Jackson settles with sheik

Lawyers for Michael Jackson have reached a settlement with a Bahraini sheik who says the singer owes him $7 million after breaching a signed contract, the pop star’s spokeswoman said.

The out-of-court settlement means Jackson will not give evidence at London’s High Court as scheduled today, Celena Aponte said.

Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad al Khalifa said he gave the singer millions and planned a series of collaborations. Khalifa, 33, invited Jackson to the small, oil-rich Persian Gulf state to escape the media spotlight.