NAMES IN THE NEWS : Sting Gets Japanese Pat on Back
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TOKYO — British rock singer Sting received moral support but no money from the Japanese government today in his crusade to preserve the Amazon rain forests.
Sting had asked for $3.5 million for his Brazilian Rain Forest Foundation but Environmental Minister Masahisa Aoki failed to whip out his checkbook. A ministry official explained it by saying, “Meeting with Sting and having a picture taken is not bad for Japan’s image as a country concerned for the environment . . . but the minister did not mean to imply that he would give financial support to the foundation.”
Belgian photojournalist Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, who has made documentaries on the rain forests and is traveling with Sting, said at a news conference that Norway, Spain, Britain and Holland had agreed to donate money to the project when Sting visited those countries.
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