Shakira

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — After having maintained her innocence for nearly five years, pop star Shakira struck a last-minute deal to avoid the risk of going to prison on the opening day of her tax fraud trial in Barcelona on Monday. Shakira told the presiding magistrate, José Manuel del Amo, that she accepted the agreement reached with prosecutors. She answered “yes” to confirm her acknowledgement of six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014. Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and a fine of 7 million…

Shakira has asked the press for privacy after facing a "difficult year" with her children. This comes almost a year after the singer announced her split with Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. In a social media post, Shakira spoke about the "changes" in her life and the impact it has had on her children. The Instagram post, which drew over one million likes and over 43,000 comments, said: "Dear friends, journalists and media. "At this moment of changes in my life as a public figure, it is understandable that there is a permanent curiosity from the press around me and my…