S P O T L I G H T

Naxals kill 30
Hyderabad, November 18
In a major strike, naxalites of the outlawed People’s War Group (PWG) tonight blew up a state transport corporation bus, killing 30 passengers, majority of them tribals, in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. The blast occurred at Chintagattu village in Eturunagaram forest area, about 140 km from Warangal, the police said. PTI

Gyanendra expands Cabinet
Kathmandu, November 18
Nepal King Gyanendra today expanded the nine-member caretaker Cabinet led by Lokendra Bahadur Chand by adding 13 new ministers. King Gyanendra included eight new Cabinet rank ministers and five assistant ministers in the government formed on October 11 under the Article 127 of the Constitution, after dismissing former premier Sher Bahadur Deuba. PTI

25 children taken hostage
Madrid, November 18
Twentyfive children were being held hostage in a school near the Spanish city of Barcelona, local government officials said today. The officials said a man had entered the school in the town of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. The local media reported that the man was holding the children, aged 12, at knifepoint and was demanding money. Reuters

6 Kashmiris detained
Jaipur, November 18
At least 50 persons, including six Kashmiris, were detained since last week in view of the “terrorist threat” to the ongoing Pushkar fair, the police said here today. The Kashmiris were detained on “suspected identity” and three of them would be released soon as the J and K government had confirmed their identity, the police said. PTI