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Hip-hop group The Fugees have announced they are reuniting for their first live shows in 15 years, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their seminal album, The Score.

The trio – Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel – rose to fame in the 1990s – thanks to hit songs including Fu-Gee-La, Ready Or Not and their cover of Killing Me Softly, all from the album, which topped the Billboard 200 in the US and charted at number two in the UK.

Debuting in the early ’90s as Tranzlator Crew, the group eventually adopted the name Fugees, a shortened riff on “refugees” that referenced cousins Jean and Michel’s shared Haitian-immigrant heritage. Their first album Blunted On Reality was released in 1994, but it was The Score that made them a household name.

Despite only being together for five years and two albums before they split for the first time, The Fugees made a huge impact on hip-hop music in the 1990s and won two Grammy awards for The Score and Killing Me Softly. The Score went on to have estimated sales of more than 22 million worldwide, placing it among the best-selling albums of all time.

Following a break-up amid tensions in the band, all three musicians went on to have solo careers. Jean released his debut album Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival in 1997, while Hill and Michel followed in 1998, with The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill and Ghetto Supastar respectively.

The trio reunited for Fugees gigs in 2004 and 2005, but later split again.

Announcing the reunion tour, which will include a UK show in London, Hill said: “The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention.

“I decided to honour this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.”

“As I celebrate 25 years with The Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music, we would be a movement,” said Jean. We would be a voice for the unheard – and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.”

The Fugees will play a one-off gig in New York on Wednesday before the tour starts in Chicago on 2 November. They will play eight US dates in total before a show in Paris and then at the O2 in London on 6 December. The tour will finish with gigs in Nigeria and Ghana.

The Fugees’ charitable fund also plans to link up with Global Citizen for philanthropic efforts around the tour, the band have said.

Tickets for the shows go on sale on 24 September.

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Burning Man: Dead body found ‘in a pool of blood’ at festival

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Burning Man: Dead body found 'in a pool of blood' at festival

A man has been found dead “in a pool of blood” at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, officials say.

The man’s body, described as a white adult, was found “lying on the ground” after 9pm on Saturday at the art and music festival in the Black Rock Desert, roughly 110 miles north of Reno, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said.

They said he was discovered while the festival’s large wooden effigy of a man at the centre of the festival was engulfed in flames – a tradition during the annual event.

Officials said a festival goer flagged down a sheriff’s deputy and reported seeing “a male subject lying in a pool of blood”.

The sheriff’s office set up a perimeter at the scene and has been treating it as a homicide, interviewing several participants.

The body, which has not been identified, was taken to a medical examiner’s office, while the festival continues until 6pm local time on Monday (2am Tuesday UK time).

“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” the sheriff’s office said.

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Officials say the crime scene is being preserved, but that the case is a “complicated investigation” as the makeshift Black Rock City where the event is located will be gone by the middle of the week.

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Burning Man organisers said they were cooperating with law enforcement and asked participants not to interfere with their investigation.

“The safety and well-being of our community are paramount,” their statement said, adding that support services, including a crisis support team, were available and participants had access to free Wi-Fi if they need to communicate with loved ones.

Burning Man is a celebration of self-expression that culminates in the ceremonial burning of its towering 40ft effigy.

Its origins can be traced back to the incineration of an eight-foot wooden “man” on San Francisco’s Baker Beach in 1986, which eventually evolved into an annual gathering in the Black Rock Desert.

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Hollywood star Rupert Everett spotted working behind bar of village pub

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Hollywood star Rupert Everett spotted working behind bar of village pub

Hollywood star Rupert Everett has been working behind the bar of his village pub in a bid to keep the doors open.

Everett, known for his roles in Another Country and My Best Friend’s Wedding, has joined a roster of volunteers working to save The Swan, a local pub in Enford, Wiltshire, that is currently under threat of closure.

The pub is staffed by a rotation of 30 people after it was initially closed when the previous licensee left.

“There has been an amazing effort by our community to keep this pub open,” said the 66-year-old Shrek voice actor.

“Times are hard for rural pubs and this is the heart and hub of the village. I think that it is important to express my support. I have recently joined CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale – as I know that real ale is the lifeblood of pubs both locally and nationally.

“Our small local breweries need our help, cask ale must survive – it is almost a uniquely British tradition.”

Steve Stringer, secretary of the Salisbury and South Wiltshire branch of CAMRA and an Enford resident, told local media: “I am excited that Rupert has chosen to support the campaign.

“As a lover of cask ales, it is only natural that he wishes to join us and to see him behind the bar serving the locals, shows his solidarity with the community effort.”

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Coldplay reschedule Wembley Stadium shows over Tube strikes

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Coldplay reschedule Wembley Stadium shows over Tube strikes

Coldplay have rescheduled the final two dates of their 10-show run at Wembley Stadium because of strike action on the London Underground.

Rail, Maritime And Transport (RMT) union walkouts next Sunday and Monday make it impossible for fans to get to and from the venue safely, the band said in a statement.

The completion of their Wembley run will see Coldplay become the first act to play 10 dates at the national football stadium in the same year, knocking current joint record holders Taylor Swift and Take That from the top spot.

Both Swift and Take That have played eight Wembley shows in a single year.

Industrial action on the Tube will take place at different times from 5 September for seven days, impacting Coldplay’s gigs – which are part of the band’s eco-friendly Music Of The Spheres world tour – on 7 and 8 September.

A statement from the band posted on social media read: “We’re sorry to announce that, due to planned industrial action on the London Underground, we’ve been forced to reschedule our final two concerts of the current Wembley Stadium run.

“Without a Tube service, it’s impossible to get 82,000 people to the concert and home again safely, and therefore no event licence can be granted for the nights of 7th and 8th September.

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“To avoid cancelling the shows, our only option is to reschedule.”

They said the show on 7 September would move to 6 September and the show on 8 September would move to 12 September.

The band added: “We’re very sorry for the inevitable disappointment, frustration and inconvenience that this situation causes.”

Coldplay said tickets would remain valid for their rescheduled date, but any fans who are unable to attend their rescheduled show can get a full refund on their ticket from their point of purchase before noon on 2 September.

Returned tickets are to go on general sale at 11am on 3 September via Ticketmaster.

The band confirmed shows on 30 and 31 August, and 3 September and 4 September would go ahead as scheduled.

Some 10% of the band’s proceeds from the Wembley shows will be donated to the Music Venue Trust to help support grassroots UK venues and upcoming artists.

Fronted by Chris Martin, Coldplay formed in 1997, and have gone on to achieve two UK number one singles and 10 UK number one albums. They are best known for songs such as Yellow, Fix You, A Sky Full Of Stars and Viva La Vida.

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