Hong Kong pop star Nicholas Tse has settled charges that he lashed out at a magazine photographer.

Photographer Ng Sung-kei of the Sudden Weekly magazine had accused Tse of hitting him outside a restaurant in Taiwan, bruising his nose and elbow.

The two sides met at the Taipei District Court in an attempt to thrash out a settlement in the presence of the authorities.

As Tse emerged from the courthouse he simply said: "It is all over, everything has been resolved."

But he refused to say whether the talks had resulted in an out-of-court settlement with the photographer.

One of Tse assistants insisted the star was "innocent" as she pushed him through the media throng gathered outside the court.

Sudden Weekly editor Wei Da-Sheng said he had asked for a public apology from Tse, although he would not give details of the settlement.

Tse had previously denied suggestions he assaulted the man.

The popularity of the singer ensures he is constantly in the limelight.

He was involved in a car accident in June which left his high-powered car a write-off.

Ferrari crash

He is also due to stand trial in September for perverting the course of justice in relation to another car accident in March.

He is accused of trying to shift the blame for a crash in his Ferrari in the centre of Hong Kong.

The territory's Independent Commission for Corruption said it believed Tse was driving the car and fled the scene, arranging for someone else to take responsibility.

Tse's love life is another subject which is of endless fascination to gossip columns.

He was recently linked to popular actress Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi but was said to have ended their relationship to return to ex-girlfriend and Canto pop singer Faye Wong.

Since breaking into the Canto pop scene in 1997, Tse has risen to become one of Hong Kong's biggest stars.

Tse, son of 60s film star Patrick Tse Yin, recently won a World Music Awards in Monaco for being China's biggest selling artist.