Spanish police have defused a powerful car bomb in the northern city of Bilbao after an anonymous caller - claiming to be from the Basque separatist group ETA - gave a warning to a local newspaper. The bomb - comprised of 30 kilos (50 lbs) of explosives packed inside a pressure cooker and wired to a timer - was inside a car parked near the city's San Mames soccer stadium and a finance ministry building. The thwarted attack comes as many town halls in the Basque region swore in new councillors. It also comes as street protests have been held by supporters of the now banned pro-Basque independence party Batasuna, which the Spanish Government has linked to ETA. |