Hale and hearty PM

A wild rumour swept through New Delhi on Monday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked for a cancellation of the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel because he had taken ill and that all his engagements had also been cancelled. PMO officials were surprised to receive enquiries about the state of the PM's health, and re-assured anxious callers that the PM was, in fact, sitting in a meeting of the cabinet committee on political affairs (CCPA), surrounded by all his senior colleagues! On Tuesday he not only received Ms Merkel but also appeared before the national media at Hyderabad House.