Michael Jackson

An appeals court has refused to reinstate an order granting pop star Michael Jackson sole custody of his two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe.

The court in California backed a ruling that Ms Rowe's 2001 agreement to end her parental rights was invalid because the judge had made a procedural error. Ms Rowe has been seeking custody of Michael Jr and Paris since the star's arrest over child abuse claims in 2003.

He was acquitted of all 10 charges against him in June last year. In 2004, Ms Rowe persuaded a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to overturn the child custody agreement.

Michael's latest appeal was at California's Second District Court of Appeals, but the court ruled against him yesterday. His lawyers declined to comment on the ruling.