GABRIEL JUNIOR KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS

Rocker PETER GABRIEL only sings songs his three-year-old son ISAAC likes - or the toddler complains.

The former GENESIS frontman is convinced his son's musical taste is already finely developed, as he communicates his preferences all the time.

He says : "(I sing) anything rhythmic because that amuses Isaac".

"He's very opinionated about his music... 'I don't like this song! Play this one again!'"

Thanks...Here's a Ball

Balls like this are consolation prizes for the performers; model Heidi Klum is notBalls like this are consolation prizes for the performers;

More than 12,000 volunteer performers signed up for the opening gala of the soccer World Cup and practiced for months. When the event was cancelled, authorities made sure to thank them for their troubles...with a ball.

It was supposed to be a mega event to open one of the globe's biggest sporting events, featuring stars like Peter Gabriel and Jesseye Norman. But then FIFA, world soccer's governing body, suddenly pulled the plug in January. The official reason, according to FIFA, was that the lavish opening ceremony to be held in Berlin's Olympic Stadium would damage the grass on the field before the first game on June 13 between Brazil and Croatia.

That left thousands of dancers and other performers who had answered calls to volunteer for the glitzy production planned by Austrian artist André Heller, out in the cold. They weren't out of a pay check, since they'd been volunteers anyway, but they'd wasted hours and hours of painstaking practice. FIFA promised recompense in some form or another.

A month and a half later, it's been decided. FIFA will mail out about 12,000 soccer balls to the spurned performers. It's claimed that grass is the reason the big show was nixed Now these aren't just any soccer balls; these are the official Adidas soccer balls of the World Cup, on which will be printed "vielen Dank!" ("Thanks a lot!").

According to the Tagesspiegel newspaper, there was much debate within FIFA as to what the redress would look like. Many preferred something cultural, such as special showings of the circus show "Afrika, Afrika," also produced by Heller.

"That solution seemed to us to be too complicated," Markus Siegler, a FIFA spokesman, told the paper. But he insists FIFA didn't get off on the cheap, although it might seem a soccer ball is pretty paltry payback for months of rehearsing for a show that never was to be. "Of course we negotiated a reduced price," he said. "But the gift still cost FIFA 200,000 euros."

BAND IS A HIT AT PETER GABRIEL'S STUDIOS

Education Reporter A SCHOOL band is celebrating the release of its third CD with the help of world famous musician Peter Gabriel.

Monkton Combe School Big Band has completed the disc, called Moving On, at Gabriel's Real World recording studio in Box.

More professional know-how came in the shape of producer and arranger Cy Payne, who is well known in the big band world.

The CD contains 15 tracks performed by the school's musicians, creating a classy and sophisticated sound.

Director of Music at the school Bernard Newman said: "I am thrilled with this third album - the sound is fantastic and I know that they all enjoyed the experience of working in a state of the art studio like Real World.

"We have sent complimentary copies to BBC Bristol so we are hoping that they may add some of the tracks to their play list."

As well as having a strong following here at home, the band but has recently toured both Canada and America.

Copies of the CD are available by calling the school on 01225 721129.

Global Dignity

Young Global Leaders Launch ''Global Dignity'' Public Awareness Campaign; Three International Leaders Initiate Five Dignity Principles Aimed at Encouraging People Worldwide to Lead an Empowered and Dignified Life

(...)

The principles were introduced during the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2006 where more than over 150 participants quickly signed on to the project including former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari, actor Michael Douglas, musician Peter Gabriel, author of best selling novel 'A Purpose Driven Life' Reverend Rick Warren, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and leading economic advisor Joseph Stiglitz, and Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. (...)