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White House says ‘Mission: Impossible’ increased Joe Biden’s concerns about artificial intelligence

The White House has spoken on the influence of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One on Joe Biden’s concerns regarding artificial intelligence. The US President yesterday (October 31) signed an executive order to establish new standards and security measures surrounding AI – a move that Deputy White House chief of staff Bruce Reed said was partly informed by Biden’s “worry” after watching the latest Mission: Impossible film. “If [Biden] hadn’t already been concerned about what could go wrong with AI before that movie, he saw plenty more to worry about,” Reed told the Associated Press. The Chief of Staff is said to have watched Dead Reckoning alongside the President at Camp David, following its release in July of this year. Advertisement The Tom Cruise-led film features a sentient AI villain known as the Entity. In various scenes, the AI is seen hijacking and sinking a Russian submarine, manipulating video footage of characters’ faces and impersonating human voices. These features of artificial intelligence have previously been cited as concerns for Biden, who Reed said “was profoundly curious about the technology” of AI in the months leading up to yesterday’s executive order. Reed said Biden had witnessed AI technology create “fake… Read More →

01NOVNews

Mitt Romney and his wife dress up as Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift for Halloween

US Senator Mitt Romney and his wife Ann have dressed up as Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift for their 2023 Halloween costumes. The Utah Republican shared images of the couple’ss costume on Instagram today (November 1). Romney accompanied the post with a reference to the lyrics in Swift’s 2008 single, ‘Love Story’, writing: “It’s a love story, baby, just say yes!”. Romney can be seen sporting Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs jersey and holding an NFL branded football, while Ann donned a blonde wig, red lipstick and a cheerleader costume reminiscent of the one Swift wore in the music video for ‘Shake It Off’. Advertisement The costume makes reference to the much-buzzy potential romance between Swift and the NFL tight end, who sparked relationship rumours last month after Swift attended a handful of Kelce’s football games. During one game against the Chicago Bears at Missouri’s Arrowhead Stadium, Swift was spotted cheering for Kelce alongside his mother, Donna. Since then, the pop star has attended three more of Kelce’s games. Kelce himself pre-empted the popularity of Halloween costumes bearing his likeness, saying during a recent press conference that his “[mou]stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic there for a little bit”…. Read More →

01NOVNews

Dave Grohl releases expanded deluxe edition of 2021 memoir

Dave Grohl has released an expanded deluxe edition of his memoir, The Storyteller: Tales In Life & Music. First released in 2021, the original version of the book recounted the Foo Fighters frontman’s life and music career, from his origins in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. to his experiences touring from the age of 18. Now, an expanded version of The Storyteller, which hit bookshelves yesterday (October 31) is said to include a variety of additional and never-before-seen content. Advertisement The Storyteller’s deluxe paperback edition includes a first-person essay about Grohl’s philosophy on creativity, and a series of writing prompts aimed at sparking readers’ own creative pursuits. The updated memoir also provides insight into the genesis and songwriting behind four Foo Fighters songs, and how Grohl’s relationship to these songs has evolved over time. [embedded content] Elsewhere, the new edition features a specialty playlist that Grohl listens to while cooking or driving, and a recount of the musician’s first time meeting Paul McCartney – previously an audiobook exclusive. These insights add to the already expansive list of experiences detailed in The Storyteller’s original version, which described run-ins with the likes of Elton John, Pantera and Josh Homme, among many others…. Read More →

31OCTNews

Where to watch ‘Friends’ in the UK

Friends is one of the most successful television shows of all time. Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, the sitcom about a group of friends living in New York turned its core cast into worldwide stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer. The show ran for ten seasons between September 1994 and May 2004. During its run, Friends was nominated for 62 Emmys, and won Outstanding Comedy Series in 2002. Advertisement In 2021, the show’s cast returned for a HBO special titled Friends: The Reunion, hosted by James Corden. Where is Friends available to stream in the UK? At the time of writing (October 31), all ten seasons of Friends are available on Netflix UK. Alternatively, you can buy seasons through Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+. A physical box set is also available on Amazon here. The cast of ‘Friends’ CREDIT: Warner Bros. Television Were there any spin-offs? The show’s first and only spin-off, titled Joey, ran for two seasons from 2004 to 2005. The show was cancelled by NBC due to poor ratings. The series saw LeBlanc reprise his role as Joey Tribbiani, who moved to Hollywood from New… Read More →

31OCTNews

Dua Lipa teases new single ‘Houdini’ with cryptic messages to fans

Dua Lipa has teased a new single ‘Houdini’ with a cryptic video message to fans on Instagram. The pop singer posted a snippet of new music on her account, in which she can be heard singing, “Tell me all the ways you’ll need me”. At the end of the snippet, a series of numbers flash up: 4 8 9 9 14 15 21. These numbers, when translated to their equivalent letters, can be re-arranged to form the name Houdini. Advertisement Today (October 31) also marks the anniversary of the day that the famous magician and escapologist died in 1926. The abstract references to Houdini appear to continue, with Lipa being shown with a golden key necklace resting in her mouth. During his acts, one of Houdini’s methods of escape was to receive the key to his handcuffs by his wife passing it to him in their mouths as they kissed. This imagery has form in pop music history: in 1982, Kate Bush’s album ‘The Dreaming’ had a cover that depicted the singer holding a key in her mouth, preparing to pass it onto somebody. That album also features a track called ‘Houdini’. Dua Lipa has been teasing new music repeatedly… Read More →

31OCTNews

The Rolling Stones become first act with Top 10 albums in each decade since the ’60s

The Rolling Stones have become the first act to have top 10 albums in the United States in every decade since the 1960s. Their new album ‘Hackney Diamonds’ entered the Billboard 200 chart at Number Three this week (October 31), extending the band’s record as the artist with the most top 10 albums of all time, with 38 in total. In their home country, The Rolling Stones already held the record for the artist with number one albums in the most decades. In 2020, a re-issue of their 1973 album ‘Goats Head Soup’ reached the top spot, marking number ones in six separate decades, although they did not get a chart-topper in the 2000s in the UK. Advertisement [embedded content] ‘Hackney Diamonds’, which was released on October 20, also recently reached the top of the UK Albums Chart, their 14th Number One in all. The band were also honoured this week with the British Phonographic Industry’s BRIT Billion Award for reaching the landmark of one billion career UK streams. The album features contributions from Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and others. Speaking to NME, Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood gave us a glimpse into the recording studio during the recording of… Read More →

31OCTNews

‘Assassin’s Creed 2’, ‘Brotherhood’ and ‘Revelations’ to lose server support

Ubisoft has announced the loss of online services for Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Assassin’s Creed Revelations and more in January 2024. “Decommissioning the online services for older games is something we do not take lightly, however, it is also a necessity as the technology behind these services becomes outdated,” said Ubisoft in a post to its official support page. Specifically speaking, this will switch off the ability to play online multiplayer modes, redeem Ubisoft Connect rewards, link Ubisoft accounts in the game or use any other online features that they may contain. Advertisement ‘Assassin’s Creed 2’ Credit: Ubisoft From January 25, 2024, Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Ghost Recon Future Soldier, Heroes Of Might And Magic 4, NCSI, R.U.S.E. and Trials Evolution will no longer allow PC players to engage with its online services. The same will occur for Assassin’s Creed 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction on Xbox 360, Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD on Xbox 360 and PS3, and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood on Mac. This is not unheard of for Ubisoft. Last September, the developer stated that the online services for Driver San Francisco, Far Cry 3, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and more would be shut down for the same… Read More →

31OCTNews

Jungkook’s ‘Seven’ is the fastest song to reach 1billion streams on Spotify

South Korean singer Jungkook, a member of K-pop boyband BTS, has broken the record for the fastest song to reach 1billion streams on Spotify. Today (October 31), Spotify announced on Twitter that Jungkook’s debut solo single, ‘Seven’ featuring Latto, became the fastest song to reach 1billion streams on the streaming platform on Monday (October 30). On October 30, Jung Kook’s “Seven (feat. Latto)” became the fastest song to reach 1 Billion streams in Spotify history. pic.twitter.com/F0FgNPc1zr — Spotify (@Spotify) October 30, 2023 Advertisement According to The Korea News, the song reached the milestone in just 108 days of its release. ‘Seven’ surpassed Miley Cyrus‘ hit viral song ‘Flowers’, which took 112 days to reach 1bllion streams earlier this year. Back in July, Jungkook also topped the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Seven’. He became the second member of BTS to do so, following bandmate Jimin with ‘Like Crazy’ in early-April this year. Since the release of ‘Seven’, Jungkook has followed it up with the Jack Harlow collaboration ‘3D’. Both songs will appear on the BTS singer’s upcoming debut solo album, ‘Golden’, which drops this Friday (November 3). Aside from Latto and Jack Harlow, ‘Golden’ will also feature collaborations with DJ Snake and Major Lazer, as… Read More →

31OCTNews

Lana Del Ray runs into fan dressed as her working at Waffle House during a Halloween party

A Lana Del Rey fan had the most unexpected encounter on Halloween night, running into the singer herself while dressed as her. READ MORE: Lana Del Rey live in London: a career-defining moment for a true great The fan, who goes by @sandyganzer on Instagram, decided to dress up as the singer in a Waffle House uniform, a popular American restaurant chain, for her costume. She wore a grey Waffle House uniform, a name tag that read “Lana”, and a wig that resembled Del Rey’s long brown hair. The fan’s costume was inspired by Del Rey herself, who was spotted serving coffee at a branch of the US restaurant chain in Birmingham, AL back in July. Advertisement The fan shared the photo of her and Del Rey on Instagram, writing: “Waffle House employee shirt purchased on Ebay: $28.60. Pepsi bottle and fun little straw purchased last minute at CVS: $9. Waffle House ‘Lana’ name tag sticker: $5.59. Attending a halloween party dressed as ‘Lana Del Rey kicking it at Waffle House’ and she’s there in real life: Priceless.” “Thank you for having a sense of humour about it @honeymoon, you’re a Queen” Del Rey previously shared the story behind the viral… Read More →

31OCTNews

TXT’s Soobin says he became a K-pop idol because he “wanted to meet KARA”

South Korean singer Soobin of K-pop boyband Tomorrow X Together (TXT) has opened up about why he became a K-pop idol. Soobin revealed the fact in a new YouTube video uploaded onto TXT’s official channel, where the quintet spoke about their journeys as K-pop idols and their hopes for the future. “To be completely honest, I first started dreaming of becoming a singer just because I wanted to meet KARA,” Soobin said in the video. Unfortunately for the singer, TXT debuted in 2019, three years after KARA disbanded in 2016. Advertisement However, the iconic K-pop girl group would later reunite in 2022 and release the album ‘Move Again’. “Fortunately, the timing worked out perfect, so I got to debut and achieve that dream. I got to meet them in person,” Soobin recalled. The singer also said that he has “achieved things that are way bigger than I expected, so I think I’m at a place way higher and more ideal than what I was dreaming of as a trainee”. Soobin ended the moment by saying that he “[doesn’t] really have big dreams”, but instead he “always want[s] to do better”. [embedded content] Earlier this month, Soobin also spoke about how… Read More →

31OCTNews

Rowoon says it was “not an easy decision” to leave K-pop boyband SF9

South Korean singer and actor Rowoon has opened up about this departure from K-pop boyband SF9 for the first time. Rowoon spoke about his recent decision to leave K-pop boyband SF9 during a press event for his new K-drama series, The Matchmakers. The actor had been a member of the group for seven years, from their debut in 2016 until September 2023. “I left the group because I wanted to become more serious about acting, and I wanted to get better at it,” Rowoon explained, per SBS Star. He made his acting debut in the 2017 K-drama School 2017, and has since appeared in popular shows such as The King’s Affection and A Time Called You. Advertisement “I understand that some people might be disappointed by my decision. But I think such disappointments are part of the weight of my decision that I would have to face. If I could make people understand my choice through my acting, it would be a big step forward for me,” Rowoon added. “Please understand that it was not an easy decision for me.” However, the actor also touched on how he is “rooting for SF9 with all my heart” and is still close with his former bandmates, such… Read More →

30OCTNews

Sofia Coppola TV series was canned because it was about an “unlikeable woman”

Sofia Coppola has said that her forthcoming Apple TV+ adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel The Custom Of The Country has been axed because it was about an “unlikeable woman”. READ MORE: ‘Priscilla’ review: Elvis’ turbulent marriage laid bare in brilliant biopic According to an interview with The New York Times, the director said that she was planning to develop the project as a five-hour limited series but the streaming service didn’t like its main character. Advertisement “The idea of an unlikable woman wasn’t their thing,” Coppola said. “But that’s what I’m saying about who’s in charge.” Earlier in the interview, she also said: “The people in charge of giving money are usually straight men, still. There’s always people in lower levels who are like myself, but then the bosses have a certain sensibility… If it’s so hard for me to get financing as an established person, I worry about younger women starting out. It’s surprising that it’s still a struggle.” The Custom Of The Country tells the story of Undine Spragg, a Midwestern girl who attempts to ascend in New York City society. Sofia Coppola CREDIT: Maria Moratti/Getty Images Apple have yet to respond to her comments but NME has contacted the streaming… Read More →

30OCTNews

Björk fan goes viral with disturbing Halloween spin on iconic swan dress

A Björk fan’s Halloween costume has taken the Internet by storm thanks to a rather creative spin on one of the Icelandic singer’s most iconic fashion moments. Back in 2001, Björk shocked the world with her dress, in the shape of a white swan draped around her neck. Designed by Marjan Pejoski, Björk wore the dress on the cover of her album ‘Vespertine’, and most notably at the 2001 Academy Awards red carpet, where the singer was nominated for Best Original Song (‘I’ve Seen It All’ from Dancer In The Dark). Over two decades later, that dress has now taken an entirely different direction. A visual artist and drag queen called Untitled Queen posted a video of her friend Lucy Balls, who designed a swan dress with Björk hanging around their neck instead. Check out the original dress and Balls’ take below: Advertisement Björk’s swan dress (Photo by Mirek Towski/FilmMagic) @untitledqueenbk My bestie Lucy Balls winning Halloween. She made her costume: a swan wearing Bjork wearing a swan. #drag #brooklyn ♬ original sound – Untitled Queen fav costume is swan wearing a bjork dress pic.twitter.com/Q9hDFFOkIb — laura 🦠 (@ecto_fun) October 29, 2023 Last year, NME spoke to the singer about her latest album… Read More →

30OCTNews

‘Friends’ cast “working on a joint statement” about late co-star Matthew Perry

The cast of Friends are reportedly working on a joint statement following Matthew Perry’s death. Perry, who was best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the long running sitcom, died on Saturday (October 28) aged 54 and was reportedly found unresponsive due to a suspected drowning. Authorities have said no foul play was involved, and no drugs were found at the scene. His former co-stars including Jennifer Aniston, Matt Le Blanc, David Schwimmer, Courtney Cox and Lisa Kudrow are yet to officially comment on his death although reports suggest that the latter was considering adopting his dog. Advertisement Showbiz correspondent Kinsey Schofield told GB News this morning (October 30) that the cast are set to release a joint statement in the coming days. “New information is that the core cast of Friends is currently working on a joint statement they can release. According to sources they are reeling about the death of Matthew Perry, they say that he was their brother, and that they fiercely protected him through some of his toughest times. Matthew Perry. CREDIT: Michael Buckner/Getty “They believe that this is incredibly unfair, according to one of Lisa Kudrow’s friends, and no one saw this coming because they… Read More →

30OCTNews

The Japanese House announces 2024 UK tour

The Japanese House has announced a UK headline tour for next year – find details and ticket information below. Off the back of her second album ‘In The End It Always Does’, The Japanese House (real name Amber Bain) will head out on the road this May for a run of four live dates. Bain is set to play her biggest headline show to date at the Roundhouse in Camden Town, London as part of the forthcoming trek. Advertisement You can sign up here for early access to tickets. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale this Wednesday (November 1) at 10am GMT. General tickets will go on sale on Friday (November 3) at 10am GMT – you’ll be able to buy both here. The Japanese House will play: MAY 202407 – Glasgow, UK – SWG308 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute09 – London, UK – Roundhouse10 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall [embedded content] Back in June, Bain spoke to NME about her new album and her longstanding collaborative relationship with Matty Healy of The 1975. “I’ve known him for 11 years and there’s something that tugs on similar heartstrings when we listen to certain kinds of lyrics,” she said. “The… Read More →

30OCTNews

Ex-TREASURE member Bang Yedam to make solo debut in November

South Korean singer Bang Yedam, best known as a former member of boyband TREASURE, will release his debut mini-album this November. Today (October 30), Bang Yedam announced his solo debut next month through the release of a new “coming soon” poster. Bang will first drop a pre-release single on November 10, before releasing his mini-album on November 23. While the poster did not unveil the title of the upcoming project, it does include what appears to be the K-pop star’s new logo, which features Bang’s initials stylised to resemble a treble clef in music notation. BANG YEDAM 1st Mini AlbumCOMING SOON🎶 ✨Pre-Release 2023.11.10(금) 6PM ✨Release 2023.11.23(목) 6PM#방예담 #BANGYEDAM pic.twitter.com/Tnz74XWKSc — BANG YEDAM (@_YEDAM_OFFICIAL) October 30, 2023 Advertisement In preparation for his forthcoming solo debut, Bang has also launched new official accounts on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. BANG YEDAM OFFICIAL OPEN✨ ✨BANG YEDAM OFFICIAL Xhttps://t.co/v8cZeY4CQy ✨BANG YEDAM OFFICIAL Instagramhttps://t.co/tl9gOoRwxF ✨BANG YEDAM OFFICIAL YouTubehttps://t.co/I78B8Jxdn4 ✨BANG YEDAM OFFICIAL TikTokhttps://t.co/IcuWGJ7Pik — BANG YEDAM (@_YEDAM_OFFICIAL) October 29, 2023 The upcoming project will mark the singer’s first release since signing to new agency GF Entertainment. Bang Yedam left boy band TREASURE and YG Entertainment in 2022. At the time, the company shared that… Read More →

30OCTNews

BTS’ Jungkook enlists David Guetta for new remix of ‘Seven’

South Korean singer Jungkook of K-pop boyband BTS has released a new David Guetta remix of his hit single ‘Seven’. The new David Guetta remix of ‘Seven’ uses the explicit version of the song and retains the verse by guest artist, Latto. For the rework, the French DJ transforms the UK garage song into a dancefloor-ready banger. This is the second high-profile remix of ‘Seven’, following a progressive house remix by Swedish DJ Alesso that was released in August. Prior to that, the BTS singer also dropped several different reworks of the song, including a ‘Summer Mix’ and a ‘Lo-fi Mix’. Advertisement [embedded content] The singer has also teamed up with American DJ MK, known for the song ‘Rhyme Dust’ with Dom Dolla, for a house remix of his latest single, ‘3D’. This is the second remix of Jungkook’s ‘3D’, following a rework by PC Music’s A. G. Cook last month. [embedded content] Earlier this month, Jungkook appears on The Kid Laroi‘s new single ‘Too Much’, which also featured UK rapper Central Cee. The song is expected to appear on his long-awaited debut album ‘The First Time’ in November. To promote the new song, the duo hosted a ‘Let’s Cook’… Read More →

30OCTNews

Eric Nam breaks silence after backlash over liking Israel-Palestine conflict post

Korean-American singer Eric Nam has broken his silence after facing backlash over liking a post about the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Earlier this month, Eric Nam had liked an Instagram post that had talked about taking a neutral view in the wake of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Soon after, the singer faced criticism by fans who were unhappiness over his alleged stance, per Koreaboo. In a new statement today (October 30), Eric Nam addressed why he liked the Instagram post, saying that he “believed [that it] expressed a position of anti-violence, anti-hate and was against intolerance”. Advertisement “My liking of that post was a reaction to waking up to devastating news, as someone who has always been pro-human, pro-peace, and for love and equality for all,” he added. “My heart is broken for the Palestinian and Israeli families that have been ripped apart by violence and are facing unimaginable loss,” he continued. “Nothing I say can be enough when there is so much pain and suffering, but I am praying every day that there is peace and safety for everyone soon.” Eric Nam also confirmed that he and his team have “made the difficult decision” to cancel an upcoming 2024 show in Kuala Lumpur,… Read More →

30OCTNews

Taylor Swift releases ‘Sweeter Than Fiction (Taylor’s Version)’ on vinyl, praises Jack Antonoff for collaboration

Taylor Swift has shared an appreciation post for her friend and collaborator Jack Antonoff, revealing in the process that their song ‘Sweeter Than Fiction’ has received the ‘Taylor’s Version’ treatment. READ MORE: Taylor Swift – ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ review: her best album will never go out of style Last night (October 29), Swift to social media to praise Antonoff, saying the song was the first they wrote together. “There you’ll stand ten feet tall, I will say ‘I knew it all along’. This song has always made me think of my friend Jack. It was the first song we made together and watching him challenge himself and make beautiful art over the years has been the thrill of a lifetime,” she wrote. Advertisement Swift quipped: “How can he be 6 years older than me and also somehow still be my precocious young son? We may never know.” She then announced the exclusive release of ‘Sweeter Than Fiction (Taylor’s Version)’ at Target on Tangerine vinyl. ‘Sweeter Than Fiction’ was written and released in 2013 for the soundtrack for One Chance. Taylor’s Version comes shortly after the singer released ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ last week. NME gave ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ a five-star review and described the re-issue… Read More →

29OCTNews

Fans pay tribute to Matthew Perry by laying flowers outside ‘Friends’ apartment building

Friends fans have paid tribute to the late Matthew Perry by laying flowers outside the New York apartment building that appeared in the long-running sitcom. Perry, who played Chandler Bing in the show, died yesterday (October 28) aged 54 and was reportedly found unresponsive due to a suspected drowning. Authorities have said no foul play was involved, and no drugs were found at the scene. Now, fans are flocking to the apartment building in the West Village of Manhattan where Chandler, Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Monica (Courteney Cox) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) live for the bulk of the show. The six-story residential building sits above a Mediterranean restaurant called Little Owl and appeared in the show from the first episode in 1994. Advertisement Perry’s off-Broadway play The End Of Longing took place at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the West Village, just a 2-minute walk from the apartment. Fans of Matthew Perry have laid flowers near the New York apartment building featured in the sitcom Friends following the news of the actor’s deathhttps://t.co/t9tDR0F5HY pic.twitter.com/bbN5I7kWkD — Sky News (@SkyNews) October 29, 2023 Fans of the show have also been sharing an excerpt from a podcast interview he did last year in which he discussed how… Read More →

29OCTNews

Fans are sharing Matthew Perry’s wish for how he wanted to be remembered

In the wake of Matthew Perry’s death, fans are sharing an excerpt from a podcast interview he did in which he discussed how he wanted to be remembered after he died. The actor who was best known for his role as Chandler Bing in Friends, died yesterday (October 28) aged 54 and was reportedly found unresponsive due to a suspected drowning. Authorities have said no foul play was involved, and no drugs were found at the scene. Now, a transcript has been circulating from an interview Perry did last year with podcaster Tom Power which reveals that Perry hoped not to be remembered best for his role in Friends but for the work he did to support people living with addiction. Advertisement A few years ago, he had turned his former Malibu beach home into a men’s sober living facility called Perry House. “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life but the best thing about me, bar none, is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me?’ I will always say ‘Yes, I know how to do that,’” he said. “‘I will do that for you, even if I can’t always… Read More →