Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

‘Watchmen,’ ‘Schitt’s Creek’ rule at virtual Emmys with pandemic and political twists

Media family saga “Succession,” dystopian drama “Watchmen” and feel-good comedy “Schitt’s Creek” dominated the Emmy Awards on Sunday in a show sprinkled with jokes about the coronavirus pandemic, political jibes and appeals for racial justice. “Hello, and welcome to the PandEmmys!,” said host Jimmy Kimmel, opening the show, where most celebrities took part remotely from their sofas and backyards dressed in a variety of gowns, hoodies and sleepwear.

UK’s Meghan did not cooperate with biography, lawyers tell court

Lawyers for Meghan, the wife of Britain’s Prince Harry, said on Monday a claim by a tabloid paper she is suing for invasion of privacy that the royal couple cooperated with a recent book about them was “manifestly false”. Meghan, officially titled the Duchess of Sussex, is suing publisher Associated Newspapers over articles the Mail on Sunday printed last year that included parts of a handwritten letter she sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018.

Ellen DeGeneres issues apology, vows ‘new chapter’ after on-set turmoil

Ellen DeGeneres on Monday opened the new season of her popular television talk show by apologizing to staff after reports of a toxic work environment on her set and saying changes had been made to start “a new chapter.” Three top producers on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” exited the show, producer Warner Bros. said in August after an internal investigation into complaints of bullying, racism and sexual misconduct against them.

HBO’s ‘Succession’ wins best drama series at TV’s Emmy awards

“Succession,” a drama about a dysfunctional family that runs a media empire, won best drama series at the Emmy Awards on Sunday. The series runs on AT&T Inc’s HBO network.

HBO conquers TV’s Emmy Awards, Apple nabs first trophy

AT&T Inc’s HBO network triumphed at Sunday’s Emmy Awards with 30 wins, including best drama “Succession” and limited series “Watchmen,” while Apple Inc took home its first award for the iPhone maker’s dive into streaming television. Netflix Inc, which headed into the ceremony with a record 160 nominations, finished second with 21 honors. The Pop cable network, owned by ViacomCBS Inc, took the top comedy prize for offbeat series “Schitt’s Creek,” which swept comedy categories to collect nine awards overall.

Verdi’s ‘Masked Ball’ in Madrid cancelled after jeers over distancing

Madrid’s famous Royal Theatre had to cancel a Sunday night opera production after a group of spectators loudly protested over being allocated seats too close to each other amid a steep surge in coronavirus infections in the Spanish capital. The incident, in which the orchestra twice tried to start playing before giving up, occurred two days after the theatre welcomed facemask-wearing spectators, including King Felipe VI, for the opening of the season with the aptly named “A Masked Ball” by Giuseppe Verdi.

‘Schitt’s Creek’ wins Emmy award for best comedy series

“Schitt’s Creek,” a Canadian series about a wealthy family forced to live in a rundown motel in a small town, won the Emmy Award for best comedy on Sunday. The series picked up seven statuettes at the ceremony, including all four comedy acting awards for stars Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Daniel Levy and Annie Murphy.

Pandemic shows need for global response to climate change, says Attenborough

COVID-19 is a reminder that “we are all in it together” and the world needs a global response to the climate change crisis, David Attenborough said, as he launched a film about lessons learned during his seven decades as a television naturalist. The film “David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet” sets out his “witness statement” on the destruction of the environment and ideas on how humans can still put it right.

Emmy Awards air as giant video conference with TV’s top stars

The Emmy Awards aired as a live, virtual ceremony on Sunday, bringing Hollywood television stars together, distantly, through a giant would-be Zoom call with host Jimmy Kimmel. The ceremony, which was forced to make major changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, aired on ABC without the typical celebrity audience or red carpet. Just a few live presenters, including Jennifer Aniston and an alpaca, appeared in the same space as Kimmel.

Ellen DeGeneres issues apology, vows ‘new chapter’ after on-set turmoil

Ellen DeGeneres on Monday opened the new season of her popular television talk show by apologizing to staff after reports of a toxic work environment on her set and saying changes had been made to start “a new chapter.” Three top producers on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” exited the show, producer Warner Bros. said in August after an internal investigation into complaints of bullying, racism and sexual misconduct against them.