Bono has met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the annual summit in Davos, Switzerland.

The Irish rocker, a prominent activist, said he was "delighted" with her keynote speech to the World Economic Forum of global business leaders and policy makers.

He said he was honoured newly-elected Merkel saw him immediately after her address, before Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Mohamed El Baradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Their meeting was brief and Merkel was heard promising to meet the U2 singer, who was sporting a cowboy hat and rose-tinted glasses, at greater length later in the year.

Bono has a long history of involvement with political causes and took a major part in organising the Live 8 event, along with fellow Irishman Bob Geldof.

Also present at the event were UN representative Angelina Jolie and her boyfriend Brad Pitt.

U2 singer Bono has called on governments in rich countries to help Africa fight poverty and disease.

Meeting political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said it was time for rich countries to come good on promises they made to cancel Third World debt.

He said: "There were some serious promises made. The cheques were signed but as you know, politicians like signing cheques but they don’t like cashing them."

At a meeting in 2005, the G8 group of industrialised nations agreed to cancel the debts of 18 low-income countries and pledged to double African aid to about $47 billion (£23 billion) by 2010.

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Sure, "The Sweetest Thing" sounds like a good title for a lullaby, but "Sunday, Bloody, Sunday?"

The distance between the arena-rock show and the crib gets a little smaller as U2 will be the latest act to see its back catalog become transformed into baby-friendly lullabies. The album, Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2, hits all those kid-friendly record stores next week from Baby Rock Records, the label that’s also brought us lullaby versions of Nirvana, Tool, Radiohead and Coldplay songs, among others.

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2’s track listing is:

Sunday Bloody Sunday
All I Want is You
Beautiful Day
One
With or Without You
I Still Haven’t Found What I Am Looking for
Angel of Harlem
Where the Streets Have No Name
New Year’s Day
Desire
The Sweetest Thing

- aversion 

Irish rock legends U2 have moved to warn fans not to be tricked by an online ticketing scam.

Adverts have appeared in the press and on various websites offering tickets for U2 gigs in London and Paris later this year, but the band insist they have no plans to perform live in 2007.

The band posted a message on their official website telling fans not to be fooled into buying tickets for shows that will never take place.

The message said: "Some fans have been in touch to let us know of adverts appearing in the press offering tickets for U2 shows in London and Paris this year.

"Take it from us, these adverts are a scam – there are no live plans for this year. Do not buy tickets for U2 shows unless you’ve read it here first."

The band wrapped up a mammoth world tour in Honolulu in December and are currently planning to head back into the studio to start work on the follow-up to 2004’s ‘How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’.

The band hit the album chart again in November with their ‘U218 Singles’ collection and are currently in the top 40 with their latest single ‘Window In The Skies’.

OXFORD, Ohio (AP) — A clothing company founded by Irish rocker and humanitarian Bono and his wife has partnered with college students in Ohio on a business project they expect to roll out to other campuses around the world.

Students at Miami University’s Center for Social Entrepreneurship buy blank cotton T-shirts made in Africa and resell the shirts to other organizations. The students make some profit and provide a market to help build trade and employment in Africa.

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And you could snap it up if you’re rich enough

A guitar designed by Bono is to be auctioned off in aid of a children’s charity.

The U2 singer provides a centrepiece for the new Born To Rock exhibition at Harrods in London, which celebrates the history and influence of the electric guitar.

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