Paul and Heather Mills news

Heather Mills-McCartney to Receive Champion of Health Award at PAHO
Washington, April 6, 2004 (PAHO)—Heather Mills-McCartney will receive the Champion of Health award from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) tomorrow, as part of the World Health Day observance devoted to road safety.

The award is being given to the wife of the former Beatle Paul McCartney, who is goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Association, "in recognition of your humanitarian contributions and with gratitude for your support of the global road safety campaign."

Mills has offered her time to support a new campaign being lunched on World Health Day this year, "Road Safety is no Accident," agreeing to appear in public service announcements urging drivers and pedestrians to use care to protect themselves and others.

Mills will speak at the briefing on road safety and release of new World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention, with experts from the Pan American Health Organization, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the World Bank, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the American Automobile Association, and other organizations.

The road safety campaign to be unveiled tomorrow urges coordinated efforts at the global and regional level, with strategies to increase the use of seat belts and helmets and to reduce speeding and drunk driving.

According to Pan American Health Organization statistics, 128,908 people died in road crashes in the Americas in 2002. More than 76 percent of these deaths occurred on the roads of the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, the most populated countries of the region.

In the United States, the automobile accidents are the leading cause of death of Hispanics under 34 years of age, and the third principal cause of death of all the ages, surpassed only by heart diseases and cancer, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the Department of Transportation of the United States (NHTSA).

Mills initiated her humanitarian career defending the rights of the refugees of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. In 1993 she was struck by a London police motorcycle and had her left leg amputated. After the accident, she launched a program to recycle orthopedic prostheses and provide medical assistance to amputees and to victims of landmines throughout the world.

She is the founder of the Heather Mills Health Trust for amputees, spokeswoman for Adopt-A-Minefield, and a Nobel Peace prize nominee who has spoken widely on behalf of survivors of land mines and of amputees.

PAHO was established in 1902 and is the world's oldest public health organization. PAHO works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and the quality of life of its people. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).
http://www.paho.org/English/DD/PIN/pr040406.htm

Washington, April 7, 2004 (PAHO)—A panel of traffic safety and health experts, inaugurating the observance of World Health Day at the Pan American Health Organization, heard first-hand examples of the results of traffic crashes, starting with Heather Mills-McCartney, who told the story of how she lost part of her left leg.

"I had recently returned from Yugoslavia, where I was exposed to landmines and to snipers, but it was a sunny August day, in a London street, when a human error caused an accident in which I lost part of my left leg," recalled the wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney, who received PAHO’s Champion of Health award for her support of road safety campaigns.

"I was crossing carefully when a police motorcycle ran me over. I remember that I did not feel pain, even though my new shoes were full of blood, far away," she said.

Ironically, 20 years earlier, her mother also had an accident in which she almost lost a leg, and later died.

Mills, who now devotes time to recycling orthopedic prostheses and helping people obtain low-cost limb replacements, said "We have managed to make a prosthesis for 50 dollars that works very well. And we are adapting them to the needs of each region. We seek simple solutions to very complex problems."

PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses said "Road insecurity is a social and public health problem, and the victims in the majority of cases are users of public services, migrants, pedestrians and cyclists."

For Kirk Van Tine, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, it is essential to have sustained safety campaigns over time. He said deaths in the U.S. have been reduced drastically as a result of seat belt campaigns.

Claude Allen, deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and David de Ferranti, vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean of the World Bank, presented their perspectives on the road safety issue and the importance of joining PAHO and the Department of Transportation in a campaign to reduce the toll of death and injury in the Americas. The four organizations signed a declaration agreeing to work together toward that goal. Other organizations at the session, including the American Automobile Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Safe Kids are joining the campaign.

Allen also introduced a video message from President George W. Bush, who said: "Today the death toll from traffic injuries is highest in developing countries and it continues to grown as nations become more prosperous and motorized. In the United States, traffic accidents remain the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 35."

The World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention released today has a series of recommendations to cut deaths in developing countries, such as the appointment of a lead agency in every country to coordinate multi-sectoral efforts, national road safety strategies and plans of action with clear roles and objectives for each sector, and the implementation of proven interventions to prevent crashes and minimize injuries and their consequences. The report notes that road safety is a shared responsibility, and calls on the expertise of people across many sectors and disciplines, including public health professionals, health care providers, road and motor vehicle engineers, law enforcement officials and educators.

Successes in improving the design of vehicles and roads and focusing on legislation, enforcement and sharing of information about the use of seat-belts, helmets, and child restraints and about the dangers of speeding and drunk-driving can be applied in many countries, the report said.

Apart from the human suffering caused by road crashes, with 1.2 million people dying every year as many as 50 million more injured or disabled, the economic impact is also significant, the report noted. In low- and middle-income countries, the cost of road traffic injuries is estimated at US$ 65 billion, exceeding the total amount these countries receive in development assistance. Road traffic injuries cost countries between 1 percent and 2 percent of their gross national product, amounting to US$ 518 billion every year.

PAHO was established in 1902 and is the world's oldest public health organization. PAHO works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and the quality of life of its people. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).
На фото:Heather Mills-McCartney talks to PAHO Director, Dr. Mirta Roses Periago

Heather Mills-McCartney received the Champion of Health Award from PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses Periago

Heather Mills McCartney, relates her personal experience losing a leg in a road accident, at a Pan American Health Organization gathering, in observance of the World Health Day and the unveiling of the world report on road traffic injury prevention and the campaign for the prevention of traffic injuries, Wednesday, April 7. 2004 in Washington. Mills-McCartney, was awarded the Champion of Health Award by PAHO Director Mirta Roses Periago, right, during the ceremony. Seated far right is U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health Cristina Beato, (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Heather Mills McCartney, wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney (news), adjusts a pin before putting it on after a ceremony where she received the Champion of Health Award in observance of the World Health Day and the unveiling the world report on road traffic injury prevention and the campaign for the prevention of traffic injuries, Wednesday, April 7, 2004 in Washington.

Heather's a chatshow flop
By Mark Reynolds, Daily Mail
19 April 2004
It takes a special talent to become a successful TV interviewer.

And judging by her first attempt, Heather Mills McCartney has yet to acquire it.

The 36-year- old wife of Sir Paul McCartney made a guest appearance at the weekend as stand-in for the American chatshow host Larry King.
Sadly, her hour-long talk with Paul Newman proved embarrassing in the extreme.

The charity ambassador and former glamour model adopted an interview technique which at times baffled the Hollywood veteran, and at others left him blushing.

Critics described her performance as 'simply awful'.

Even as she opened the interview, Miss Mills McCartney - as she now likes to be known - took the 79-yearold star by surprise with her clumsy flattery.

'Hi Paul, thanks for being here,' she said. 'How come you're such a philanthropist?'

A startled Newman replied: 'Come on. Well, you start quickly, don't you?'

Further embarrassments followed as Miss Mills McCartney attempted to question the star about his son's death from drink and drugs, his relationship with his wife and his thoughts on the Iraq war.

The interview was broadcast coast to coast in America before being screened on CNN international yesterday to a worldwide audience of 170million.

Miss Mills McCartney was invited to host Larry King Live after appearing as a guest in November 2002.

During that interview, she stunned presenter King by removing her prosthetic leg live on air.

After describing how she lost the limb in a collision with a London policeman's motorbike in 1993, she said: 'So I designed this leg, which I'll pop off actually if you don't mind.'

King tried in vain to get her to put the leg back on, but was left holding the prosthetic limb as the bizarre conversation continued.

After her return as presenter, a spokesman for CNN said: 'When Larry takes a break we usually get people to step in and Heather had already appeared on the show so she was invited to have a go.'

Asked what producers had thought of her performance, the spokesman diplomatically replied: 'We don't have any comment on that in particular.'

Heather Mills McCartney, guest host of CNN's 'Larry King Live,' is shown during her interview with Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman , taped April 15, 2004, in Los Angeles and telecast Saturday, April 17. Newman discussed his philanthropic work, his career as an actor and his love of car racing. (AP Photo/CNN, Rose M. Prouser)

http://www.champweb.net/gallery_view.php?c=gal2004_01c&id=602
Paul McCartney in Long beach 18 April, 2004

Heather Mills McCartney to address Human Security Summit at UCI

Fellowship in Human Security established in Mills McCartney’s honor

Irvine, Calif., April 20, 2004
Policymakers, activists and scholars will gather Wednesday, April 28, for a Human Security Summit at UC Irvine, sponsored by the UCI Center for Unconventional Security Affairs. The summit, which will feature a keynote address by anti-landmine activist Heather Mills McCartney, will focus on the lessons learned and future policies related to the international movement to ban landmines.

During the summit, the center will formally announce the creation of the Heather Mills McCartney Fellowship in Human Security, which will support UCI graduate students conducting research on pressing human security issues.

“This topic is particularly salient given recent changes to the U.S. landmine policy announced in March by the George W. Bush Administration,” said center director Richard Matthew, associate professor of international and environmental politics. “Heather has made a significant contribution to the international movement to ban landmines. Her unrelenting and tireless work – counseling individuals victimized by landmines, meeting with world leaders and raising awareness of present and future policies and prevention – is something in which we can all take pride.”

A United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Heather Mills McCartney’s keynote speech “Clearing a Path to a Safer World” will include personal video footage of her experiences with landmine survivors.

The summit will consist of a mid-day working session for policymakers, scholars, activists and interested business and community leaders. In addition to Matthew, presenters will include Bryan McDonald, the center’s associate director; Kenneth Rutherford, landmine survivor and co-founder of the Landmine Survivors Network; Andrew Shore, coordinator of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs Mine Action Team; Pat Patierno, U.S. State Department; and Paul Arcangeli, U.S. Army Humanitarian De-mining Training Center.

Renowned as an anti-landmine activist and a patron of Adopt-A-Minefield, Mills McCartney has been involved in the landmine issue for more than a decade. She has worn an artificial limb since 1993, and as a result, has become a strong advocate for the disabled. Since 1994, when she started shipping used artificial limbs and medical equipment to Croatia, her work has helped more than 366,000 people, and through Adopt-A-Minefield, Mills McCartney has been responsible for the clearance of nearly 8 million square meters of mine fields.

According to Matthew, some 60 million landmines around the world prevent people from accessing the land they need to survive. Humanitarian efforts to rehabilitate landmine survivors, restore mined land and ban the use of landmines contribute to human security. These efforts also help reduce environmental degradation which can push people toward forms of political violence and crime that threaten the national security of America and its allies.

Matthew, whose research examines the root causes of political violence, is an editor of the forthcoming book, “Landmines and Human Security: International Politics and War’s Hidden Legacy.” His co-editors include Kenneth Rutherford and Bryan McDonald. Prefaces to the book are written by Mills McCartney and Sir Paul McCartney, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and the Honorable Lloyd Axworthy, president of the University of Winnipeg and former Canadian Parliament member.

The public is invited to the presentation by Mills McCartney at 4 p.m. at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Conference Center. For tickets, call (949) 824-1278. Tickets are $250 per person, and proceeds of the event will support the Center for Unconventional Security Affairs and the Heather Mills McCartney Fellowship in Human Security. All attendees will receive a free copy of the book, “Landmines and Human Security: International Politics and War’s Hidden Legacy.”

Matthew founded UCI’s Center for Unconventional Security Affairs in 2002 in the School of Social Ecology to address the security challenges of the 21st century through innovative research and education programs that integrate experts from the public and private sectors.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked public university dedicated to research, scholarship and community. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with approximately 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,300 faculty members. The third-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion.

July 4, 2004 -- Sky News

MACCA MAY BE OFF TO US

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has reportedly agreed to move to Hollywood for the sake of his wife's career. Heather Mills-McCartney is keen to launch herself as a chat show host in America.

Thumbs-aloft Scouser Sir Paul, 62, is apparently not keen to leave Britain. But he has agreed after Heather apparently impressed TV bosses by interviewing Hollywood legend Paul Newman and a £1m contract with CNN may be on the cards.

The 36-year-old is also thought to be unhappy living in England, saying she feels "vilified" by negative publicity. A friend of the couple told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "Paul loves Heather and would follow her anywhere. "He's agreed to move to the US as she focuses on her career."

July 8, 2004

Paul and Heather turned out for a MAG (Mines Advisory Group) meeting about landmines in Iraq held at Soho House in London, July 6.
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July 8, 2004 -- ITV

Heather helps Iraqi amputee

A little girl who lost a leg in the Iraq War has come to Britain to meet anti-landmines campaigner Heather Mills McCartney. She is in Britain to ask the Government for more medical help for children like her.

Zeynab met Paul McCartney's wife, a campaigner for over 11 years to raise funds and awareness to rid the world of landmines, to boost awareness of their plight.

Mills McCartney said it is a disgrace that there are so many children like Zeynab that are not receiving the proper medical attention they require.

"I am very surprised that the English and American governments made so many promises to help people in Iraq and there are nearly 600 amputees going around. Zeynab is a very brave, incredible girl to have come over here."

The former model, who is a patron of Adopt-A-Minefield has made a career out of counseling people from around the globe who have lost limbs in accidents, through illness or through terrorist atrocities.

In August 1993, she herself was involved in a road accident with a police motorcycle which resulted in the loss of her left leg below the knee.

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July 8, 2004

Paul made a surprise visit to his fame school, LIPA in Liverpool yesterday. He had a question and answer session with students where he talked about song writing and his experience at Glastonbury. He mentioned his desire to tour America and the UK but didn't reveal any specifics. On the way out Paul stopped the car to sign a few autographs for waiting fans.

Paul will be back at LIPA on July 30th for the graduation and to give out an honorary degree to the Bangles.

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July 8, 2004 -- Press Release Pavona Winery

Friday, July 30 World Premiere Movie/Dinner/Silent Auction

"SNOW ANGELS" A Film By Ken Vrana Music By Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney at the Monterey Plaza Hotel $150 Host: Ken Vrana & Special Surprise Guest

Saturday, July 31 Garland Appeal (Linda McCartney Foundation) Wine Launching Event at the Winery featuring the Nancy Jones Band and Vegetarian BBQ $25

Pavona Wines, 1645 River Road in the Salinas Valley. For directions, or more information call Pavona Wines at (831) 646-1506

info@pavona wines.com

July 11, 2004 -- IrelandOnline

Hollywood golden couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's house-hunting in England is hotting up - they've fallen for a tiny seaside town.

The pair, who wed in July 2000, have made no secret of their desire to start a family now Aniston's ten-year run on FRIENDS has ended and would like to bring up their children in Europe.

Aniston and Pitt have been reportedly looking at properties in the ancient town of Rye in East Sussex, south England, where fellow American star Johnny Depp was checking out homes earlier this year.

A local real estate agent boasts: "It's a beautiful place and perfect for a couple looking to relax and get away from it all."

Paul McCartney is only a stone throw's away in nearby Peasmarsh, and owns several properties in Rye.

July 11, 2004

In the latest Paris Match magazine, Paul talks about watching European soccer games backstage on his big screen TV, before the concerts. He mentions taking the Eurostar train from England to Paris on many occasions and sightseeing at the Louvre and Saint Sulpice church. In the interview, Macca attributes his vegetarian diet to keeping him fit physically and mentally. With the article are four pages of Bill Bernstein photos from the tour.

MACCA MAY BE OFF TO US

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has reportedly agreed to move to Hollywood - for the sake of his wife's career. Heather Mills-McCartney is keen to launch herself as a chat show host in America.

Thumbs-aloft Scouser Sir Paul, 62, is apparently not keen to leave Britain. But he has agreed after Heather apparently impressed TV bosses by interviewing Hollywood legend Paul Newman - and a Ј1m contract with CNN may be on the cards.

The 36-year-old is also thought to be unhappy living in England, saying she feels "vilified" by negative publicity. A friend of the couple told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "Paul loves Heather and would follow her anywhere. "He's agreed to move to the US as she focuses on her career."

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30500-13149233,00.html

July 12, 2004

Ex-Beatles drummer Pete Best, hinted in a recent interview that he might be working with Paul McCartney in the future. Unconfirmed reports are that Paul contacted Best through a 'third party' for a planned concert at the end of this year.

July 13, 2004 -- Mirror http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/

PAUL'S VEGGIE NIGHT

Macca's eco-friendly tour demands

He's one of the oldest rockers on the block ­ and Paul McCartney's picked up some eccentric behaviour during his 47-year career.

On his recent European tour, the veteran crooner "freaked out" when a vase of lilies was left in his Madrid hotel room. He thought they were using up too much oxygen, we're told.

And that wasn't the only incident that took his entourage by surprise on the sell-out 14-date Live Experience extravaganza.

"Everybody knows that Paul banned all meat and meat by-products on the entire tour," says our mole. "But what isn't known is just how particular he is about other things, too. He's a huge fan of flowers but they have to be certain varieties from reputable florists. Plants have to be as full at the bottom as they are at the top ­ and he doesn't like tree trunks so indoor trees are forbidden."

And furniture has to come up to the former Beatle's exacting standards, too. "Paul likes to entertain and requests two banqueting tables in every place he stops," our source goes on.

"But they have to be made from sustainable wood. Glass and lacquer are forbidden as the methods used to produce them can be harmful to the environment."

Paul ­ whose wife Heather gave birth to the couple's first child, Beatrice, last October ­ even insists his crew abide by his beliefs.

"Paul is very keen on recycling and made sure everyone on the tour made full use of the facilities he arranged. The rubbish bins had to be policed at regular intervals throughout the day. If Paul found out that recyclable materials were being thrown out with the ordinary trash, there'd have been hell to pay."

Paul's veggie-friendly requirements also gave tour staff a headache.

"Paul insists that no leather or animal skins are used anywhere near him," explains our insider. "He goes mad if he's even near fake animal prints. He likes to travel in a limousine but leather seats tend to come as standard in limos. Venue staff had to ensure that seats were re-covered in time for his arrival ­ and then changed back. You don't say no to the likes of Sir Paul."

Meanwhile, a hotel insider leapt to the superstar's defence.

"Paul is very specific about what he wants. He's done 3,000 live dates in his career and having spent so long away from home it's obviously very important that he feels comfortable on every stage of the tour."

July 14, 2004

Heather Mills McCartney is supposed to be a guest Thursday, July 15, on ITV's "This Morning" talk show in the UK. She will be talking about 11-year-old amputee, Zeynab Hamid Taresh, from Basra, Iraq.
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July 14, 2004 -- The Scotsman

I'll get by with a little help from my friend
http://news.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=802562004

McCartney: John and I were alike
15/07/2004

Rocker Paul McCartney has discredited claims his vision for The Beatles greatly differed from the direction John Lennon wanted to take their music, at least in the early days.

The Hey Jude star - whose feuding with Lennon has often been cited as the ultimate cause of the band's demise - insists his songwriting technique and musical tastes were almost identical to those of the tragic singer.

McCartney's late wife Linda also spotted their incredible chemistry, often labelling them "mirror images of each other".

He says: "The thing about me and John is that we were different, but we weren't that different.

"I think Linda put her finger on it when she said me and John were like mirror images of each other.

"Even down to how we started writing together, facing each other, eyeball to eyeball, exactly like looking in the mirror.

"That's how songs like I Want To Hold Your Hand were written."

Paul McCartney and Neil Young will peform at the annual Adopt-A-Minefield benefit at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on October 15.
http://www.adoptaminefield.com/

McCartney Passes Blame

(07/14/04) -- It was a sad day in rock history when Paul McCartney announced in 1970 that the Beatles have broken up. Since then, many fans have assumed that it was Macca's decision to break up one of the greatest bands in rock history. Paul maintains however that it wasn't his idea to disband the Beatles, but John Lennon's. In an interview with ratethemusic.com, Paul says, "John had already decided to walk. He'd actually said, 'I want a divorce.' But his attitude was, 'It's all over; let's not tell anyone.'" Apparently, even producer George Martin was out of the loop when it came to knowing about the band, including their drug habits. Sir Paul says he was addicted to cocaine for about a year in the mid-Siexties, but then decided to quit. He says, "Around the time of [the 'Sergeant] Pepper' [album], we were all into one thing or another. We would sneak stuff into the studio, and we had to hide it from George Martin. George, bless him, was such a gentleman, so we'd never do anything like that in front of him." Hmmm... maybe George never saw their album covers. You think that might have tipped him off that the band was using drugs?