11:10 24 May 2010
Bono, the lead singer of the rock group U2, has been given emergency spinal surgery.
The Irish star suffered a back injury while preparing for upcoming tour dates. The injury puts future live appearances in jeopardy, with dates being cancelled.
The 50-year-old singer/songwriter was treated at a specialist neurosurgery clinic in Munich.
It has been revealed that the 'Where the Streets Have No Name' star will stay there for a number of days, before returning to his home in Ireland to recuperate further, before resuming work.
The band's next tour date (in America on June 3) has been postponed. Their headlining slot at the Glastonbury festival on June 25 may be cancelled.
A statement on the band's website said that further information will be posted there when it arrives.
The band were set to begin rehearsals on Tuesday for the opening date in Salt Lake City before embarking on a North American tour which returns to Europe in August.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness said of the tour: "We will make plans to reinstate the dates as soon as possible."
McGuinness added it was "unfortunate that we're inconveniencing fans" as well as the the band's 400-strong crew.
Billboard magazine stated that U2's 360 Degree tour earned $109m (£75.3m) in 2009, making it the world's most profitable of the year.