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APTN gets exclusive interview with McCartney
LONDON: Back from his hugely successful tour of the United States, rock ‘n’ roll legend Paul McCartney was interviewed on 24 March, exclusively by Associated Press Television News (APTN).
Speaking to APTN Entertainment’s News Editor Katherine Smith, on the eve of his first date of his European tour, McCartney said that despite the war in Iraq, the show must go on.
“What we are here to do is lift people’s spirits, so obviously if the times are difficult, that kind of identifies our job a little more clearly. So, I was thinking in difficult times people need something else to balance their feeling, so that is what we are here for is to just lift spirits and we hope to start doing that tomorrow night.”
McCartney also revealed that the European leg would end in his hometown of Liverpool.
“It is always lovely to go home to Liverpool, so I think we can expect a party you know, we’ll be up for it and I think the audience will. I can say I love the people of Liverpool because I am one of them and it is my hometown and I get up there quite a lot. I have a lot of relatives there – that will probably be the entire audience, my relatives.”
The three-month European tour will include a stop in Moscow, where McCartney will play his first-ever Russian gig on 24 May 2003. McCartney’s two and a half hour, 36-song show includes 22 Beatles songs, the most Beatles songs ever performed in any one show, plus more than a dozen hits from his Wings and solo periods.
McCartney, who was reunited with Ringo Starr and George Harrison, before the latter’s death, for a secret jam session, says that performing Beatles tracks during this tour is the only way they will now be heard.
“Obviously The Beatles broke up, it would have been great if we would have been able to continue and it was The Beatles now, but as that did not happen, and could not happen, this is how it is now. So, I don’t worry about the past. You know that it was something great and I am really proud of it and had a great time then, but strangely enough I am having a great time now you know, so I don’t worry about what it might have been specially when it is this good.”
Talking about his appeal to young and old alike, McCartney compared the appeal of the timeless Beatles’ song to the current success of Eminem. “You get the nostalgia, you get the sheer fact that the songs still work. That is something that I would have never prophesied, you know.You don’t think it would work, but even alongside people like Eminem, who I like, I really respect his work and his lyrics, I think our stuff still works. Something like ‘Eleanor Rigby’ alongside something of Eminem’s, I think there is something in common, it is something you can get hold of, you can get interested in the story, so I think there is something there that just lasts and touches a nerve in people.”
APTN News and Entertainment subscribers were able to access the entire interview on Monday, 24 March 2003, in their evening bulletins.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
