John Mayer. 

"She's told him she still loves him, but she's still very hesitant to give him another chance. She's afraid of getting hurt by him again," a source said. 

Under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, India came up stronger on Day 3 as they put early domination against wounded Australia, halting them at 92/5 at Tea of the fourth and final Test at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala on Monday.

Middle-order batsman Glenn Maxwell (37*) remained the only hitter on crease in the end of the second session, with Australia leading the Test by 60 runs with five wickets remaining.

Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja thumped the Aussies just before Tea, dismissing Peter Handscomb (18) and Shaun Marsh (1) respectively on 25th and 26th over.

Earlier, paceman Umesh Yadav dismissed both the openers Matt Renshaw (8) and David Warner (6), while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the scalp of skipper Steve Smith (17) to support him in pace attack.

New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English on Monday said the country will start talks with China to update their free trade agreement (FTA) on April 25.

English's remarks came after a meeting with visiting Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang in Wellington, Efe news reported.

He stressed that with the agreement, in force since 2008, trade exchange between the two countries has tripled, amounting to 23 billion New Zealand dollars ($16 billion).

"An upgrade will ensure this momentum continues and ensure that the FTA remains a modern agreement that tackles export barriers," the Prime Minister said.

The New Zealand government aims to increase the trade exchange with China to 30 billion New Zealand dollars by 2020.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at a joint press conference said, "This will give a strong boost to trade links between China and New Zealand and will send a positive signal to the world and to the region that our two countries are committed to free trade."

The leaders signed 21 agreements that include permission for Chinese frozen meat to be marketed in New Zealand with a six-month trial period, streamlining the customs process and increasing the number of flights between the two countries.

English and Li also discussed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that Beijing has been promoting as an alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which is losing significance after the United States opted out of it.

Li's three-day visit to New Zealand, part of his tour of Oceania that began in Australia last week, will conclude on Tuesday. 

Yes, soon schools will be closed for summer vacation, time for the kids to relax and make memories of adventure trips and long hours of playing games with friends and family. Adding a learning component to it enrichies their knowledge and skills while on vacation.

There are many varied fun options for additional learning during holidays. Children will definitely gain new insights and possibly new interests through them.

Travelling with kids is great fun. Don’t take them to monotonous destinations. The world is so colourful and growing kids deserve to see different shades of the globe. Plan to make them explore it during holidays.

Make the holiday out a trip to remember with innovative activities. Take them to a theme park ride to make them learn about sciences by providing them a closure look at the anatomy. You may brush up their biology by making them study the creatures on the beaches and forests.

Involve them in creative activities of their interest. You can spend time with them creating beads, wind chimes, ornaments and sculptures.

Look for family camps that focus on all the things you did as a kid like climbing ropes, making crafts and many more. How about cooking over camp fire and perfecting your archery skills?

Take them to museums that offer practical instruction in an inexpensive way so that they can learn about history in an interesting manner.

Don’t forget to sign up for a yoga class. What better way to relax than to take some quiet time this vacation to do a few yoga poses with your little one.

Encourage them to pursue any hobby class to help them develop a new skill and give an edge while planning their career. You may find them looking forward to pursue their passion like learning how to play keyboard or guitar, photography or brushing up basic culinary skills.

A theatre workshop is a good idea to develop a child’s communication and public speaking skills. Learning any language of their interest gives them an edge if they want to pursue a career in the hospitality industry.

Ask your children to make a list of books they have always wanted to read. Let them do plenty of reading in vacation.

Last but not the least take this time to detress them by pampering them. Allow them to have enough sleep, eat right, no over scheduling and have fun.

These activities will let your kids enjoy a perfect vacation with unlimited fun. There is so much that kids today can learn without missing on the fun and action during holidays. Don’t hesitate to avail these excellent opportunities to inculcate in them a broader perspective of things around them. Inspire them to utilise their time constructively in fun ways.

Officials from New Delhi and Seoul will meet in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss ways to expand economic and financial cooperation, South Korean Finance Ministry said on Monday.

The working-level talks will be lead by Jin Seung-ho, Finance Ministry Director, Yonhap news agency reported.

Among the top agendas to be discussed is the $10 billion Seoul-New Delhi financial programme aimed at developing the subcontinent's infrastructure, which was agreed at the bilateral summit meeting in 2015, said the ministry.

India is South Korea's eighth-largest trading partner with its exports to New Delhi hitting $11.6 billion last year.
 

Officials from New Delhi and Seoul will meet in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss ways to expand economic and financial cooperation, South Korean Finance Ministry said on Monday.

The working-level talks will be lead by Jin Seung-ho, Finance Ministry Director, Yonhap news agency reported.

Among the top agendas to be discussed is the $10 billion Seoul-New Delhi financial programme aimed at developing the subcontinent's infrastructure, which was agreed at the bilateral summit meeting in 2015, said the ministry.

India is South Korea's eighth-largest trading partner with its exports to New Delhi hitting $11.6 billion last year.

A 28-year-old woman has been burnt alive in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district because she opposed felling of trees on her farm, the police said.

Lalita had an altercation with villagers on Saturday as she protested cutting of trees for widening a road along her farm near Pipad town, a police official.

In an FIR report, her family said the quarrel became so ugly that some villagers poured petrol on her and set her afire. 

According to the police, Lalita died from her injuries while being treated at a government hospital here.

"Prima facie it does not appear a case of being burnt by villagers and it seems the quarrel was not on felling of trees but pathway," a police official said.

An investigation has been launched into the incident. "If need be, we will arrest the culprits soon," the official said.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government to "sit together" and decide contentious issues including the question whether Muslims can be treated as minority in the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul asked both the governments to resolve the issue and submit a report to it within four weeks.

"This is a very very important issue. You both sit together and take a stand on it," the bench said.

Last month, the apex court had imposed a cost of Rs 30,000 on it for not filing its reply to a PIL alleging that minority benefits are being enjoyed by majority Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir.

It had accorded a last opportunity to the Centre to file its reply, saying the matter is very important.

The court had, however, allowed the counsel for the Centre to file the response after depositing the cost and had also noted that a fine of Rs 15,000 was also imposed last time also for the same reason.

Earlier, the court had issued notice to the Centre, the state government and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on the plea filed by Jammu-based advocate Ankur Sharma, alleging that benefits accruing to minorities were being taken away by Muslims, who were in a majority in Jammu and Kashmir.

The plea also alleged that rights of religious and linguistic 'minorities' in the state were being "siphoned off illegally and arbitrarily" due to extension of benefits to "unqualified sections" of the population.

It has been settled that the identification of minority communities has to be decided as per the population data of the state in question, Sharma had said.

The apex court, however, had refused to restrain authorities from disbursing benefits to any community in the state.

The PIL has also sought the setting up of State Minority Commission for identification of minorities.

"The population of Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir according to the 2011 Census is 68.31 per cent. Communities which are eligible to be notified as minorities, were not awarded their due share of scholarship owing to their non-identification as minorities, thereby jeopardising their constitutionally guaranteed rights enshrined under Part III of the Constitution of India.

"This clearly reflects the unfairness and discrimination of the State towards the communities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which are eligible to be notified as minorities," the petition alleged.

A night alone in the wild amidst thunderstorms and wildlife, landing up in a billionaire’s home in Switzerland, sharing rides with a Korean scooterist, relishing Naga food in Croatia, stranger’s kindness and the curiosity of Balkan kids— these were the memoirs of Sievituo Solo’s journey on a bamboo cycle to Europe and the USA, says a report in the Dimapur-based Morung Express.

Riding on his self-made bamboo cycle, Solo for 210 days in 24 countries covered 13,000 km from May 2016 to January 2017. He is now back to his Project 72 Hours. Sharing his experiences on his fourth expedition he said, “The whole point of the journey was to bring back something and educate and share the knowledge with our people.” His first three expeditions with Ruokuo Kire began with a tour of Nagaland in 2011, followed by South Asia and India in 2013, and South-east Asia in 2014-15.

The bamboo cycle, which he learned to build from Manipur, was redesigned and restructured by Richard Belho and together with the team of Project 72 Hours they built the bike. To undertake the journey, Solo partnered with Zynorique, Dream Corp, NBRC, IDBI bank, Project 72 Hours and the Nagaland government which helped him in obtaining his visa.

The people in Europe could not believe that the cycle was made of bamboo. In his first journey his impression was that world outside has hardly heard of Nagaland and Nagas. He said “We Nagas take so much pride in our hospitality, but in actuality our’s is just ‘another’ hospitality.” The hospitality he experienced in foreign countries was something real and heart-warming. He narrated how even strangers welcomed him in their homes, and offered food, lodging, essentials and some even offered money. He said outside people take care of public property and do not waste time on candy crush.

He mentioned how on occasions he experienced fear especially the time when he was off road in Croatia, and landed up in the wild with no human in sight except wild animals. His next trip will be through Africa.

The US State Department has "strongly condemned" the detention of hundreds of protesters throughout Russia including the country's opposition leader, the media reported.

Thousands took part to anti-corruption protests cross 80 Russian towns and cities on Sunday, with the largest held in Moscow and St. Petersburg, The Telegraph reported. 

Moscow police told the TASS news agency that the number of people detained was "more than 500". 

Police said those detained will face "administrative prosecution", or fines and arrests.

But the final tally of those detained in Moscow was 700, according to the human rights monitoring group OVD-Info.

Alexei Navalny, a campaigner who hopes to stand against President Vladimir Putin in next year's elections, was bundled into a police van on Sundaymorning as he approached a group of protesters in Moscow's Pushkin Square. 

In response, the State Department said it was "troubled" to learn of his arrest and called the detention of peaceful protesters "an affront to democratic values", spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement on Sunday evening.

"Detaining peaceful protesters, human rights observers, and journalists is an affront to core democratic values," Toner said.

"The US will monitor this situation, and we call on the government of Russia to immediately release all peaceful protesters."

"The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, equal treatment under the law, and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution," The Telegraph quoted Toner as saying.

The protests were triggered by a film produced by Navalny which claims that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has seized a collection of yachts, several mansions and a vineyard through questionable means.

Medvedev is also alleged to have used a network of charity websites run by business associates to conceal his links to the deals.

It came after hundreds of demonstrators were also arrested in Belarus over the weekend during a protest in Minsk against a tax on the unemployed. 

Acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan is shooting in Georgia for his upcoming film Hindi Medium.

"Hello from Georgia…Hindi Medium song shoot," Irrfan tweeted.

Also starring Pakistani star Saba Qamar, Hindi Medium narrates the love story of a young couple from Delhi's Chandni Chowk.

The film is is directed by Saket Chaudhary, and has been described as a light-hearted romantic film about a young couple in Chandni Chowk, who aspire to move into society's upper crust.

Presented by T-Series and Maddock films, the movie has been produced by Dinesh Vijan and Bhushan Kumar.

Title: A Million Thoughts; Author: Om Swami; Publisher: Jaico; Pages: 334; Price: Rs 350.

There are many books, indeed good books, on meditation. But this one stands out.

The author, Om Swami, is no run-of-the-mill holy man. Before his renunciation, this MBA product from Sydney ran a multi-million dollar company. It was then he decided to embrace saffron robes.

At the peak of his own practice, Om Swami meditated for some 20 hours daily — for months. It was exhausting but rewarding. In the various places he meditated, he realised the truth — once you get used to staying quiet for long periods, you will experience certain quietude of the mind.

Rats posed the biggest challenge when he meditated in the Himalayas for months. Then there were spiders. In the slightly warmer places, snakes and wild lizards plagued him. And scorpions were aplenty in hot areas. But not one wild animal ever harmed him, not even once.

"This is ultimately what meditation is about — experiencing and living in divine union."

And in simple, lucid language, Om Swami comes out with a profoundly useful work on meditation — a guide to those who want to meditate and one that can help the already meditating to perfect themselves.

Meditation is going home. But the meditation Om Swami — who has an ashram in Himachal Pradesh — talks about is not just a feel-good five-minute exercise. It is about hopping out of negativity and calming the tides of emotions in one's life.

And the only way to meditate is to meditate right. That's what Om Swami teaches elaborately in the book — the how.

The mystic, however, makes it clear that meditation is not about gaining anything. It is not a solution to all your problems. Meditation never was and never will be a substitute for virtuous conduct. And just sitting still is not meditation — crocodiles do it better.

Ultimately, meditation is silence and presence of the mind. "When your mind is at once silent and present, you are deep in meditation."

This is indeed a book to treasure — as far as meditation goes.

A group of Muslim women stood on Westminster Bridge in a show of solidarity with victims of last week's terror attack outside the British Parliament that killed four people.

The group, who said they were wearing blue as a symbol of hope, stood holding hands for five minutes on the Westminster Bridge as the Big Ben struck 4 pm on Sunday, The Telegraph reported.

People from a range of backgrounds joined the event, organised by Women's March On London.

Three civilians were killed and many more were injured after a lone attacker, Khalid Masood, sped along the bridge before storming the parliamentary estate and stabbing to death a police officer on March 22.

Masood was shot dead by police. 

"The feeling of what happened here on Wednesday was really strong," Fariha Khan from Surbiton said.

"We thought of the ordinary people who were here and were mowed down, standing here like this, it was very overwhelming."

She said the women wanted to add to the condemnation of the violent attack and stand defiant in the face of terrorism.

"When an attack happens in London, it is an attack on me," The Telegraph quoted Sarah Waseem from Surrey as saying.

So far, 12 people have been arrested in relation to the attack, CNN reported. 

The latest was a 30-year-old man who was detained on Sunday in Birmingham "on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts" , the Metropolitan Police said.

Nine people arrested earlier have been released.