Fashion designer Jesus del Pozo, one of Spain's most influential style modernizers, has died aged 65.

A statement released late Saturday by Spain's Fashion Creators Association said Del Pozo had succumbed to a lung problem. Association president Modesto Lomba said although Del Pozo had looked weak in recent months he had worked with commitment and energy to the end.

Madrid is laying on a lavish party for Pope Benedict XVI and more than a million faithful for the Catholic Church's youth festival this week -- as Spain suffers its worst economic crisis in decades.

The irony has not been lost on the country's 15-M "indignant" movement, launched on May 15 against the management of the economic crisis, soaring unemployment and political corruption.

European stock markets were holding onto gains Friday after another rollercoaster ride as nervous investors tried to get ahead of the curve and a short-selling ban in Europe helped the under-fire banks.

France, Italy, Spain and Belgium banned short-selling in bank stocks after rumors about their financial health saw them suffer massive losses in recent days and then Germany upped the ante by calling for a Europe-wide bar.

Asian stocks rallied on Wednesday, part of a global uptick after the U.S. Federal Reserve pledged to keep interest rates near zero for at least two years.

Tokyo rose 1.05 percent, or 94.26 percent, to 9,038.74, Sydney added 2.64 percent, or 106.5 points, to 4,141.3 and Seoul gained 0.27 percent, or 4.89 points, to 1,806.24.

Renova, one of Europe's biggest producers of household paper products, has launched toilet paper in the colors of the Vatican flag in honor of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Spain next week.

Each pack contains two perfumed rolls of toilet paper, one yellow and the other white, which the company says on its online store can be used as giant streamers to welcome the 84-year-old pontiff to Madrid.

Spain's central bank called Friday on Europe to rapidly implement a Greek bailout, blaming the snowballing eurozone sovereign debt crisis for crimping economic growth.

Spain's faltering economy slowed in the second quarter, the Bank of Spain said in a report, identifying the sovereign debt crisis as the biggest threat to the economy.

Real Madrid and Chinese Super League leaders Guangzhou Evergrande have agreed to a tie-up that could see player exchanges and the Spanish giants opening an academy in China.

Madrid, who play Evergrande later Wednesday in a pre-season friendly in Guangzhou, are striving to promote their brand in fast-developing China, as are a host of other top European sides.

If Ernest Hemingway were alive, Spanish bullfighter Jose Tomas would likely be a hero of one of his novels.

Brave and fearless, but an introvert to the point of being a hermit, Jose Tomas returns to the bull ring Saturday in Spain's eastern city of Valencia after a year recovering from a goring in Mexico that almost killed him.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has urged his players to learn from their Champions League final defeat to Barcelona and dethrone the Spanish giants as Kings of Europe.

Ferguson told British media outlets on Tuesday that the next generation of United players would need to rise to the challenge of downing Barcelona while noting that winning the Premier League was equally important.

Madrid will bid for the 2020 Olympics, hoping to replicate Pyeongchang's perseverance in winning on a third consecutive attempt.

Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon confirmed the Spanish capital's candidacy on Wednesday, citing Pyeongchang's victory as providing the necessary push for Madrid to bid again.