Singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, best known for quirky hits such as Werewolves in London, has been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.

"I'm okay with it," Zevon, 55, said in a statement.

"But it'll be a drag if I don't make it until the next James Bond movie comes out."

Zevon's career has spannede more than three decades, beginning with Wanted Dead or Alive in 1969.

His 1976 album, Warren Zevon, produced by Jackson Browne, won critical praise.

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Cowell makes 'villain' list

Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell has been ranked as one of the nastiest people in music, alongside the killers of John Lennon and Marvin Gaye.

Cowell came 22nd on the list of 'most dastardly villains', compiled by US music magazine Blender.

The number one spot went to Mark Chapman, who murdered former Beatle John Lennon in 1980.

Cowell has become one of the most prominent British celebrities on American TV following his stint on the judging panel of American Idol.

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De Niro seeks technical scripts

Actor Robert de Niro is looking for scripts with scientific or technical themes for his company Tribeca Film Institute to produce.

The scripts, which must be submitted to the company by 1 November, must include a character who is a scientist, mathematician or engineer.

Two scripts will be chosen, and the writers will be given financial support and help from experts and filmmakers.

One of the completed films will be screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in 2004.

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Glover addresses Arkansas crowd

Actor Danny Glover has urged an audience of over 700 people at Arkansas University to take a more active role in their communities and the world.

The Lethal Weapon star said, "It's extremely important that we listen to and learn from one another in the larger global community."

And he expressed concerns over waging war against terrorists, saying that governments should "attack the source of the terrorism".

Glover also urged the crowd to pay more attention to global issues such as over-consumption of natural resources and pollution.

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Bands fight for rock fame

The Clash, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, and The Police have been nominated to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Abba, disco band Chic and the German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk are also eligible.

The Sex Pistols are also on the shortlist for 2003, meaning the hall could give its first nod to UK punk after two US acts, the Ramones and Talking Heads, were inducted this year.

Longtime nominees Black Sabbath, are being considered once again, with other nominees including Australian rockers AC/DC, the Righteous Brothers, the Patti Smith Group, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steve Winwood.

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Houston hits sprinkler trouble

Singer Whitney Houston has been issued with a summons for using water sprinklers at her estate in New Jersey.

The state has strict water use restrictions because of a drought, and police found her sprinklers running all night, with puddles forming in the kerbs at the home she shares with husband Bobby Brown.

Residents are banned from watering laws and washing cars, and Houston could face a $1,000 fine.

Police lieutenant Jim Hughes told the Newark Star-Ledger newspaper: "Nobody gets special treatment here."

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More money for Russian movies

The Russian Government is to give one billion roubles (�20,500) to support national film production in 2003.

The government will choose the type of films to receive the funding, with a focus on patriotic and historical films,children's films and documentaries.

Forty-two films were made in Russia in 2001, of which 35 were by independent companies. This was down from more than 150 films released in 2000.

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Ustinov: 'I have more at 81'

Veteran entertainer Peter Ustinov, on a rare visit to London, says his zest for life is greater now he is 81 than it was when he was 21.

The playwright, novelist, actor and director said: "I have more now because there is less of it. It is a rarer commodity."

Speaking at a literary lunch organised by The Oldie magazine, he said he was happy to work until he drops "as long as I can be guaranteed that I won't know in advance when it's going to happen".

He arrived in a wheelchair, and said: "I miss my mobility and stamina. But the one thing that is left to me is a voice. I can still use it and give performances.

"The mobility is very restricted but I have adapted myself. I keep thinking of flies and birds that have lost a wing."

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Potter's TV debut

America's WB network is to screen a two-minute preview of the forthcoming Harry Potter film, The Chamber of Secrets, on Thursday.

The trailer will be shown during the premiere of its new show Family Affair, marking the first time a full-length clip has been shown to audiences.

The Warner Brothers studio - like WB, part of the Time Warner conglomerate - has only released brief 15 and 20-second clips from the film to cinemas.

Last year, the two companies teamed up to do the same thing for The Philosopher's Stone - known as The Sorcerer's Stone in the US - and WB scored a ratings success.

Chamber of Secrets opens in the UK and US on 15 November.

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Truck kills N'Sync fan

A 21-year-old woman who was waiting in a crowd to see N'Sync singer Justin Timberlake was killed when a pick-up truck reversed into her.

Anna White was waiting outside KIIS-FM in Burbank, California, when the truck hit her.

She was pinned under the truck and dragged for about a block. She then fell to the floor, and the motorist drove off.

A man was later arrested. In a statement, Timberlake said he was "horrified to learn of the senseless death".

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Emmys to honour Oprah

Chat show host Oprah Winfrey is to receive the new Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, it has been announced.

The gong, to be handed over at the 54th annual Emmys, will be presented by Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks.

Bryce Zabel, chief executive of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, praised the star, whose foundation supports women, children and families.

He said Winfrey is "a truly qualified individual... whose deeds and actions have had a lasting impact on society".