The Basque regional government delivered a rebuff to ETA after the armed separatist group announced another ceasefire and suggested it might turn to a political process in its quest for an independent homeland.

BASQUE separatist group ETA declared a ceasefire yesterday in its bloody 42-year campaign for a homeland independent of Spain, vowing to give up guns and bombs to seek a democratic solution.

BASQUE voters were choosing a new government yesterday in Spain’s most turbulent region, and for the first time the ruling Basque Nationalist Party is seeing a strong challenge from the socialists.

Around 1.7 million Basques were urged to vote in elections today for the government in Spain’s most turbulent region.

A Spanish judge jailed 17 members of Batasuna – the banned political wing of the armed separatist group ETA.

A judge today began questioning 23 senior members of Batasuna – the banned political wing of the armed separatist group ETA – arrested in raids in the northern Basque region.

A senior member of the Basque separatist movement said the arrest of 23 of his fellow party members amounted to a “declaration of war” by the Spanish government.

The entire top leadership of an outlawed Basque political party linked to Spanish terrorist group ETA have been arrested in a police raid.

Ruling Socialists and opposition conservatives in Spain fought to a virtual tie in local elections, highlighting deep divisions in a country torn over its Basque conflict, terrorism and other issues.

Spaniards voted today in local and regional elections following an acrimonious campaign centring on major issues such as terrorism and the Basque conflict.

Spanish prosecutors filed a lawsuit against a new Basque party with the Supreme Court today, calling it a successor of Batasuna – already banned for links to armed separatist group Eta.

The North’s Assembly Election campaign will today go up several gears as candidates lodge their nomination papers for the March 7 poll.

The Basque separatist group Eta today claimed responsibility for a powerful car bombing that killed two people, but insisted a “permanent” ceasefire it called in March remained in force and said the fatalities were unintentional.

A powerful car bomb exploded at Madrid’s international airport today, injuring 26 people and leaving two missing in an attack blamed on the Basque separatist group ETA.

Gun-toting Basque militants claiming to speak for ETA said the Basque separatist group will “keep taking up arms” until the region achieves independence, a newspaper said today – the starkest sign yet that a fledgling peace process seems to be struggling.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams will today embark on a three-day trip to Spain in a bid to support the peace process there involving the Basques.

A ceasefire that ended nearly four decades of bombings and assasinations by Basque separatist group ETA came into force today, ushering in a new era of hope for Spain.

The Spanish Government was urged by Gerry Adams today to respond creatively and positively to Basque separatist group Eta’s ceasefire declaration.

A small bomb exploded on a road in northern Spain today after the armed Basque separatist group ETA made a warning call about four bombs.

SPAIN’S Supreme Court sentenced radical leader Arnaldo Otegi to a year in prison yesterday for slandering King Juan Carlos by saying he was in charge of torturers.

Riot police firing rubber pellets clashed with Basque separatist protesters who set rubbish bins ablaze yesterday, after a banned rally in the northern Spanish city of San Sebastian.

The Basque region’s most prominent pro-independence militant was indicted today on charges of belonging to the armed Basque separatist group ETA.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams today condemned the imprisonment in Spain of a Basque politician on suspicion of being a leader of terrorist group, ETA.

PARTIES in Spain’s Basque region prepared for horse-trading yesterday after a key regional election served up a dramatic shift in their political landscape — a rebuke to the nationalists pushing for autonomy, and the emergence of a little- known, pro-independence party as possible kingmaker.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams suggested today an Irish priest should mediate in the Spanish government’s conflict with Basque terrorists.

A CAR bomb exploded near Madrid’s main convention centre yesterday, injuring 43 people, hours before Spanish and Mexican leaders were due there and after a warning from the Basque separatist group ETA.

A powerful car bomb exploded outside a Madrid convention centre where the Spanish king and queen were due to attend an arts fair today.

The Spanish government responded to a peace overture from the armed Basque separatist group Eta today by saying the group must first renounce violence and surrender its weapons.

SMALL bombs exploded yesterday in seven cities around Spain after telephone warnings from callers claiming to speak on behalf of the armed Basque separatist group ETA, the Interior Ministry said.

THE Spanish government has rejected a new proposal from Basque militants for dialogue to end the region’s long-running conflict, yesterday saying it lacked an explicit renunciation of violence.

The Spanish government has rejected a new proposal from Basque militants for dialogue to end the region’s long-running conflict, saying today it lacked an explicit renunciation of violence.

Thousands of tourists were evacuated from five Spanish Mediterranean beaches today following a bomb warning – the same area mentioned in false threats earlier in the week.

Traumatised by terrorism, Spaniards today prepared for general elections as a nation in grief, with the ruling party favoured to win and insisting that Basque separatists remain the prime suspect in the rail bombings that killed 199 people.

Millions of Spaniards took to the streets, chanting “Cowards” and “Assassins” in a protest against the Madrid bombings that killed 199 people.

The ISEQ index was down 1.5% on Thursday following the terrorist bomb attack in Madrid today.

The Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has condemned the attacks in Madrid as "mass murder" and he vowed to hunt down the attackers.

Powerful bombs ripped through three busy Madrid railway stations today just three days before general elections, killing at least 173 rush-hour commuters and wounding more than 600 in Spain’s worst terrorist attack.

ONE night last week gangs of men went into Cliftonpark Avenue, Cliftondene Gardens and Ciftondene Crescent in North Belfast and attacked seven homes: four with bricks and paint bombs and three with petrol bombs.

Basque terror group Eta returned to the offensive today, killing two policemen and critically injuring another in a car bomb attack in northern Spain.

Basque terror group Eta resumed their bloody campaign for an independent homeland today with a a car bomb attack that killed two policemen and critically wounded another in northern Spain.

Hundreds of supporters of Basque nationalists barred from running in an upcoming election staged an unauthorised rally today and said Spain was not a democracy.

A SPANISH policeman was killed and three colleagues injured yesterday when a boo

A Spanish policeman was killed and three colleagues injured today when a booby trapped sign for a Basque separatist party exploded as they began to inspect it.

Three Spanish policemen were injured today when a booby trapped sign for a Basque separatist party exploded as they began to inspect it.