Spain's Supreme Court threw out a bribery case against crusading human-rights judge Baltasar Garzon on Monday, after he was disbarred last week in a separate case for illegally taping suspects.

Garzon has faced three legal cases against him, and in the latest, he was charged with accepting fees for lectures he gave at a university in the United States, which were sponsored by Spanish companies involved in cases before his court.

But the Supreme Court ruled that the statute of limitations had expired on the charges, since they were brought in 2009, just over three years after the alleged illicit payments in 2006. Garzon, 56, had denied any wrongdoing.

Garzon is still awaiting the verdict in a third case against him, the most controversial, in which he is accused of exceeding his authority by ordering an inquiry into the murder and forced disappearance of more than 100,000 people by forces loyal to the late dictator Francisco Franco.

The high-profile investigations of Garzon, best known for bringing charges under international law against Chile's Augusto Pinochet, have divided Spain.

Some see him as a victim of a political witch-hunt because he took on big corruption cases and probed chapters from Spain's violent past, but others see him as an arrogant and careless judge who overstepped his bounds.

Of the three cases against him, only one has concluded. In that one, Garzon was convicted of illegally ordering the taping of conversations between defence lawyers and their clients. He was disbarred for 11 years, which may effectively end his career.

The pending case for investigating the disappearance of thousands, including renowned poet Federico Garcia Lorca, was brought by private parties who allege he violated a 1977 amnesty law. Garzon maintains he acted at the request of the victims' families and that international law backs him.

The United Nations has urged Spain to investigate crimes against humanity committed during the Franco era and to repeal its amnesty, which it says is not in conformity with
international human rights law.

The Supreme Court is now deliberating after it heard two weeks of testimony in that case and is expected to hand down a verdict within a few weeks.

Police are conducting a homicide investigation regarding the death of an American college student in Spain and have detained a suspect.

A police statement released over the weekend said what originally appeared to be an accidental death in an apartment in the Barcelona area is now being treated as a possible homicide.

The detainee in the death of Dartmouth College student Crispin Scott, a native of Seattle, Washington, is a 41-year-old Ecuadorian.

A police official declined on Monday to provide any more details, including how the victim had died.

Scott was found dead in an apartment in a town outside Barcelona on Jan.7. The detainee was arrested Tuesday and on Friday a judge ordered him held in custody.

There is not an agreement yet on the location of the final of the King's Cup after representatives from Athletic Club Bilbao, FC Barcelona and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) met on Monday to choose the stadium that will host the final game.

Both President of Athletic Club Bilbao Josu Urrutia and spokesman for RC Barcelona Toni Freixa agreed that they want the final of the King's Cup to be played in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. For both clubs, Real Madrid's stadium meets all the requirements from the point of view of proximity to both cities and stadium's capacity.

Representatives of the Spanish soccer federation will contact Real Madrid to find about the chance of hosting the King's Cup final.

The final will pit the two most successful teams in the competition. Barcelona will look to add to its record 25 titles on May 25, while Athletic Club Bilbao aims to avenge its 2009 final loss to the Catalans that denied the club a 24th title.

Athletic Club Bilbao, the 23-times winners, ended third-tier Mirandes's fairytale Cup run on Tuesday with a 6-2 victory at their San Mames stadium that sent them through 8-3 on aggregate.

Barcelona booked their spot on the final against Athletic Bilbao when Cesc Fabregas scored one goal and created another for Xavi in a 2-0 win over 10-man Valencia in their semi-final second leg. Having knocked out holders and arch-rivals Real Madrid in the last eight, Barca comfortably disposed of Spain's third-strongest side 3-1 on aggregate.

Felipe Ugarte's and Juantxo Sardon's Mugaritz B.S.O, a documentary that shows how musician Felipe Ugarte translates delicious and visually pleasing culinary dishes made by the Basque star chef Luis Aduriz into music, will have its premiere on Monday in the 62nd Berlin Film Festival.

'Mugaritz BSO', depict the full background and development of the project, a gastronomic-musical collaborative project that creates a world of sound using the culinary experience represented by some of its dishes. Thorough knowledge about the history, technique, philosophy, ingredients and presentation of each dish have been transformed into songs that reflect those same aspirations, yet through music.

The documentary film shows the process of creation of the songs, from the preparation of the dishes and trips to Ethiopia and Peru in search of melodies, to the studio recordings, showing and mixing gastronomic development with musical creation.

Mugaritz B.S.O, will be part of "Trust in Taste", the 6th Culinary Cinema of the 62nd Berlinale where gastronomy and cinema will meet once again. Fifteen films about food and the environment will be presented in the Martin-Gropius-Bau.

Following the screenings, renowned chef Sonja Frühsammer and star chefs Michael Kempf, Christian Lohse, Marco Müller from Berlin as well as Andoni Luis Aduriz from the Basque Country will each serve a meal inspired by the films in the Gropius Mirror restaurant, an elegant tent lined with mirrors.

South Korean police have arrested a Christian pastor and his wife over the deaths of their three children. The parents are accused of whipping and starving the children in an attempt to cast out demons.

Police said Monday that the couple was arrested Saturday after their 10-year daughter and two sons aged 8 and 5 were found dead at their home in the southern county of Boseong.

Authorities say the couple told investigators they stopped feeding their children and beat them with a belt and a fly swatter to drive away evil spirits.

Investigators say the couple cited a Biblical proverb that reads "Do not withhold discipline from a child."

Police say the husband was pastor of an obscure Protestant congregation called Hyungjae (Brother) Church.

Soul singer Adele triumphed in her return to music's stage on Sunday, scooping up six Grammys and winning every category in which she was nominated including album of the year for "21" and best record with "Rolling In the Deep."

As joyous as the show was for Adele, it was equally as serious with tributes to late pop star Whitney Houston, who died suddenly on Saturday. She was remembered by fellow artists in acceptance speeches and songs. Jennifer Hudson sang Houston's signature hit, "I Will Always Love You," and Grammy host LL Cool J offered a prayer for Houston's family, friends and fans.

But it was Adele who stole the show. The 23-year-old, who has taken the music world by storm, underwent surgery on her vocal cords late last year and had been resting her voice on doctor's orders until music's biggest night. For the first time since then, the British singer took the stage to belt out "Rolling In the Deep" and finished to a standing ovation.

Adele claimed three of the music industry's top awards - album, record and song of the year - and added best pop solo performance, pop vocal and short video to her stack of trophies.

Tearing up and having difficulty speaking as she took the stage to claim the night's top award, album of the year, Adele talked about "21" and its heartfelt songs dreamed up after a failed love affair.

"This record is inspired by something that is really normal and everyone's been through it, just a rubbish relationship, and it's gone on to do things I can't tell you how I feel about it, it's been the most life-changing year."

Indeed, her sophomore album has sold more than 6.3 million copies in the United States and broken many sales records, including spending 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. Now it can add the Grammys to its many accolades.

Rockers Foo Fighters were the other big winners, picking up five Grammys including best rock performance for the hit "Walk." "This is a great honor because this record was a special record for our band. Rather than go to the best studio ... we made this one in my garage with some microphones and a tape machine," said frontman Dave Grohl. "It shows that the human element of making music is what's most important."

But as jubilant as the audience was for Adele and as much as Foo Fighters rocked the house, Grammy organizers were equally as serious about Houston, whose body was found in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room. The cause is still unknown.

Host LL Cool J took the stage and offered a prayer for Houston, her fans and her family. "Although she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed by her musical spirit," he said.

Many winners, remembering Whitney

Grammy organizers give out awards in more than 75 categories and many early winners mentioned Houston. Singer Melanie Fiona, who won with Cee Lo Green for traditional R&B performance for "Fool For You," said she was inspired by the singer.

"Whitney Houston, I would not be standing up here if not for you," Fiona said. Backstage, she told reporters her mother had rocked her in the cradle to Houston's songs when she was a baby.

Other major Grammy winners included country's Taylor Swift, who picked up Grammys for solo performance and country song with "Mean," which she performed to a standing ovation. She had been expected to take best country album, too, but Lady Antebellum swooped in and took that prize with "Own the Night."

The other big surprise came when indie folk band Bon Iver took the Grammy for best new artist over rapper Nicki Minaj, who had been widely expected to win behind hit album "Pink Friday."

DJ Skrillex won two Grammys for best dance recording and top dance/electronica album with "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites." Jay-Z and Kanye West won best rap performance with their song "Otis" from the album "Watch the Throne," but they failed to show up to claim their prize. Chris Brown won the Grammy for best R&B album "F.A.M.E."

West entered the night with seven nominations, more than any other artist, but came away with the Grammy for "Otis" and another for best rap album with "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."

Rousing performances were given by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Chris Brown, Coldplay and Rihanna, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson. Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt sang a duet of "A Sunday Kind of Love" from Etta James, who also died in 2012.

Minaj gave fans an over-the-top performance toward the show's final act, and Sir Paul McCartney ended in a guitar-heavy number with Springsteen, Grohl and others. Memorable moments came in a reunion of members of the Beach Boys and a lifetime
award for Glen Campbell, who sang "Rhinestone Cowboy."

Barcelona's fading hopes of capturing a fourth consecutive La Liga crown suffered a major setback when they lost 3-2 at Osasuna on Saturday to leave Real Madrid ten points clear at the top.

In freezing conditions in Pamplona, Osasuna striker Dejan Lekic scored twice inside the first 22 minutes and Barca, who have struggled on the road all season, waited too long to react.

Spanish World Cup winners Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas started on the bench, and although Alexis Sanchez pulled one back for the visitors in the 52nd minute, Raul Garcia quickly restored Osasuna's advantage.

Barca's youth team winger Cristian Tello grabbed a second in the 73rd but a late charge just failed to produce the equaliser.

The world and European champions' second defeat of the season left them on 48 points, seven short of leaders Real, who host high-flying Levante on Sunday. "The league is much tougher now, and I suppose tomorrow we will see the gap grow even larger, " Barca coach Pep Guardiola told reporters.

"If we could play well on this pitch in the second half we should have done so in the first as well. We found it hard to get into the game."

Osasuna are seventh also with 31 points, one ahead of King's Cup finalists Athletic Bilbao, who suffered a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis in the late game.

Osasuna's bumpy pitch and a swirling wind saw both sets of players struggling to keep their feet at the Reyno de Navarra stadium, but the hosts adapted quicker than Barcelona.

Serbian striker Lekic beat Victor Valdes at his near post after only five minutes to open the scoring and the Navarrans continued to boss the game until they doubled the lead.

A low cross from the right saw Lekic arrive unmarked again to find the net and Barca went in at the break trailing by two goals for the first time in the league since Guardiola took the helm in 2008.

Barcelona turned to youngsters Tello and Isaac Cuenca at halftime, perhaps reserving Xavi and Iniesta for the return to Champions League action next Tuesday, and the latter provided the cross for Alexis to score in the 51st minute. It was only a brief respite.

A poor clearance from Valdes, one of a string of errors among Barca's players, led to Osasuna's third, when Raul Garcia squeezed a shot in off the post in the 55th.

Substitute Fabregas laid on the second for Tello, who cut back inside his marker to smash the ball high into the net.

Osasuna hit the post on a counter-attack but the action was all in their area in the closing minutes, and Fabregas had a header saved on the line in the fourth minute of added time.

Greece's parliament approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill on Monday to secure a second EU/IMF bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, as buildings burned across central Athens and violence spread around the country.

Cinemas, cafes, shops and banks were set ablaze in central Athens and black-masked protesters fought riot police outside parliament before lawmakers voted on the package that demands deep pay, pension and job cuts -- the price of a 130 billion euro ($172 billion) bailout needed to keep the country afloat.

State television reported the violence spread to the tourist islands of Corfu and Crete, the northern city of Thessaloniki and towns in central Greece. Police said 150 shops were looted in the capital and 34 buildings set ablaze.

Altogether 199 of the 300 lawmakers backed the bill, but 43 deputies from the two parties in the government of Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, the socialists and conservatives, rebelled by voting against It. They were immediately expelled by their parties.

Asian shares and the euro gained modestly on Monday, relieved by the Greek parliament's passage of austerity measures that put the country a step closer to securing a much-needed bailout fund and avoiding a messy default.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan edged up as much as 0.3 percent on the news. The rebellion and street violence foreshadowed the problems the Greek government faces in implementing the cuts, which include a 22 percent reduction in the minimum wage -- a package critics say condemns the economy to an ever-deeper downward spiral.

Papademos, a technocrat brought in to get a grip on the crisis, denounced the worst breakdown of order since 2008, when violence gripped Greece for weeks after police shot a 15-year-old schoolboy. "Vandalism, violence and destruction have no place in a democratic country and won't be tolerated," he told parliament as it prepared to vote.

"Short-term sacrifices"

But he admitted that imposing the austerity on a nation that has already endured several years of cuts would be tough. "The full, timely and effective implementation of the programme won't be easy. We are fully aware that the economic programme means short-term sacrifices for the Greek people," Papademos said.

Greece needs the international funds before March 20 to meet debt repayments of 14.5 billion euros, or suffer a chaotic default which could shake the entire euro zone.

Outside parliament chaos reigned. A Reuters photographer saw buildings in Athens engulfed in flames and huge plumes of smoke rose in the night sky. "We are facing destruction. Our country, our home, has become ripe for burning, the centre of Athens is in flames. We cannot allow populism to burn our country down," conservative lawmaker Costis Hatzidakis told parliament.

The air in Syntagma Square outside parliament was thick with teargas as riot police fought running battles with youths who smashed marble balustrades and hurled stones and petrol bombs.

Terrified Greeks and tourists fled the rock-strewn streets and the clouds of stinging gas, cramming into hotel lobbies for shelter as lines of riot police struggled to contain the mayhem.

State NET television reported that trouble had also broken out in Heraklion, capital of Crete, as well as the towns of Volos and Agrinio in central Greece.

On the streets of Athens many businesses were ablaze, including the neo-classical home to the Attikon cinema dating from 1870 and a building housing the Asty, an underground cinema used by the Gestapo as a torture chamber during World War Two.
No good choices

The EU and IMF say they have had enough of broken promises and that the funds will be released only with the clear commitment of Greek political leaders that they will implement the reforms whoever wins an election potentially in April.

Euro zone paymaster Germany ratcheted up the pressure on Sunday. "The promises from Greece aren't enough for us any more," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in an interview published in Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

"Greece needs to do its own homework to become competitive, whether that happens in conjunction with a new rescue programme or by another route that we actually don't want to take."

When asked if that other route meant Greece quitting the euro zone, Schaeuble said: "That is all in the hands of the Greeks themselves. But even in the event (Greece leaves the euro zone), which almost no one assumes will happen, they will still remain part of Europe."

The bill sets out 3.3 billion euros ($4.35 billion) of extra budget cuts for this year alone. It also provides for a bond swap to ease Greece's debt burden by cutting the real value of private-sector investors' bond holdings by some 70 percent. Greece would have missed a Feb. 17 deadline to offer a debt "haircut" to private bondholders if the vote had not been passed.

Many Greeks believe their living standards are collapsing already and the new measures will deepen their misery. "Enough is enough!" said 89-year-old Manolis Glezos, one of
Greece's most famous leftists and a national hero. "They have no idea what an uprising by the Greek people means. And the Greek people, regardless of ideology, have risen."

Glezos is a national hero for sneaking up the Acropolis at night in 1941 and tearing down a Nazi flag from under the noses of the German occupiers, raising the morale of Athens residents.

Athletic Club Bilbao received once more this season a goal in stoppage time and fell at Real Betis 2-1 on Saturday night.

Javi Martinez canceled out Ruben Castro's 10th-minute opener with his goal in the 22nd, but Portuguese fullback Nelson latched on to a loose ball outside the area to fire a swerving shot out of the grasp of goalie Gorka Iraizoz for victory.

The Basques played with 10 over the final 25 minutes after Martinez was sent off for a second booking.

Spain's new conservative government approved sweeping labor market reforms on Friday as part of a drive to retool a sick economy and solve Europe's worst unemployment nightmare.

The decree gives companies hiring incentives such as cheaper severance packages and offers tax breaks for taking on young people. It does away with severance arrangements in which some workers got up to 45 days of pay per year worked, and lowered this to 33 days in most cases for new contracts, although the change is not retroactive.

Companies facing hard times will also be able to bow out of collective bargaining agreements reached with unions, and have greater flexibility to adjust working conditions such as schedules, workplace tasks and wages depending on how the economy and the company are doing.

A clause allowing companies to keep workers on temporary contracts with little benefits for up to three years will be changed to lower the span to 24 months. Nearly a third of the workforce in Spain is on temporary contracts, a huge percentage that makes the jobless rate tremendous volatile.

Small companies with 50 workers or fewer will get tax breaks of 3,000 euro ($3,986) for hiring people under 30 who are seeking their first job. Spain's unemployment rate is nearly 23 percent, for people under 25 it approaches a staggering 48 percent.

Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said one of the overall goals is to make layoffs a last resort for companies. Other European countries, notably Germany, have been able to stabilize unemployment by letting companies have employees work fewer hours for less money rather than firing them.

She called the reform package "major, far-reaching and complete." "It will mark a before and after in the labor legislation of our country," she said.

Passage came after a Cabinet meeting, in the form of a decree, which means it will go before Parliament for a yes-no vote, with no possibility of amendment.

Approval is guaranteed because the ruling Popular Party has an ample majority.