Prince Harry Interviews: Main Points

File Photo: Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP)
File Photo: Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP)
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Prince Harry Interviews: Main Points

File Photo: Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP)
File Photo: Britain's Prince Harry leaves after attending a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (AP)

Here are the main points from Prince Harry's first two television interviews to publicize his new autobiography "Spare", aired on Sunday.

- On why he wrote the book -Harry told Britain's ITV channel he had endured "38 years... of intentional spin and distortion".

He said he had "no intention" of harming anyone in his family by releasing the book.

But he said he needed to speak out as "certain members have decided to get in bed with the devil to rehabilitate their image", at his and his family's expense.

- On his mother's funeral -Harry recalled walking behind Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral in 1997, when he was aged just 12.

"The bridles chinking, you know, going down The Mall, the hooves going down the concrete and the occasional... gravel underneath the foot and the wails from the crowd," he recalled.

"But otherwise complete silence is something that will stick with me forever."

- On Diana's death -Harry said he read the secret government file into Diana's death, redacted by his private secretary of the most graphic descriptions and photographs of the scene.

He said he had driven as an adult through the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, where she died in a car crash.

"There's a lot of things that are unexplained," he said.

"But I've been asked before whether I want to open up a, you know, another inquiry. I don't really see the point at this stage."

In an interview aired later on America's CBS, Harry said that for "many years" part of him believed his mother had just disappeared and that "she would call us and we would go and join her."

- On his relationship with William -Harry spoke of his long-standing sibling rivalry with Prince William, how they used to fight as boys, how William ignored him at school and even tried to get him to shave off his beard before his wedding to Meghan.

He accused William of later swallowing the British tabloid media portrayal of Meghan, leading on one occasion to William physically attacking him.

Harry said that, had he not been having therapy after the trauma of his childhood, he would have fought back.

Harry told CBS he and William were not currently in touch, nor had he spoken to his father "for quite a while."

- On William, Kate and Meghan -Harry said William and Kate were fans of the US legal drama "Suits" in which Meghan starred.

But he said he thought they were not expecting him to get involved with someone like Meghan and "there was a lot stereotyping" of her as a biracial, divorced American actress.

That caused "a bit of a barrier" to welcoming her to the family, he said.

Harry stressed though that William never tried to dissuade him from marrying Meghan.

- On claims of royal racism -Harry denied he or Meghan had accused the royal family of racism but said there was unconscious bias at the palace which still needed to be addressed.

A recent incident in which a senior courtier, Susan Hussey, repeatedly asked a black British charity worker, Ngozi Fulani, where she was "really from" was an example of that, he said.

Harry said in the CBS interview: "Hell, I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan."

- On the media -Harry spoke at length about the British tabloid press, accusing it of complicity and collusion with the palace, as well as racism, cronyism and duplicity.

He suggested the negative coverage he and Meghan had suffered was a result of his legal claims for alleged phone hacking against three British newspapers.

The wider aim of the claims, he said, had been to rein in tabloid excesses.

- On what he wants to achieve -Harry said he believed "100 percent" he could reconcile with his family and that could have a "ripple effect across the world".

But he conceded that his father King Charles III and his brother were unlikely to read his book or watch the interview.

- On the future -Harry said he was now "in such a good headspace" to deal with any tricky conversations with his family.

"It's been hard, I'm not going to lie," he said of the last few years, but added: "The reality is I've never been happier."



Songwriter Billy Steinberg Dies at 75

Grammy-winning songwriter Billy Steinberg (L) was behind several top hits of the 1980s and 1990s including Madonna's 'Like A Virgin'. Paul A. Hebert / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Grammy-winning songwriter Billy Steinberg (L) was behind several top hits of the 1980s and 1990s including Madonna's 'Like A Virgin'. Paul A. Hebert / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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Songwriter Billy Steinberg Dies at 75

Grammy-winning songwriter Billy Steinberg (L) was behind several top hits of the 1980s and 1990s including Madonna's 'Like A Virgin'. Paul A. Hebert / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Grammy-winning songwriter Billy Steinberg (L) was behind several top hits of the 1980s and 1990s including Madonna's 'Like A Virgin'. Paul A. Hebert / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Award-winning US songwriter Billy Steinberg, who wrote several top hit songs including Madonna's "Like a Virgin," died Monday at age 75, according to media reports.

Steinberg wrote some of the biggest pop hits of the 1980s and 1990s and was behind songs performed by singers from Whitney Houston and Celine Dion to Madonna and Cyndi Lauper.

He died following a battle with cancer, his attorney told the Los Angeles Times and BBC News.

"Billy Steinberg's life was a testament to the enduring power of a well-written song -- and to the idea that honesty, when set to music, can outlive us all," his family said in a statement to the outlets.

Steinberg was born in 1950 and grew up in Palm Springs, California, where his family had a table grape business. He attended Bard College in New York and soon began his career in songwriting.

He helped write five number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Among those was "Like a Virgin," co-written with Tom Kelly, which spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the charts.

Steinberg won a Grammy Award in 1997 for his work on Celine Dion's "Falling Into You."

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.


'Train Dreams,' 'The Secret Agent' Nab Spirit Wins to Boost Oscars Campaigns

'Train Dreams' director Clint Bentley speaks to the audience after his film grabbed best feature at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, as it continues its best picture Oscars campaign. KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
'Train Dreams' director Clint Bentley speaks to the audience after his film grabbed best feature at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, as it continues its best picture Oscars campaign. KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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'Train Dreams,' 'The Secret Agent' Nab Spirit Wins to Boost Oscars Campaigns

'Train Dreams' director Clint Bentley speaks to the audience after his film grabbed best feature at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, as it continues its best picture Oscars campaign. KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
'Train Dreams' director Clint Bentley speaks to the audience after his film grabbed best feature at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, as it continues its best picture Oscars campaign. KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Period drama "Train Dreams" took home the Spirit Awards win for best feature Sunday, as both it and "The Secret Agent" gathered momentum ahead of the Academy Awards.

"The Secret Agent" notched best international film as its team hopes to win in the same category at the Oscars next month.

The annual Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony only celebrates movies made for less than $30 million.

"Train Dreams," director Clint Bentley's adaptation of the Denis Johnson novella, follows a railroad worker and the transformation of the American northwest across the 20th century.

The film won three of its four categories, also grabbing wins for best director and best cinematography. The movie's lead, Joel Edgerton, however, did not take home best actor, which went to Rose Byrne for "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You."

"Train Dreams" producer Teddy Schwarzman told AFP the film "is a singular journey, but it hopefully helps bring people together to understand all that life entails: love, friendship, loss, grief, healing and hope."

"Train Dreams" will compete for best picture at the Oscars, among other honors.

Big win for Brazil

After "The Secret Agent" nabbed best international film, director Kleber Mendonca Filho hailed the win as one that hopefully "gives more visibility to Brazilian cinema."

The film follows a former academic pursued by hitmen amid the political turmoil of Brazil under military rule.

It prevailed Sunday over contenders including rave-themed road trip movie "Sirat," which will compete alongside "The Secret Agent" for best international feature film at the Oscars, capping Hollywood's awards season.

"The Secret Agent" will also be up for best picture, best actor and best casting.

Brazil's "I'm Still Here" won best international feature at the Oscars last year.

Other Spirit winners on Sunday included "Lurker," for best first screenplay and best first feature film.

"Sorry, Honey" nabbed best screenplay and "The Perfect Neighbor" scored best documentary.

The Academy Awards will be presented on March 15.


Hiam Abbass Says ‘Cinema Is a Political Act’ After Berlin Row

13 February 2026, Berlin: Palestinian actress and film director actress Hiam Abbass attends the photocall for the film “In a Whisper” at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, taking place from February 12 to 22, 2026. (dpa)
13 February 2026, Berlin: Palestinian actress and film director actress Hiam Abbass attends the photocall for the film “In a Whisper” at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, taking place from February 12 to 22, 2026. (dpa)
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Hiam Abbass Says ‘Cinema Is a Political Act’ After Berlin Row

13 February 2026, Berlin: Palestinian actress and film director actress Hiam Abbass attends the photocall for the film “In a Whisper” at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, taking place from February 12 to 22, 2026. (dpa)
13 February 2026, Berlin: Palestinian actress and film director actress Hiam Abbass attends the photocall for the film “In a Whisper” at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, taking place from February 12 to 22, 2026. (dpa)

The start of this year's Berlin Film Festival was marked by a row over how far film should venture into politics but for prominent French-Palestinian actor Hiam Abbass, "everything we do is a political act".

Abbass is starring in two films being presented at this year's Berlinale festival and in an AFP interview she emphasized the importance of a politically engaged approach to cinema.

At Thursday's opening press conference jury president Wim Wenders sparked controversy by saying "we cannot really enter the field of politics", in response to a question about Germany's support for Gaza.

"I don't agree," Abbass told AFP.

"There's a lack of courage among people in the film world -- among some, not all," said Abbass, who gained global attention for her role as Marcia Roy in the hit HBO series Succession.

She recognized that Wenders's remarks were "taken out of context", as he did talk about cinema's capacity to "change the world", albeit in a different way from party politics.

Nevertheless, Abbass said she was glad to see filmmakers at this year's festival "commit to amplifying stories and voices of minorities, oppressed people, people experiencing bombardment, genocides".

"Today more than ever, if we don't tackle these subjects, we're making art for art's sake, and that's something that doesn't interest me."

- 'Act of resistance' -

Abbass, who was born in Nazareth in northern Israel but has been living in France for 37 years, stars in two films at the festival with striking political messages.

In "Only Rebels Win" by Lebanese filmmaker Danielle Arbid, Abbass plays a Christian Palestinian living in Beirut who faces a backlash from those around her because of her relationship with a South Sudanese Muslim migrant 40 years her junior.

Israeli bombardments between September and November 2024 forced the production to relocate from Beirut to a studio near Paris, where the team deployed creative solutions to recreate the Lebanese capital.

Abbass said the circumstances turned the film into "an act of resistance".

When the bombardment of Beirut began, "I told Danielle: 'Whatever you do, wherever you go, I'll follow you, because this film has to get made'."

- Academy's 'open-mindedness' -

Before starting on "Only Rebels Win", Abbass had just finished working on "Palestine 36" by Annemarie Jacir, a depiction of the Palestinian uprising against the British Mandate in 1936.

That film almost did not happen because of the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliation has left at least 71,000 people dead in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, whose figures the United Nations considers reliable.

Abbass said that the "the film waited eight months so that it could be shot," with production forced to move to Jordan instead of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Abbass said that the team decided that "at a certain point, we couldn't keep being subject to" the decisions of the Israeli government.

She also welcomed the Academy's decision to include three films highlighting the Palestinian experience in its shortlist for best international feature film: "Palestine 36", Kaouther Ben Hania's "The Voice of Hind Rajab" and Cherien Dabis's "All That's Left of You".

Only Kaouther Ben Hania's film ultimately made the final list of five nominees.

But Abbass praised the "open-mindedness" of the Academy to bring these films "almost to the final stages of the Oscars" after what she termed Israel's "genocide" in Gaza.