Madrid - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was Wednesday awarded a Spanish prize for his fight against terrorism amid protests by his critics.

Uribe described his security policy against guerrilla movements as "the road to peace and freedom" on receiving the award, granted by the city of Cadiz, in presence of Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia at the Colombian embassy in Madrid.

Madrid - Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon on Wednesday announced a new judicial investigation of those responsible for torture at the US prison camp in Guantanamo, Cuba.

The National Court judge based the case on complaints filed by Hamed Abderrahman Ahmed, known as the Spanish Taliban, and three others who claimed to have been tortured at Guantanamo.

Madrid - Spain went deeper into a recession in the first quarter, with gross domestic product (GDP) shrinking 1.8 per cent compared to the last quarter of 2008, the Bank of Spain said Wednesday.

The economy contracted 2.9 per cent over 12 months in its steepest decline since the 1970s.

A recession caused partly by the collapse of a property boom is being aggravated by the persistence of the international slowdown, the effects of which have not been offset by falling inflation and interest rates, the bank said.

Madrid - Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia will head Madrid's delegation when the Olympic host city for the
2016 Games is elected in October. A royal spokesman said on Tuesday that the royal couple has accepted an invitation by Madrid mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon.

The four bidders, which apart from Madrid are Chicago, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, will make final presentations to the International Olympic Committee at its Session in Copenhagen. The host city is elected by the IOC Session on October 2.

Madrid - French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday pledged to spare no effort in helping Spain fight the militant Basque separatist group ETA, saying democracy could not "give in to terrorists.""Every time Spain needs France in the fight against the killers, Spain can count on the French republic," Sarkozy said in a speech to Spanish parliament.