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Shakira settles Spain tax fraud suit with $8 million fine

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Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, an international pop star professionally known as Shakira, has reached a deal with Spanish authorities in her tax fraud case.

The deal was announced hours before the singer’s trial for tax evasion was meant to commence on Monday.

In the suit, it was alleged that Shakira owed over 14.5 million euros ($15.7 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014. While she listed the Bahamas as her primary residence during this period, prosecutors claimed she had spent the majority of her time in Spain.

The singer might have been sentenced to more than eight years in prison and fines totalling €24.5 million if she had been found guilty in the trial.

With the deal, Shakira is now required to pay a €7.3 million ($8 million) fine with a suspended three-year sentence.

Shakira has constantly defended her innocence ever since the lawsuit became public. In July 2022, prosecutors offered a deal that the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer rejected after she insisted on proving her innocence in the trial.

However, the singer said in a statement to Variety magazine on Monday that while she was confident of victory in the case, she decided to settle in the best interest of her children.

Her statement read in part. “Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what’s right and set a positive example for others. That often means taking the extra step in business and personal financial decisions to procure the absolute best counsel, including seeking the advice of the world’s preeminent tax authorities such as PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, who advised me from the start, and subsequently Ernst & Young Global Limited.

“Unfortunately, and despite these efforts, tax authorities in Spain pursued a case against me as they have against many professional athletes and other high-profile individuals, draining those people’s energy, time, and tranquillity for years at a time.”

“While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour, I have decided to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her well-being in this fight.”

Shakira also said she needed to move past “the stress and emotional toll of the last several years” to focus on her kids and career.

Shakira went through a messy breakup with her long-time partner, Gerard Piqué in June 2022. Their split eventually led her to move from Spain to Miami in April 2023 with her two sons, Milan and Sasha.

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Chris Brown opens up on dating multiple ladies

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Chris Brown, the American singer, has revealed that he is in a polygamous relationship.

Brown, in a YouTube live with Kai Cenat, the US content creator, addressed questions about his personal life.

When asked if he was in a relationship, the 35-year-old Virginia-born artiste replied, “I am in multiple”.

Cenat sought clarification, asking, “Like more than one girlfriend?” Brown responded, “Something like that”.

The award-winning singer also emphasized the importance of transparency and honesty in maintaining his polygamous relationships.

“Just keep it a hundred. Be honest,” he added.

This is not the first time Brown would be addressing polygamy.

In an interview with Hot 97, the singer opened up about the challenges of maintaining a monogamous relationship due to his celebrity status and constant exposure to women.

“The hardest part is trying to keep a monogamous relationship, but still wanting to be the 25-year-old sex symbol,” he said.

“You go to shows. You might walk by somebody’s room, and you might see about six or seven of them thangs. And you’re like, dang, I just want to slide in there and have a couple drinks real quick and I’ll tell my girl about it later.”

Born Christopher Maurice Brown, the songwriter is often referred to by his contemporaries as the “king of R&B”.

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Bimpe Akintunde warns Nigerians against scammers impersonating her on WhatsApp

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Bimpe Akintunde, the Nollywood actress, has raised an alarm over a fake WhatsApp account created in her name to scam unsuspecting individuals.

The film star took to her Instagram story to share screenshots of the impersonator, posing as her to solicit money from her followers.

Akintunde expressed her frustration and disappointment, cursing the scammer for attempting to profit from her hard work. She warned the public to be cautious of the impersonator on any media platform.

The actress urged her fans to help report the scammer’s WhatsApp and bank accounts.

She also prayed that God should keep such fraudulent individuals away from her and her loved ones.

“What a morning. Tell me how this country wants to be great, when a lot of people are struggling, working hard to build a name and brand, and boom, one person will take their pictures and name only to be defrauding people up and down,” she wrote.

“Who gave birth to such a child? Useless children, may God keep them away from us.

“Please disregard any message from anyone, either in your DM or WhatsApp, asking you to send money.

“Please, it not me. I do not own this above number. I would appreciate it if we could find a way to report both the WhatsApp and the Opay account.”

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Davido advises black Americans not to relocate to Nigeria, says ‘the economy is in shambles’

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Davido, the Afrobeats star, has advised black Americans against relocating to Nigeria, citing the country’s economic challenges.

In an appearance on The Big Homies House podcast, the singer shared his thoughts on the struggles bedeviling Nigeria, stating, “It is not cool back home. The economy is in shambles”.

Davido also mentioned Nigeria’s struggles with bad leadership, a high exchange rate, and skyrocketing oil prices, which are negatively impacting the country.

“It is not cool back home. The economy is in shambles. I do my part, I am an ambassador. When I go home and I am filming, I am no going to show the bad parts,” he said.

“I am talking about the situation in the country. Now the exchange rate is messed up, a lot of stuffs are not going well.

“The economy is just not good enough. The oil price is too high. Imagine the country that produces oil, paying more for it than a country importing oil.”

Despite the challenges, Davido emphasised the entertainment industry’s positive impact on Africa’s global image.

“Regardless, entertainment is one of the thing that has made Africa look good. We do not have the best leader, that is a fact,” he said.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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