Panama Report: Lionel Messi releases statement denying tax evasion claims, prepares for legal action

World Footballer of the Year, Lionel Messi has ordered his legal team to pursue legal action against Panama Papers after they accused him of seeking refuge in Panama's tax haven, claims Messi's camp has dismissed as “false and libelous.”

The Panama Report reported that the Barcelona star used Panamanian company. Mega Star Enterprises to avoid paying tax on image rights deals.

Magazine El Confidencial published documents signed by Lionel Mssi and his father Jorge buying Mega Star Enterprises, via a Uruguayan buffer company and this was just a day after Spanish Financial authorities indicted the Argentina striker in a case of €4million in unpaid taxes.

Read Messi's statement in full below...

"In response to the news released by various media outlets in which Lionel Messi is held responsible for the forming of a company with the aim of 'putting in place a new web of tax fraud', the Messi family wishes to make it clear that Lionel Messi has not carried out any of the actions he is accused of, the accusations of having ‘created a new web of tax fraud’ and, even, money laundering, are false and libellous," the statement read.

"The Panamian company referred to in the reports is a completely inactive company, which never held open accounts nor funds and which comes from the former company structure put in place by Messi's previous financial advisers, the fiscal consequences of which have already been normalised, with all the income that comes from exploitation of his image rights, prior to and after the procedure carried out in the courts, having been declared before the Spanish Treasury.

"With respect to the above, the Messi family have given instructions to their lawyers to analyse eventual legal action against the sources that have published these claims."

Porn star Amber Rayne found dead at home aged 31

31 year old Porn star Amber Rayne was found dead at her home over the weekend. The adult film star, who has been in the industry for 10 years, is believed to have died in her sleep while at her Los Angeles home. Her exact cause of death remains unknown at the moment, but reports indicate she died either on Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Speaking to AVN magazine, director Stormy Daniels, said:

“She was a really good friend, and one of the best actresses and performers that I've ever had the pleasure to work with, and I'm just glad that I had the opportunity to work with her and call her a friend.”

Rayne entered the adult film industry in 2005. In April 2015, she announced her official retirement from adult films. She came out of retirement to shoot her final adult film, Wanted, later that year. May Her Soul Rest In Peace.

Chelsea announces Italy coach Antonio Conte as new manager on 3 year deal

Chelsea football club has announced that Antonio Conte, former Juventus manager and current Italian team coach will take over the reins at the club on a three year deal this summer. The club sacked Jose Mourinho in December last year after a string of poor results & appointed Guus Hiddink in a caretaker role, but have now confirmed Conte in a new statement published on their website.

'Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Antonio Conte as First Team Head Coach'. 'Conte, who is currently the manager of the Italy national side, has signed a three-year contract. He will begin work in London following his country’s participation in this summer’s Euro 2016 tournament.' 

The 46-year-old Antonio Conte said:

‘I am very excited about the prospect of working at Chelsea Football Club. I am proud to be the coach of the national team of my country and only a role as attractive as manager of Chelsea could follow that. 'I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the club and the day-to-day challenge of competing in the Premier League. 'Chelsea and English football are watched wherever you go, the fans are passionate and my ambition is to have more success to follow the victories I enjoyed in Italy. 'I am happy we have made the announcement now so everything is clear and we can end the speculation. I will continue to focus on my job with the Italian national team and will reserve speaking about Chelsea again until after the Euros.’

'Lionel Messi isn't human, Cristiano Ronaldo is best of the humans' - Gerard Pique

Ronaldo and Messi went up against each other in Sunday's Clasico where Madrid walked away with a 2-1 win at the Nou Camp, with the Portuguese scoring the winner for Zinedine Zidane's side.

And in a rather subtle shade at former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerard Pique says Lionel Messi is definitely in a league of his own.

 

"I think that they are both amazing," Pique told BT Sport. "We are talking about two of the best players, not just in the world but the history of this sport. I always said that Messi has some talent that no one has. I mean, he has the ball and his speed controlling the ball. The ball doesn't go two metres far from his foot, it's always there. It's impossible to catch him, this talent I didn't see from anyone'

"Cristiano Ronaldo is such a different player, they are very different. He is tall, strong, he's really complete. He can do anything. He can do goals with the head, free-kicks, penalties, take one on one.

"But for me it's like Messi is not human but Cristiano is the best of the humans."

Is Blac Chyna about to become a Kardashian or they are just teasing? Lol

The entire Kardashian/Jenner Clan are currently on a secret vacation planned by their matriarch Kris Jenner. Even Scott, Kanye & Tyga are on the trip. Now Blac Chyna shared a photo of herself with her boyfriend Robert Kardashian Jnr, with a sparkling ring on her finger and wrote Yes, like...maybe they are engaged? She wants to give the Kardashians a heart attack? Lol.

See how close Kevin Hart got to lions in South Africa (photos)

Cossy Ojiakor squeezes her massive boobs in new video (photos)

Screenshots from a video she shared on IG.

Plateau govt. issues alert to new attack strategy by insurgents

The Plateau government on Monday alerted the public to new attack strategy adopted by the Boko Haram sect to harm unsuspecting victims.
Malam Muhammad Nazif, Commissioner for Information and Communication said that the public should be wary of persons pretending to be in pain and in need of help.
“The public is advised to be wary of those that attract public sympathy by pretending to be in pain and need help, thereby attracting a large crowd to the scene.
“Their intention is to detonate explosive device and cause harm to citizens who are moved by sympathy to assist them,’’ he said.
The statement advised members of the public to keep off such scenes for their safety.
It also advised the people to alert security personnel immediately they suspect any foul play.

Alaska Air Group to merge with Virgin America in $4bn deal

Alaska Airlines parent company Alaska Air Group said on Monday it was acquiring Virgin America in a friendly takeover worth around $4 billion including debt to create the US’s fifth-largest airline.
A definitive merger agreement had been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies, it said in a statement.
Alaska Air will pay $57 in cash per share for Virgin America, or a total of $2.6 billion. In addition Alaska Air is taking on Virgin’s debt and aircraft lease operations.
Virgin founder Richard Branson is a major shareholder in Virgin America and took the airline public in 2014.
“The combination expands Alaska Airlines’ existing footprint in California, bolsters its platform for growth and strengthens the company as a competitor to the four largest U.S. airlines,” it said.
The newly merged company will be headquartered in Seattle, it said.
The combined group is expected to have annual revenues of around $7 billion.
Synergies, or savings, from the merger are expected to come it at about $225 million per year once they are fully integrated, it said.

Messi denies tax evasion in Panama Papers scandal

The family of Lionel Messi denied on Monday that he was involved in tax evasion after the Barcelona star emerged as one of many personalities accused of shady offshore dealings in the Panama Papers scandal.
“The Messi family wants to make clear that Lionel Messi has not carried out any of the acts attributed to him, and accusations he created a… tax evasion plot, including a network of money-laundering, are false and insulting,” it said in a statement.
The scandal erupted on Sunday when media groups made public a year-long worldwide investigation into a trove of 11.5 million documents leaked from a Panama-based law firm that exposed a tangle of offshore financial dealings by the elite.
Among the accused are close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin, relatives of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson as well as sports celebrities and screen stars.
Messi and his father are named as owners of a Panama company that had not previously been disclosed during a Spanish probe into their tax affairs.
“The Panama company to which they refer to is a totally inactive company that never had any funds or any open current accounts,” the Messi family said.
They added that the firm was created by the family’s former tax advisers and that everything had since been brought into line where Messi’s fiscal situation was concerned.

Photos: Chris Brown perms his hair

He does look good! He stepped out with his new look at the iHeartRadio Music Award last night where he won R & B Artist of the year...

Photos: Meet Nursamawati, a physically challeged girl who operates computer and phone with her tongue

Nursamawati Mahmud uses her tongue to type, access the internet, make and answer calls with her cell phone. 

 

Sexy photos of Lawrence Fishburne's daughter

A few years ago, Hollywood actor Lawrence Fishburne's daughter, Montana, decided the career path she wanted to pursue was to be an adult film star and she did one porn movie. She has since stopped after her father allegedly threatened to disown her. She's kept a low profile since then but recently released some hot new photos of herself...

Icelandic PM refuses to resign amid Panama Papers leak

Iceland’s prime minister refused Monday to resign despite calls to do so after leaked “Panama Papers” tax documents showed he and his wife used an offshore firm to allegedly hide million-dollar investments.
“I have not considered quitting because of this matter nor am I going to quit because of this matter,” Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson told Icelandic television Channel 2.
According to the leaked documents, Gunnlaugsson and his wife Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir purchased the offshore company Wintris Inc. in the British Virgin Islands in December 2007.
He transferred his 50-percent stake to her in 2009 for the symbolic sum of one dollar.
He has insisted he never hid any money abroad, and says his wife, who inherited a fortune from her father, has paid all her taxes in Iceland.
“She has neither utilised tax havens nor can you say that her company is an offshore company in the sense that it pays taxes abroad rather than in Iceland,” Gunnlaugsson said on his website.
Whether or not Gunnlaugsson is guilty of tax evasion remains to be proven, but his opponents have insisted he step down regardless.
“The prime minister should immediately resign,” former Social Democratic prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir said in a message posted on Facebook.
More than 24,000 Icelanders have also signed a petition demanding his resignation, while the opposition has said it will seek a vote of no confidence in parliament, likely to be held this week.

35-yr old woman who alleged shielded son from justice gets N50,000 bail

Court

A Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Monday granted bail to a 35-year-old woman, Ramata Adediji, in the sum of N50,000 for allegedly shielding the course of justice.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs M.I Dan-Oni, who granted the bail ordered the accused to produce one surety in like sum.
Dan-Oni said the surety should provide evidence of tax payments and address should be verified.
Adediji whose address was not provided pleaded not guilty to a charge of shielding cause of justice.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Gabriel Ekundayo, had told the court that the accused committed the offence at Ojuelegba on Oct. 26, 2015.
Ekundayo said the accused, stood as surety for his son, Isiaka Adediji, who allegedly stole property worth N180,000 and was granted bail, had refused to produce his son in court.‎‎
He noted that the offence contravened Section 97(3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The case was adjourned till April 6 for mention.

Photos: A bridegroom in Ghana was arrested during his wedding over suspected armed robbery, bride collapses

A wedding ceremony taking place at Takoradi Aldersgate Methodist Church in the Sekondi/Anaji, Ghana on Saturday, April 2, 2016 was cut short after policemen stormed the church's premises and arrested the bridegroom over suspected armed robbery. The arrest is in connection with a robbery case at Aniamote, a community in the Wassa Amenfi District in the Western region.

The 30-year-old suspect Aaron Ackah,(pictured) is alleged to have robbed a Chinese Small Scale Miner of an amount of Gh¢18,000 after inflicting knife wounds on his left hand.

A civilian, who led the police to the wedding venue at West Anaji told Starr News’ Western regional correspondent, Emmanuel Ohene Gyan the couple had just completed the exchange of vows and were about wearing their rings when two plain-clothed police officers from Bogoso stormed the place and whisked the bridegroom away after using one of the invitation cards to confirm his identity.

The joy that had filled the venue of the ceremony was cut short as many of the shocked guests started crying and wailing. The bride, Rebecca Buah, was reported to have collapsed after her groom was arrested. The suspect has since been taken to Prestea for further investigation.

Photos: 25 year old woman shrinks to 2 Ft tall due to rare condition that leaves limbs bent

Kunti Kumari, a 25 year old Indian woman with a rare condition has shrunk to about 2 feet as a result of a disease that makes her limbs shrink and bend. She spends her day lying on a cot, chatting with her mother and staring at the ceiling. She has been bedridden for the past 8 years.

Her mother Tilakwa Devi, 60, can't stop weeping seeing her youngest daughter's condition that she says makes her look like a 'corpse'.

"She was a normal girl with healthy limbs but when she turned a teenager, her bones started weakening and she struggled to walk. She would limp a little but gradually she lost all strength and started shrinking," said Devi. "Within eight years of this mysterious disease, she completely lost strength and got bound to bed rest."

Kumari said:

"I was always weak and could never run fast. I was a slow walker and as I grew up, I had to push my left leg. This is when my mother took me to a doctor for treatment. The bone specialist operated on my left leg but after a month, I couldn't move the leg."

Dr Satyendra Singh, Civil Surgeon, Chatra, believes Kumari is suffering from a rare bone disease. He said: "This looks like a severe case of Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

"It is a rare congenital disease where the bones starts weakening and due to low density, they start shrinking. "It is not a completely curable disease but with medication, she can be given some relief."

Openly gay Nigerian man, Kenny Badmus says he is homesick but is scared of being lynched if he comes home

Openly gay Nigerian man, Kenny Badmus who relocated to the US after he came out of the closet in January 2015, took to his Facebook page to express his sadness at not being able to come back home for fear of being lynched because of his sexuality. He said he's homesick but that even though it can be awfully lonesome sometimes, he is happy he can walk the streets in the US as a gay man without fear of being attacked.

I've been very homesick lately. My desire to kneel beside my mom's grave and lay her some wreath of beautiful flowers. To see my twin sister and pinch her fat cheeks while she criticizes everything I would easily think is good enough. I miss being at Orange and assisting brilliant minds in bringing their ideas to life. Advising tons of amazing people about their personal branding and stories. Paul, our beloved Officer getting me boole, roasted plantain and organically grown peanuts. I miss my nephew and how he goes all out to ensure I was eating well. That Ibadan boy can cook. I miss Chisom Ohuakamy twin brother from another mother - another biggest critic of mine. I miss going to Femi Odugbemi s office during lunch hours to rant about almost anything and how he'd say 'aburo, I have an idea.' I miss my big cousin Olabisi Ariyo. No words to describe. My friends at FCB. These were my support system. People who love me for me. But then, I'm happy about where I am in this journey. Even though it can be awfully lonesome here, I'm happy I can walk down the street as a gay man without being afraid of lynching, preaching and outright hating. I'm grateful for the journey here in the States where my health has greatly improved as an HIV positive individual. New York. Maryland. I was given some of the best medical assistance for FREE, at least until I found a job. I'm humbled by the unmatched generosity I have received from people who welcomed me here. Call them what you may, America has been good to me. And to million others who dare to dream. Whenever I'm feeling this extremely homesick like I'm feeling at this moment, I always recall the words of my mother just a few weeks before she passed on: "don't be in a hurry to come home because wherever you are, and you can feel safe, there is your home." She continued, "as a mother, my greatest concern is that you are safe. " ‪#‎Mindfulness‬ ‪#‎WhereIamIsWhereIam‬

Super Eagles' Alex Iwobi is a loss to England - Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Alex Iwobi's decision to play for Nigeria and not England is a loss to the Three Lions of England. 19 year old Iwobi has scored in his last two games for Arsenal and in their last match against Watford scored a goal and assisted another, leaving bigger players like Theo Walcott and Joel Campbell on the bench.

 

England persuaded Iwobi and his family to play for them after evaluating his talent and enormous potential but the attacker, who is also nephew to Austin Jay Jay Okocha opted to play for the country of his birth- Nigeria.

“Is he a loss for England? Yes,” Wenger said. 

“We have values in our club that are maybe not rated always, but one of them is to give a chance to young people and educate them. “Every year we bring players out and not many can say that. I’m happy Alex is one of them.”

Wenger concedes that Iwobi's rapid development has been surprising to witness, but says the forward who made his competitive debut for Nigeria during the last international break has been working on his skills all season long.

"The fans have seen many good players over the years and they know straight away when a player has something special, so they acknowledge that," Wenger told Arsenal Player.

"You cannot cheat people. They've seen how quickly Alex's improved and how well he's played. 

"It's surprising how quickly he's integrated into our game. He's worked with us since the start of the season and he has grown, gained confidence and when he came in he had an impact straight away. 

"That's benefited from the fact that he knows everybody and they trust him as well. I didn't expect that level of efficiency or impact on the scoresheet."

ISIS kills 15 of its members for 'spying' following assassination of senior ISIS chief

ISIS has killed 15 of its members for spying on them, in what is the largest execution carried out by the terrorist organisation on it self. This comes following the assassination of senior Islamic State terrorist boss, Abu Hija al-Tunisi, who was killed on Wednesday in an air strike. Some senior ISIS figures feel some of it's members snitched on the terrorist organisation.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the 15 military commanders were killed in a countryside near Raqqa for 'espionage and corruption on Earth' and 'impersonating al-Hisba (ISIS religious police) members'.

It comes as another monitoring group today said a leader of an al-Qaeda faction in Syria has also been killed in a U.S. air strike in Idlib.

According to the SITE Intelligence Group, Abu Firas al-Souri, a spokesman for the Nusra Front, was killed along with his son and several other people.

ISIS has suffered major defeats in Syria over the past months amid intense airstrikes by Russian warplanes.

The Syrian army command said in a statement that troops have 'restored security and stability to Qaryatain and farms surrounding it'.