Naomi settles suit

New York, June 15 (AP): Naomi Campbell has settled a lawsuit with a former employee who claims the British supermodel abused her verbally and physically on three continents.

The settlement of the lawsuit by Amanda Brack, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, came to light yesterday when Manhattan state supreme court Justice Emily Jane Goodman issued a brief order granting dismissal of the case. The judge’s order said only that “the action has settled and been discontinued” according to the lawyers’ agreement dated April 27. No settlement terms were disclosed.

Brack, 21, sued Campbell in July 2006 for unspecified damages, accusing her of assault, battery, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress. Brack said the abusive incidents started a month after she began working for Campbell in February 2005.

Mothers can be beauties

Madrid (Reuters): The Miss Spain beauty contest has changed its rules to allow mothers to compete after its decision to dethrone a 22-year-old beauty queen when it emerged she had a child met with national outrage in February. Angela Bustillo, who has a toddler son, won the title of Miss Cantabria, a region on Spain’s northern coast, in January but organisers disqualified her citing rules that contestants cannot have children. The decision sparked widespread outrage in the Spanish press and expressions of support came in for the dethroned queen from feminist organisations.