Jackson avoids court appearance

Pop singer Michael Jackson will not appear in the High Court in London today after he reached an out-of-court settlement in principle with Sheikh Abdulla Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the King of Bahrain's son.

Jackson had been due to fly to the UK today to give evidence over claims he breached the terms of a music contract he made with the sheikh.

Jackson was invited with his family to visit Bahrain shortly after he was acquitted of charges of child abuse. While he was in Bahrain, the Sheikh lavished money on him, building him a recording studio in the hope that he would record albums using material the sheikh had helped to write.

Jackson claims the payments he received from the Sheikh were gifts.