UPA, Left rift widens
Only agree to fight communal forces
New Delhi, May 18

The seven-hour-long UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting today ended on a discord note with the Communists disassociating with the Congress-led coalition’s assessment of the performance of Manmohan Singh government during the past one year.	Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Sonia Gandhi talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal In video (28k, 56k)
Special article: A year of Dr Manmohan Singh–I

Cabinet nod to ban dance bars, ordinance soon
Mumbai, May 18
The Maharashtra Government today finally decided to impose a statewide ban on dance bars, with the Cabinet giving its approval for promulgation of an ordinance.
In video (28k, 56k)

Chandigarh page Respite for zoo animals Royal Bengal tigers take a splash in a pool to beat the heat at the Chhat Bir Zoo, near Chandigarh, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

India holds talks with N-suppliers
New Delhi, May 18
A delegation of the 30-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) held a crucial round of talks with senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs here recently which may have an immense strategic significance for India in the near future.

Opinions page: Nuclear power play

CM to help scrap ‘blacklist’ of Punjabis in Canada
Rajasansi (Amritsar), May 18
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today agreed to help end ‘blacklist’ of Punjabis, settled in Canada and other countries. He said he would take up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard.

Punjab page: Six Punjabis elected to British Columbia Assembly

Number of tigers at Dudhwa park goes up
Lucknow, May 18
There is welcome news from the Dudhwa National Park. If the preliminary report of the tiger count is to be believed, the number of tigers in the reserve may have gone up from the 110 recorded in 2003.

Former HC judge summoned in land scam case
New Delhi, May 18
Taking cognizance of a CBI chargesheet in the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land scam case, a city court today issued summons to former Delhi High Court Judge, Shameet Mukherjee who was forced to resign two years ago in the wake of alleged judicial misconduct while dealing with a case involving property of a hotelier.