STING actor, environment activist, tantric sex poster boy. It was not enough for the Englishman that he used to front The Police, which was among the biggest rock bands in the world.

LONDON - SINGER Michael Jackson plans to testify next week in a British court in a lawsuit brought against him by a Bahrain prince, Jackson's lawyer said on Thursday.

The reclusive 50-year-old is being sued by Sheikh Abdullah Hamad al-Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain, who says Jackson reneged on a contract to record a new album and write an autobiography.

GENEVA - A 10.48 carat blue diamond failed to sell at a Geneva auction as no one matched the reserve price of 6.7 million Swiss francs (S$9.17 million), auctioneers Sotheby's said on Thursday, blaming the current economic climate.

The Fancy Deep Blue diamond, described by Sotheby's as 'beauty personified,' did attract stray interest on Wednesday evening but no acceptable bids.