India

New Delhi, Sept 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that India would raise its target for restoring degraded land from 21 million hectares to 26 million hectares by 2030.

Speaking at the 14th session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Modi said between 2015 and 2017, India's tree and forest cover increased by 0.8 million hectares.

Kanpur: Prior to arrival day of the state chief minister Yogi Adiyanath here, the city's roads are sure to get a facelift. The denizens would now realize the relief within one or two weeks. 

Though the date of CM's visit has not yet finalised, the process of bringing sufficient improvements in the poor civic conditions are being expected by the common people. 

On some wide roads, the repairing work has even started. One resident told the CM's visit comes as a boon for us. Another resident quickly maintained the VVIP's visit always quickens delayed works. 

Simdega (Jharkhand), Sep 8 (PTI) A Jharkhand court has sentenced two men to 25 years in prison for raping a 20-year-old woman in Simdega town in 2017.

Additional district judge (I), Neeraj Kumar Srivastav, has found Vijay Kumar and Ajay Mishra guilty of the crime under sections of the Indian Penal Code and pronounced the quantum of the sentence against them on Saturday.

New Delhi, Sep 8 (PTI) Suzuki Motor India Pvt Ltd has decided to hold back its planned investments on capacity enhancement due to the ongoing slowdown in two-wheeler sales and expectation of a hit in the market by the transition to stricter BS-VI emission norm from BS-IV in April 2020, according to a senior company official.

Srinagar, Sep 8 (PTI) Curfew-like restrictions were reimposed on Sunday in several parts of Kashmir, including the city, to foil any plans on taking out Muharram processions in the Valley as authorities apprehended that large congregations might lead to violence.

Commercial hub of Lal Chowk and adjoining areas were completely sealed off by placing concertina wires at all entry points where large number of security force personnel were deployed, officials said.

Bijapur, Sep 7 (PTI) Two Naxals were arrested on Friday evening by a joint team of the CRPF and District Force in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, an official said.

Lakshmaiyya alias Lachhu Kattam (43) and woman cadre Chimma alias Chinnami Kattam (42) were held from a forest near Galgam village under Usoor police station limits, he said.

Gurgaon, Sep 7 (PTI) A man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting his two minor daughters in Sohna area, police said on Saturday.

The incident was reported to a woman police post here on Friday by the mother of the victims who is from Nepal.

The woman in her complaint said that her husband, who worked as a labourer here, raped her 17-year-old daughter from her first marriage in her absence.

Chandigarh, Sep 7 (PTI) Haryana Congress's newly appointed president Kumari Selja on Saturday said the party will fight the state polls collectively by moving in "fast-forward mode".

Stressing that the allocation of tickets will be done soon, Selja said all sections of society, including youth and women, will be accommodated in ticket distribution.

Bhubaneswar, Sep 7 (PTI) Several persons were injured in a clash between a group of people and police in the city over imposition of heavy fines on violators of traffic rules under the new motor vehicles act.

The incident occurred at Raj Mahal square when commuters gheraoed on-duty traffic policemen and protested against collection of fines which they termed "hefty", police said.

Bhaderwah/Jammu, Sep 8 (PTI) A 4.9-magnitude earthquake hit Doda and Kishtwar districts of Chenab Valley region in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, officials said.

There was no immediate report of any casualty or damage to property from anywhere, Senior Superintendent of Police, Doda, Mumtaz Ahmed said.

The quake occurred around 8.04 am and lasted for a few seconds, causing panic among people who rushed out of their homes in Bhaderwah, Doda and Kishtwar, the officials said.