IN THE NEWS.

A terrorist bomb that wounded 35 people, mostly British tourists, July 20 at the Reus airport in eastern Spain has prompted increased security measures in the region. Among them are the removal of airport trash cans, like the one where the bomb was hidden, and the hiring of additional airport security personnel.

Extra police patrols have been added on Spain's popular Mediterranean beaches near the airport, 50 miles south of Barcelona.

Police attribute this explosion and a series of hotel bombings in Mediterranean resort areas to the Basque separatist group ETA, which is fighting for an independent Basque homeland.

``In most cases, the size and location of the bombs indicate that they were not meant to cause serious injury, but rather to frighten the throngs of summer tourists,'' said a notice issued by the U.S. State Department.

Since the bombing, only a few hundred people have canceled hotel or tour reservations, tourism executives said. But Rafael Saez, director of the Reus airport, said the number of passengers decreased by about 10 percent on flights arriving the last week of July.

The U.S. State Department has issued a notice for travelers to Indonesia: The U.S. Embassy has received unconfirmed information that the Free Papua Movement (OPM) may be targeting U.S. citizens or U.S. companies in Irian Jaya Province for hostage-taking or for sabotage. The U.S. Embassy recommends that persons traveling to Irian Jaya stay in larger towns and avoid traveling to remote villages. The Embassy also recommends that travelers contact the U.S. Embassy in advance of any travel at 011-62-21-344-2211.