New Delhi: Defence minister AK Antony asked the service chiefs to make a presentation on the current security scenario and the threat perceptions. Antony also discussed the preparedness of the armed forces in tackling them, officials added.

The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser (NSA) MK Narayanan. Services chiefs Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major and Army chief General Deepak Kapoor, apart from Defence Secretary Vijay Singh participated in the discussions, officials said. The meeting lasted for nearly one hour.

Kolkata: Polling to the Nandigram and Sujapur Assembly seats in West Bengal passed off peacefully with both the sections recording an intense turnout of voters at 80 and
78 per cent, respectively.

Polling in some parts continued well after the stipulated hours.

Elaborate security arrangements were seen at each booth, with security personnel frisking voters with metal detectors. Every booth had a video recording facility.

New Delhi: On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the government of Orissa to guarantee the protection of the Christian community in the state and asked the Union Government to consult the state before taking any decision on the pulling out of paramilitary forces.

Headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, the Bench passed the order after Colin Gonsalves, counsel for the Cuttack Archbishop who has filed a PIL, informed the court that only "deceptive calm" was prevailing in Kandhmal district where anti-Christian violence occurred in August, September last year.

The health department of Canadian Government has allowed Aurobindo Pharma for submission of its abbreviated new drug, Gabapentin capsules in 100mg, 300mg and 400mg strengths.

Aurobindo Pharma is a Hyderabad-based manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The company is already supplying some generic drugs in the Canadian market. The recent approval by Canadian health body is the sixth approval received by Indian Pharmaceutical major.

Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (P&NGRB) has allowed Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) to implement gas distribution network in the entire national capital region of Delhi. IGL supplies compressed natural gas (CNG) and piped natural gas (PNG) across NCR.

It is a joint venture of State run GAIL (India) Ltd and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd along with Government of NCT of Delhi.

Tata Teleservices Ltd. (TTSL) is all set to merge its tower infrastructure business with tower company Quippo Telecom in a bid to deliver more efficient telecom infrastructure services. The merger would make the new entity as the second largest firm in terms of number of towers across India with 18,000 towers.

Quippo Telecom will hold 49 per cent in the new entity with full management control while Tata Teleservices would hold remaining shares in Wireless-TT Info-Services Ltd