Madrid - Madrid's Barajas airport was Monday gradually returning to normal after delays and cancellations of flights affected thousands of passengers, the airport operator AENA said Monday.

Spain's main airline Iberia, however, was still struggling to deal with hundreds of stranded passengers.

The problems at the airport are largely due to an unofficial work to rule stoppage by Iberia pilots seeking pay hikes and better working conditions.

Many of the Barajas air controllers also called in sick on Friday, but AENA denied on Monday that they had wanted to protest eventual pay cuts.

Madrid - Atletico Madrid announced on Monday morning that internationals Pablo, Maniche and Maxi Rodriguez would all be fit for Tuesday's high-profile King's Cup clash against league leaders Barcelona.

All three players were sorely missed in Saturday's 3-1 defeat away to Valencia, a result which pulls Atletico down to fifth in La Liga.

Madrid - Spanish inf

Mogadishu - A British reporter and a Spanish photographer were released Sunday after 40 days' captivity in Somalia's semi- autonomous Puntland region, officials said.

Colin Freeman, who worked for Britain's Sunday Telegraph and freelance photographer Jose Cendon were in Puntland covering a surge in piracy off Somalia when they were seized from the port town of Bosasso.

"The two western journalists were released this morning and they are now in a hotel in Bosasso," Bile Mohamoud Qabowsade, a senior advisor to the Puntland president, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Madrid  - Spanish giants Real Madrid announced on Sunday morning that Daniel Parejo would be out of action for around a month after twisting his left knee in training.

Parejo, 19, suffered the injury on Friday, in a training-ground clash with veteran Guti.

Parejo, a Spanish Under-21 international midfielder, has just returned to Real after a five-month loan spell at London club Queens Park Rangers.

He was expected to feature in Sunday's league game at home to Villarreal, together with new signings Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra.

Real have signed Huntelaar and Diarra because of their injury crisis, though only one of them can be registered for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Madrid  - Spanish leaders Barcelona kicked off 2009 with a 3- 1 comeback at home over lowly Mallorca on Saturday, with goals from Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta and Yaya Toure.

Record-breaking Barca now have 44 points from 17 games - the highest-ever total at this stage of the season - 11 more than Valencia, who moved up to second late Saturday with a 3-1 defeat of Atletico Madrid.

"It was a great way for us to start the year," said Henry, in his best form since joining Barca from Arsenal in 2007.