Rod Stewart, who started busking in Paris, told the BBC: "You don't have to be a great singer or the best musician, you just have to entertain people." Stewart, who has survived thyroid cancer and will attend the launch but not perform, said: "Busking is what music is all about - just getting out there and singing or playing for the sheer joy of it. And if you can earn a few quid for Cancer Research UK - a few quid that might just help to save someone's life - what could be better?"
Busking Cancer began in 2007 with a small open-air gig beneath the London Eye. Last year more than 300 bands and musicians played sessions up and down the country and raised more than £24,000. This year the initiative hopes to raise £100,000.Glasto Bulletin - Status Quo, Tom Jones, Franz Ferdinand and Spinal Tap are among the many and varied acts revealed in the final line-up for this year's Glastonbury Festival. They will join previously announced headliners Blur, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young at the Somerset event. Bjorn Again, Dizzee Rascal, Lily Allen, Jarvis Cocker and Madness will also perform at the festival, which runs from 26-28 June. All 137,500 tickets for the event in Worthy Farm, Pilton, have sold out.
Moroccan Tragedy - At least 11 people have been killed in the Moroccan capital Rabat, following a stampede at a world music concert. Some 40 were injured when a wire fence collapsed at the Mawazine festival. The incident happened on Saturday night, when 70,000 spectators were packed into the Hay Nahda stadium to see Moroccan singer Abdelaziz Stati. The nine-day-long event has featured such international stars as Kylie Minogue, Algerian rai singer Khaled, Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder.
The festival was drawing to a close when the stampede occurred. Shortly after midnight on Sunday morning, thousands of spectators hurried to leave and a wire fence toppled over. According to police, five women, four men and two children died in the ensuing crush.
Recycling Latest - A study on recycling suggests Britons are the worst in Europe when it comes to recycling electrical equipment. Computer manufacturer Dell found that fewer than half of UK residents regularly recycled old hardware, compared with more than 80% of Germans. Within the UK, the Welsh are the worst when it comes to recycling technology; almost 20% have never done so. It is thought the UK creates enough electrical waste each year to fill Wembley Stadium six times over. Environmental consultant Tony Juniper said that lack of awareness was a serious issue. "Governments in every country need to make the disposal of old electrical equipment as accessible and commonplace as recycling old paper, plastics and glass," said the former Friends of the Earth director.
(Jim Evans)
