QUICK HITS

1 Spain to scrap “golden visas” for investors:

Spain’s government said it plans to scrap so-called “golden visas” that allow wealthy people from outside the European Union to obtain residency permits on investing more than half a million euros in real estate. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the reform was part of the government’s push to make housing “a right, not a speculative business.” The government says some 10,000 such visas have been issued since the measure was brought into law in 2013 by a previous right-wing Popular Party government as a means to attract foreign investors.

2 Brazil to investigate Musk over fake news:

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has included Elon Musk as a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news, and has opened a separate investigation into the U.S. business executive for alleged obstruction. Justice Alexandre de Moraes noted that Musk on Saturday began waging a public“disinformation campaign” regarding the top court’s actions, and that Musk continued the following day — most notably with comments that his social media company X would cease to comply with the court’s orders to block certain accounts.

3 Malaysian company recalls possible blasphemous shoes:

A Malaysian shoe company has apologized and stopped selling some of its footwear after some Muslims said the logo resembled the Arabic writing for the word God. Vern’s Holdings said the logo stamped on the soles of some high-heeled shoes depicted the silhouette of a stiletto heel with an ankle spiral wrap. It acknowledged, however, that shortcomings in the design may have led to the logo being misinterpreted. The company also said it acted immediately to stop sales of the shoes and issue refunds to customers who bought them.

4 Myanmar guerrillas look to seize border town:

Guerrilla fighters from Myanmar’s Karen ethnic minority claimed to be close to seizing control of a major trading town bordering Thailand called Myawaddy, as soldiers and civil servants loyal to the military government appeared to be preparing to abandon their positions. The conflict in Myanmar began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

5 Actor avoids jail time in assault case:

Actor Jonathan Majors has been ordered to complete a yearlong counseling program but avoided jail time for assaulting his ex-girlfriend in a case that derailed the once-promising star’s career. The 34-year-old star of “Creed III” and other films had faced up to a year behind bars after he was convicted of misdemeanor assault by a Manhattan jury in December.