Beatles refuse $225 million US tour

LONDON € Money can't buy a reunion tour of the Beatles.

The remaining Beatles said yesterday they turned down a $225 million offer for a concert tour of North America, Europe and Japan from a consortium of U.S. and German promoters they did not identify.

''The size of the offer is scandalous. It's ridiculous. From the money point of view, most people would do it,'' Paul McCartney said. ''But, for me, the three of us isn't as exciting as the four of us. The Beatles were always the four of us.''

John Lennon was murdered in 1980. McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison reunited last year to record a new Beatles' song, ''Free as a Bird,'' incorporating an old recording by Lennon. The announcement of the rejected concert tour offer came the same day they released a second single based on an old Lennon tape, ''Real Love.''

'Cybernautes' must use French

PARIS € In their unending war to prevent English-language domination, the French are turning their attention to cyberspace.

French-speaking Internet promoters are working on the first-ever on-line French searching software and a French vocabulary for Net users.

The goal is to allow Francophone ''cybernautes'' to use the Net without submitting to English, which dominates the worldwide computer network.

Fans mourn death of Brazilian rockers

GUARULHOS, Brazil € Thousands of young fans tearfully said goodbye on yesterday to members of a Brazilian rock band who were killed when their private plane crashed after a weekend concert.

The five members of Mamonas Assassinas died Saturday in southern Brazil. Two bodyguards, the pilot and co-pilot also were killed.

The band, whose name roughly translated to ''Killer Mammaries,'' was famed for its raunchy, toilet humor.

''I am devastated. They were so much fun and their lyrics always cheered me up,'' said 18-year-old Larissa Nunes.

In this industrial city outside Sao Paulo, where the band got its start, the city council held an all-night vigil at a gymnasium where the band members' coffins were lain in state.