The album is on track for a spring 2019 release

Rammstein guitarist Paul Landers has revealed that their long-awaited seventh studio album is set to be released in spring 2019.

The German industrial metal icons have not released an album since 2009’s ‘Liebe ist für alle da’, but now it looks like the wait may at long last be over.

Speaking to Music Radar, Landers said: “Right now, it looks like this new record will be coming out next spring, and what we’ve been mainly doing is playing together in a circle, with all the guys in one room.”

He revealed that the band have been trying to emulate the Rammstein live experience on this record, saying “It hasn’t been like a pre-production where each member is alone; it’s been more of an all-together kind of thing.”

“We liked the sound of it so much that we’ve decided to make the record more of a band-unit recording than a bunch of guys playing separately,” he continued. “We’ll have to see how it all ends up on the record, but the basic idea is you are hearing a band playing… you could say it’s inspired by our live sound. That’s exactly what we’re going for.”

While writing sessions for the record began back in 2015, fans grew hopeful when the band shared images of their return to the studio earlier this year. Recently, the band posted images of recording sessions in Minsk with an orchestra and choir for the LP.

This comes after guitarist Richard Kruspe told Resurrection Fest last year that he had been “skeptical” to go back into the studio because the band “almost broke up” the last time they made an album.

He also said that this next record could be the last the band make. “That’s a feeling — I can be wrong, but just at the moment, I feel like this is maybe the last [shot at making an album] we have, and I wanna give two hundred percent in that and make it as good as it can be,” he said.

“When I listen to the stuff, there’s so much potential, and I’m very pleased about what we do at the moment.”

The band currently have two live shows on the horizon at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on December 31 and January 2 – where it is hoped that they will debut new material.

"Oh, well I guess I got left out of that one"

Christina Aguilera has explained why she was ‘left out’ of the iconic kiss between Madonna and Britney Spears at the VMAs in 2003.

The kiss is often cited as one of the most iconic moments in the history of the awards. The carefully stage-managed smooch took place during a joint performance of Madonna’s songs ‘Like A Virgin’ and ‘Hollywood’

After Madonna kissed Britney the camera quickly cut to catch Justin Timberlake’s response (he and Spears had recently split) rather than catch the full kiss with Aguilera.

Fifteen years later, Aguilera is still being questioned about that editing choice. In an interview with Andy Cohen on SiriusXM, she said: “It was weird. And you know why they cut away for it? They cut away to get Justin [Timberlake]’s reaction.”

Aguilera went on to describe the editing as a “cheap shot.”

Watch the full performance below:

“I definitely saw the newspaper the next day and it was like, ‘Oh, well I guess I got left out of that one’.”

Even less noted was the appearance of Missy Elliot who, dressed in a tracksuit tux, joined the threesome onstage immediately after the kiss.

At the time, Fleetwood Mac icon Stevie Nicks described the kiss as “the most obnoxious moment in television history”.

In June this year, Aguilera released her latest album ‘Liberation’. In a three-star review, NME concluded: “‘Liberation’ may lack the grand ambition and massive pop bangers of her glory days, but by the end, it’s hard to deny that she feels reasonably relevant and contemporary again."

We'll sign it

Damon Albarn has said that Blur might release some new music should a “global petition” emerge for the band to do so.

The Gorillaz and Blur frontman made the exaggeration in an interview with The Toronto Sun.

When he was asked whether Blur had any plans for a reunion, the singer replied: “Well, there’s already quite a lot of Blur out there. I suppose it would have to be because something compelled us to do it again, whether it’s a global petition or we fancy doing it again.”

The band’s last album, ‘The Magic Whip’, was released in 2015.

Since then, the Britpop legend has continued his work with Gorillaz and has revived his other project, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, for a follow-up to the supergroup’s 2007 debut album.

Elsewhere in the interview, Albarn revealed that Gorillaz might not tour again for 10 years. The band has had a prolific couple of years with near back-to-back album releases.

Meanwhile, Blur guitarist Graham Coxon recently said in an interview with The Guardian that the Britpop era was “really fucking dull” for guitarists, and that he found musicians from US more interesting and “expressive” at the time.

Albarn completes his current tour with Gorillaz in Mexico City on October 24.

The 'symbiote' appears to be Eminem's lyrics

Eminem has released the full video for his track ‘Venom’, which appears on the soundtrack of the new Marvel film of the same name.

In the video we see a teenager discover a cracked CD case. As soon as he slips the disc into his rucksack, a transformation takes place. Riffing on the storyline of the new Spiderman spin-off film, ‘Venom’, the teen is possessed by a ‘symbiote’.

Various characters, from a bus driver to a young boy to a pensioner, are then overtaken with the anger behind Eminem’s lyrics. The rapper’s face flickers across their faces as they rap along to the track.

Watch the full video below:

Although featuring on the ‘Venom’ soundtrack, the song first appeared on ‘Kamikaze’, Eminem’s surprise album which was released last month.

The record hears Eminem fire shots at some of hip-hop’s most recognisable faces, as well as sparking an ongoing back-and-forth feud with Machine Gun Kelly.

Venom debuted in cinemas yesterday to an overwhelmingly negative reaction.

In a two-star review, NME described it as “a flawed beast that feels 10 years out of time”.

“Too often though, it proves to be a film without a solid identity, and one that feels a decade too late”, our review stated.

“Venom could have been so much more, a real chance for Sony to mark the beginning of a darkened alternative universe that was capable of taking on the multiplex slaying might of the MCU.

“As it stands, it seems that there’s very little for Disney to worry about.”

The pop powerhouse lands another blow

Sigrid has shared a new song called ‘Sucker Punch’ – stream it now.

The Norwegian singer’s latest track follows this summer’s ‘Raw’ EP. Her debut album is expected to arrive in 2019.

‘Sucker Punch’ is one of my favourite songs so far and I’ve been so excited for release day,” Sigrid explains.

“Emily Warren, Martin Sjølie and I made it when we were in Ocean Sound Recordings in my hometown a while ago. The song is just a result of our usual way of working: talking, cooking, strolling, singing, dancing, experimenting…! Ugh it was so fun – just like the track itself.”

Sigrid, whose real name is Sigrid Raabe, won the BBC’s Sound Of 2018 poll in January. She beat acts including Pale Waves, Rex Orange County and IAMDDB to the top spot.

Speaking to NME in August, the 22-year-old singer said that she is being “secretive” about the details of her debut record.

“I want to be a bit secretive about it, not because I’m told to but because it’s this borderline sacred process of making something. It’s like my baby and I want to protect it until it’s out. Date-wise, it’s out when it’s finished.

“I’m working on it, mostly with the same producers and writers. It’s just a very collaborative process. It’s very exciting.”

One year on since the New York Times' expose of Harvey Weinstein

Amanda Palmer and Welsh songwriter Jasmine Power have released a powerful video for their protest song, ‘Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now’, one year on since the New York Times exposed Harvey Weinstein’s alleged pattern of sexual assault.

The song was originally released in May as a response to Weinstein’s apparent crimes and the#MeToo movement. The profits from the song were donated to #TimesUp.

An all-woman crew, cast and production team worked on the video, which includes scenes of full nudity. The production was paid for through crowdfunding and many of the performers were discovered via Palmer’s online fanbase.

Watch the video for ‘Mr. Weinstein Will See You Now’ below:

Palmer described the experience in a press release: “For an entire day, a congregation of women worked together to create a collective battle-cry response to this moment in time.

“Working on this project fundamentally changed me inside. The act of running, sweating, laughing and filming with this group of powerful, determined, and shamelessly naked women was a stark reminder of what we are capable of doing when we join forces, roll up our sleeves, take off our masks, and create.”

Director Noemie LaFrance explained the difficulty in depicting such a difficult topic as sexual assault in a music video, “How does one talk about rape, or even harder, illustrate it in a music video? It is too painful of a subject, and in many ways a taboo subject. What inspired me about the song is that it dared talking about rape in all of its different shades of grey.”

She pointed to the line ‘Just turn me over fast and just get this over with’ as an example of the “fine lines of coercion”. 

“I felt that in the context of the Weinstein story it encapsulated the real sadness in this for all parties. I wanted the video to reflect that and be about the sadness, rather than the atrocity.” 

Palmer has been a keen proponent of crowdfunding for years and she used donations through the crowdfunding platform patreon.com to create both the song and the video.

“The fact that this video was essentially crowdfunded through my Patreon is no coincidence,” said Palmer. “Female artists are grabbing back creative control by going straight to the people who want to hear their stories and voices. My old major label would have never, EVER signed onto this idea.

“I can just imagine going into their offices and saying ‘Hey, I want to make a strange, operatic duet about sexual assault and just release it to the Internet next week, for free to the public. Oh and the video – which will also make no profit and be totally unplayable on most channels because it’ll be nude and graphic – will cost about $40k that you’ll never see again.’ They would have laughed me out of the room.

That is why crowdfunding and patronage are becoming so insanely powerful right now: feminist art and expressions like this are essential, and cannot be about making a profit. They’re about making powerful statements, right now, without having to think about ‘selling art’ within a toxic and corrosive marketplace.”

The Star Is Born actress praised Ford for speaking out against Brett Kavanaugh

Lady Gaga has defended Dr Christine Blasey Ford for testifying against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday (October 4), Gaga said Dr Ford was “brave” for making her sexual assault allegation public.

Dr Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party in 1982. Kavanaugh denies her claims.

Gaga, who plays the lead role in new movie A Star is Born, told Colbert that Dr Ford “was brave enough to share it with the world to protect this country.”

The singer and actress explained how sexual assault can change the way people process the event.

A sexual assault survivor herself, Gaga said: “The brain changes and literally what it does is it takes the trauma and it puts it in a box and it files it away and shuts it so that we can survive the pain.”

She added that sexual assault “also does a lot of other things, it can cause body pain, it can cause, you know, baseline elevations in anxiety.

“It can cause complete avoidance of wanting to even remember or think about what happened to you.”

Earlier this week President Donald Trump mocked Dr Ford’s memory loss following the alleged sexual assault.

Gaga said to Colbert that it was “one of the most upsetting things” she has ever witnessed.

Kavanaugh today (October 5) faces a ‘procedural’ vote concerning his nomination to the US Supreme Court, which brings an end debating time about his candidacy and pushes forward his confirmation.

Uncanny

A video showing how Rami Malek transforms into the role of Freddie Mercury in the forthcoming biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, has been released.

In the clip shared by 20th Century Fox, Malek discusses how he landed the role and reveals that “top choreographers” were a hindrance to him portraying the Queen frontman.

“You don’t want to mimic Freddie, you want to be able to understand why he did what he did”, Malek says in the footage.

Read more: Who is Rami Malek, the man playing Freddie Mercury?
He continues: “I realised [that] choreographers are not going to help me. I needed a movement coach.”

Bohemian Rhapsody chronicles the 15-year period between Queen’s formation as a band and their famous performance at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985.

The cast and crew also share their thoughts on Malek’s performance, interspersed with various clips from the movie.

“Rami has just disappeared entirely,” says actress Lucy Boynton, who plays Mercury’s lifelong companion, Mary Austin, in the film. “The way he moves and talks is so Freddie that it’s completely magical.”

Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech, and Mike Myers join Malek in the movie. It premieres in the UK at the SSE Arena on Tuesday, 23 October.

The venue is located next to the famous Wembley stadium, which re-opened in 2007 following extensive redevelopment that saw the original stadium (where Queen played their famous show) demolished in 2003.

It's called 'You're Welcome'

Tré Cool has dropped a brand new EP with his Icelandic death metal side-project.

The Green Day drummer goes by the name Bjorn Roarkson in the Dead Mermaids, and performs as the group’s drummer and the lead singer.

He joins guitarist Magnus “The Halibut” Magnusson, bassist “The Silver Fish” Grimsson and back-up vocalist Njall “The Wolf” Njalsson on the group’s new EP, ‘You’re Welcome’.

The Dead Mermaids released their debut self-titled EP in 2014. 

Meanwhile, Green Day were this week called “turgid” by John Lydon.

Discussing the state of punk rock with The New York Times, the former Sex Pistols singer said: “How many bands are out there like Green Day now? I look at them and I have to laugh.

“They’re coat hangers, you know. A turgid version of something that doesn’t actually belong to them.”

Earlier this year, Cool joined members of Blink 182 and Fall Out Boy for Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘mean tweets’ feature. 

One Twitter user wrote: “I left more talent in my toilet this morning than Green Day has ever had,” to which Cool replied: “I’m glad that you’re thinking about us while you’re taking dumps. We’re doing something right.”

"I don't want that lunatic running the country"

Noel Gallagher has claimed that he would reform Oasis in order to stop Jeremy Corbyn from becoming Prime Minister.

The High Flying Birds man often has been very vocal about his dislike for the Labour Party leader. Now, he’s said that he’d rather bury the hatchet with brother Liam and reunite the Britpop giants than see Corbyn in power.

Asked by TalkSport if he’d rather reunite Oasis or see Corbyn elected, Gallagher replied: “I’d have to get the band back together, I think. I don’t want that lunatic running the country.”

This comes after Gallagher previously said “Fuck Jeremy Corby – he’s a Communist“, but added that he could never vote for the Tories “because some invisible force field would stop me from putting my vote in the ballot box”.

Gallagher famously supported the Labour Party in their ‘New Labour’ guise as they took their 1997 election win, and maintains that he is very much of a left-leaning persuasion, but the High Flying Birds man is less than impressed by the direction Corbyn is taking the party in.

“Speaking as somebody from the left, I thought the New Labour years, coming up to 1997, were amazing,” he said in 2016. “It was so exciting to be in England at the time, because there were so many things going on.

“But then, the Labour Party proved themselves to be ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss’, and until that changes, I’m not having it. The Tories don’t care about the vulnerable, and the communists don’t care about the aspirational.”

Bookies recently slashed the odds of the Britpop giants reuniting for a special gig at Slane Castle to coincide with the 25th anniversary of their debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’. The band were reportedly offered a lucrative sum to reunite for a massive show at the Dublin venue and Irish promoters MCD later confirmed that a deal was tabled for their return.

However, a reunion still seems as unlikely as ever. When one fan asked Liam about the supposed ‘deal on the table’, Gallagher replied: “No deal, no table, but like I’ve said before I’m ready to go.”

However, it seems that both camps will be preoccupied for the forseeable future.

Noel Gallagher recently confirmed that he hopes to start work on his next solo album in January. Liam has announced an intimate gig at London’s Union Chapel while he completes work on his second solo album.

"We’re going to have to even it out"

Fans may have to wait a decade before they can see Gorillaz play live again.

Speaking to the Toronto Sun, frontman Damon Albarn said the band would “even out” their output and take a break from the road.

Gorillaz released ‘Humanz’ in April 2017 and ‘The Now Now’ in June 2018.

When asked how quickly the Gorillaz will return after their current tour ends, Albarn replied: “Well, we’re going to have to even it out. Since there wasn’t much time between these recent two records it’s probably going to be another 10 years.”

The Britpop legend added that a full-blown hologram tour featuring the cartoon members of the Gorillaz is “something we’ve been trying to do since day one.”

“We still haven’t found a system that doesn’t compromise the music,” he said. “That’s the dream — to be able to play onstage with holograms. I just hope I’m a functioning organism when it happens.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Albarn spoke of trying to secure Grace Jones for one of the live shows.

He said: “We’ve got close on a couple of occasions, but still to this day we’ve been unsuccessful.”

In August, Albarn revealed that he has another Gorillaz record in the works. “ut I know I’m not gonna be allowed to even think about recording or putting it out this year,” he said in a new interview with the Austrian radio station Radio FM4.

He’s also releasing a new album this year with The Good, The Bad & The Queen, a supergroup completed by The Clash’s Paul Simonon, The Verve’s Simon Tong and afrobeat drummer Tony Allen.

The release will be the first follow up to the band’s 2007 self-titled debut.

Gorillaz wrap up their current tour at Sports Palace / Palacio De Los Deportes in Mexico City on October 24.

"Ever get stitched up, matched up, crucified?"

Richard Ashcroft has dropped a surprise new song ‘Hey Colombo’ – which is seemingly a response to recent accusations that he took drugs onto Soccer AM.

The former Verve turned solo star was a special guest on the Saturday morning football talk show last month, when viewers noticed that some kind of white debris fell from his trousers as he sat down, moments before he swooped down to pick it up. A number of viewers soon shared footage on Twitter, suggesting that it was a small bag of drugs.

Denying the claims, Ashcroft told fans: “Just a quick message to a couple of you trolls on Twitter who are making a name for yourselves out of me – and also people moralising and virtue signalling,” said Ashcroft. “Number one: Cocaine and I have had no relationship for decades. Number two: Don’t you ever surmise what has fallen out of my pocket. And, don’t bring my children into it.”

He added: “You’re on thin ice. Don’t libel my name. My dad didn’t like litter and I don’t really like litter. But it gets a bit preposterous in my pocket. In The Verve I was known as Colombo, so get your facts right. You’re on thin ice. Peace.”

The Coral later shared a parody of his message.

Now, Ashcroft has dropped a new acoustic track, which appears to be reference to the incident and subsequent furore.

“Ever get stitched up, matched up, crucified before you open your eyes?” he sings, later adding “did you ever have your baby patted down? Strip searched? Are you the fucking clown?”

Ashcroft’s new solo album ‘Natural Rebel’ is set for release on October 19.

Meanwhile, today saw Ashcroft add a run of dates in Spring 2019 to his upcoming tour. His full tour dates are below and tickets are available here.

Friday October 26 2018 – GLASGOW Barrowland
Sunday October 28 2018 – MIDDLESBROUGH Middlesbrough Town Hall
Monday October 29 2018 – NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Wednesday October 31 2018 – MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Friday November 2 2018 – LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town
Friday April 19 2019 – PORTSMOUTH Guildhall
Saturday April 20 2019 – CARDIFF Motorpoint Arena
Monday April 22 2019 – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Tuesday April 23 2019 – EDINBURGH Usher Hall
Thursday April 25 2019 – HULL Bonus Arena
Saturday April 27 2019 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Wednesday May 1 2019 – DONCASTER Doncaster Dome
Thursday May 2 2019 – LEICESTER De Montfort Hall
Friday May 3 2019 – LEICESTER De Montfort Hall
Saturday May 4 2019 – LONDON Olympia

This was a “murder-for-hire case"

Suge Knight has given his first interview since being imprisoned, in which he repeats claims that Dr Dre was involved in a plot to have him killed.

This week saw the Death Row records co-founder sentenced to 28 years in prison following a hit-and-run incident in 2015. The hip-hop titan, 53, was formally sentenced today (October 4) after pleading “no contest” to a manslaughter charge last month just days before his trial was due to begin.

Knight was accused of running over two men in Compton, Los Angeles after a confrontation on the set of acclaimed NWA biopic Straight Outta’ Compton in January 2015.
Now in his first interview from prison, Knight has repeated claims that lay the blame with Dr Dre – calling the incident a “murder-for-hire case”.

“They also got the paper trail with all the checks and proof of when they talked to the witnesses saying that Dre came to them first and asked the two guys how much it cost to get rid of me,” Knight told The Blast. “And they said, ‘What you mean by get rid of?’ And they said, ‘Kill him.’”

Knight had previously threatened to sue Dre for $300 million back in 2016, alleging that the rapper, Universal Music, and Apple tried to have him killed.

Denying the claims back in 2016, a lawyer for Dr Dre said: “Given that Dre has had zero interaction with Suge since leaving Death Row Records in 1996, we hope that Suge’s lawyer has lots of malicious prosecution insurance.”

Knight founded Death Row records with NWA’s Dr Dre in 1991, but later declared bankruptcy and the label was sold at auction for $24m. His checkered legal history includes two previous jail stints in 1997 and 2003.

Earlier this year, Dr Dre and Ice Cube have won an appeal over a wrongful death lawsuit involving Knight.

Meanwhile, Knight’s son recently took to social media to claim that Tupac is in fact alive and well and living in Malaysia.

Dre is yet to respond to Knight’s latest comments

"Elon Musk? I don’t care who’s over at his house".

Kanye West has defended Elon Musk during a bizarre rant at a US art college. See footage below.

The rapper stopped by Detroit’s College for Creative Studies for a surprise visit on Wednesday, posting videos of himself checking out the facility and examining a series of student projects.

But things soon took a turn for the weird as Kanye jumped on a table to defend Elon Musk – who faces allegations of securities fraud.

“Elon Musk? I don’t care who’s over at his house, leave that man the fuck alone,” Kanye told students. ““Leave that man the f*ck alone.”

Although it’s not clear what the rant referred to – it’s likely that Kanye was referencing Azealia Banks’ supposed visits to his house.

In August, Banks claimed that she was eagerly waiting at Musk’s home ahead of starting a planned collaboration with Grimes.

“Literally been sitting at Elon Musk’s house alone for days waiting for Grimes to show up and start these sessions,” Azealia Banks wrote on her Instagram story.

“I have no idea when she is coming back. I’m going to wait one more day then I’m going to go home.”

She later added: “Staying at Elon Musk’s house has been like a real life episode of ‘Get Out’.”

At the time, Musk claimed that he had not “communicated with her [Banks] in any way”.

He later backtracked on the claim.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk has found himself in hot water again after the Securities and Exchange Commission announced it is charging the Tesla CEO with fraud, based on “a series of false and misleading tweets about a potential transaction to take Tesla private”. It was based on a joke he Tweeted to impress Grimes.

They're back...

Bastille have announced details of an intimate UK tour for 2019, ahead of releasing their anticipated third album.

The ‘Quarter Past Midnight’ group will kick off the jaunt at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre on January 27, before touring across the UK.

After the rush for the first batch of dates this morning, the band have now added extra shows at Birmingham’s O2 Academy on January 30, the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on February 3, O2 Academy Glasgow on February 7 and London’s O2 Academy Brixton on February 10.

Full dates are below and tickets are available here. 

Sunday January 27 2019 – DUBLIN Olympia Theatre
Tuesday January 29 2019 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Wednesday January 30 2019 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Friday February 1 2019 – BRIGHTON Centre
Sunday February 3 2019 – MANCHESTER O2 Victoria Warehouse
Monday February 4 2019 – MANCHESTER O2 Victoria Warehouse
Wednesday February 6 2019 – GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Thursday February 7 2019 – GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Saturday February 9 2019 – LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Sunday February 10 2019 – LONDON O2 Academy Brixton

The band’s other European dates are:

February 12 Ruhr Congress, Bochum
February 13 Verti Music Hall, Berlin
February 15 Sentrum Scene, Oslo
February 16 Annexet, Stockholm
February 17 V Tapi, Copenhagen
February 19 Torwar Arena, Warsaw
February 20 Refinery Gallery, Bratislava
February 21 Forum Kralin, Prague
February 22 Gasometer, Vienna
February 24 Porsche Arena, Stuttgart
February 25 Samsung Hall, Zurich
February 27 Razzmatazz, Barcelona
February 28 Palacio Vistallegre, Madrid
March 2 Zenith, Paris
March 4 Zenith, Munich
March 5 Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt
March 6 Mehr Theatre, Hamburg
March 8 Rochal, Eschsuralzette
March 9 Sportpaleis, Antwerp
March 10 Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam

Describing the tour, Bastille’s Dan Smith said: “We’ve spent most of this last year working on loads of new music and touring different versions of our songs so now we’re excited to head back out and revisit more intimate rooms and play a bunch of new songs in the lead up to our new album.”

Meanwhile, Bastille teased to NME earlier this year that fans can expect their third album to sound “euphoric”.

“This album is very self-contained in its story and its sound”, Smith said.

“But I’ve also massively contradicted myself. There’s a lot of diversity in there, and I think it defines this last year and this era of what we want to do.

“There’s definitely an element of euphoria on the record , but also how close that is to despair at the same time.”

Confirming the record’s completion, Smith said: “It’s finished and our record label refuse to give me a specific date for the release, because they know I will just immediately say it out loud.”

He's hitting the road once more...

Richard Ashcroft has announced that he’ll head out on a massive UK tour next spring. Full dates and ticket details are below.

He’s set to play a series of shows in cities including Portsmouth, Leicester, London, Edinburgh, Hull and Birmingham between April 19 and May 5. Tickets go on sale at 9.30am on October 12 and you can buy them here.

Ashcroft is touring in support of fifth solo album, ‘Natural Rebel’, which is due out on October 19. As well as heading out on a UK tour this October, he’ll hit the road once again next spring.

Check out the dates in full below.

Fri April 19 2019 – Portsmouth, Guildhall
Sat April 20 2019 – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
Mon April 22 2019 – Newcastle , O2 Academy Newcastle
Tue April 23 2019 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall
Thu April 25 2019 – Hull, Bonus Arena
Sat April 27 2019 – Birmingham, O2 Academy Birmingham
Wed May 1 2019 – Doncaster, Doncaster Dome
Thu May 2 2019 – Leicester, De Montfort Hall
Fri May 3 2019 – Leicester, De Montfort Hall
Sat May 4 2019 – London, Olympia

Meanwhile, Ashcroft was recently forced to issue a statement after he was accused of dropping a package of drugs from his pocket during an appearance on Soccer AM. A number of viewers shared footage of the moment on social media, forcing the ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ artist to set the record straight via Instagram.

“Number one: Cocaine and I have had no relationship for decades”, he said.

“Number two: Don’t you ever surmise what has fallen out of my pocket. And, don’t bring my children into it.”

The show "explores issues of race and discrimination through such a provocative and unexpected lens".

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation will produce an anticipated TV production of Malorie Blackman’s acclaimed novel Noughts & Crosses.

The YA book has remained consistently popular since its release in 2001 and tells the story of a world tipped on its head, where white people suffer widespread prejudice at the hands of a black ruling class.

It’s now been confirmed that Roc Nation will join Participant Media in executive producing the series. They’ll also handle the soundtrack for the anticipated adaptation.

Although specific details of the show are yet to emerge, it’s expected to follow the story of young friends Sephy and Callum, who are divided by their colour. Sephy is a “Cross,” a prominent member of the black ruling class and the daughter of a powerful politician.

Callum, meanwhile, is a Nought and a member of the oppressed white class.

Describing the forthcoming BBC series, Participant Media’s Jonathan King told Variety: “When we saw ‘Noughts & Crosses,’ we were captivated immediately. Music and popular culture are huge parts of the fabric of the show, and we couldn’t be more excited that Roc Nation is joining the team.”

Roc Nation’s Patrick Reardon said: ““We are thrilled to partner with Mammoth Screen and Participant Media on this series, which explores issues of race and discrimination through such a provocative and unexpected lens”.

A release date is yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Malorie Blackman will become Doctor Who’s first black screenwriter, penning episodes for the 11th season which starts this Sunday.

"No phone no cares, I was dumb and so young".

Charli XCX and Troye Sivan have teamed up for new single ‘1999’, and it’s a massive slice of nostalgia-tinged pop.

The collaboration sees the two reminiscing on the turn of the millennium – with references to Britney Spears and Slim Shady being littered throughout.

“Yeah, I remember back home Best friends, all night, no phone no cares, I was dumb and so young”, the pair sing on the track.

The pair previously teased the collaboration as they shared the single artwork – which appears to take strong influence from the Matrix.

Describing working with Sivan, Charli wrote on Twitter: “JUST WANNA TAKE A SEC 2 SAY HOW HAPPY I AM TO BE DOING A SONG WITH @troyESIVAN. TROYE IS HONESTLY 1 OF MY FAV ARTISTS & I THINK WHAT HE’S DOING FOR POP MUSIC IS INCREDIBLE & SPECIAL & EXCITING. I FUCKING STANNN! LUV U TROYE! 1999 DROPS MIDNIGHT TONIGHT! PS SORRY 4 YELLING.”

The new track follows the release of Sivan’s second album, ‘Bloom’, in August. Read NME’s five-star review.

Charli’s latest release, ‘Pop 2’, arrived last year. The soloist has since shared songs including ‘No Angel’, ‘5 in the Morning’, and ‘Girls Night Out’.

Read more: Troye Sivan hits back at Eminem’s homophobic slur: ‘Some words are not meant for anyone’
Meanwhile, a documentary about Charli was aired last month on BBC World Service.

Tokyo's world-famous Tsukiji fish market has held its final pre-dawn tuna auction before being relocated to a new site.

The world's largest fish market, which has been in operation for 83 years, is being moved as part of the redevelopment for the 2020 Olympic Games.

The famed tuna auctions are a popular tourist attraction in the Japanese capital.

"I'm almost crying," said retired seafood auctioneer Hisao Ishii, who returned to the market for its last day on Saturday.

"Today is a sad day of goodbyes. Tsukiji tried to meet the times, but it is getting older," he told the AFP news agency.

Fishmongers will move from the ageing facility to a new, more modern site in Toyosu, about 2km (1.2 miles) away.

The relocation of the historic market has long been in the works but faced opposition from some vendors right up until its final days.

Nearly 500 types of seafood were sold at the market in the Japanese capital. Tsukiji is within walking distance of the upscale Ginza district, where some of Tokyo's top restaurants are located. Chefs seeking the best available products formed close relationships with vendors

The market was constructed in 1935, in the aftermath of the great Kanto earthquake of 1923, and built largely from corrugated iron sheds. It became a sprawling, busy market, but was seen by many as rundown and overcrowded.

Tuna auctions - held in the inner industrial market - attracted big-spending buyers. The New Year auction often fetched higher prices than normal, because the event was considered auspicious for business.

The bluefin tuna, pictured above, sold for a hefty 74.2 million yen ($615,350; £499,235) at last year's auction - but well short of the record of more than $1.7m paid for a single bluefin in 2013.

The enormous volume and variety of produce meant Tsujiki attracted tens of thousands of tourist visitors each year.

The so-called outer market - home to shops selling food and other goods - will remain after the move.

Efforts to move the market to a more modern location were met with resistance by many of the workers, some of whom have been in the family business for generations.

The move to the new $5bn facility in Toyosu, which used to be home to a chemical plant, was delayed over contamination concerns.

In the final weeks before the relocation to its new home, several hundred protesters braved the rain to speak out against the move.

The new market site is due to open on Thursday, 11 October.

Should Brazil stick to democracy, or not? Unlikely as it might seem to outsiders, this has been a key debating point as Latin America's largest country edges towards its election.

With just two days to go, a new survey by Datafolha suggests 69% of Brazilians believe democracy is the best way forward.

However, some are concerned that leading candidate Jair Bolsonaro - a far-right former army captain - will threaten this path.

He has talked positively of the military junta which ruled the country from 1964 to 1985, and promised to fill his cabinet with generals.

"I'm in favour of a dictatorship!" he said boldly in a 1993 speech, Reuters news agency reports. "We will never resolve grave national problems with this irresponsible democracy!"

Current polling has him on a comfortable 35%, which is set to take him into the second round where he is likely to meet left-wing Fernando Haddad, standing for the Workers' Party (PT).

How did the last TV debate play out?
In the candidates' final meeting on Thursday night, the future of the democracy was addressed.

Mr Bolsonaro did not take part, under doctors' orders. He was stabbed at a campaign rally in September and was only released from hospital last weekend.

However, he did manage to give a television interview to a channel that has given him favourable coverage. It was aired simultaneously and his critics said it was a move to avoid being challenged.

Guilherme Boulos, a candidate for the Socialism and Liberty party, used the debate to send a warning to viewers.

"[The dictatorship] was 30 years ago now, but I think we have never been so close to what happened back then..." he said. "This is always how it starts out: guns, sorting things out with violence, human lives worth nothing."

What are Bolsonaro's chances?
He has vowed to get tough on crime after a spike in the homicide rate. He has said he will loosen gun laws so citizens can protect themselves.

His approval rating has climbed and he picked up even more supporters after he was attacked. Datafolha's polling suggests he is also the current leading choice for young people and Brazilian women, even though he is known for having made misogynist, racist and homophobic comments.

Polling companies give him roughly a 30% chance of winning the race outright, according to Reuters news agency.

His supporters hope more voters might be silently in his camp but are not making their intentions known to pollsters.

However, most analysts believe he will end up in the 28 October run-off, and current projections suggest his likely run-off with Mr Haddad is too close to call.

Mr Haddad has 22% support for the first round.

Despite being former mayor of São Paulo, he is largely unknown in many parts of the vast country. He was only named as the candidate for just over three weeks before election day. The party was pinning its hopes on ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva but he was banned from standing as he is serving prison time for corruption convictions.

A criminal investigation has seen a number of Brazilian politicians jailed for corruption, including Lula and various other PT leaders, losing the party many voters.

Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege is known as "Doctor Miracle" for his ability to repair through reconstructive surgery the horrific damage inflicted on women who have been raped.

The 63-year-old Congolese gynaecologist set up the Panzi hospital in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Bukavu nearly 20 years ago - shortly after he had his first experience of treating a woman who had been raped and mutilated by armed men.

Dr Mukwege recounted the horrific injury the patient had suffered in a BBC interview, saying the woman had not only been raped but bullets had been fired into her genitals and thighs.

He, along with his colleagues, have since treated tens of thousands of victims.

Panzi hospital now cares for more than 3,500 women a year. Sometimes Dr Mukwege performs as many as 10 operations a day.

'Rape capital of the world'
"I... started a hospital made from tents. I built a maternity ward with an operating theatre. In 1998, everything was destroyed again. So, I started all over again in 1999," he told the BBC in 2013.

Panzi hopsital has since grown to become a major health facility in eastern DR Congo. Its website says it has 370 doctors, nurses and support staff.

It serves a population of 400,000 and also treats patients from neighbouring countries.

Eastern DR Congo has been wracked by more than two decades of conflict, with numerous armed groups battling for control of the region's rich deposits of gold and other precious minerals.

Many different militias have been accused of carrying out the indiscriminate rape of the region's women.

"The conflict in DR Congo is not between groups of religious fanatics. Nor is it a conflict between states. This is a conflict caused by economic interests - and it is being waged by destroying Congolese women," Dr Mukwege told the BBC.

In 2010, a top UN official labelled the country "the rape capital of the world".

Women raised funds for his return
In September 2012, in a speech at the UN, Dr Mukwege criticised President Joseph Kabila's government and other countries for not doing enough to stop what he called "an unjust war that has used violence against women and rape as a strategy of war".

The following month he was targeted by gunmen who broke into his home and briefly held his daughters hostage.

According to his organisation's website, his trusted friend and security guard was killed during the attack.

He later fled with his family to Sweden, then to Belgium.

He returned home in 2013 following a campaign by local women who raised funds to pay for his return ticket.

"After that gesture, I couldn't really say no. And also, I am myself determined to help fight these atrocities, this violence."

"My life has had to change, since returning. I now live at the hospital and I take a number of security precautions, so I have lost some of my freedom," he told the BBC's Outlook programme in 2013.

Dr Mukwege currently lives under the permanent protection of UN peacekeepers at his hospital.

'I was operating when I heard the news'
He told the Nobel committee in a brief interview that he was in the operating theatre when the news of the prize came through.

"It was when I was operating and I heard people start to cry and it was so, so surprising," he said.

"I can see in the face of many women how they are happy to be recognised and this is really so touching," he added.

A picture of Dr Mukwege and the staff of Panzi hospital celebrating the Nobel win has been shared on Twitter,

Crowds gathered at the hospital cheered and ululated to celebrate the prize which Dr Mukwege said was dedicated to the many women who were victims of sexual violence.

Although he has fallen out with DR Congo's government, its spokesman Lambert Mende congratulated Dr Mukwege.

"We have had differences with [him] every time that he tried to politicise his work, which however is important from a humanitarian standpoint. But now, we are satisfied with the Nobel Academy's recognition of the work of a compatriot," Mr Mende told AFP news agency.

Dr Mukwege was born in 1955 in Bukavu. He went to medical school across the border in Burundi and later studied gynaecology and obstetrics at the University of Angers in France.

He was inspired to become a doctor after numerous visits to see the sick with his preacher father.

He has received many other international awards, including the 2008 UN Human Rights Prize. He was named African of the Year in 2009.

The governing EPRDF coalition in Ethiopia has voted to extend the chairmanship of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, cementing his authority as leader of the country. He won 176 votes out of 177.

The election took place at the end of a three-day congress of the EPRDF.

Mr Abiy was named prime minister in April after his predecessor resigned following three years of unrest.

He has introduced sweeping reforms, including making peace with Ethiopia's former enemy, Eritrea.

There has been a surge of ethnic violence since Mr Abiy came to power.

The prime minister's chief of staff has been tweeting pictures from the conference.

India has signed a deal with Russia to acquire the S-400 air defence missile system, despite the possibility such a move could trigger US sanctions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the $5bn (£3.8bn) deal in Delhi on Friday.

The S-400 is one of the most sophisticated surface-to-air defence systems in the world. It has a range of 400km (248 miles) and can shoot down up to 80 targets simultaneously, aiming two missiles at each one.

India's neighbour China also has the same system - the two countries fought a war in 1962 and routinely see skirmishes on their border. So for India it was imperative to boost its defence capabilities - especially in view of a possible two-front conflict, with Pakistan and China.

Rajiv Nayan, defence expert at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses think-tank, believes India had to take "a calculated risk".

"India needs to look after its strategic interests. An air defence missile defence system was the need of the hour. The US has said that going ahead with the deal would attract sanctions - but Delhi cannot be seen coming under pressure," he told the BBC.

Relations between the US and Russia have been strained since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 American presidential elections has further fuelled tensions.

Washington has put several Russian firms under sanctions. The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Caatsa) was introduced in 2017 to target Russia, Iran and North Korea with economic and political sanctions.

It also prohibits any country from signing defence deals with these nations.

But US President Donald Trump has the power to provide waivers to some countries. India was hoping to secure one, but recent statements from some Trump administration officials have sent mixed signals.

"I can't sit here and tell you that they [India] would be exempt, that we would use that waiver - that will be the decision of the president if he is faced with a major new platform and capability that India has acquired from Russia," Randall Schriver, assistant secretary of defence for Asian and Pacific security affairs, recently said.

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also failed to mention the waiver during their visit to Delhi in September.

The S-400 is an important boost to India's defence because its air force is facing a shortage of squadrons. Its squadron strength has depleted to 31 - largely owing to ageing Russian aircraft. It would need 42 squadrons in the event of war with both China and Pakistan.

The new surface-to-air defence system will enable the air force to detect and destroy missiles. Mr Nayan says India already operates defence systems "manufactured by Russia and it make sense to continue with the systems we are familiar with".

Delhi's decision to go ahead with the deal also signals an attempt to inject a greater degree of balance in its foreign policy, according to Pratyush Rao, associate director for India and South Asia at Control Risks consultancy.

"After investing significant political capital in strengthening US-India ties during Barack Obama's presidency, Mr Modi is now seeking to calibrate relations with the US under the Trump administration.

"Given the high degree of unpredictability associated with the Trump administration, Delhi needed to hedge its bets," he said.

Mr Trump recently described India as "tariff king" and said it wanted to have a trade deal with the US to keep him happy. The statement hasn't gone down well in Delhi's diplomatic circles.

It's not surprising that India has been trying to improve ties with powers like Russia and China in the new world order under Mr Trump.

India - which makes very few of its own weapons - is the world's biggest defence buyer, and Russia supplies most of its military equipment and spare parts.

"India had to assure Russia that it still values Moscow as an important defence and strategic partner and signing this deal was a demonstration of that," Mr Rao said.

He added that this was a "Catch-22 situation for Delhi with it having to walk the diplomatic tightrope between a trusted but waning partner [Russia] and a growing yet temperamental partner [US]".

Indian officials now hope that Washington will grant a waiver for Delhi.

Mr Nayan believes that backroom negotiations with Washington may result in such a move. But it may not be easy because the US has its own Catch-22 situation to deal with.

The US has been clear about sanctioning countries that sign defence deals with Russia. It sanctioned China for buying S-400s in September.

Nato ally Turkey is also in the process of acquiring the same system, and many believe that's a red line the US doesn't want Turkey to cross.

If the US allows India a waiver, others countries will press for similar concessions.

Meanwhile, Washington cannot afford to ignore India's increasing defence equipment requirements. It has increased its own arms exports to India more than five times in the past five years, taking its share in Delhi's defence procurement to 15%.

"Having painstakingly built up the defence partnership, Washington would want to insulate it's burgeoning defence trade with India through some kind of a solution," Mr Rao says.

Mr Modi's administration is also likely to try to defuse tensions. He will seek re-election next year and will not want a new controversy that could affect his campaign.

"If the US imposes sanctions on India, it will give more ammunition to India's opposition parties ahead of the elections. It will open Mr Modi to further attacks over his management of foreign policy coming days after perceived flip-flops on holding talks with Pakistan," Mr Rao added

Mr Modi is already under fire from the opposition because of the controversial Rafale jet deal.

He signed a government-to-government deal with France in 2016 to buy 36 Rafale warplanes manufactured by Dassault Aviation. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the main opposition Congress party, has alleged that Mr Modi "favoured" an Indian company that is part of the French deal.

Mr Modi's ministers have denied the allegation, but the issue continues to dominate headlines in India.

Both Mr Modi and Mr Trump have reasons to avoid falling out. The big question now is whether Mr Trump will see it Mr Modi's way.

International police agency Interpol has urged China to clarify the status of its president, Meng Hongwei, who has gone missing on a visit to the country.

The agency said it was concerned about the well-being of its president.

His family have not heard from him since he left Interpol HQ in the French city of Lyon on 25 September. China has made no official comment.

The South China Morning Post quotes a source as saying Mr Meng, 64, was "taken away" for questioning in China.

It is not clear why he was being investigated by "discipline authorities" or where he was being held, the Hong Kong-based newspaper adds.

Earlier this week, actress Fan Bingbing, who disappeared in China in July, emerged with a public apology and a fine of 883 million yuan ($129m; £98.9m) for tax evasion and other offences.

What is the full Interpol statement?
Carried on the Interpol website and quoting secretary-general Juergen Stock, it says: "Interpol has requested through official law enforcement channels clarification from China's authorities on the status of President Meng Hongwei.

"Interpol's General Secretariat looks forward to an official response from China's authorities to address concerns over the president's well-being."

Mr Stock oversees the day-to-day work of the 192-member organisation, with the role of the president largely ceremonial.

Interpol co-ordinates searches among its members, issuing yellow notices for missing persons and a red notice - an international alert - for a wanted person. However, it does not have the power to send officers into countries to arrest individuals or issue arrest warrants.

Interpol had earlier said Mr Meng's case was "for the relevant authorities in both France and China". France has opened an investigation.

Who is Meng Hongwei?
He was elected Interpol president in November 2016, the first Chinese to take up the post, and is scheduled to serve until 2020.

He heads the organisation's Executive Committee, which provides overall guidance and direction.

Before taking over at Interpol, Mr Meng was deputy minister in charge of public security in China and is still a senior Communist Party official.

He also has 40 years of experience in criminal justice and policing in China, notably in the fields of drugs, counter-terrorism and border control.

After his election human rights groups expressed concern that the move could help China pursue political dissidents who have fled the country.

After weeks of controversy, the US Senate is set for a final vote on the confirmation of President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh.

If senators do not change their voting intentions, Judge Kavanaugh will be appointed to the top US court.

The vote is expected at about 17:00 local time (21:00 GMT).

Mr Kavanaugh has been embroiled in a bitter battle to stave off sexual assault allegations.

What's happening in the Senate?
It's actually been in session throughout the night covering the issue, although the debate has taken place in a largely empty chamber.

Senators are expected to be there in force from 15:30 in the lead-up to the vote.

The Senate is split 51-49 in favour of the Republicans and the vote will be largely along party lines. Mr Kavanaugh would actually only need a 50-50 vote, as that would force a tie-breaker in his favour from Vice-President Mike Pence.

So what are the numbers?
It's looking like a 51-49 vote in the judge's favour at the moment, barring last-minute changes of mind. This was the tally in a procedural vote on Friday.

That's because Republican senators who had been wavering on the issue have come down, with one exception, on Mr Kavanaugh's side.

The one exception is Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. Although she said Mr Kavanaugh was a "good man", she said he was "not the right person for the court at this time" and his "appearance of impropriety has become unavoidable".

But her "no" vote will be balanced by a "yes" from the only Democrat set to back the nomination.

Senator Joe Manchin is facing a difficult re-election campaign in West Virginia, a traditionally Republican state that Mr Trump won by a landslide.

He told the Senate he "found Judge Kavanaugh to be a qualified jurist" but later faced shouts of "shame" from protesters.

Two Republican waverers, Susan Collins and Jeff Flake, have finally decided to back the judge. Mr Flake has been a frequent critic of Mr Trump but said he would vote yes, barring any major changes in evidence.

Oddly, Ms Murkowski will also separately be counted for a "yes" vote. Under Senate rules she can mark herself as "present" for a senator who is unable to attend. Steve Daines, who would have backed Mr Kavanaugh, will be at his daughter's wedding.

How did the senators come to their decisions?
An FBI inquiry was launched into the sexual assault allegations and other issues after Judge Kavanaugh received initial backing for his nomination in a Senate committee vote last week.

While the investigation has proved politically contentious, the wavering senators decided it had not provided sufficient grounds to oppose Mr Kavanaugh.

Senator Collins said: "We will be ill-served in the long run if we abandon the presumption of innocence and fairness."

What was the FBI inquiry about?
In public testimony last week, Prof Christine Blasey Ford said she had been assaulted by Judge Kavanaugh when they were both teenagers in 1982.

Judge Kavanaugh denied the claim - and allegations that he drank to the point of memory loss at the time - in a feisty confrontation with senators.

Federal agents are believed to have spoken to five witnesses regarding Prof Ford's accusations and another four other witnesses involving a separate accusation by Deborah Ramirez, who said the nominee had exposed himself to her when they were both at Yale University. He denies Ms Ramirez's allegations, too.

Mr Trump and his fellow Republicans said the new FBI report had cleared their nominee. Democratic senators said it had been incomplete.

Why is the court so important?
Basically, it's the final arbiter of US law.

It has the ultimate say on such contentious issues as abortion and gun control.

It has nine judges, all of whom are appointed for life, and the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh is likely to give it a more conservative hue.

The Democrats are still smarting from the previous Supreme Court appointment. Republicans last year successfully stalled the process, meaning it fell to Mr Trump, not Barack Obama, to nominate the new justice. Mr Trump's choice of Neil Gorsuch strengthened the conservative leaning.

All eyes will now be on November's mid-term elections. Mr Trump will be able to campaign on the back of an important victory, but commentators will be watching closely how the Kavanaugh affair affects women voters.