Bono was in Nice, during the attack that resulted in the death of over 80 people. The artist was not to be found in the Promenade des Anglais where the attack took place, but on his  own way, he was  in contact with the people fleeing from the truck-killer.

The French newspaper Le Figaro writes that Bono was  in fact, was eating dinner at  the Petite Maison, a famous restaurant,  in Nice  with chef Alain Ducasse located in a street parallel to the Promenade, in the company of a chef and entrepreneur, Eric Dupond-Moretti and a well-known criminal lawyer. 

The diners in the restaurant were not informed of the massacre that was taking place a few steps away, neither have they heard the roar of the trucks and the gunfire that put an end to the mad race. But what they saw  there was a crowd of people terrified running  through the alleys, one group found refuge inside the Petite Maison.

At the beginning, tthey  thought of a police chase. Security agents have promptly asked whoever was inside the restaurant to not move and do not quit. For two hours, continues to tell Le Figaro, no one has been able to leave the Petite Maison, until the forces of law and order have not led to the locked hands high up towards the place Masséna. It is not clear, however, if Bono was gone already before all this happened. 

http://www.bitfeed.co/

BACK TO PARIS

We want to introduce some people whose lives will forever be part of this city…’ explained Bono. 'These are our brothers, our fellow troubadours they were robbed of their stage three weeks ago. We would like to offer them ours tonight. Welcome The Eagles of Death Metal.'

The Eagles of Death Metal were the surprise guests at the end of tonight’s final show in Paris.

Three weeks after the deadly attacks at their show at Le Bataclan, the band were back on stage in Paris, receiving an ovation to raise the roof, they joined U2 to perform Patti Smith’s The People Have The Power. They then stayed on stage to perform a track of their own, 'I Love You All The Time.'

Tonight's show was one of the two rescheduled from U2's visit to Paris last month and the seventy sixth and final show of the iNNOCENCE & eXPERIENCE Tour (seventy seven if you include the club night at the Roxy in LA ) which opened in Vancouver back in May.

Another highlight tonight came when the band played the e stage, where all tour long different fans have joined them on stage for Mysterious Ways. Following a competition on U2.com, tonight nine of those fans, from different cities in North America and Europe, had flown in to Paris to be at the show.

One of them, Trish, found herself up on stage again, grooving gracefully through Mysterious Ways and then shooting the Meerkat moment... at which point all the stage-divers were up with the band and rocking the joint through Elevation. 'What a collection you are,' said Bono 'Thank you all.'

And what a great way to mark the close of the 2015 shows, the Fourth Wall well and truly down again.

Update:

 Message from  Eagles of Death Metal via Facebook:

We want to offer our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for everything our brothers in U2 did for us in the aftermath of the November 13 attacks. They reminded us that the bad guys never take a day off, and therefore we rock ’n rollers cannot either…and we never will. We are incredibly grateful to U2 for providing us the opportunity to return to Paris so quickly, and to share in the healing power of rock ‘n roll with so many of the beautiful people – nos amis – of this great city. Thank you to Bono, The Edge, Larry and Adam, thank you to their wonderful management, thank you to France, and thank you to everyone in the world who continues to prove that love, joy, and music will always overcome terror and evil. We look forward to fighting the good fight on many more fronts very soon, especially when we pick up our tour in 2016. See you again in February, Paris

www.u2.com

Bono reveals new song about Paris

BONO has been speaking this weekend about the Irish band’s return to Paris after having to cancel gigs in city in the aftermath of the terror attacks.

Appearing with Edge on the CNN show Fareed Zakaria GPS, Bono spoke about the defiance Parisiens have shown and about how important it is to fight this kind of terror with love and joy.

“They’re a death cult. We’re a life cult. Life force,” he said.


The celebrating, all the things we love – food, soccer – they’re trying to, you know, they’re trying to destroy those things. They don’t like women. What else is there?
The singer also took the opportunity to share a song he had written about Paris, entitled 

Streets of Surrender (SOS):

“Every man has two cities he needs to be
The one he can touch
And the one he can’t see
The one where a stranger’s a friend
Every man has got one city of liberty
For me it’s Paris, I love it
Every time I get lost down these ancient streets I find myself again
You’re free, baby, baby
Free now and forever
It’s Christmas time
You can decide to forget or to remember
You’re free, baby, baby
I didn’t come down here to fight ya
I came down these streets of love and pride to surrender
The streets of surrender”


http://www.thejournal.ie/
video:U2Argentina/YouTube

U2 Returns to Paris for Concert Called Off After Terrorist Attacks

U2 performed at the AccorHotels Arena on Sunday in Paris, invoking the memories of victims around the world.CreditThomas Samson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

PARIS — The Irish band U2 returned to Paris on Sunday night to play the first of two shows that had been postponed in the wake of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks that left 130 people dead, including 89 at the Bataclan, a music hall where the American band Eagles of Death Metal were playing when it was stormed by gunmen.

It was the first large-scale cultural event in the city since the attacks, and security at the AccorHotels Arena, just a few miles from the Bataclan, was tight, with concertgoers undergoing full body searches as they entered and a heavy police presence outside.

“Tonight we are all Parisian,” Bono, the band’s frontman, said in French to the sold-out crowd of 17,000, adding in English, “If you love liberty, then Paris is your hometown.” Near the end of the set, he retrieved a French flag from the crowd, draping it over his shoulder and later placing it in front of the band’s drums.

U2 had been set to play at the arena on Nov. 14 and 15 on its “Innocence and Experience” tour, but called off the shows, citing the state of emergency that had been put in place across France. The tour will end Monday night in Paris, with a show scheduled to be broadcast by HBO at 9 p.m. Eastern.

There had been reports that U2 would be joined onstage in Paris by Eagles of Death Metal, but earlier on Sunday U2 posted on its website: “This is not the case. We have another surprise guest planned for tonight’s show.”

That guest turned out to be Patti Smith, who closed out the 27-song concert with her 1988 song “People Have the Power,” with its refrain “The power to dream, to rule/To wrestle the world from fools.”

In an interview ahead of the concerts, Bono said it was important for the band to return to the stage as soon as possible. “Terrorism relies on people being terrorized, and we were not going to be,” he said. “We felt the biggest and the only real contribution we can make at moment like that is to honor the people of Paris, who brought us the concept of liberté, égalité, fraternité.”

Nonetheless, the show included an acknowledgment that Paris still remained on edge less than a month after the attacks. The simulated bomb meant to mark the band’s transition from innocence to experience (the album pegged to the tour is “Songs of Innocence”) in recent concerts remained part of the show, albeit with a warning: Before the band took the stage a voice over a loudspeaker announced that the explosions “are part of the show, are safe and are nothing to be concerned about.”

Bono made repeated references to Paris throughout the show, and the five-song encore opened with “City of Blinding Lights” as huge screens in the background showed images of the capital by night followed by the names of the Nov. 13 victims. The song ended with Bono singing lyrics from the Jacque Brel song “Ne Me Quitte Pas” (“Don’t Leave Me”).

The rest of the encore included the band’s early anthems “Beautiful Day,” “Bad,” and “One,” which was modified to include the chorus from another U2 song “Invisible”: “There is no them. There’s only us.”

This is not the first time that U2 has paid tribute to the victims of terror. When the band played Madison Square Garden a few weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, it honored emergency services workers onstage and also projected the names of those killed.

The band touched on other highly charged topics in Sunday’s show, with references to H.I.V., the war in Syria and the European migrant crisis, displaying the hashtag #refugeeswelcome on large screens at one point.

Few fans apparently were deterred from attending the rescheduled shows. Of the 34,000 tickets sold for the November concerts, just 2,000 were refunded and resold, according to the band.

Stephane Le Bozec, 47, who drove more than five hours from the Brittany region to be in Paris for the concert, said that the idea of not attending never crossed his mind, “not for a second.” He added: “We’re not afraid. Music is my passion and the attacks make it even important to be here, to share our passion for music and for U2.”

Léa Vlaeminck, 19, a student from New Caledonia who was at the concert with her boyfriend, said she was proud to attend. “It’s how we can fight terrorism, by continuing to go to concerts,” she said. “I feel it’s our duty to be here.”

'We Stand Together…'

'We stand together with the families who have lost lives here in Paris,

'We stand together with the families who have lost lives in San Bernardino, in Damascus and Beirut

We stand together with the families whose children have been taken hostage by an ideology 

that  shows none of the mercy or compassion of the God they deem to serve….'

An emotional night in Paris as the band returned to France, three weeks after the devastating terrorist attacks.

'Oh, you look so beautiful… in this city of lights…'   and never more so than at the end of City of Blinding Lights, as images of Paris on the huge screens gave way to the names of those who lost their lives.

The massed cheering in solidarity was one more sign of an extraordinary atmosphere of celebration and defiance tonight. 

As Bono had said, introducing Iris, it felt like the whole world was in the city.

'Tonight we are all Parisiens. 

'Ce soir nous somme tous Parisien...

If you love liberty – Paris is your hometown.'

What a show, all the way from The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) to One and Bad and the surprise arrival on stage of Patti Smith and 'People Have The Power' to close a remarkable evening.

http://www.u2.com/

video:U2gigs.com

A Beautiful day for Adam

It was another Beautiful Day for Adam Clayton – this time under the French sun.U2's Clayton said "I do" to his Brazilian bride, Mariana Teixeira de Carvalho, for the second time in less than a fortnight as the couple held a lavish wedding reception in the French Riviera.

After tying the knot officially at the Dublin Registry Office at the start of the month and holding a low-key celebration for a select group of family and friends in Clayton's Georgian mansion in Rathfarnham, the couple threw a second party for hundreds of guests in an historic chateau overlooking the Mediterranean at the weekend.

Security was tight around the 14th century Chateau de la Napoule in the chic resort of Mandelieu La Napoule which lies a few miles west of Cannes.
All of his U2 bandmates were there to wish the newlyweds well. And The Edge even reprised his role as wedding photographer having snapped the couple as they left the registry office on Dublin's Grand Canal Street earlier this month. This time around he was spotted whipping out his camera phone to capture the beaming bride and Bono on the balcony of the chateau.

The bride wore a white silk dress with a structured bodice and a delicate, floor-length chiffon cape tied at the neck. She topped the unusual ensemble off with a dramatic white headpiece.

Guests thronged the palm-lined terrace of the chateau and sipped champagne. The groom looked at ease as he chatted to friends and family including Bono and his wife Ali Hewson, the Edge and his wife Morleigh Steinberg, and Larry Mullen and his partner Ann Acheson.

The chateau can cater for up to 500 wedding guests seated in a courtyard and overlooking lush gardens.

It was originally built in the 14th century and was destroyed and rebuilt at least 10 times in its history. In 1918 it was bought by the American banker-turned- artist Henry Clews who restored it to its former glory. It is now the home of the La Napoule Art Foundation.

More pics here.
http://www.independent.ie

Bono and Ali at Nile Rodger's concert at Vence

Bono at  Nile Rodgers  and his band  Chic's concert at  Festival “Nuits du Sud” in  Vence.

In an article published by www.perthnow.com.au: "Nile Rodgers strikes it lucky again" he said:

"This is a window into how I've always worked, but now people can see it. I meet somebody, we get along, we work together. The other day I was doing a show in Dublin and The Edge came, he's been writing me really supportive letters every day. Then I got an email from Bono. They're in the middle of a U2 record, but you forge these friendships that turn to musical events."

Rodgers is quick to point out the U2 connection is not musical - yet. "No that new record is Danger Mouse's (production) from what I know. We've only just met."

More pics here.

http://www.perthnow.com.au
pics: Nile Rodgers`Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/NileRodgersOfficial/photos_stream

Bono, Commandeur De L'Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres

Minister of Culture Aurélie Filippetti presented the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters to Bono, in a ceremony at the Ministry of Culture and Communication in Paris.

The award, which is the highest cultural honour of France, is awarded in recognition of Bono's contribution to music and the arts.

Speaking of Bono today Minister Filippetti said: “Beyond notes and beyond words, you committed yourself and dedicated your fame and career to wage some of the greatest wars of our time. Not for charity’s sake but in the name of Justice.”

Bono said of the award: “This is a huge honour for me, but really it belongs to the band.  I've got the biggest mouth and the loudest voice but the music we make comes from each other. Being an Irish Francophile, a student of many great French artists and writers… it is unspeakably special to receive an award from France for being an artist.  Thank you.”

Previous recipients of the award include: Patti Smith, Václav Havel, David Bowie, Séamus Heaney, Anish Kapoor, T.S. Elliot and Bob Dylan. Today's award follows a 2003 honour, when Bono received the prestigious French decoration, the Legion D’Honneur from the then President Chirac. Other awards  include being made Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2005, and an honorary British knighthood in 2007.

More pics here. 

www.u2.com//StormShadowCrew

Bono at Saint Paul de Vence, France

U2 frontman Bono takes part in a photoshoot in the South of France to wish all of his fans a Happy New Year Featuring: Bono Where: Saint Paul de Vence, France When: 06 Jan 2013 Credit: WENN.com






via FB ultraviolet-u2.com

Bono for Le Monde

Bono has  written a column  for  the daily newspaper ,Le Monde, France.

 M. le Président, get things done !

M. le Président is not lacking in energy. This week he will sprint from the World Economic Forum in Davos to the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa without breaking his stride or, one imagines, even breaking a sweat. There is some strange fuel that drives him… could he himself be a nuclear power? Is this fission that's happening inside his reactor?? Should the IAEA send a delegation to the Palais d'Elysee?

Whatever its source, a fair bit of President Sarkozy's energy—as we'll see again this week—has been directed at the developing world, particularly sub-Sarahan Africa. He's had plenty to say on the subject since becoming President in 2007. I remember meeting him at the G8 summit back then—his foot tapping and knee bouncing as we brainstormed with Youssou N'Dour about better ways to beat extreme poverty. To his credit, Sarkozy made clear he was willing to meet with the activist community, and he had a head full of fresh ideas to share. He wanted to examine what worked in development and jettison the rest; to move beyond the old vertical, France-Afrique relationships and get horizontal; and to build partnerships motivated not by guilt about the past but, instead, by optimism about the future.

So far, the transformational talk hasn't turned into transformational action.

These words won't surprise or offend him. He is the first politician—certainly the first head of state—who has given me express permission to, in his words, “torture” him. In a private moment he encouraged me to make noise and blow the horn to draw attention to these issues. “I know you have to torture me”, he said. “I know you have to raise the alarm.” Well, I'm not one to turn down a challenge; especially when those much better placed to make the case than me—Africans themselves—are putting forward an agenda that France needs to hear and heed.

So here I am. With their permission, I pass on these thoughts.

I do so as a big believer in what this President could do.

After all, he's at the helm of the G8 and the G20. He is still bursting with energy. He has some not-so-secret-weapons to deploy. Like Christine Lagarde. And Carla. The president's wife is the force behind France's major commitment to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Sarkozy also champions clever ideas, like innovative financing, and better global governance. And he gives great speeches.

But “it's not a matter of making speeches; it's a matter of deciding.”

I didn't say that. The president himself said that—at the UN's Summit on the Millennium Development Goals last September—and he's certainly right. It's decision time for France's man in a hurry. It's opportunity time for Sarkozy, for France, and for the world. If you listen to African leaders, entrepreneurs and activists—there are at least three big areas where France needs to lead right now.

The first is governance. Africa is rich in natural resources yet it is rarely Africans (save some corrupt officials) who get rich off their extraction. Meanwhile the missing cash risks fueling conflict across the continent. Transparency could change that. It could re-route revenues to kickstart economies and invest in jobs, health and education. The United States—prodded by activists like the ONE Campaign and visionaries like George Soros—recently passed historic legislation requiring energy companies to “publish what they pay” to officials. This is big. Could be even bigger than debt cancelation, in terms of the money it frees up for Africa's fight against poverty. It doesn't cost the US a single dollar, and it wouldn't cost France or Europe a single Euro to enact the same law and make it binding.

Second, vaccines. This could be a big year for medical science. Two new vaccines, just ready to launch, are the best hope we've ever had to stop a couple of mass murderers: pneumococal, which kills about 800,000 children a year, and rotavirus, which kills another half million. This I've got to make some noise about, M. le Président, and it won't sound like cheering. As aid levels drop and promises slip - in France and beyond - African clinics are running out of life-saving drugs, death sentences are being reinstated, and the promise of new immunisations is at risk of being lost. Bill Gates thinks you should match France's generosity to the Global Fund with renewed support for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations. I think Bill Gates is a very smart man.

And third, agriculture. World leaders are right to be concerned about food prices in the developing world and about commodity speculators. Reforms there will help. But as the President has rightly pointed out, and affirmed in 2008 at L'Aquila, investment in agriculture is the thing. Africa doesn't just need a fair price for food from other countries. It needs to build the capacity to grow more of its own. This region has the potential to feed not only its own people, but millions of others around the world—if we form the right partnerships with and for Africa's farmers.

Action on these three fronts—corruption, health and hunger—would get President Sarkozy a lot closer to the realm of transformation.

The president is a man in motion—bouncing, flitting, ever circling round like a boxer. This kind of motion may be thrilling to watch, but if in the end it does not win the day (and leaves its opponent, the ugly face of extreme poverty, still standing), well, that is a waste. A waste of this most talented politician's brainpower, and of this historic opportunity to transform the lives who live in the wake of decisions taken or not. What is needed now, I think, is not speedy kinetic energy, but movement—steady, determined, and purpose-driven—that knocks over obstacles and proceeds toward the prize of a new 21st century partnership with the developing world that leaves the 20th century patronage behind.

That is what I've heard Africans asking France to help provide—that sort of movement. It is what Europe and the world need from France, too. And, I might add, a bit audaciously, it is what France needs from France. Poverty, hunger, and disease in Africa—these are shared burdens, shared risks to our security and economy, shared affronts to our morality. And the opportunities in Africa—these are shared as well.

We know where Sarkozy's head is on all this. We know where his heart is.

It's his feet we'll be watching.

Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of ONE

 Bono is going to participate in the World Economic Forum again on Friday 28 January 16.00 - 17.00 CET, at least he appears in the Livestream Programme of the Annual Meeting 2011 in Davos. he will be in the panel "Raising Healthy Children"  where the  following dimensions will be addressed:
Access to medicines and vaccinations
Maternal health and nutrition
Social and cultural factors


Other speakers:

• Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva
• Melinda French Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA
• Muhtar A. Kent, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, USA
• Lars Rebien Sorensen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novo Nordisk, Denmark

www.lemonde.fr///www.forumblog.org