The Hollywood Liberal

Basque Militants Suspected in Car Bombing

In a continuation of the decades-long struggle between the Spanish government and those calling for independence of the Basque territories, a car bomb went off near a Bilbao television station Wednesday. No one was injured in the blast, which authorities believe was set off by the ETA, a militant Basque independence group.

Reuters via the Financial Times:

A car bomb exploded in Spain’s Basque country near the headquarters of a local television station in the town of Bilbao on Wednesday without causing any injuries, a police spokesman said.

Police said emergency services had evacuated television station ETB, which broadcasts in Basque and Spanish, and surrounding buildings following a bomb warning in the name of separatist group ETA.

The explosion shattered the windows of the round, glass walled building.

Emergency services had found a suspicious vehicle after closing off the area and discovered the owner of the vehicle tied to a tree on a nearby mountain, police said.

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Israel Continues Killing, Bars Journalists

Be it due to danger or the ever-present desire for security, the Israeli government has always found reason to forbid journalists to enter the Gaza Strip at times of “conflict.” The current brutal assault on Gaza is no different, but this time an association of journalists has filed a petition in the Israeli Supreme Court to demand access to the occupied territories.

For good up-to-date information on the attacks in the Gaza Strip, check out the Institute for Middle East Understanding.

The Guardian:

Israel’s supreme court will hear a petition tomorrow brought by the Foreign Press Association, which represents around 400 foreign journalists, demanding that Israel allow reporters into Gaza to cover the latest conflict.

The sole pedestrian crossing from Israel into Gaza, at Erez, has remained closed to journalists since Israel’s bombing campaign began on Saturday.

Two years ago, after Hamas won the Palestinian elections, Israeli authorities stopped all Israeli journalists and Palestinian journalists with Israeli identity cards crossing into Gaza, saying it was too dangerous.

Last month, as the last ceasefire between Israel and Gaza militant groups began to collapse, the Israeli defence ministry closed the Erez crossing to all foreign journalists as well, citing “security” reasons.

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