BUENOS ARIES: Spain claimed its third Davis Cup title since 2000 as Fernando Verdasco defeated Jose Acasuso 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to clinch a 3-1 victory over Argentina. The winners managed to complete their trophy hat trick in the worldwide team competition without the services of Rafael Nadal, out with a knee injury.The victory ended the Argentine victory run at home at 13 straight ties. Spain becomes the seventh nation in the Cup's 108-year history to win three or more titles.Spain won the Cup in 2004 over the US in Sevilla and in 2000 against Australia in Barcelona.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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