Lionel Messi and his father were ordered by a Spanish court on Thursday to appear for questioning in September as part of an investigation into tax fraud allegations.
A court in the Mediterranean coastal town of Gava near Barcelona accepted a state prosecutor's complaint alleging that Messi and father Jorge defrauded the Spanish tax office of 4 million euros ($5.3 million).
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France is giving Google three months to be more upfront about the data it collects from users — or be fined.
The legal action accelerates a Europe-wide fight against Google over its use of personal data. While the fines threatened are small by the standards of one of the world's richest companies, the move puts new pressure on Google as it smarts from recent criticism over providing customer data to U.S. government surveillance efforts.
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The European Union has fined Danish pharmaceuticals multinational Lundbeck and several other producers a combined 146 million euros ($195 million) for delaying the market entry of cheaper generic alternatives to a major antidepressant.
The EU claimed that the companies sought to capitalize profit at the expense of patients.
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Fans eager to see football superstar David Beckham stormed a police cordon Thursday in a stampede at a Shanghai university that injured seven people including five security personnel.
Three police officers, two university security guards and two students — including a Japanese student — were injured, Shanghai police said on its official microblog.
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A cat caring for four newborn kittens is nursing an orphaned week-old pit bull puppy in Cleveland.
Sharon Harvey of the Cleveland Animal Protective League said Wednesday that Lurlene the cat welcomed Noland the puppy to her "unusual little family." The puppy was dropped off at the animal shelter last week when he was a day old.
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Neymar made the difference for Brazil again on Wednesday, scoring in the ninth minute and setting up Jo's injury-time goal to give the hosts a 2-0 win over Mexico and a spot in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup.
The Brazilian striker scored his second goal of the tournament with a left-footed volley from just inside the penalty box after Mexican defenders failed to clear a cross, then slipped past two defenders at once to set up Jo for an easy goal in the final move of the game.
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The hearing to determine whether Mercedes and Pirelli broke Formula One rules by holding in-season tire tests has opened in Paris.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) convened the international tribunal hearing to determine whether Mercedes gained a competitive advantage from the testing session in Barcelona last month.
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The confetti has been swept away, the hangovers from the street parties have been slept off, and now that the Asian teams for the 2014 World Cup have been decided, observers are fretting over slipping standards and how the sides will be able to compete with powerful rivals in Brazil.
Australia, Iran and South Korea all sealed qualification for Brazil this week but in less than convincing fashion. They completed the four automatic qualifying berths from Asia. Japan had earlier sealed its place in much more impressive style and looks like the only realistic Asian threat to the big teams in Brazil.
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On a hot and humid tropical evening, Italy sweated out a 4-3 victory over Japan.
And by their own account, the Azzurri were fortunate to come out on top.
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The Afghan Taliban said Thursday they are ready to hand over a U.S. soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison.
A Taliban spokesman, Shaheen Suhail, said U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl "is as far as I know in good condition."
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