Madrid - Spani

Madrid - A special anti-drug unit set up by the Spanish tax administration agency has intercepted a vessel carrying 5 tons of cocaine in the Atlantic, the agency said Friday.

The five Venezuelan crew of the 16-metre-long Dona Fortuna were detained in the operation, which took place some 1,500 kilometres off the Canary Islands on Thursday.

The cocaine, which was believed to come from Colombia, would have been worth about 250 million euros (300 million dollars) on the black market.

Madrid - Spanish judge Fernando Andreu will pursue his probe into a 2002 Israeli bombing in Gaza Strip, because the country itself did not investigate the attack, judicial sources said Friday.

Andreu intends to investigate former Israeli defence minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and six military officers or officials over the attack, which killed Hamas leader Salah Shehade and 14 others, including several children.

Andreu believes the attack could constitute a crime against humanity.

Madrid - Spanish Liga club Deportivo Coruna announced on Friday that striker Omar Bravo has been loaned out to Mexican club Tigres until July.

Tigres will pay Deportivo 394,000 euros (500,000 dollars) for the services of Bravo for five months.

Bravo, 28, joined Deportivo from Club Deportivo Guadalajara in July 2008, but has failed to fit in, scoring just one goal in nine games.

Madrid - The European economy could start recovering from its downturn already this year, European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said Friday.

Almunia, who was attending an event to mark the 10th anniversary of Spain's entry into the European Monetary Union, linked the recovery to a rapid application of support measures to the financial and other sectors.

Measures against the crisis needed to take into account its "important" impact on the economy, financial system and social framework, Almunia advised.

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