HBO addresses backlash to slavery-themed alternate history show ‘Confederate’

HBO’s new slavery-themed project ‘Confederate’ has been the subject of controversy since the moment it was announced.

On Jul 19, HBO gave a series order to ‘Confederate,’ which hails from ‘Game of Thrones’ executive producers David Benioff and DB Weiss, along with Malcolm Spellman and Nichelle Tramble Spellman. The series takes place in an alternate timeline, where the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution.

A grassroots campaign on Sunday got the hashtag #NoConfederate trending on Twitter. The campaign was organised by April Reign, the activist behind #OscarsSoWhite, to coordinate with the airing of “Game of Thrones.” By speaking out now, she said she hoped to prevent the production of the show before it gets written or cast.

“We believe the time to speak up is now, before the show has been written or cast. Before HBO invests too much money into #Confederate.” She tweeted.

The tag reached the top of Twitter’s trending list in the US and landed at No. 2 worldwide.

HBO responded to the backlash with a statement: “We have great respect for the dialogue and concern being expressed around ‘Confederate.’ We have faith that Nichelle, Dan, David and Malcolm will approach the subject with care and sensitivity. The project is currently in its infancy so we hope that people will reserve judgment until there is something to see.”

Critics immediately challenged the project, questioning the wisdom of a project reviving slavery. Much of the criticism directed at HBO has been at the potential repercussions of portraying modern slavery in a way that might inflame real-life race relations.

HBO’s programming president Casey Bloys insisted that the portrayal will be nuanced. In an interview with Vulture, the producers explained that their narrative isn’t a defence of slavery or an endorsement of white supremacist ideas.

“This is not a world in which the entire country is enslaved,” he said. “Slavery is in one half of the country. And the North is the North.”

Bloys addressed the controversy during his presentation at the Television Critics Association press tour earlier this week. “Our mistake -- HBO’s mistake, not the producers -- was the idea that we would be able to announce an idea that is so sensitive and requires such care and thought on the part of the producers in a press release was misguided on our part,” he said.

He insisted the subject matter will be handled delicately. “The producers have said they’re not looking to do ‘Gone With the Wind’ 2017,” Bloys said. “It’s not whips and plantations. It’s what they imagine a modern day institution of slavery would look like.” He urged viewers to withhold judgment until seeing the show.

“All we can do is ask that people judge the final product of these artists and not what it could be or might be.”

Laila Anjuman Ara’s ‘Joy of Nature’

A solo painting exhibition titled ‘Joy of Nature’ by artist Laila Anjuman Ara (Chhotly) is going on at La Galerie of the Alliance Francaise de Dhaka (AFD) in the city’s Dhanmondi area now. 
Prof Dr Abdus Satter, Professor of the Department of Oriental Art of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University inaugurated the exhibition as the chief guest, while noted poet Asad Chowdhury and Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid, Bangladesh, were also present as special guests on the occasion. Bruno Plasse, Director of AFD, gave the welcome speech and also presided over the opening ceremony.  
Artist Laila Anjuman Ara did her MFA from Department of Oriental Art of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University. In 1997, she had her first solo painting exhibition at Alliance Française de Dhaka.  
She already attended more than 25 group exhibitions at home and abroad including 35th Anniversary of Bangladesh War of Independence Day Art Exhibition at Bangladesh Embassy Washington DC in USA and group art exhibition at the Paper-mill Art Gallery Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum at Ontario in Canada in 2013. 
Artist Laila Anjuman Ara is very happy to be alive! The nature, its limitless beauties and everything alive and abstract mesmerise her. Her palette opens up to quench these reverberating stimuli and for every stroke she applies, she becomes entwined with nature’s own motions. 
Although this journey is full of exhilaration and vivacity, she does not stop looking for a peace that defines the dharma of nature herself. 
She remembers that by elucidating nature and its liberality in bestowing gifts on her canvas, she is - in her own way - trying to save and protect what is left and non-extinct. 
She feels as if within all its intricacies and indefinable involution, nature is enjoying and revelling in her elements. 
Therefore if she flicks through closely she cannot but transpose some of the joys, the raptures within herself, and later emanate them in her paintings. So she said, “Nature is the subject of my paintings.”

Aamir Khan asks fans to help flood affected Assam, Gujarat

Aamir Khan urged everyone to donate to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for both the states.

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has urged all his fans and followers to help the flood-affected states of Gujarat and Assam. Aamir took to Twitter on Saturday to share a video message about helping Assam and Gujarat.

He also urged everyone to donate to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for both the states. “A few areas of Assam and Gujarat have faced a terrible floods. People staying there are suffering. There has been loss of lives and a lot of damage. We are helpless before nature... But we are not helpless in helping our brothers and sisters there,” Aamir said.

The 51-year-old added, “So, I appeal to all of you to help the people in Assam and Gujarat. Also in donate in Chief Minister’s Relief Fund of both the states. I will also do this you also support me. Thank you. Jai Hind.”

Abahani edge Saif in opener

Defending champions Abahani got off to a winning start in the Bangladesh Premier League with a hard-fought 3-2 win over newcomers Saif Sporting Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Striker-turned-defender Nasir Chowdhury struck the winning goal six minutes from time after the five-time champions had surrendered a two-goal lead in the opening contest of the league's tenth edition. The encounter's pace was sluggish as a number of players from both sides suffered muscle strains. 

Following a reduction in the number of eligible foreign players, the focus had shifted to local players, especially the forwards. But it was Abahani's Nigerian forward Emeka Darlington, scorer of nine goals in the last edition, who stole the show initially with a brace in the first half. Later though, local players stepped up and scored three of the match's remaining goals.

Federation Cup champions Abahani were far from the standard they had set during the season's curtain raising tournament and looked pretty ordinary throughout the game as they failed to produce attacks from either flank, owing partly to the absence of right back-cum-captain Mamun Mia, who is suffering from Chikungunya.

The Sky Blues though, launched the first attack in the fourth minute, with Wali Faisal releasing a cross from the right for Emeka, who saw his flick drift away from the open net.

With both sides vying for control, Abahani took the lead in the 21st minute when unmarked Emeka headed a Wali cross home from inside the six-yard box. Eight minutes later, the Nigerian doubled Abahani's lead by converting a penalty kick after young forward Saad Uddin was brought down by Saif SC defender Rahmat Mia.

Abahani should have widened the margin in the 42nd minute when Wali passed the ball from a free-kick towards Sohel Rana, who drove an angular shot which was parried away for a corner by goalkeeper Anisur Rahman.

After that, Saif SC started to gain control of the match and posed a heavy challenge in stoppage time of the first half. They created two scoring opportunities, with Colombian striker Valencia Olaya heading narrowly wide of the near post before defender Tapu Barman scored with a header.

With both sides vying for control, Abahani took the lead in the 21st minute when unmarked Emeka headed a Wali cross home from inside the six-yard box. Eight minutes later, the Nigerian doubled Abahani's lead by converting a penalty kick after young forward Saad Uddin was brought down by Saif SC defender Rahmat Mia.

Abahani should have widened the margin in the 42nd minute when Wali passed the ball from a free-kick towards Sohel Rana, who drove an angular shot which was parried away for a corner by goalkeeper Anisur Rahman.

After that, Saif SC started to gain control of the match and posed a heavy challenge in stoppage time of the first half. They created two scoring opportunities, with Colombian striker Valencia Olaya heading narrowly wide of the near post before defender Tapu Barman scored with a header.

RMG factories’ digital map by 2021

A digital of map of the country's readymade garment factories will be prepared with detailed information of the number of factories, location, number of workers, workers' association, infrastructure and production system.

Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed inaugurated a project titled 'Digital RMG Factory Mapping in Bangladesh (DRFM-B)' on Saturday at Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exports Association's (BGMEA's) building at Karwanbazar.

Mentioning the project as another step forward of the current government's digital programme, the minister said, "Through the digital map, it'll be easier for us to know about our garment sector."

 The work on the digital map, which will be implemented by Brac University and coordinated by BRAC USA, will be completed by 2021, said Manager of the project Parveen Sultana Huda, adding that garment factories of 104 upazilas in 20 garment-producing districts will be brought under the project.

Basic information like type of products and production, female and male workers, major buyers, factories' approval and certification, fire extinguishing system, hospital management, security committee, trade unions will be included in the digital map by collecting information from all the factories, she added.

"There's a lack of research on the garment sector in our country. But, we must do research on where will the sector will go after 10 or 15 or 20 years," said Vice Chancellor of Brac University Prof Syed Saad Andalib.

General Manager of C&A Sourcing Bangladesh Shantanu Singh said, "This digital map will bring transparency in the garment sector.

While many countries haven't even thought of it, it is happening in Bangladesh."

The inaugural session was presided over by Adviser to Brac University Entrepreneurship Development Centre Prof Rahim B Talukdar.

According to Brac University source, the project DRFM-B has started with a goal to provide industry stakeholders with a real-time, credible RMG factory data through an interactive online platform (like Google Maps).

According to Brac University source, the project DRFM-B has started with a goal to provide industry stakeholders with a real-time, credible RMG factory data through an interactive online platform (like Google Maps).

Six Bangladeshi workers killed in Saudi Arabia road crash

The accident occurred at ‘Alzubarah’ on Thursday night local time, according to an official at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh.

Counsellor (Labour), Sarwar Alam at the embassy, referring to witnesses, told bdnews24.com that two of the victims died on the spot when a vehicle carrying Bangladeshi workers from Dammam to their workplace in Riyadh collided with another vehicle.

The four other Bangladeshis died after being taken to a hospital, he said.

Four of the dead Bangladeshis are from Rajbari district. They are Irshad Bapari, 28, his brother Humayun Bapari, 25, Kubbat Khan, 25, and Miraz Mandal, 22.

One of the two others is Idris Dewan, 32, from Faridpur. The other dead Bangladeshi is also from Faridpur, but Sarwar could not provide his details.

“We’ve lost everything,” Manju Bapari, the other brother of Irshad and Humayun in Rajbari, told bdnews24.com.

Lady liberty : 125 years as Icon of freedom

 "Over the years, the meanings of the [Statue of Liberty] have grown until she has become an international icon of freedom and liberty, the most recognizable symbol of democracy in the world," says the National Park Service, which has responsibility for both the statue and Ellis Island.
America will mark the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty on October 28 with a huge birthday party. The statue will be honored with a flotilla of ships in New York Harbor, musical performances, speeches, a cake and a massive fireworks display. There will also be a naturalization ceremony welcoming 125 people as U.S. citizens.
The 93-meter-high copper beauty was a gift from the people of France in 1886, in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Completed in France in 1884, the statue was disassembled, shipped to New York, and reassembled. On October 28, 1886, it was dedicated in front of thousands of cheering spectators. 
The idea of the statue originated around 1865 with Édouard de Laboulaye, a French law professor, politician and writer who wanted to foster the bond between the United States and France with a monument dedicated to their shared ideals of freedom and independence.
Artist Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, who was known for large-scale work, was commissioned to design the sculpture. Bartholdi traveled to the United States to look for a location for the monument and decided on a small island in New York Harbor called Bedloe's Island (renamed Liberty Island in 1956). 
Since the statue was a joint effort between America and France, it was agreed that the American people would build the pedestal while the French people would be responsible for the statue and assembly. In France, funds came in from city governments, sales of miniature statues, a lottery, and contributions from French schoolchildren and others. Some 2 million francs were raised (about $400,000 in U.S. dollars of the time). But fundraising was more difficult in the United States. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer stepped in and started a drive for donations using his newspaper the New York World. He printed the names of every donor, including schoolchildren who donated pennies. The fund drive drew more than 120,000 contributions, most of them less than a dollar; thus Americans were able to contribute about $250,000 for the statue's pedestal.
Bartholdi fashioned the statue - whose full name is "Liberty Enlightening the World" - from copper hammered out until it was just 2.4 millimeters thick. French engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) built a skeleton for the statue, designed so that the statue's copper skin moves independently yet can stand upright. This flexibility allows the statue to sway in the harbor winds. 

Hindi Medium proves it`s originality, Ramdhanu withdraws

The critically as well as commercially acclaimed huge box office success, Hindi Medium starring actor Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar in the lead, recently was in the news for copyright claims by the makers behind the 2014 Bengali family drama film Ramdhanu. 
However we have learnt that Dinesh Vijan and Bhushan Kumar’s Hindi medium directed by Saket Chaudhary has overwhelming won the case with the facts, with the Ramdhanu team reportedly withdrawing its case against the film. Going down to an unbeatable verdict which could not be won, the makers of Ramdhanu have withdrawn all aspects of its case against Hindi Medium.

Miss Kyrgyzstan 2013 dies of cancer

Zhibek Nukeeva died at the age of 22 after fighting the battle of cancer post so many hardships almost a year later. She found out about the sickness after being pregnant.

Zhibek Nukeeva received the title of "Miss Kyrgyzstan 2013’’ and was known for her serenity. She died almost a year after she was diagnosed with a third-degree cancer tumor - the hondrosarcoma of the hip bone. 

The former beauty performed at the international beauty contest "Miss World" in Indonesia.

Air pollution: UK to ban new diesel and petrol vehicles from 2040

New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the UK from 2040 in a bid to tackle air pollution, the government is set to announce.

Ministers will also unveil a £255m fund to help councils tackle emissions from diesel vehicles, as part of a £3bn package of spending on air quality.

The government will publish its court-mandated clean air strategy later, days before a High Court deadline.

Campaigners said the measures were promising, but more detail was needed.

The government was ordered by the courts to produce new plans to tackle illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide.

It came after judges agreed with environmental campaigners that previous plans were insufficient to meet EU pollution limits.

Retrofitting buses

Ministers had to set out their draft clean air strategy plans in May, with the final measures due by 31 July.

Local measures could include retrofitting buses and other transport to make them cleaner, changing road layouts, altering features such as speed humps, and re-programming traffic lights to make vehicle-flow smoother.

Campaigners wanted government-funded and mandated clean air zones, with charges for the most-polluting vehicles to enter areas with high pollution, included in the plans, as well as a diesel scrappage scheme.

It is thought ministers will consult on a scrappage scheme later this year, but there is no firm commitment.

Ministers have been wary of being seen to "punish" drivers of diesel cars, who, they argue, bought the vehicles after being encouraged to by the last Labour government because they produced lower carbon emissions.

The UK announcement comes amid signs of an accelerating shift towards electric cars instead of petrol and diesel ones, both at home and abroad:

Earlier this month, President Emmanuel Macron announced similar plans to phase out diesel and petrol cars in France, also from 2040.

BMW announced on Tuesday that a fully electric version of the Mini will be built at the Cowley plant in Oxford from 2019.

Swedish carmaker Volvo has said all new models will have an electric motor from the same year.

Analysis by Roger Harrabin, BBC environment correspondent

The government plan will not contain a vehicle scrappage scheme. And it won't mandate councils to charge dirty vehicles to enter cities.

Compulsory clean-air charging zones were identified by the government's own experts as the best way to tackle pollution.

And the decision not to include them in the policy leaves the government in breach of a court order to produce a comprehensive clean air strategy by the end of this month.

Ministers argue that it is better to have a scheme for tackling the worst pollution hotspots rather than rushing out a botched comprehensive strategy.

But clean air campaigners will accuse the government of failing to obey the court yet again, having already lost a case on this issue in April.

ClientEarth, the legal group which brought that case, previously warned it would consider going back to court if the government failed to meet its legal obligations to ensure clean air for people to breathe.

Air pollution is thought to be linked to about 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK, and transport also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

A government spokesman said poor air quality was "the biggest environmental risk" to public health in the UK.

"This government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible," he said.

Emissions hotspots

"Our plan to deal with dirty diesels will help councils clean up emissions hotspots - often a single road - through common sense measures which do not unfairly penalise ordinary working people."

Environmental law firm ClientEarth welcomed the measures, but said it wanted to see more detail.

Its chief executive James Thornton said: "A clear policy to move people towards cleaner vehicles by banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans after 2040 is welcome, as is more funding for local authorities.

"However, the law says ministers must bring down illegal levels of air pollution as soon as possible, so any measures announced in this plan must be focused on doing that."

Another New Mahi Movie!

Mahiya Mahi is about to embark into a new film, named Faltu. Co-starring Mosharraf Karim, Mahi has shown quite the enthusiasm to land the role. “I have already talked with the director and expressed my interest,” said Mahi, “The deal hasn't been finalized yet but I sincerely hope it turns out to be a success.” Directed by Wazed Ali Sumon, the film is set to start shooting at 7th September. Mahi is currently shooting for multiple others films; Poloke Poloke Tomake Chai, Tui Shudhu Amar, Pobitro Bhalobasha, Jannat and Mone Rekho. 

British Council unveils memorial for its martyrs

British Council in Dhaka today unveiled a memorial in honour of eight policemen who died defending the institution on the black night of March 25, 1971.

The institution’s Chief Executive Sir Ciaran Devane, South Asia Regional Director Mark Stephens and Bangladesh Director Barbara Wickham were present in the unveiling, said a press release.

“Through the unveiling of this memorial, we wish to express sincere gratitude to the eight brave guards who gave their lives to protect the British Council on duty in March 1971,” said Barbara Wickham in a press conference.

Sir Ciaran Devane's is in Dhaka to understand the broad portfolio of work focused on the youth population and its impact both in Bangladesh and the UK, the press release said.

70pc foreign investment condition in power sector project lifted

The government has withdrawn the 70 percent foreign investment condition for power sector, aiming to utilise idle money, a top official said.

“We have withdrawn the investment condition for any power sector project as local banks and financial institutions have built capacity to invest here,” Power Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus told the daily sun.

Earlier, the power division received a direction from the cabinet committee on public purchase to mobilise at least 70 percent of total investment from foreign resources, he said.

He said the power division has a plan to generate around 3,000MW of electricity through local fund by March, 2018.

“We are now scrutinising the proposals from different power sponsors and are hopeful that we would allow them soon,” he said.

According to the official sources, the state-owned commercial banks are allowed to provide 25 percent loan against the paid-up capital as per the Bank Company Act, 1991, Article-26 (Kha).

The power division proposes that the Banking Division should revise the Bank Company Act, 1991, Article-26(Kha) for large scale investment in power sector, an official confirmed.

The ministry of power and energy has formed a 10-member committee headed by Additional Finance Division Secretary Jalal Ahmed to review the act, the official said.

The committee also comprises Power Division Joint Secretary AKM Humayun Kabir as member secretary and representatives from Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Banking Division, National Board of Revenue (NBR), state-run and private commercial banks, Bangladesh Power Development Board and Securities and Exchange Commission.

The power division will be implementing around 116 projects at an estimated cost of $24.73 billion. Of the total cost, around $13.78 billion will come from project aids.

The government wants to mobilise the rest of the fund through local banks and financial institutions.    

The government will need around $85 billion by 2041 for implementing power transmission, generation and distribution projects.

The government is planning to implement the projects with funds from government-to-government deals, ECA financing and local banks.       

The power sector has already received $8 billion in investment during the last eight years of the current Awami League government.

The government has already decided to utilise an idle fund of Tk 5,500 crore from Bangladesh Bank’s Islamic Development Fund (IDF) to invest in power sector.

Besides, the government will introduce ‘one-stop service’ centre for banks and financial institutions to fetch more investment in power sector.

NASA builds prototype for deep space habitat

The first prototype of NASA's deep space habitat will be made up of a recycled aluminum cargo container and will help the space agency to develop life-support systems that can protect astronauts when they travel beyond low-Earth orbits, the media reported, reports IANS.

The cargo space container, named Donatello built 15 years ago, will be refurbished into a habitat prototype by Lockheed Martin -- a global security and aerospace company -- at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

From the outside, Donatello looks like just a massive cylindrical metal container, about 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter.

However, the interior will be turned into a living quarter, with robotics work stations for astronauts, a place to exercise and storage spaces for food, water, toiletries - "all the tings you need to live and be happy in space", said Bill Pratt, programme manager for the habitat contract, at Lockheed Martin.

"While building this habitat, we have to operate in a different mindset that's more akin to long trips to Mars to ensure we keep them safe, healthy and productive," Pratt added.

Donatello, was one of three built by the Italian Space Agency in the 1990s to serve as "moving vans carrying equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the International Space Station" and was delivered to NASA's Kennedy Space Centre from Italy in 2001.

The project, which would take about 18 months to be ready for roll out, is a step toward NASA's next big human spaceflight project called the Deep Space Gateway -- a "spaceport" in the moon's orbit where astronauts would live for up to an year.

The Deep Space Gateway habitat will be docked to a spacecraft called Orion, the "exploration vehicle" that will carry astronauts to space.

Geek fight! Musk says Zuckerberg naive about killer robots

Silicon Valley baron Elon Musk insulted rival billionaire Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, escalating a tech wizard war of words over whether robots will become smart enough to kill their human creators.

"His understanding of the subject is limited," Musk said in a tweet about the Facebook Inc founder whose algorithms and other technology revolutionised social media and won 2 billion monthly active users.

Previously, Zuckerberg was asked about Musk's views on the dangers of robots. In his response, Zuckerberg chided "naysayers" whose "doomsday scenarios" were "irresponsible."

Zuckerberg and Musk, who is chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc and rocket company SpaceX, have been waging a debate at a distance over the past few days on the dangers of artificial intelligence.

The two sharply disagree on whether tougher government regulation is needed for the technology.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the tweet, which Musk sent at 3:07 a.m. California time (1007 GMT) from his verified account, @elonmusk.

The term artificial intelligence, or AI, is used to describe machines with computer code that learns as it goes. The technology is becoming widely used in sectors such as healthcare, entertainment and banking.

Fear that machines could become so intelligent that they might rise up and overthrow humanity is a common theme in science fiction.

Musk told a gathering of US governors this month that the potential dangers are not so imaginary, and that they should move to regulate AI.

"I keep sounding the alarm bell, but until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don't know how to react, because it seems so ethereal," Musk said, according to a video of the event.

"AI is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilisation," he added.

On Sunday, Zuckerberg was streaming video live on Facebook while grilling brisket at home and answering viewers' questions when someone asked him to weigh in on Musk's comments.

"I'm really optimistic," Zuckerberg countered, "and I think that people who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios, I don't understand it.

"It's really negative, and in some ways I actually think it's pretty irresponsible."

Zuckerberg said AI could result in better diagnoses of diseases and the elimination of car wrecks, and he said he did not see how "in good conscience" people could want to slow down the development of AI through regulation.

Neymar cleared in tax evasion case, Brazilian court says

Barcelona striker Neymar has been cleared of any criminal charges in a long-running tax evasion case in Brazil, a Brazilian court said on Wednesday.

A judge in Sao Paulo said there was a "lack of just cause" in the case that alleged he underpaid income tax between 2011 and 2014.

Neymar's father and agent said Wednesday's decision was a major victory.

"It is with great happiness that we received the news of the shelving of the Public Ministry's case of tax evasion," Neymar Snr. said in a statement sent to Reuters.

"The process is officially closed (and) that proves the legality of all our acts."

Neymar could still, however, have to pay substantial sums to Brazil's tax office.

Brazil's federal tax office charged Neymar in 2015 with evading 63 million reais ($19.94 million) in taxes due on income earned from the Santos and Barcelona soccer clubs and sponsors between 2011 and 2014.

Neymar appealed last year and a court ruling in his favour in March halved the penalty of 200 million reais in fines, back-taxes and interest that Brazil's tax office had slapped on the player.

This was separate to the criminal prosecution brought by federal prosecutors, which has now been shelved.

"These were four years of unfounded accusations that me, my family and the employees of my companies suffered through, in every possible way," Neymar's father said in his statement.

"Although many people doubted it, there is justice in our country. Charge by charge, one after the other, they were knocked down by our defence, leaving it explicitly clear that we did not avoid paying one cent of tax.

"I hope we can now concentrate on our work and that my family has the peace it deserves."

Neymar's future on the pitch is the subject of speculation, with the player linked in Spanish, French and Brazilian media with a transfer to Paris St Germain.

Neymar, an idol in Brazil who led the Olympic team to glory at the 2016 Rio Games, said last week he was happy at Barcelona but he has yet to state definitively where he will play next season.

Widely considered the outstanding player of his generation in Brazil, Neymar led Santos to the Libertadores Cup for the first time since Pele played for the club.

He then moved to Barcelona in 2013 where he has formed one of the most deadly forward lines in football alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

He is currently on a pre-season tour with Barcelona, where he has won two La Liga titles and a Champions League, in the United States and is expected to play in Wednesday's match against Manchester United in Maryland.