FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, August 17, 2005

HOUSEWIFE DOWN: Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria knocked in the head by a falling pole while filming a scene for the show on Wednesday. She was treated and released from a hospital and expected to make a full recovery.

OUT OF A JOB: Pierce Brosnan telling Entertainment Weekly that he received a surprising phone call last week telling him he would no longer be playing James Bond.

WITHOUT EM: Eminem canceling his upcoming European tour due to "exhaustion," his record company announced Tuesday. The string of shows, which was to start Sept. 1 in Germany, will not be rescheduled, per an Interscope press release.

MOVING UNITS: Meanwhile, Eminem's aunt and uncle filing a lawsuit against the rapper over a failed promise to pay them $100,000 per year after they sold their home to move closer to the hip-hop star, per Allhiphop.com.

IN DA EURO CLUBS: In the wake of the cancellation of Eminem's tour, 50 Cent announcing plans to proceed with a European tour of his own.

SUIT LOOT: The Los Angeles City Council rejecting an $18 million settlement offer Wednesday in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G. The family of the late hip-hop star has vowed to refile their case against L.A.

CHART ATTACK: Staind's Chapter V topping the charts with close to 185,000 copies sold.

CUB REPORTER: Sean Penn's long-in-the-works feature article on the recent Iranian elections set to run as a five-part series beginning Monday in the San Francisco Chronicle.

PAY THE PRICE: A judge fining Michael Jackson $10,000 after the popster failed to have his attorney appear at a hearing in a civil case accusing him of sexually assaulting a young man during the 1984 World's Fair. Jackson denies the charges.

NOT A FAN: The Washington Post reporting that Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. repeatedly opposed requests for a presidential letter commending Michael Jackson for his position against drunk-driving when he served as counsel in the Reagan-era White House.

KUDOS: BET announcing nominees for the 2005 BET Comedy Awards. Martin Lawrence to receive the BET Comedy Icon Award; Steve Harvey to host.

REMEMBERED: Marilyn Monroe's first husband, James Dougherty, died Monday of complications of leukemia.

UNMIGHTY: Former Power Rangers actor Skylar Deleon and his wife ordered to stand trial for the murder of a wealthy California couple last November.

LAST LAUGH? Fox News reporting American Idol defector Mario Vasquez has inked a record deal with Clive Davis' J Records.

MORE TUNES: Neil Young signing a new multi-album deal with his longtime label Reprise Records. His latest, Prairie Wind, will be released Sept. 27.

BEST BEHIND: British moviegoers voting Jude Law's butt the sexiest in a poll of the top tushes in show business. Renée Zellweger rounded out the top 10.

PAYING RESPECT: Following the death of Peter Jennings last week, ABC's World Nightly News averaging 8.9 million viewers, ending Brian Williams's 57-week streak atop the ratings on NBC Nightly News.

UNLUCKY STAR: Madonna suffering several broken bones in a horseback riding accident Tuesday--her 47th birthday. The singer was hospitalized with three cracked ribs and a broken hand and collarbone, according to her publicist, and was treated and released.

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Former Ed actress Rena Sofer and her director husband, Sanford Bookstaver, welcoming a baby girl Aug. 5, People reports. Avalon was born in Los Angeles and weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds, 14 ounces, according to the couple.

SONGS OF LOVE AND LAWSUITS: Leonard Cohen filing a $5 million lawsuit against his ex-business manager Monday. The songwriter alleges she stole millions of dollars from his personal bank account while he was away at a Zen temple.

ICEBERG AHEAD: Paramount Home Entertainment releasing the first DVD special edition of Titanic Oct. 25. The three-disc set will feature deleted scenes and a new documentary.

DRIVING IN DENVER: Denver authorities charging the man suspected of shooting Grammy-winning singer Marc Cohn during an attempted carjacking last week Tuesday with attempted murder.