By Knight Ridder Newspapers

The Rolling Stones will take a break from touring to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show.

The rock ‘n’ roll stars will take the stage during the game Feb. 5 at Ford Field in Detroit, the NFL announced Tuesday.

“We are thrilled to perform for millions of fans at one of the most exciting and highly anticipated sporting events of the year,” the band said in a statement.

The Stones are touring North America to promote their latest album, “A Bigger Bang.”

The NFL has a history of booking top acts for its halftime show. Last season, the primary entertainer was former Beatle Paul McCartney. The highlight – or lowlight – of the 2004 show was Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” during a performance with Justin Timberlake.

Cowell to saty on ‘Idol,’ Fox says

Simon Cowell will be insulting singers on “American Idol” for several years to come.

Fox announced Monday that it had reached a deal that keeps the insult-spewing judge on television’s most popular show for at least five more seasons.

The announcement coincided with the settlement of a lawsuit against Cowell by fellow British pop impresario Simon Fuller. The lawsuit reportedly impeded Fox’s ability to ink a deal with Cowell.

A spokeswoman for Fremantle Media, which distributes “American Idol” and produces Cowell’s new show, “X-Factor,” confirmed the case had been settled out of court but refused to give details.

In his copyright infringement lawsuit, Fuller had claimed that Cowell had copied the format of “Pop Idol” – the British version that predated “American Idol” – for “X-Factor.”

The new deal extends Fox’s partnership with “American Idol” producers 19 Entertainment Ltd., Fuller’s company.

50 Cent getting short changed by Canada

50 Cent is not getting any love from a Canadian politician. Junior Foreign Minister Dan McTeague is trying to stop the rap superstar from entering his country to perform seven dates there next month.

McTeague claims that 50 Cent, who has been shot nine times, promotes gun violence.

“There are indeed limits and restrictions on freedom of expression,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., “particularly if they incite hate or if they are the kind of activity that is killing our … youths right now across Toronto.”

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CUTTING WORDS

Michael Jackson, who made disparaging remarks about Jews on recently released voice mails, apparently has anti-Italian slurs in his repertoire, too.

In a voice message left for former friend Dieter Wiesner, Jackson slammed record mogul Tommy Mottola in recordings reviewed by the New York Post.

“I’m very concerned,” Jackson was heard saying. “I don’t trust that man. He thinks he’s God. He thinks he’s Italian mafia.”

Jackson’s foot-in-mouth disease was exposed when” Good Morning America” played voice mails of his anti-Semitic slurs. Earlier this year, Team Jacko made anti-gay comments directed at former business partner Marc Schaffel, who, along with Wiesner, is suing Jackson.

“He’s a homophobe, anti-Semite, really anti-everybody,” said lawyer Howard King, who represents Wiesner and Schaffel, referring to Jackson. “He constantly feels like he’s the victim. That’s his MO.”

Jackson’s lawyer declined comment.