Basque coalition barred from poll

Spain's supreme court has barred a Basque coalition from fielding candidates in forthcoming local elections on the grounds that some of its candidates are linked to the outlawed political wing of the armed separatist group Eta.

The 9-6 ruling came on Sunday from a special 15-member panel of the court.

Those in favour of barring the coalition, called Bildu, said its candidate lists had in essence been organised by the outlawed Eta-linked party Batasuna in a process sponsored by Eta itself.