People talk 12/05/02

Oasis reschedules concerts in Germany

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Oasis will reschedule two remaining concerts in Germany because singer Liam Gallagher needs surgery on his front teeth, which were broken in a weekend brawl.

Concerts scheduled this week in Dusseldorf and Bremen have been "reluctantly" postponed, the British rock band said Tuesday on its Web site. Oasis had canceled concerts in Munich on Sunday and Hamburg on Monday.

"The damage to Liam's teeth is worse than it first appeared and he will have to return to the United Kingdom for surgery before he will be able to perform again," the statement said.

Police detained three members of Oasis, including Gallagher and drummer Alan White, early Sunday after a fight with a group of Italians at a Munich nightclub. They were released after posting bail.

Prosecutors in Munich were investigating whether to press charges for assault, resisting arrest and damage to property following the fight, during which police said Gallagher kicked an officer who was kneeling down.

The 30-year-old singer broke his front teeth in the brawl, and two other musicians and a bodyguard were injured.

Bono urges union to support AIDSfight

WALCOTT, Iowa -- Irish rock star Bono urged Teamsters to begin hauling a new kind of freight -- support in the fight against the spread of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

The U2 lead singer made a brief stop at the giant Iowa 80 truck stop west of Davenport on Tuesday as part of his seven-day bus tour through seven Midwestern states to raise awareness of the epidemic in Africa.

Bono said truckers can play a vital role in improving the delivery of drugs and vaccines and reducing the rate of HIV among African truck drivers, half of whom he said have tested positive for the HIV virus.

"I always had a sense that this (the Midwest) was a place that sets the moral course for America," the 42-year-old singer told the drivers. "There is a decency here. But the politicians in Washington don't think people out here care."

The "Heart of America Tour: Africa's Future and Ours" entourage, which includes actress Ashley Judd and African dancers and musicians, also planned stops in Davenport and Dubuque.

Bono spoke briefly with workers at the truck stop, which handles an estimated 3,500 customers per day, ordered a peanut butter-Oreo cookie milkshake and re-boarded the bus.

Truck stop manager Jack Horan said he didn't know if the store's music section had any U2 in stock.

"I'm afraid to look ... they might be next to Tammy Wynette or something like it," Horan said.

--From wire reports