Barcelona - Journalist and author Maruja Torres, 65, has been awarded the Nadal Prize, Spain's oldest literature award, media reported Wednesday.

The prize was awarded for the 65th time overnight in Barcelona.

Torres won the prize for her novel Esperadme en el Cielo (Wait for Me in Heaven), in which the protagonist meets old friends, Manolo and Terenci, in heaven.

The two represent Torres' friends, the late Spanish writers Manuel Vazquez Montalban and Terenci Moix.

The novel was described as a bittersweet tribute to friendship.

Barcelona - Atheist groups in Barcelona will follow the example of a bus advertising campaign under way in London, placing ads denying the existence of God on two buses running in Spain's second-largest city, local transport authorities said Monday.

The ads reading "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" will be seen in Barcelona from January 12 onwards.

For believers, faith in God was not an obstacle to enjoying life, but "a solid foundation to live life with an attitude of solidarity, peace and a sense of transcendence," the Barcelona archbishop's office commented.

Barcelona - Hundreds of Spanish students Thursday disrupted traffic, causing traffic jams in the Barcelona region in protests at the temporary expulsion of six students.

The six had been accused of staging violent incidents against the so-called Bologna university reform.

A protest movement against the reform based on a 1999 declaration and signed by 46 European countries has spread through some half a dozen Spanish universities.

Barcelona - Albert Costa was on Thursday named as the new captain of Spain's Davis Cup team, replacing Emilo Sanchez Vicario who resigned after leading his country to the 2008 title 3-1 over Argentina last month in Mar del Plata.

Costa was favourite to take over the post and receives a one-year contract. Spain begin the defence of their Davis Cup title next year March 6-8 against Serbia in Benidorm.

"For me the nomination is a recognition of my total career," said the 33-year-old, who was part of Spain's Davis Cup winning team in 2000 and is believed to have beaten off competition from former player Alex Corretja.

Madrid  - Sergio Busquets is about to extend his contract at Spanish giants Barcelona, according to the online versions of newspapers Marca and Mundo Deportivo on Thursday evening.

Busquets, 20, is poised to sign an improved contract which will last until 2013.

The negotiations are being carried out by Josep Maria Orobitg, the midfielder's agent, and Txiki Begiristain, Barca's technical secretary.

The youngster is the son of 1990s Barca keeper Carles Busquets.

Barcelona - One of the 18 people who were in a critical condition following a gas explosion in their block of flats in north- eastern Spain died on Thursday, regional health officials said.

The 60-year-old woman had burns to 85 per cent of her body.

Twenty-two of the 27 injured victims remained at hospital. They included eight children, five of whom were described as being in a very serious condition.

A gas explosion caused a three-storey building to partially collapse and sparked a fire in the low-income locality of Gava near Barcelona on Wednesday.