Madrid - Omar Osama bin Laden, 27, one of the 19 children of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, has sought political asylum in Spain, Interior Ministry sources said Tuesday.

Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain - Volcanic landscapes, jungle-like laurel forests, lava deserts and thick pinewood: La Palma is not only the greenest island of the Canaries, it's also the most diverse.

A network of trails totalling 1,000 kilometres on La Palma, nicknamed Isla Bonita makes it a hiker's paradise.

Madrid - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday gave his backing to Spain's aspiration to attend an economic summit in Washington, to which Spain has not been invited.

The presence of one of the world's biggest economies at the economic summit in mid-November would be "very useful" for the international community, Barroso said at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero during a visit to Madrid.

Madrid - Fans of Spanish football giants Barcelona are confident that their team can stay top of La Liga for the rest of the season, according to an online poll organized by Catalan daily Sport.

Sport asked its readers, most of whom are Barca fans, the question "Will Barca maintain the lead until the end of the season.'"

By Monday afternoon, 71 per cent of readers had voted "yes", with only 29 per cent voting "no".

Madrid - During her 33 years as queen, Sofia of Spain had been known for her gentleness and discretion.

But at the time of her 70th birthday, the Greek-born wife of King Juan Carlos stunned the country with a sudden outburst of outspokenness, reigniting a debate about the role of the monarchy.

The queen opened up to journalist Pilar Urbano, whose book "The Queen Up Close" was published just ahead of Sofia's birthday on Sunday, and continued sparking controversy on Monday.