New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): Clearing the air regarding the final Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate levied on cigarettes, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday reiterated that the earlier proposed figure of 28 percent will remain and so will the five percent ad valorem, as part of the compensation cess, effective midnight.

New Delhi [India], Jul 17 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday defended his action of transferring Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) D Roopa, who exposed irregularities in Parappana Agrahara Prison, stating that the action was taken "in view of the Government's commitment to public interest, truth and justice."

Nottingham [U.K], July 17 (ANI): A spectacular bowling performance from South Africa saw them thrash England by 340 runs to win the second Test and level the four-match series 1-1 at Trent Bridge on Monday.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump has said that most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one attended by his eldest son Donald Trump Jr's with a Russian lawyer during the campaign in order to get info on an opponent.

New Delhi [India], Jul 17 (ANI): Senior BJP leader and Union Housing and Urban Affairs, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu is the NDA's candidate for the post of Vice President. By finalising the name of Naidu as a candidate for the vice presidential elections, the NDA has tried to balance the political equations between North and South, as Naidu hails from Andhra Pradesh and NDA has already nominated a north Indian Ram Nath Kovind as the Presidential candidate who comes from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi [India] July 17 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to the Government of India, Delhi Governemnt, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCDs) on a PIL filed to ensure availability of sanitary pads for free or at subsidized rates.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): Professional boxers, who are employed with the Railways Sports Promotion Board, will seek permission to participate in the ongoing first edition of the Super Boxing League (SBL) after being denied No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to compete in the league by the RSPB.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu is a fitting candidate for the post of Vice President.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): A Delhi court on Monday adjourned the hearing on a charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police against middleman Sukesh Chandrasekhar in the Election Commission (EC) bribery case involving All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) (Amma) leader TTV Dhinakaran.

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Jul 17 (ANI): A Commandant-Wing Cadre level flag meeting was held between India's Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers on international boundary in the Samba area of Jammu and Kashmir today.

New Delhi [India], Jul 17 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Housing and Urban Affairs, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu is the NDA's candidate for the post of Vice President, party chief Amit Shah announced in Delhi on Monday.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 17 (ANI): The Kerala Women's Commission chairperson M K Josephine on Monday wrote to Tamil Nadu Women commission to take action against the media houses in the state which had reportedly published the name and photograph of the Malayalam actress who was abducted and assaulted earlier this year.

Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 17 (ANI): Kusal Mendis smashed a sparkling unbeaten half-century to keep Sri Lanka's hopes of chasing a record 388 alive on Day Four of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe here at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Monday.

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 17 (ANI): Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Monday said that democracy will not be in danger if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resigns.

New Delhi [India], Jul 17 (ANI): The Opposition on July 19 will be getting together demanding enactment of Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MASUKA) law against the issue of mob lynching and atrocities being unleashed on Dalits and minorities in the country.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested Shivani Saxena, Director of Matrix Holdings Dubai, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in the Agusta Westland Helicopter scam.

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], July 17 (ANI):Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will be launching the first set of 100 Uber bike taxis, a new scheme aimed at generating jobs for the unemployed youth in the state on July 24.

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 17 (ANI): Training guns at the Centre for the growing unlawfulness and injustice in the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asserted that All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) supports Meira Kumar in the race for the next President of India.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 17 (ANI): Suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Saleem Khan was on Monday arrested from the Mumbai Airport.

New Delhi [India] July 17 (ANI): A Delhi court on Monday adjourned the hearing on alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Bahadur Ali for August 28.

Uri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 17 (ANI): A jawan was injured in the ceasefire violation carried out the Pakistan Army on Monday in Uri Sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

New Delhi [India] July 17 (ANI): Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said that the parliamentary board's decision on the Vice Presidential candidate will be the final decision, adding he is not aspiring to become anything.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed its first status report in a sealed cover at the Delhi High Court over Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmad's missing case after the crime branch of the Delhi Police failed to trace the student.

New Delhi [India] July 17 (ANI): After meeting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president B.S. Yeddyurappa on Monday said that he had requested the former to open a National Investigation Agency (NIA) office in Mangalore, adding Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker Sharath Madiwala murder case to be referred to the agency.

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India] July 17 (ANI): Parappana Agrahara Central Prison Jail superintendent Krishna Kumar was transferred on Monday following Deputy Inspector of General (Prisons) D Roopa's transfer to the traffic department.

Karachi [Pakistan], July 17 (ANI): Pakistan women cricket team's poor performance in ICC Women's World Cup in England is to cost huge to captain Sana Mir as she is likely to lose her captaincy as well as her place in the team.

Maiduguri [Nigeria], July 17 (ANI): At least 12 people were killed in suicide bombings in Nigeria's Maiduguri city on Monday.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday issued notice to states directing that no bouquet should be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tours within the nation.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Monday flagged-off the first 1600 HP Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) coach of the Indian Railways from Safdarjung Railway Station here, equipped with solar-powered hotel load system, installed and commissioned by Jakson Engineers Limited.

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): Whether it's an experienced traveller or an enthusiastic backpacker, thousands of tourists visit Peru for a peek of its undeniably awe-inspiring archaeological star attraction - Machu Picchu, but the fact is that Peru is a country replete with hidden treasures waiting to be explored and experienced.