Endgame: Book about Harry and Meghan withdrawn from sale in the Netherlands over ‘error’ in translation
The sale of a new book about the Royal Family has been halted in the Netherlands.
Xander, the publishers of the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s Endgame, have put sales of the book on hold “temporarily” over what it calls an “error”.
They said in a statement: “[We are] temporarily withdrawing the book by Omid Scobie from sale. An error occurred in the Dutch translation and is currently being rectified.”
It comes amid reports that the translation appears to name a member of the Royal Family who allegedly questioned what colour Harry and Meghan’s son Archie’s skin would be when he was born.
The Duchess of Sussex claimed in her March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that a member of the Royal Family raised “concerns” about Archie’s skin colour.
The couple refused to reveal who had made such comments, but Winfrey has since said that Harry told her it was not Prince Philip or the late Queen.
The claim sparked a rare response from the royals, with Prince William saying: “We are very much not a racist family,” in response to questions about the allegations.
In a statement following the interview, the Royal Family said that “whilst some recollections may vary”, the issues brought up in the interview were “concerning” and would “be addressed”.
Mr Scobie told Dutch media that he did not mention a name in his new book – which was published in the UK on Tuesday.
“The book is in several languages, and unfortunately I do not speak Dutch. But if there are translation errors, the publisher will correct them,” he told chat show, RTL Boulevard.
“I wrote the English version. There was no version from me in which names were mentioned.”
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Author says he did not interview Duchess of Sussex for Endgame
Mr Scobie’s book claims that, in the aftermath of the Oprah interview, Meghan wrote a letter to King Charles expressing concern about unconscious bias in the Royal Family.
In the UK version of Endgame, Mr Scobie wrote that in her letter to the King, Meghan revealed “two identities” of those “involved in the exchange”.
“Laws in the United Kingdom prevent me from reporting who they were,” he added in the book.
Mr Scobie previously wrote Finding Freedom, a biography of the Sussexes’ split from the royal family.
The 42-year-old author said his new book aimed to explore the monarchy’s “fight for survival”.
He denied interviewing the Duchess of Sussex for the book, after Meghan’s legal team admitted in her legal battle with Associated Newspapers – publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday – that she had permitted a close friend to communicate with him and his co-author for Finding Freedom.
Endgame claims Meghan sent a letter to the King to address her concerns following her 2020 interview with Oprah Winfrey
Mr Scobie said in an article with The Times newspaper about Endgame that he was “not friends” with the duchess, despite them having mutual acquaintances.
“I have mutual friends with (Meghan), and that definitely helps with getting information and breaking details,” he said.
Sky News has approached Archewell, the organisation founded by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for a response.
Buckingham Palace has also been contacted, but they have declined to comment.
The Oscars will be streamed live on YouTube from 2029 after being broadcast on the ABC network for decades.
It means the annual film awards will be available to the video-sharing platform’s two billion users for free around the world in four years.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the deal with Google-owned YouTube on Wednesday, saying the streaming giant will have the exclusive global rights to the Hollywood awards from 2029 to 2033.
YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominations announcement.
The Academy Awards ceremony has been broadcast by ABC for most of its history, but 2028 will be its last year showing the Oscars as they celebrate their 100th anniversary.
“The Oscars, including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content, Governors Ball access, and more, will be available live and for free to over two billion viewers around the world on YouTube, and to YouTube TV subscribers in the United States,” an announcement on the Academy Awards’ website read.
“We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round academy programming,” said academy chief executive Bill Kramer and academy president Lynette Howell Taylor.
They said the new partnership with the platform “will allow us to expand access to the work of the academy to the largest worldwide audience possible”.
File pic: Reuters
‘Inspiring new generation of creativity and film lovers’
“The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honouring excellence in storytelling and artistry,” said YouTube chief executive Neal Mohan.
“Partnering with the academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars’ storied legacy.”
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The awards will be available with audio tracks in many languages, in addition to closed captioning.
Last year’s Academy Awards were watched by 19.7 million viewers on the Disney-owned ABC, a five-year high but far below the show’s biggest audience of 57 million in 1998.
The network has been the broadcast home to the Oscars for almost its entire history. NBC first televised the Oscars in 1953, but ABC picked up the rights in 1961.
Aside from a period between 1971 and 1975, when NBC again aired the show, the Oscars have been on ABC.
Rob Reiner’s son Nick made his first court appearance on Wednesday on two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents.
Wearing a suicide prevention smock and shackles, the 32-year-old did not enter a plea as he appeared from behind the glass wall of a custody area.
His next court appearance will be on 7 January.
As it happened: Nick Reiner makes first court appearance
Nick Reiner makes his first court appearance on murder charges in this courtroom sketch. Pic: Reuters/Mona Edwards
Nick Reiner spoke only to say, “yes, your honour” to agree to the date.
He was charged Tuesday with killing the 78-year-old actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced at a news conference.
Nick Reiner is being held without bail and could face the death penalty.
Along with the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors added a special circumstance of multiple murders, as well as an allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife.
Speaking outside the court, Nick Reiner’s lawyer, Alan Jackson, called on the public not to “rush to judgement”.
Mr Jackson pointed to “complex and serious issues that are associated with this case” that needed to be thoroughly and “very carefully dealt with and examined”.
He added that it was a “devastating tragedy that has befallen the Reiner family”.
Rob Reiner, Michele Singer Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillan and Jake Reiner. Pic: JanuaryImages/Shutterstock
‘Unimaginable pain’
Nick Reiner’s two siblings Jake and Romy have released a statement, saying “words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day”.
“The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience,” they said.
“They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends. We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life.”
The two asked for “respect and privacy” and for speculation to be treated with “compassion and humanity”.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killings.
Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead from apparent stab wounds in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles.
The area near Rob Reiner’s home. Pic: AP
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Nick Reiner did not resist when he was arrested hours later near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles (22.5 kilometres) from the crime scene, according to police.
Rob Reiner was a celebrated director, whose work included some of the most memorable films of the 1980s and 1990s, including This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men.
He met Michele Singer, a photographer, movie producer and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, in 1989, while directing When Harry Met Sally.
Warner Bros is reportedly set to reject a hostile $108bn (£81bn) takeover bid from Paramount, with one of the prospective buyer’s financing partners confirming it’s pulled out of the offer.
A spokesman for investment firm Affinity, owned by Donald Trump‘s son-in-law Jared Kushner, told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News “the dynamics of investment have changed significantly”.
It had backed Paramount’s bid, along with funds from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries.
Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal report the Warner Bros Discovery board are set to advise shareholders to reject Paramount‘s bid – paving the way for Netflix, which had struck a $72bn (£54bn) deal.
If the takeover goes through, it would give the streaming giant the rights to hit Warner franchises like Harry Potter, Batman, and Game Of Thrones, as well an extensive back catalogue of classic films.
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Pic: iStock
It is the latest twist in a takeover saga where the winner will acquire a huge advantage in the streaming wars.
In June, Warner announced its plan to split into two companies – one for its TV, film studios and HBO Max streaming services, and one for the Discovery element of the business, which primarily comprises legacy TV channels that show cartoons, news, and sports.
Netflix agreed a $27.75 per-share price with the firm, which equates to the $72bn purchase figure deal to secure its film and TV studios, with the deal giving the assets a total value of $82.7bn.
However, Paramount said its offer would pay $30 (£22.50) cash per share, representing $18bn (£13.5bn) more in cash than its rival offered. The offer was made directly to shareholders, asking them to reject Netflix’s deal, in what is known as a hostile takeover.
The Paramount deal would involve rival US news channels CBS and CNN being brought under the same parent company.
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The US government will have a big say on the final deal, with the winning company likely facing the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division, a federal agency which scrutinises business deals to ensure fair competition.
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