tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, January 6, 1999
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Order reserved on Laloo’s bail plea
NEW DELHI, Jan 5 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today reserved its order till January 7 on the bail pleas of Rashtriya Janata Dal president and former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and five others in the Rs 950 crore fodder scam case. The order was reserved by a three-judge Bench comprising Mr Justice G.T. Nanavati, Mr Justice S.P. Kurdukar and Mr Justice K.T. Thomas after hearing arguments from their counsel and the CBI. Additional Solicitor General C.S. Vaidyanathan strongly opposed the bail plea, saying that Mr Yadav was an influential person and there was every likelihood of his tampering with evidence.

5 charred to death
BHOPAL, Jan 5 (PTI) — Five children were charred to death when the hut in which they were sleeping caught fire at a village of Mandla district, the police said today. The incident occurred yesterday at Kobrikala village when the children re-lit the fire which had been put out by their parents before leaving for work in the fields. The victims, including two girls, were below eight, the police said.

Ershad-Khaleda talks
DHAKA, Jan 5 (PTI) — In a significant political development, former President H.M. Ershad had a telephonic conversation with Opposition BNP leader Begum Khaleda Zia for the first time in nearly two decades apparently to launch a joint campaign against the Sheikh Hasina Government, sources close to the two leaders said today. Mr Ershad, chief of the Jatiya Party, held discussions with former Premier Khaleda Zia for nearly 20 minutes after the top leaders of the two parties met here yesterday.

Knighthood
NEW DELHI, Jan 5 (PTI) — British High Commissioner-designate to India Rob Young has been conferred a knighthood. Sir Rob was among those receiving awards in the New Year’s honours list and had been made a knight commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, a British High Commission note here said.