Portugal honours U2

U2 received Portugal's Order of Liberty, in recognition of their work for humanitarian causes.

Members of U2 received Portugal's Order of Liberty, one of the country's highest honours, on Sunday in recognition of their work for humanitarian causes over the past 25 years.

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President Jorge Sampaio presented the medals to vocalist Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. in a formal ceremony at the presidential palace before the band's concert in the Portugese capital.

U2's activism during their career include work with Amnesty International and efforts to get global powers to forgive Third World debt. The band played at the Live Aid concert for Ethiopian famine relief in 1985, and was one of the key performers last month at the Live 8 concerts, aimed at pressuring the world's wealthiest nations to increase aid for Africa.

Members of U2 received Portugal's Order of Liberty, one of the country's highest honours, in recognition of their work for humanitarian causes for the past 25 years.

More than 50,000 people were expected to attend the concert at a soccer stadium Sunday night, the final European date on the band's "Vertigo" tour, which is in support of its most recent album,

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The band returns to North America next month, beginning with four shows in Toronto on September 14. The tour wraps up December 19 in Portland, Ore.