Valencia, Spain  - Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Tuesday that the alliance should re-evaluate its relations with Russia without severing them.

The relations should be reconsidered after Russia's "disproportionate" use of force in Georgia, but not broken because they were a "strategic asset," Scheffer said at the
54th annual meeting of the NATO parliamentary assembly.

The assembly adopted a resolution urging Russia to respect the sovereignty of other nations as about 300 delegates from 50 countries were wrapping up their five-day meeting in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia.

Valencia - Spanish football giants Valencia announced on Tuesday that left-back Asier del Horno will be out of action for around three weeks due to injury.

The Basque defender has a twisted external ligament in his right knee, which should not require an operation, the club said. Del Horno, 27, suffered this injury in training earlier in the day.

Del Horno joined Valencia from Chelsea after missing the 2006 World Cup through injury. He has failed to be a regular at Mestalla and was loaned out to his original club, Athletic Bilbao, last season.

Valencia, Spain - Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Tuesday that the alliance should re-evaluate its relations with Russia without severing them.

The relations should be reconsidered after Russia's "disproportionate" use of force in Georgia, but not broken because they were a "strategic asset," Scheffer said at the
54th annual meeting of the NATO parliamentary assembly.

Geneva - A new ceiling artwork meant to inspire dialogue, human rights and global solidarity was unveiled Tuesday at the United Nation's Geneva offices.

The work, created by Spanish abstract painter Miquel Barcelo, graces a room where groups like the UN's Human Rights Council and the High Level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations meet.

Madrid- Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon on Tuesday unexpectedly gave up his inquiry into alleged human rights crimes committed during the 1936-39 civil war and General Francisco Franco's ensuing 36-year dictatorship.

Franco and his collaborators could no longer face legal responsibility for crimes, Garzon, a magistrate at the National Court, said in a judicial resolution after receiving the death certificates of the dictator and 44 others.

Madrid - Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon on Tuesday suddenly gave up his investigation into human rights crimes committed during the 1936-39 civil war and General Francisco Franco's ensuing dictatorship.

Franco and 44 of his collaborators could no longer be held legally responsible for the crimesbecause they are dead, Garzon said in a judicial resolution.

Garzon also said he was not responsible for investigating mass graves where Franco's opponents were buried. He transferred that responsibility to the authorities in regions where the graves were located.