The leader of the armed Basque group ETA was arrested in France today, officials said, in another setback for the separatists, who have seen five of their commanders taken into custody in the last two years.

Spanish voters went to the polls faced with a choice between PM José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Mariano Rajoy of the right, neither of whom laid out a coherent vision, write Elaine Sciolino and Victoria Burnett.

Spaniards are voting today in a general election overshadowed by a killing blamed on Basque separatists that evoked memories of the 2004 election in which Islamic militants killed 191 people in bombings aimed at bringing down a conservative government.

Both of Spain’s major political parties called off all campaigning in the run up to Sunday’s general election after a politician was shot dead by Basque terrorists today.

The Basque terrorist group ETA was blamed for the murder of a Spanish politician today, two days before the country’s general election.