World cup: Spain beats Germany 1:0

Spain outplayed Germany yet again.

And now the Spanish have the biggest prize of all within their sights.

Spain will play for the World Cup title for the very first time, thanks to Carles Puyol’s goal on a powerful header in the second half Wednesday night. The 1-0 victory over Germany was a repeat of the teams’ meeting in the European Championship final two years ago, (more…)

Assad: Lebanon, Syria agreed to demarcate maritime borders

Syrian President Bashar Assad told reporters in Madrid that Damascus has agreed with Lebanon on the demarcation of the maritime boundaries.
“Lebanon and Syria agreed on the demarcation of maritime boundaries in order to determine the right to gas fields for each side in the future,” he said. (more…)

Villa does it again, leads Spain to Cup semis

Spain found just enough of the beautiful game — and a touch of good luck — to advance to the World Cup semifinals, beating Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday night. (more…)

12 killed in Spain while crossing train tracks

Twelve people died and 14 others were injured when a passenger train slammed into a group of young revellers crossing a railway track instead of using an underground passageway in Spain, officials said. (more…)

World Cup: Switzerland beats European champion Spain 1-0

The World Cup needed a jolt. Switzerland provided it.

Gelson Fernandes scored on a rare Swiss attack, giving his team a stunning 1-0 upset Wednesday over European champion and tournament favourite Spain.

The loss ended Spain’s run of 12 straight wins and handed the Spanish just their second loss in 50 games — the other was to the United States at the Confederations Cup in South Africa last year. (more…)

Maalouf wins Spain’s Asturias prize

Amin Maalouf, a France-based writer born in Beirut, has won the 2010 Prince of Asturias Award for literature, Spain’s most prestigious arts award.

Maalouf, 61, is author of Samarkand, The Gardens of Light and The First Century After Beatrice, which examines a world in which a drug guarantees the birth of male children.

His literature and essays explore the Mediterranean world and the Middle East’s many conflicts from an unusual perspective.

“Through historical fiction and theoretical reflection, [Maalouf] has managed to lucidly address the complexity of the human condition,” the jury said in its citation.
(more…)

Spanish FM: Israel seeking to ease tension with Lebanon, Syria

Spanish foreign minister said on Thursday that Israel is trying to ease tension with Syria and Lebanon, the after Israeli charges that Damascus was smuggling Scud missiles to its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. (more…)

Iceland’s volcanic ash affects flights in Morocco, Spain, Turkey

Volcanic ash from Iceland wound its way south to North Africa and curled eastward on Tuesday, forcing authorities for the first time to shut down airports in Morocco, as well as in Spain and, briefly, in Turkey.

Ten airports in Morocco, among them Casablanca, Rabat-Sale, Tangiers, Fez, Agadir and Essaouira — almost all major tourist stops — were being closed until at least 7 a.m. Wednesday (0600 GMT; 2 a.m. EDT).

A Transport Ministry statement carried by the official MAP news agency said it wants “to guarantee a maximum level of security for passengers” as the ash cloud passes over the kingdom on the Atlantic Coast. (more…)

Icelandic volcanic ash shuts down airports in Spain, Moroccoan

Ash from an Icelandic volcano Tuesday shut down traffic at airports from central Spain to the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, air traffic control authorities said.

“At the current time, all airports on the Canary Islands, except Las Palmas, are closed as are some airports in Morocco,” said Eurocontrol, the agency that manages European air travel. (more…)

Merkel:Response to spread of Greek crisis to be ‘decisive’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the response by European governments to the spread of the Greek financial crisis to other debt-burdened countries will be “decisive” as officials hammer out details of the plan.

Merkel said measures aimed at stemming the Greek deficit crisis had failed to ensure the stability of the euro as default speculation prompted yields on Spanish and Portuguese sovereign debt to climb to record highs. Speaking to reporters after she met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Berlin, Merkel said European leaders needed to respond together. (more…)