- At least 10 dead in Florida but Hurricane Milton not as bad as feared
- Far from eye, Hurricane Milton's deadly tornados rampaged Florida
- At least 10 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes
- Argentina held, Bolivia stun Colombia in 2026 qualifiers
- Socceroos have 'nothing to fear' from Japan
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial set for May 2025
- Bolivia stun Colombia in World Cup qualifiers
- Internet Archive reels from 'catastrophic' cyberattack, data breach
- Greece earn late win against England in Nations League, Italy-Belgium stalemate
- Trump biopic 'The Apprentice' hits US theaters weeks before election
- Pavlidis dedicates 'special' Greece win over England to tragic Baldock
- Wall Street stocks retreat from records on US inflation data
- 'Like a quake': Beirut shaken after deadliest strikes on centre
- Fallen giants Ghana in AFCON trouble after Sudan draw
- Asian leaders meet in Laos with US, Russia on world turmoil
- England gamble backfires as Pavlidis fires emotional Greece to victory
- Obama stumps for Harris, Trump talks US protectionism
- New-look France ease past Israel in Nations League
- Belgium fight back to draw with 10-man Italy in Nations League
- 'Get a life': Hurricane whips up US election storm
- Japan stay perfect in World Cup qualifying
- Relief as Lebanon evacuees dock in Turkey
- Lebanon says 22 dead in Israeli strikes on central Beirut
- NBA boss Silver sees games back in China 'at some point'
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 22
- Table tennis and Netflix push Ukraine teen into French Open contention
- Civilians flee Gaza's Jabalia in tightening Israeli siege
- Israel strikes central Beirut, killing 18
- At least 10 dead in Florida from tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton
- Warhol's rare 'Queen' collection opens at Dutch museum
- Three-time NBA champion Green retires
- MLB Twins up for sale after 40 years
- S.Sudan floods affect 893,000, over 241,000 displaced: UN
- Solar storm could impact US hurricane recovery efforts: agency
- Windies sweat on injury to 'crucial' Taylor at World Cup
- Lebanon says 11 dead, 48 injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut
- Panama lashes out at EU over tax haven 'outrage'
- Erdogan says Gaza 'shame of humanity', calls for permanent ceasfire
- TD Bank to pay more than $3 bn to US in money-laundering case
- SAfrica prosecutors drop criminal complaint against president
- 'Good opportunity': Nagelsmann upbeat despite Germany's long injury list
- Hurricane whips up bitter US election battle
- Cameroon bans media talk of president's health amid rumours
- NFL MVP Jackson and rookie phenom Daniels set for showdown
- Chad's capital under threat as floodwaters rise
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit central Beirut
- No answers on strike on reporters in Lebanon one year on: watchdog
- Ramharack picks four wickets as Windies beat Bangladesh in Women's T20 World Cup
- France's City of Light switches to climate-resilient power cables
- Djokovic hails Nadal 'legacy' as Alcaraz in 'shock' over retirement
Shakira to go on trial in Spain for tax fraud
Just days after her success at the Latin Grammys, Colombian pop idol Shakira is set to go on trial in Barcelona on Monday for allegedly cheating Spain's tax office out of 14.5 million euros.
Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of eight years and two months, and a fine of nearly 24 million euros ($24 million dollars) for the 46-year-old singer, who now lives in Miami with her two sons Milan and Sasha.
She has denied any wrongdoing and turned down a plea deal with prosecutors, paving the way for the trial which is set to get underway on Monday at 10:00 am (0900 GMT).
The case centres on where the singer, whose hit singles include "Hips Don't Lie", "Whenever, Wherever" and the 2010 World Cup song "Waka Waka", lived between 2012 and 2014.
Prosecutors allege Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll -- dubbed the Queen of Latin Pop -- spent more than half of that period in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country.
They say she moved to Spain after her relationship with FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique became public in 2011, but maintained official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015.
In its indictment, the prosecution claims that Shakira "used a set of companies" based in tax havens "with the intention of not paying" tax in Spain.
- Hairdresser payments -
Shakira's lawyers say that until 2014, she was leading a "nomadic life" and earned most of her money from international tours and that she only moved permanently to Barcelona just before the birth of her second son in January 2015.
The high-profile trial is expected to hear from nearly 120 witnesses and to run until December 14.
While the singer is expected to testify during the opening session of the trial, she may request permission from the court to not be present at the remaining hearings.
Even without her presence, details of her private life will likely emerge during the proceedings, since Spanish prosecutors carried out a meticulous investigation to prove their case.
They interviewed her neighbours, tracked her images on social networks, checked her payments at hairdressers and even the health clinic she attended during her pregnancy to prove their accusation.
- 'Not a UN diplomat' -
Questions about the singer's finances have been raised before. The diva was named in the 2021 "Pandora Papers" leaks, which revealed the wealth and tax avoidance strategies of the global rich, in her case relating to her residence in the Bahamas.
The trial comes after Shakira had a big night at the Latin Grammy Awards held in Seville in southern Spain on Thursday, where she performed twice and picked up three awards, including for song of the year and best pop song for her collaboration with Argentine DJ Bizarrap on "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53".
The track takes swipes at her former partner Pique -- the couple broke up last year after a decade-long relationship -- and includes a reference to being left with a "debt to the tax office". It has been played almost 1.5 billion times on Spotify and YouTube.
"People on my team tried to convince me to change the lyrics, but I'm not a UN diplomat. I am an artist and, above all, a woman," Shakira said in an interview published in Spanish celebrity magazine ¡Hola! in which she made no reference to her looming trial.
One of the highlights of the Latin Grammys was her rendition of her ballad "Acróstico". Wearing a glittering gold high-cut gown adorned with an image of the Virgin Mary, the singer performed the song, with her two sons which she had with Pique appearing in a pre-recorded video on screen to join her in singing it.
A.Malone--AMWN