|PIC1|U2's Bono recently called Oakland's black community in California the 'epicentre' of a new wave of AIDS infections.

"I'm a spoiled-rotten rock star, I know that, but I have a loud hailer and I'm going to use it," the frontman for U2 told reporters at a news conference after two hours of closed-door meetings at Allen Temple Baptist Church. "I've come as a student, really."

The 46-year-old Irish musician - renowned for his work on international debt relief and HIV, particularly in Africa - visited Oakland at the request of Democratic Representative for Oakland Barbara Lee. She said Friday's event was "another attempt to break the silence with regards to this global HIV pandemic", which affects African-Americans disproportionately in the US.

"We're at the epicentre here in East Oakland of a new rise of the AIDS epidemic in the United States," said Bono. "But I'd also say we're also at the epicentre of the resistance to that epidemic."

Lee praised Bono as "a great entertainer but also a wonderful artist with a vision and a great humanitarian" who "continues to beat the drum against poverty worldwide".

In other news, Bono was honoured Friday at the 38th NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) Image Awards for his contribution to the fight against AIDS and global poverty.

The NAACP and The ONE Campaign announced an unprecedented new alliance at the awards, joining together for the first time in a life-saving partnership in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa and the world's poorest countries.