Naxalite count at 7000

New Delhi, March 8 (PTI): There are over 7,000 armed Naxalites in the country and the rebels have a presence in 76 districts, the Rajya Sabha was told today.

Minister of state for home S.P. Jaiswal also said in the House that reports suggested the rebel groups were raising funds mainly through extortion and levying cess on sale or movement of forest produce.

Lawyer bar

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi High Court has refused to lift the ban on 25 advocates who were told not to venture within 500m of the court or any of its subordinates. Contempt proceedings had been initiated against the advocates for vandalising 26 court halls in the Tis Hazari complex.

‘Spy’ held

Mumbai (PTI): A suspected ISI operative was picked up from a Mumbai suburb on Wednesday. The man, identified as Kasmi Kadar Kunhi, had fake currency worth Rs 3 lakh.

Peace climb

San Francisco (AFP): Followers of different faiths, including those from India, will be part of a team of “peace climbers” that will attempt to scale the world’s highest peak next month. The Mount Everest peace project will have mountaineers from seven countries and five religions ? Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Gandhi street

Ulaanbaatar (PTI): A street in the Mongolian capital has been named after Mahatma Gandhi. The decision of the Ulaanbaatar city khural (assembly) of citizens’ representatives is part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and India.

Actor dead

Kochi (PTI): Malayalam actor Madathipparambil Seshan Iyer Venkitaraman, popularly known as M.S. Tripunithura, died in a train at Shoranur in Palakkad district of Kerala on Wednesday. He was 64. Tripunithura was on his way to Kochi.