Madrid  - Spanish football giants Real Madrid announced on Wednesday that Arjen Robben will be out of action for between two and three weeks.

According to the club's website, the Dutch winger tore the triceps muscle in his right leg in Tuesday's dramatic 3-2 home win over Getafe.

Robben will miss Sunday's crucial game away to third-placed Sevilla as well as the home game against leaders Barcelona on May 2.

The injury-prone Robben came off the bench at half-time in the Getafe match but limped off after just 19 minutes.

Madrid - The first pro-Spanish government of Spain's Basque region is to step up the fight against the militant separatist group ETA, regional prime minister-designate Patxi Lopez vowed Wednesday.

Lopez, a Socialist, is to be sworn in on May 5 as the region's first prime minister clearly defending its unity with Spain since it was granted a broad self-government three decades ago.

Lopez will succeed moderate Basque nationalist Juan Jose Ibarretxe, whose Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) favours weaker ties to Spain.

Madrid - Spain has allowed genetic screening of embryos to prevent cancer as one of the first countries in the world, press reports said Wednesday.

Two decisions by the National Commission for Assisted Human Reproduction allowed two couples to select embryos to make sure they were free of genes predisposing them to breast or thyroid cancer.

The decision on breast cancer was seen as making a liberal interpretation of the law, which only allows screening on the conditions that the disease is hereditary, appears early and cannot be treated.

Madrid, Apr. 22 : Visiting Indian President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil has expressed hope about the relationship between India and Spain getting a new face.

“We are keen to strengthen our bilateral relations with Spain and I have no doubt that the city of Madrid will play an increasingly larger role, be it in the trade, economic and financial aspects or in the cultural, educational and scientific spheres," Patil said.

Madrid - In 1788, Spanish master Francisco de Goya depicted a popular celebration in honour of Madrid's patron saint in La Pradera de San Isidro (The Meadow of Saint Isidro).

The painting, now at the Prado art museum, shows in the background a view across the Manzanares river of a wide green slope topped by the church of San Francisco el Grande and other white buildings.

The leafy area located between the church and Las Vistillas gardens still forms part of the Spanish capital.

Madrid  - Defiant Real Madrid moved up to within three points of Spanish leaders Barcelona on Tuesday, with an astonishing 3-2 comeback win over naive Getafe.

With just four minutes remaining in the Estadio Bernabeu, with the score at 2-2, Getafe veteran Francisco Casquero missed a penalty in the most absurd fashion possible.

And in the very last minute of injury time, Gonzalo Higuain punished Casquero for his stupidity by making it 3-2 with a left-foot drive.