Snipes acquitted

Action film star Wesley Snipes was found not guilty of federal tax-fraud and conspiracy charges, but was convicted on three misdemeanour counts of failing to file a tax return.

Snipes had faced up to 16 years in prison if convicted on all charges, but can now only get up to three years.

The Blade star and two co-defendants had been indicted in 2006 after Snipes stopped paying, using tax protest arguments long rejected by the courts.