Timberlake breaks his foot

Pop star Justin Timberlake has pulled out of this weekend's Smash Hits Poll Winners' Party in the UK after breaking his foot.

The singer was due to take up a presenting role alongside Kelly Osbourne at the bash, organised by a British pop magazine, which is taking place at the London Arena on Sunday.

Timberlake broke his foot while rehearsing for the awards, and doctors have told him to rest for two weeks.

"I am sorely disappointed that I must miss any scheduled events. However, I must adhere to my physician's recommendations and rest. I look forward to being able to perform again and hope to see all my fans soon," he said.

---

Osbournes returning to UK

Ozzy Osbourne and his family are heading home to film a special episode of their reality TV show.

The Prince of Darkness's teenage daughter Kelly is flying in from Los Angeles on Wednesday to launch her new record Shut Up.

She will later meet up with the rest of the family in London where they will shoot the third episode of the new series of The Osbournes.

The second series, which will show Sharon Osbourne battling with cancer of the colon, is to be screened in the US later this month.

---

Puffy for president?

Rap mogul Sean "P Diddy" Combs told guests at his New York birthday bash that he wants to be US president.

Business partner Jameel Spencer recently told a US news agency Combs was concerned politicians were ignoring "urban Americans" - young people who have embraced rap culture.

Lawyer Benjamin Brafman said on Monday his client was toying with the idea.

"His marketing talent is surpassed by nobody I have ever met and to the extent that he has the whole world talking about a Puff Daddy presidency, that's something positive, it's something fun, it's something interesting," he said.

"If he ran for president, even if he did not win, I think in his campaign he would float some very positive ideas."

---

Hollywood veteran mourned

Veteran Hollywood reporter Vernon Scott, who reported on Tinseltown for over half a century, has died in a Los Angeles hospital aged 79.

Scott, whose work for the United Press International agency was syndicated worldwide, entered hospital a month ago with pancreatitis and had been in intensive care for three weeks. He died on Monday.

He worked for UPI for 52 years, reporting on every major celebrity of his time, including Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Charles Bronson and Frank Sinatra.

"In the end, Vernon became as much a part of the history of the movie business as the stars he wrote about," said Tobin Beck, UPI's executive editor.