S P O T L I G H T

Two killed in blast
Mumbai, December 2
Two persons were killed and 31 others, including a child and three women, injured in a powerful bomb blast that ripped through a bus outside crowded Ghatkopar railway station in suburban Mumbai today, setting off a red alert across the metropolis as the Maharashtra Government said Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI could be behind the blast. The explosion, which occurred around 6.40 pm, shattered the rear portion of the government-owned bus bound for Amritnagar in north-east Mumbai. Two persons succumbed to their injuries in hospital while five wounded were in a serious condition. PTI

Biodiversity Bill passed
New Delhi, December 2
The Lok Sabha today passed the Biodiversity Bill after Environment and Forests Minister T.R. Baalu assured the House that the proposed national biodiversity authority will effectively address all concerns about conservation and preservation of biodiversity while providing access to biological resources. UNI