EU regulators quiz Microsoft competitors over Activision Blizzard acquisition

new docuseries featuring Tracee Ellis Ross, Oprah Winfrey, Issa Rae, Chlöe Bailey and more familiar faces will soon grace our screens. From OWN and Onyx Collective,  premieres on both Hulu and OWN on Saturday, October 22.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey hit headlines around the world when it aired in March 2021, and now the Duchess of Sussex is speaking out about the reaction to it.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex has done just a handful of interviews since she and her husband, Prince Harry, exited their roles as senior members of the royal family and relocated to California.

Meghan Markle has had a busy few days with the release of the latest episode of her Archetypes podcast featuring Paris Hilton and now the release of her new interview with Variety magazine. During her interview with the US-based publication in the days following the royal mourning period ending, the Duchess of Sussex, 41, touched upon topics that many have wondered the answer to.

Oprah Winfrey is the latest big name to join Stacey Abrams on the campaign trail. Winfrey will host a virtual event with the Democratic Georgia gubernatorial nominee titled "A Thriving Life!" on Thursday night.  "I’m excited to join an extraordinary storyteller and my friend,@Oprah, for a conversation about this historic election, the #UnfinishedBusiness we have here in Georgia, and how we can write the next greatest chapter in our state's history," Abrams, 48, wrote on Twitter.

the production, called Last Days, was not “authorised” and is “an attempt that seeks to profit” on the harrowing end to Cobain’s life. The highly-rated production of the 2005 Gus Van Sant film of the same name tells of the lead singer’s final hours alone before he took his own life aged 27 in 1994. A representative for Kurt Cobain’s estate told MailOnline: “This show has been created and written without the permission or input of the Cobain estate.

What do Idris Elba, Lupin superstar Omar Sy and emerging French-Vietnamese writer Quoc Dang Tran have in common? Other than their obvious creative skills, they are among a growing number of stars born outside the U.S. who have signed talent deals in the last year. Deadline estimates as many as 20 first-look or multi-title deals have been struck by global streamers or LA-based studios since the beginning of 2021.

Oprah Winfrey revealed that she had to undergo not one, but two knee surgeries in 2021. During a conversation as part of her, the focus was gratitude. After one of the guests mentioned having an appreciation for every limb and every organ, Winfrey decided to share her story.

House of the Dragon watch party, you've come to the right place. While the citizens of tend to imbibe beer, wine, and the occasional milk of the poppy, it's an Italian cocktail that has the fandom thirsty this week, thanks to star Emma D'Arcy's recommendation.In a clip that's currently going viral, D'Arcy and their co-star Olivia Cooke—who play Princess Rhaenyra and , respectively—reveal their favorite drinks, and D'Arcy leans in just a bit while describing a Negroni “sbagliato” style, which, as they explain, means with prosecco.

Microsoft’s Game Pass service has been somewhat shrouded in secrecy regarding its financials – until now, anyway, as a document has revealed just how much money it generates a year.Game Pass’ revenue has been revealed as part of Microsoft’s ongoing acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), who has approved the deal, has released a document outlining its rationale – which also includes a lot of data on gaming companies.According to the document (spotted by Tweaktown), Xbox Game Pass generated £2.6bn ($2.9bn) in the fiscal period ending January 2021 – though even this doesn’t offer the complete picture, as it only covers console revenue and PC Game Pass is not included.Still, that revenue makes up around 18 per cent of Microsoft’s total yearly Xbox revenue at £14.7bn ($16.28bn), or almost 30 per cent of its games and service revenue £11.3bn ($12.581).Microsoft has been inconsistent about revealing just how many subscribers Game Pass has – but went from 15 million to 18 million subscribers between August 2021 and March 2022.Though as Eurogamer notes, it’s not exactly clear how they’ve arrived at this figure, as it could include discounted game sales through Game Pass and DLC sales from games on the service, or indeed it might not.For context, it is revealed elsewhere in the document that Nintendo Switch Online generated £843million ($932million), and EA Play brought in £322million ($356million).The document has been released following substantial scrutiny of the proposed Activision Blizzard merger.

Wynonna Judd is opening up about the state of her sisterhood with Ashley Judd in the wake of their mother's death. As ET previously reported, Naomi Judd -- who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in April at age 76 -- did not explicitly name daughters Wynonna or Ashley in her will. The late country legend appointed her husband of more than 30 years, Larry Strickland, as executor of her estate, while rumors began to surface suggesting a rift between her famous daughters over the will. Now, in a cover story, Naomi insists «there is no argument» regarding the legal document or her relationship with Ashley.

Activision Blizzard illegally retaliated against unionising workers at Raven Software by withholding raises, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has found.Via The Washington Post, the labour board found that Activision Blizzard withheld raises from quality assurance (QA) testers at Raven Software, which it attributed to their union activities.Following these findings, Activision Blizzard and Raven Software QA testers will continue negotiations around a collective bargaining agreement. If the two parties cannot agree on terms, the NLRB could file a complaint.

Activision Blizzard‘s chief compliance officer.In a company email sent out on Thursday (September 29), CEO Bobby Kotick announced staff that Townsend would be stepping down from her position after less than two years at the Call Of Duty publisher (via The Wall Street Journal).“She [Frances Townsend] tirelessly and successfully navigated a challenging time for the Company with leadership, conviction, and grace,” wrote Kotick in the email. Despite leaving her position, Townsend will continue as an official advisor to Kotick and to Activision Blizzard’s board of directors.Activision Blizzard spokesperson Rich George went on to provide Kotaku with a copy of the company email, which further detailed Townsend’s departure and explained that the company is moving closer to completing the merger with Microsoft.Her role will be taken over by the current senior vice president of ethics and compliance, Jen Brewer, who will be promoted to chief ethics and compliance officer after being at the company for 10 years.Prior to joining Activision Blizzard as chief compliance officer, Townsend served as the assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism to President George W.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer If it’s possible to pull off solemn conversations about the stakes for women around the world and also have a fantastic party that toasts their remarkable achievements, Variety did just that on Wednesday in Beverly Hills. In a sprawling takeover of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, heavy-hitting executives, producers, writers, talent and glitterati convened to celebrate the annual event and magazine feature. Cover stars Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay, activist icon Malala Yousafzai, and actor Elizabeth Olsen were all in attendance to speak on behalf of causes important to each – as well as a path forward to equity in a time of unrest for women and other marginalized communities in the U.S.. 

Shania Twain revealed that a dinner with Oprah Winfrey took an awkward turn over the topic of religion. During an appearance on the Table Manners podcast hosted by Jennie and Lennie Ware, the 57-year-old Canada-born country singer recalled that one of her "most memorable dinners" was with the 68-year-old talk show icon. "She is just such a smart lady and it's just great to sit and have real talks," Twain said, after noting that the two dined at a restaurant.  Shania Twain revealed that a dinner with Oprah Winfrey took an awkward turn over the topic of religion.

Oprah Winfrey has dropped a hint she's planning to return to acting. The TV titan has performed in a number of movies while also juggling her career as a talk show host, notably winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in 1985 drama 'The Color Purple' and starring in films such as 'The Butler' and 'Selma' with her last major acting role coming four years ago in Ava DuVernay's 2018 offering 'A Wrinkle in Time'. Now Oprah has appeared in Variety's The Power of Women Issue alongside moviemaker Ava and suggested a big screen return is on the cards.

Shania Twain has recalled how a dinner with Oprah Winfrey turned "sour" amid a conversation about religion. In the latest episode of the Table Manners with Jessie & Lennie Ware podcast, the Canadian singer-songwriter was asked to discuss one of the most memorable meals she has ever had. "I think one of my most memorable dinners was with Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay are two of the creative leaders honored for Variety’s 2022 Power of Women presented by Lifetime. For more, click here. Oprah Winfrey has spent most of her career talking, so it’s a little surprising that the only sound you hear from the porch of her second home in Maui is absolute silence. Forget about the ocean waves or rustling palm trees. OK, if you’re lucky enough to hang with Oprah for an entire afternoon, this zen will be interrupted by the periodic squawking of wild roosters. In such a tranquil retreat, you can think clearly, cradled in the beauty of all that Hawaii has to offer. It’s this very place of refuge, in fact, where Winfrey set a trap for filmmaker Ava DuVernay that would launch one of their greatest collaborations: OWN’s “Queen Sugar.”