British members of the parliament have questioned senior executives of three multinational companies Google, Starbucks and Amazon asked why they pay almost no tax in Britain. The chair of the Public Accounts Committee said the Starbucks claim that it had operated in Briain for 50 years without making a profit didn't ring true. The companies all report European sales through their headquarters in other EU countries allowing them to take advantage of lower taxes there.

A top aide of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been sentenced to ten years and ten months in jail for corruption. Jose Dirceu was President Lula's chief staff from 2003 to 2005. Leonardo Rocha has more.

Thirty-seven people including senior figures of the governing Workers Party were charged for the alleged involvement in a scheme that became known in Brazil as Mensalao, or Big Monthly Allowance. Jose Dirceu who was one of the President Lula's closest allies was found guilty a month ago in sentence now to nearly 11 years jail. According to the Supreme Court, he set up an illegal scheme that used public funds to pay politicians from coalition parties to approve government proposals. He denied the scheme ever existed.

Three thieves posing as an art teacher and two students have stolen paintings worth $2m from museum in the South Africa capital Pretoria. Officials said the three men arrived at the museum on Sunday asked the staff to show the specific paintings, pulled out guns and then ran away with five works of famous artists.