Russell Brand has been granted bail after appearing in court charged with sexual offences including rape.

During the brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the 49-year-old spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address, also confirming to the judge that he understood his bail conditions.

Brand, who has been living in the US, was charged by post last month with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape – as well as two counts of sexual assault – in connection with incidents involving four separate women between 1999 and 2005.

The allegations were first made in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches in September 2023.

The comedian, actor and author has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.

Appearing before Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring, Brand stood to confirm his name and address. He then sat down while the charges were read to the court.

Brand is charged with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area. She alleges that after meeting Brand at a theatrical performance and chatting to him later in her hotel room, she returned from the toilet to find he’d removed some of his clothes. She claims he asked her to take photos of him, and then raped her.

The court also heard of another of Brand’s alleged victims, who has accused him of indecently assaulting her in 2001 by “grabbing her arm and dragging her towards a male toilet” at a TV station.

Brand is accused of the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman he met in 2004 in London. He is accused of grabbing her breasts before allegedly pulling her into a toilet.

The final complainant is a radio worker who has accused Brand of sexually assaulting her between 2004 and 2005 by “kissing” and “grabbing” her breasts and buttocks.

The judge referred the case up to the Central Criminal Court – informally known as the Old Bailey.

Brand was asked to supply both his US and UK addresses to the court.

When asked if he understood his bail conditions, he replied, “Yes”.

The case was adjourned and Brand, of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire, was told he must appear at the Old Bailey on 30 May.

Grand Theft Auto VI, the most hotly anticipated title in gaming history, has been delayed.

Take-Two Interactive pushed the release of the blockbuster title to May 2026 on Friday.

The video game was previously expected to be released in autumn this year and is expected to be an instant hit with billions in sales every year, according to analysts.

Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, is one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling more than 200 million copies since its release in 2013.

“With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception,” said developer Rockstar Games in a statement posted on social media.

“We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”

After the announcement, publisher Take-Two’s share prices tumbled by 9%.

“We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision for Grand Theft Auto VI, which promises to be a groundbreaking blockbuster entertainment experience,” said Take-Two chief executive Strauss Zelnick.

Rockstar Games first unveiled the trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI in December 2023, set to Tom Petty’s Love Is a Long Road.

The video was watched more than 100 million times in 24 hours.

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It confirmed the game’s return to Vice City and introduced the game’s first female lead, Lucia, hinting at a modern-day Bonnie-and-Clyde duo.

GTA VI was expected to drive growth in the video game industry this year after a troubling period.

Rising production costs and growing expectations around games mean many titles have been delayed, causing financial problems for studios and frustration for players.

During the pandemic, when millions more people began playing video games, studio sizes swelled.

Once the lockdowns ended, however, demand dropped and the industry now faces an employment crisis with redundancies at studios around Britain and the world.

Jill Sobule, the award-winning singer-songwriter behind one of the first LGBTQ+ songs to hit the mainstream – I Kissed A Girl – has died in a house fire.

Her death in Woodbury, Minnesota, was announced by her publicist. It was not immediately clear how the fire started.

The 66-year-old’s manager, John Porter, called her “a force of nature and human rights advocate,” whose “music is woven into our culture”.

He said in a statement: “I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory, and legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”

The White Lotus star Carrie Coon posted on social media: “Jill Sobule was so special. Heartbreaking news.”

Sharing a photo of herself with Sobule from 2001, singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman wrote on X: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Jill Sobule. Let us listen to her music to honor the wonderful singer-songwriter she was.”

Sobule had been due to play a gig in Denver on Friday night, but the event will now become a tribute to her life. A formal memorial will be held later this summer.

Over three decades of performing and recording, the singer-songwriter released 12 albums, exploring complex topics including the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, reproduction and LGBTQ+ issues.

Her first album, Things Here Are Different, was released in 1990.

Five years later, she received widespread attention for her hit singles, Supermodel, from the movie Clueless, and I Kissed A Girl, which, despite being banned on several southern radio stations, made it into the Billboard Top 20 in the US.

In 2008, Katy Perry’s worldwide hit I Kissed A Girl – which used the same title but was not a cover version – created a renewed interest in her track.

Sobule also starred in an autobiographical off-Broadway musical featuring songs and stories about her life.

An early adopter of crowdfunding, in 2008, after two major record companies dumped her and two indie labels went bankrupt beneath her, she raised tens of thousands of dollars from fans so she could make a new album.

A shy child, Sobule was born in Denver, Colorado, on 16 January 1959.

She would go on to perform with stars including Neil Young, Cyndi Lauper and Billy Bragg, and said she would “wing” her frequent live shows, never preparing a set list.

She made a cameo on an episode of The Simpsons in 2019.

In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, she said: “In a good way, I feel like I’m still a rookie. There’s so much more to do and I haven’t done my best yet.”

She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, James and Mary Ellen Sobule, along with her nephews and cousins.