Spain: Basques protest ban on political party

Tens of thousands of people marched Saturday through the Basque city of Bilbao protesting Spain’s intention to outlaw a political party that refuses to condemn terrorism in the name of independence.

Waving red, green and yellow Basque flags, protesters were largely peaceful as they marched in the largest demonstration the port city has seen in years.

On June 4, Parliament’s lower house approved a bill that would allow the dismantling of political parties viewed as encouraging or supporting terrorism. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation later this month.

The Spanish government charges that the Batasuna party, which has seven seats in the 75-member Basque regional legislature, is merely the political wing of ETA, condemned as a terrorist organization by Spain, the United States and the European Union.

Republic of Congo: Rebels hunted down after attack kills 70

Heavy arms fire Saturday echoed briefly through the capital of the Republic of Congo as government troops hunted down rebels who staged a surprise attack on the city that killed more than 70 people.

The shooting was short-lived and isolated in the Kinsoundi district of the city. In the afternoon Saturday, heavy arms fire was heard coming from outside Brazzaville’s southern borders.

The gunfire followed Friday’s attack by rebels on Brazzaville, the first attack on the capital since restarting the West African country’s civil war in late March.

An official at the Health Ministry said at least 70 people, including six civilians, were killed during the attack. He said the death toll could rise as more bodies were discovered.

Iraq: Protest issued with U.N. on oil-for-food program

Iraq on Saturday accused the United States and Britain of interfering with the U.N. oil-for-food program, which lets Iraq use oil revenue to buy food and medicines.

The program was created in 1996 to ease the suffering of Iraqi civilians under sanctions imposed on Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. It allows Iraq to sell unlimited amounts of oil to purchase basic needs for its people. But the United States and Britain set the price of Iraqi oil retroactively at the end of the month to prevent Iraq from taking advantage of market fluctuations to impose an illegal surcharge.

Oil Minister Amer Moham-med Rashid told a news conference Saturday that the new U.N. oil pricing policy for Iraqi oil has caused a big drop in revenues and could sabotage the program.

Egypt: Intact sarcophagus discovered near Sphinx

Archaeologists have discovered what may be the oldest intact sarcophagus ever found, belonging to an overseer of workers who built the pyramids, Egypt’s top archaeologist said Saturday.

The limestone sarcophagus still had its lid glued to it, which “proves that no one opened it since (about) 4,600 years ago,” said Zahi Hawass, who also led the excavation.

“It may be the oldest intact sarcophagus ever found,” said Hawass, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Antiquities.

The tomb where the sarcophagus was found is 1.25 miles southeast of the Sphinx in a large cemetery for the workmen who built the pyramids and tombs and temples on the Giza plateau, he said.

Plans call for the sarcophagus to be opened in September.