THE comedy camp owner who first introduced Michael Jackson to his young accuser described yesterday how he visited the boy in hospital.

Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson case have waited more than a decade for what a judge has now granted them: the chance to tell jurors about past sexual abuse allegations that never led to criminal charges.

Michael Jackson is urging fans to pray for him, and says he has faith that he will be vindicated. But the focus may soon shift to one of the key issues in the case – details of past allegations against the singer.

Prosecutor Tom Sneddon and his entire office should be removed from the Michael Jackson molestation case because he “is motivated by personal animosity” toward the singer, according to newly released court papers filed by Jackson’s lawyers.

Michael Jackson, saying he must respond to “untruths and sensationalism", issued a statement yesterday saying he would never harm a child but acknowledging that he has reached financial settlements with people in the past to avoid the public embarrassment of going to court.

Michael Jackson paid more than €1.5m to a second boy who accused the embattled pop star of molesting him over a decade ago, it was reported today.

A media lawyer asked an appeals court to overturn an order preventing access to the grand jury in the Michael Jackson molestation case, hours after the panel apparently convened in a secret location.

Pop superstar Michael Jackson’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley has been asked to appear before a grand jury investigating child sex abuse allegations against the singer, it emerged today.

Two months after a prosecutor made worldwide news by announcing he would charge Michael Jackson with child molestation, the multimillionaire pop star is set to face his first court appearance today amid an all-out media blitz.

AFTER 26 hours in the operating room, pediatric neurosurgeons successfully separated two-year-old Egyptian twins joined at the top of their heads yesterday.

After more than a year of preparation, a team of 18 doctors today began the delicate surgery to separate two-year-old twins from Egypt joined at the crown of their heads.

Evander Holyfield has asked the World Boxing Association to give him a fourth match with John Ruiz or the winner of Ruiz's unscheduled title defence against Kirk Johnson.