Rocker Jagger, Stones roll through world tour

BOMBAY, India -- Thousands of fans waved posters and shouted, "We love you Mick Jagger!" as the Rolling Stones opened their Bombay concert Monday with their hit "Brown Sugar."

The city's Brabourne Stadium, which holds 25,000 people, was sold out for the Bombay show, the band's second appearance in India after Friday's concert in the southern city of Bangalore.

Piyush Prasanna, a 38-year-old advertising manager, bought his ticket far in advance. He said the concert was a "trip down memory lane" for him and his former college friends.

The Rolling Stones, with their entourage of 150, canceled what would have been their first concerts in China because of a deadly flu-like disease that has infected at least 2,400 people worldwide and killed at least 100 people, mostly in Asia.

Travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization about severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, prompted the band to cancel performances in Shanghai and Beijing scheduled before the India shows.

No cases of the disease have been reported in India.

Activist Jagger speaks against death penalty

PITTSBURGH -- Model-turned-activist Bianca Jagger joined several hundred people in downtown Pittsburgh for a march and candlelight vigil against capital punishment.

"The death penalty is a barbaric act of state-sanctioned murder," the longtime Amnesty International activist said from her hotel room. "What is most disturbing is the fallibility of humans. We cannot risk executing those who are innocent."

Jagger was one of several speakers during the vigil Saturday at The Andy Warhol Museum.

In the mid-1990s, Jagger lobbied then-Gov. Jim Edgar of Illinois to commute Guinevere Garcia's death sentence. Jagger also witnessed the 2000 execution of Texas inmate Gary Graham, whose conviction was based largely on a single witness.

The death penalty was just one of many issues discussed at Amnesty International's annual meeting this week.

'Fast and Furious' actor upset Diesel ran out

NEW YORK -- Paul Walker said he was angry when Vin Diesel, his co-star in "The Fast and the Furious," pulled out of the sequel, "2 Fast 2 Furious."

"I thought we were partners. It hurt my feelings," Walker told Teen People magazine for its May issue. "But once I stepped back, I realized that I couldn't take it personally -- it's all about business."

Diesel chose not to do the sequel after a problem with contract negotiations. His new action movie, "A Man Apart," in which he plays a DEA agent seeking revenge for his wife's murder, opened at No. 3 at the box office this past weekend with $11.2 million.

Walker becomes the star in "2 Fast 2 Furious," opening June 6. He reprises his role as Brian O'Conner, an undercover cop who infiltrated a Los Angeles drag-racing ring in the original 2001 film. Now, Brian has been stripped of his badge and must redeem himself by investigating street racers in Miami.

The 29-year-old actor said he's always been into cars.

"My grandfather raced cars for Ford in the 1960s, and my father was a gear head," he said.

McCartney knocked out of second show by illness

LONDON -- Paul McCartney canceled the second show of his first British tour in 10 years, saying he lost his voice because of a bad cold.

The former Beatle opened the British segment of his "Back in the World" tour with a Saturday concert in Sheffield, northern England. He called off a second show in Sheffield Sunday, said his spokesman, Geoff Baker.

"I've caught a cold which made my voice start to go after last night's show," Baker quoted the 60-year-old McCartney as saying.

"I woke up this morning with virtually no voice. I've been doing all that I can to try and get my voice back and I tried singing a couple of numbers at a sound check this afternoon, but nothing has worked and so I am afraid I have to cancel this show in order to save the other gigs on the tour."

Organizers told fans planning to attend to keep their tickets, and an apologetic McCartney promised the show would be rescheduled.

McCartney last toured Britain in 1993. He plans concerts in Manchester, Birmingham and London and will play the Beatles' hometown, Liverpool, in June.

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PITTSBURGH -- Model-turned-activist Bianca Jagger joined several hundred people in downtown Pittsburgh for a march and candlelight vigil against capital punishment.

"The death penalty is a barbaric act of state-sanctioned murder," the longtime Amnesty International activist said from her hotel room. "What is most disturbing is the fallibility of humans. We cannot risk executing those who are innocent."

Jagger was one of several speakers during the vigil Saturday at The Andy Warhol Museum.

In the mid-1990s, Jagger lobbied then-Gov. Jim Edgar of Illinois to commute Guinevere Garcia's death sentence. Jagger also witnessed the 2000 execution of Texas inmate Gary Graham, whose conviction was based largely on a single witness.

The death penalty was just one of many issues discussed at Amnesty International's annual meeting this week. In January, Amnesty USA executive director William Schulz used the Warhol museum as the site to begin a national campaign against capital punishment for people who committed their crimes as juveniles.

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ASHLAND, Ohio -- Former first lady Barbara Bush had a quick answer when asked about the government official she admired most.

"George Bush."

The remark drew laughter Friday night from about 850 people at Ashland University's John M. Ashbrook Memorial Dinner.

Bush, wearing a bright blue dress and her trademark pearls, spoke briefly about the war in Iraq, but kept her speech light with stories about the two presidents in her life.

"As I watch him guide our country through this very difficult time. I can't help but wonder, 'Is this the same kid I used to spank?"' she said of her son, the president.

She opened her remarks on a more serious tone.

"Quite frankly it's a relief for me to be out of the house and away from the television set," she said.

"Like everyone around the world, we are praying fervently for the safety of our troops, for the people in Iraq and our president."

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- R&B crooners K-Ci and JoJo are free on bail after being arrested on tax evasion charges.

The brothers, who built their career as part of the early 1990s group Jodeci, were released from jail Sunday. They're charged with failing to pay taxes due to North Carolina for shows they performed in the state during 1999, 2000 and 2001, said their lawyer, James Williams.

Neither brother was aware of owing the state money, Williams said. The brothers, who grew up singing in Charlotte-area churches, did not know they would be arrested upon returning to their home state, he said.

"Both of these young men, as artists, do not handle their own affairs. They were victimized," he said. "The best I can discern, their main problem is that they changed accountants. It's just a matter of paperwork that needs to be filed and money that needs to be sent."

Cedric Renard "K-Ci" Hailey, 33, was charged with two counts of failure to pay taxes for 1999 and 2000. He was released on $287,727 bail. Joel Lamont "JoJo" Hailey, 31, was charged with three counts of failure to pay taxes in 1999, 2000 and 2001. He was released on $370,000 bail.

Both men are scheduled to appear in court May 1.

Wake County sheriff's deputies arrested the brothers Saturday night after a Raleigh arena performance in which they opened for R&B acts Jaheim and Tank.

"We let them perform. Then they came off the stage, and (deputies) arrested them," said Sheriff Donnie Harrison.

The four-man singing act Jodeci sold more than 3 million copies of "Forever My Lady." K-Ci and JoJo as a separate act are known for chart-toppers including "All My Life," "Tell Me It's Real" and "Crazy."