SHORT TAKES : McCartney in Cancer, Earth Gifts

Former Beatle Paul McCartney, who on Wednesday closes out his first tour of Japan in 24 years, has donated $250,000 to fight cancer and help clean up the Earth.

Half of the funds will go to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the other half to the Japanese chapter of the environmental group Friends of the Earth, tour publicist Fiona Hurry said today.

“As we all know, cancer causes great suffering, and I have great respect for all those who try to lessen the pain as best they can,” McCartney said in a statement. “I also have hope that one day science and medicine will find a way to beat cancer forever.”

The 47-year-old rock ‘n’ roll star has been using his world tour, which began in Oslo in September, as a platform to promote the activities of Friends of the Earth.