In brief: most Americans want a black president, at least on TV

On the eve of the US election, a survey has revealed that the most popular fictional American president is David Palmer, aka actor Dennis Haysbert who played the black president in the television series 24, beating such white ‘presidents’ as Harrison Ford, John Travolta and Martin Sheen…………. British band the Pet Shop Boys are to be presented with an outstanding contribution to music award at next year's Brits. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, known for such hits as West End Girls and It's a Sin, were described by Ged Doherty, the chairman of the Brits committee, as "one of the most influential groups of the modern era"………… Aravind Adiga, who won the Man Booker Prize last month for his book The White Tiger, has made the four-strong shortlist of another prestigious literary award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. The winner will be announced on November 24…………. Earl Spencer, brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has been signed up by the BBC to take part in a "reality" television show. Called The Speaker, it aims to find Britain's best orator. In 1997, Spencer used his televised eulogy at Diana's funeral at Westminster Abbey to launch a bitter attack on the media and the Royal family………… Richard Dreyfuss, the Oscar-wnning American actor, is to return to London theatre five years after he dramatically walked out on The Producers. The 61-year-old, currently winning rave reviews for his performance as Dick Cheney in Oliver Stone’s film W., will appear in the world premiere of Complicit by Joe Sutton at the Old Vic………….