FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, January 4, 2004

OOPS? Britney Spears reportedly got married in Vegas Saturday to boyfriend Jason Allen Alexander. People.com says the quickie ceremony was a "joke that went too far" and Spears plans to annul the wedding. No official comment from the pop tart's camp.

RINGS IN NEW YEAR: For a third weekend in a row, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King dominated the box-office with $30.7 million. It has now grossed $291 million domestically and $677 million worldwide.

RUSH RAGE: Rush lead guitarist Alex Lifeson (real name: Alex Zivojinovich) arrested for allegedly assaulting sheriff's deputies and spitting blood on one during a New Year's Eve brawl at the Ritz Hotel in Naples, Florida. Deputies said they had to use a stun gun on the musician who they described as displaying drunken, violent behavior. Zivojinovich's son said his father's nose was broken during the skirmish.

LAST HURRAH: Sex and the City kicking off its final season Sunday night on HBO. Producers were so concerned that the series finale would leak to the public that they reportedly filmed several different endings with no clue as to which will serve as the actual conclusion to the show.

WHAT A CROC: Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin's parenting skills earning comparisons to Michael Jackson's infamous baby-dangling incident after Irwin fed a hungry crocodile while clutching his infant son in his arms during a televised bit.

JOLIE COW! Angelina Jolie funding a program that provides impoverished Cambodian farmers with cows. The program is part of Jolie's conservation efforts in the country where she is building a home for herself and her adopted Cambodian son, Maddox.

NORWEGIAN IDOL: Norway's Pop Idol, Kurt Nilsen, achieved World Idol status Thursday, beating out American Idol Kelly Clarkson to take first place in the international singing competition between Idol winners from 11 countries. Clarkson finished second and Belgium's Peter Everard took third.

STEPS REDUX: Screenwriter Robert Towne tapped to write and direct a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic spy film The 39 Steps, Daily Variety reports. Towne's previous writing credits include Chinatown and Mission: Impossible 3.

GOTCHA: Meat Puppets bassist Cris Kirkwood arrested on Tuesday for assaulting a security guard at a Phoenix post office. He was arrested leaving Good Samaritan Hospital, where he had been taken after he was shot by a guard on Friday, and charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon at a federal facility.

PUPPET UPDATE: A judge ruling that Meat Puppets bassist Cris Kirkwood presented both a flight risk and a danger to others and ordering him to remain in police custody; the judge also ruled that there is enough evidence to try the musician for assault--no trial date has yet been set.

REALLY LIMP: Limp Bizkit voted the worst band of the year in a Guitar World magazine readers poll. Creed finished second, followed by The Strokes.

IN DA MONEY: 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' finishing the year as the best-selling CD, moving more than 6.5 million copies according to Nielsen SoundScan.

FISHY: Finding Nemo is the top-grossing film of 2003, taking in $339.7 million, according ot year-end figures from Exhibitor Relations. However, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King could ultimately pass the 'toon, having taken in more than $220 million in just two weeks.

HONORED: Eric Clapton and Kinks founder Ray Davies receiving royal honors from Queen Elizabeth II Wednesday--both musicians were awarded the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In all, 981 people were singled out for awards in the annual New Year's honor list.