LONDON, June 11: A royal anthem marking Queen Elizabeth’s
60 years on the British throne climbed to the top of the UK pop charts yesterday after a huge choir performed the song at a concert outside Buckingham Palace during official celebrations. Written by Take That founder Gary Barlow and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, ‘Sing’ is a collaboration between artists from across the Commonwealth, the group of nations comprised mainly of former British colonies. (agencies)

NEW YORK, June 11: A rare guitar designed and owned by renowned guitarist Les Paul sold for 180,000 dollars as part of a two-day auction of his instruments and personal effects that+ raised nearly 5 million dollars, Julien’s Auctions said yesterday. The guitar, a rare 1982 Gibson Les Paul prototype recording model, was among several of the iconic guitarist’s instruments that sold in Los Angeles over the weekend. (agencies)

NEW YORK, June 11: Irish love story ‘Once’ won the Tony Award for best musical on Broadway yesterday while ‘Clybourne
Park,’ a satire on race relations, won the best play. Broadway newcomer Nina Arianda won best actress for her sexy performance in ‘Venus In Fur’ while British comedian James Corden upset favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman to win best actor in a leading role in a play for his comic turn in ‘One Man, Two Guv’nors.’ (agencies)

NEW YORK, June 11: ‘Once,’ the musical adaption of an unlikely love story of a Dublin street performer and an Czech piano player, won eight Tony Awards yesterday as Broadway honored its best plays and musicals. The wins for the humble, intimate stage musical adapted from the 2006 independent film
‘Once’ included awards for best musical, best book, orchestrations, scenic design, sound design, best actor in a musical and best direction for John Tiffany in his first Tony victory. (agencies)

ISLAMABAD, June 11: Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s office turned down a request for a meeting by visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Peter Lavoy, reflecting the strains that have hit ties between the two countries since last year.
A meeting was requested by the Americans but the General Headquarters declined it, unnamed Pakistani officials were quoted as saying by The News daily today.
The officials said they were not aware if Lavoy was given any reasons for the decision.
US officials in Washington too confirmed the development, the daily reported.
One unnamed Pakistani official indicated the request was turned down because of allegations by US officials that Pakistan was not doing enough to rein in militants operating along the border with Afghanistan.
“There are several reasons for turning down (a meeting with) Lavoy. It is to tell the Americans that you cannot be bad-mouthing us day in and day out and then expect a meeting with Pakistan’s most powerful personality,” the official said.
“You cannot trash our sovereignty, threaten us, announce intensified drone attacks, kill our soldiers, refuse to apologise when you do the same in Kabul, hold back our money (from the Coalition Support Fund), threaten to cut off all aid and then pretend that it is business as usual,” the official added.
Pakistan has been angered by remarks made by US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during a recent visit to India and Afghanistan.
Panetta said the US had no plans to stop drone strikes despite protests from Pakistan.
Panetta further said the US was running out of patience with Pakistan for failing to act against militant safe havens in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
Officials involved in working out a “package deal” with the US told The News that there were clear instructions from the Pakistan government that a US apology for a deadly NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November last year was more important than the fees to be paid for NATO containers going to Afghanistan.
“We would be willing to forgo charges in return for assurances on our sovereignty and offer of an apology. It means more than the money, we are more concerned about our dignity and honour.
“If we get assurances that our sovereignty will not be violated and our dignity will be respected, we will not bother about the money part. Price of containers is not an important issue,” an official was quoted as saying.
The official said Lavoy had been told that, without an apology, it would not be possible to move forward on reopening the NATO supply lines to Afghanistan.
“One cannot predict the outcome of our discussions. The process remains unpredictable. The apology remains the key to preserve our dignity. In the absence of the same, it has been difficult to move forward,” the official said.
Pakistan closed the supply lines after the NATO air strike in November.
Since then, Islamabad and Washington have been engaged in negotiations to settle their differences.
Pakistani leaders, including Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, have said that an apology for the NATO air strike is a pre-requisite for reopening the supply lines.
Efforts are now underway to ensure that an “acceptable apology is delivered one way or the other to Pakistan”, The News reported.
“There appears to be a slim chance that an acceptable apology will surface. Neither side is ready to accept the language the interlocutors are working on, and time is running out.
“General Headquarters has to understand that a ready apology was pushed aside and now too many issues have overtaken the apology,” an unnamed diplomat was quoted as saying.
The powerful security establishment has sent a message to Lavoy that a “package deal” would not be possible without an apology. (PTI)

HOUSTON, June 11: British Petroleum has granted USD 12.3 million to two University researchers of South Alabama for health outreach programmes targeting people affected by America’s worst oil spill, in line with a court settlement in the 2010 disaster.
The grants, largest received at the school related to the 2010 Gulf oil spill, targets people who were affected by oil spill, but will also be used to develop programmes and services with future disaster victims in mind.
Steven Picou, a sociology professor at USA, will use his grant money to help train individuals along the Gulf Coast on skills needed for mental health outreach.
Picou was involved in studying the mental health effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.
“Their task is to help individuals and families gain access to health services, mental health and environmental health services,” said David Johnson, USA’s senior vice president for academic affairs.
In some cases, the people involved in the study will be coming from communities that were affected by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in April 2010, said Johnson.
Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling, a professor in the department of psychology, will assist clinics in Mobile and Baldwin counties “in developing programmes so that individuals who have been affected by the oil spill can get services they need”.
Johnson said she would also help “build capacity” when future disasters occur so that individuals who have been affected can get services they need.
The purpose of Langhinrichsen-Rohling’s grant-funded programme is to strengthen community support systems, so that help is available for people who lose jobs and income due to a disaster.
He said the assistance will include counseling services and other medical services, plus outreach.
“We want to get outreach to them earlier so we can prevent suicide or family violence,” said Johnson.
“If you could get services to someone experiencing depression you might save a life”. (PTI)