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PM visits blast sites, tells people to maintain calm
Hyderabad, February 24
Three days after the twin bomb blasts rocked Hyderabad, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh flew down to the city today to inspect the blast sites and consoled the victims undergoing treatment in two hospitals. During the brief visit, the Prime Minister praised the people of Hyderabad for maintaining calm and refusing to be provoked by the nefarious act of terrorists.

Nation page: Hyderabad vulnerable to terror strikes M Manmohan Singh and AP CM Kiran Kumar Reddy (C) talk to a blast victim in Hyderabad on Sunday. — PTI

Copter deal: CBI team back from Italy with papers
New Delhi, February 24
A decision on the Rs 3,500-crore VVIP helicopter deal is expected within next few days. While a CBI team has procured documents from the Italian authorities, the Ministry of the Defence will start the process of dealing with the show-cause notice it had sent to Italian aerospace major Finmeccanica tomorrow.

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Tribune Exclusive
VVIP copter row casts shadow on another contract
* $1.2-bn contract for 16 multi-role choppers for Navy may run into trouble
* AgustaWestland is under scanner in both deals
New Delhi, February 24
The alleged kickbacks controversy in the Rs 3,546-crore deal for 12 VVIP AW-101 helicopters has started casting a shadow over another mega $1.2 billion contract for 16 multi-role choppers for the Navy's sea and off-shore operations.

Iran’s Speaker coming to India; N-plan in focus
New Delhi, February 24
Ahead of the next round of talks between Tehran and the P 5+1 countries in Kazakhstan over the controversial nuclear programme of the Islamic republic, Iran is sending its Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani to India next week for talks on a range of issues.

Patiala Mayor’s wife, son held in murder case
Patiala, February 24
“Punjab wich do tareekey dey kanoon han. Ik aam aadmi layi, te doosra VIPs de layi” (There are two types of laws in Punjab. One for the common man and the other for the VIPs), said Gurpreet Singh, brother of Parampreet Kaur, daughter-in-law of Patiala Mayor Jaspal Pardhan, who was allegedly found murdered yesterday.

Punjab page: Clamour for Mayor’s ouster grows

Haryana pushing sterilisations to meet family planning targets
New Delhi, February 24
Despite the National Population Policy advocating a target-free approach, Haryana continues to practise family planning policies that involve setting of targets and undue dependence on sterilisations as the primary form of contraception.

Hooda grants Bawal subdivision status
Bawal (Rewari), February 24
The Bawal block of Rewari district will become a subdivision by August 15. The block will also get a new bus stand, stadium, independent grain market and college of agriculture. CM BS Hooda at Bawal in Rewari on Sunday.

Fauja Singh, world’s oldest marathoner, retires at 101 For the world’s oldest marathon man, the final finish line is nigh. Two months short of his 102nd birthday, Fauja Singh hanged up his racing shoes after completing the 10km race that was held in conjunction with the annual Hong Kong Marathon today. Fauja Singh after his last race in Hong Kong. Reuters