News In Brief

HEY, HOW 'BOUT SOME HELP?

You've seen them clinging to old oil-drilling platforms that were about to be dynamited to the bottom of the sea. They've chained themselves inside barges due to be loaded with genetically altered soybeans. But now, it appears, activists from the Greenpeace environmental movement may have met their match. From Nicosia, Cyprus, comes word that four members sneaked to the roof of a government building to press their demand that a remote corner of the Mediterannean island be declared a national park. They made the climb while colleagues down on the ground kept officials distracted. But two hours later, when their demonstration was over and they wanted to get back down, they couldn't. Firemen had to lift them off with a crane.

Gibson prizes presented to year's leading guitarists

John Fogerty and Courtney Love won top honors last week at the fifth annual Orville H. Gibson Awards ceremony for the music industry's leading guitarists. Winners of the awards, sponsored by Gibson Musical Instruments, are chosen by critics from a list of finalists nominated by editors of leading guitar magazines. The 14 award-winners:

John Fogerty best male guitarist

Courtney Love best female guitarist

Steve Earle best male acoustic guitarist

Lisa Loeb best female acoustic guitarist

Kenny Wayne Shepherd best male blues guitarist

Melissa Etheridge best female blues guitarist

John Scofield best male jazz guitarist

Leni Stern best female jazz guitarist

Steve Wariner/Randy Scruggs (tie) best male country guitarist

Deana Carter best female country guitarist

Jim Creegan best male bassist

Melissa Auf der Maur best female bassist

Mike Ward best promising new guitarist

Brian Setzer lifetime achievement award

- Reuters