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News Briefing
US EXECUTION CHALLENGE
US inmate survives two lethal injection attempts early this morning. Legal scrutiny mounts over execution protocols amid rising concerns over humane treatment.
U.S. forces have completed their long-awaited withdrawal from Iraq, ending two decades of military presence that left hundreds of thousands dead and divided Iraqi opinion. Iraqis marked the departure with celebration but also deep anxiety about future security, as experts warn the exit could create a power vacuum. Iran-backed militias and ISIS remain active in the region, with recent incidents highlighting ongoing instability. Meanwhile, the U.S. military has announced internal shake-ups, cutting senior leadership posts by 20%. Across the world, Spain’s government moves to freeze evictions after an elderly woman’s case sparks mass protests, and Myanmar reels from a deadly airstrike. See today’s full World Briefing for the developments shaping global headlines.
What’s happening?
Pete Hegseth has announced a plan to cut 20% of general and admiral positions in the U.S. military. This decision, aimed at overhauling military leadership, comes amid ongoing discussions regarding military effectiveness and diversity initiatives.
Coverage analyzed: The New York Times | theguardian.com | Federal News Network | The Washington Post
The New York Times headlines, “In Speech, Hegseth Targets Diversity, Transgender People, Reporters and Iran,” emphasize a broader context of cultural and social issues raised by Hegseth’s address. In contrast, theguardian.com states, “Hegseth confirms plan to cut 20% of US top military brass and rails at ‘beardos, weirdos and wimps’,” which frames the story primarily through the lens of the military cuts and derogatory comments. The former focuses on diplomacy and societal impact, while the latter foregrounds conflict and the individual’s remarks.
‘He looks tired mentally and physically.’
‘Erik ten Hag has got to understand that he is not managing Ajax anymore.’
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau stars in The Silencing on Netflix, and fans are loving it (Picture: NBCUniversal)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is topping the charts again after rocketing to fame in George R.R. Martin’s Game Of Thrones epic.
Playing Jaime Lannister in all eight seasons of the fantasy epic, also starring Kit Harrington, Maisie Williams, Peter Dinklage and Sophie Turner – and well, too many big faces to list here – Nikolaj was actually already pretty darn famous in his native Denmark before he’d ever heard of Westeros.
Now, he’s making his mark on Netflix after his thriller The Silencing came in in the number two slot of Netflix’s Top 10 most watched movies in the US chart for December 1.
‘A reformed hunter becomes involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse when he sets out to track a killer who may have kidnapped his daughter years ago,’ the description on the streaming site.
Originally released in 2020, it didn’t exactly explode onto the scene – but now, thanks to the beauty of on-demand films and a never-ending catalogue of film choices, as well as of course that old word-of-social-media-mouth, people are certainly noticing it now.
‘Watched The Silencing on Netflix last night. Such a great movie from beginning to end. A hidden gem,’ wrote one fan on X, formerly Twitter.
The crime-thriller sees the Game of Thrones star hunt down a killer (Picture: Saban Films)
The film was released in 2020, but is having a resurgence (Picture: Saban Films)
‘Need to be sleep but The Silencing on Netflix good af,’ said another, while someone else chimed in: ‘Just finished watching “The Silencing” on @Netflix it’s a top 10 for sure.’
‘The Silencing on Netflix highly recommended, added another, while someone else wrote: ‘The Silencing on Netflix 10/10.’
The thriller also stars Annabelle Wallis as Shariff Alice Gustafson, who played the love of Tommy Shelby’s life Grace Burgess in the BBC drama Peaky Blinders, and Longmire’s Zahn McClarnon.
Annabelle and Nikolaj’s characters team up to hunt a deadly killer in this crime-thriller.
Peaky Blinders’ Annabelle Wallis also stars in the film, branded 10/10 by fans (Picture: Saban Films)
Chatting about The Silencing in a 2020 interview on its release to Collider, Nikolaj said: ‘For me, it was, in many ways, a familiar story. It’s a story about a guy who’s haunted by his past and needs to find some kind of closure.
‘There’s a killer, so you have that aspect you. And then, it had some twists that I thought were interesting, especially with the hero character and Annabelle [Wallis’] character, and that relationship, that surprised me in a way that I thought, “Well, this is a twist that I didn’t see coming.”
‘There were quite a few little things where you had the thriller and those elements, but then it also had things that were unusual.’
We’ll be adding this one to the Christmas watch list.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
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Victoria watched on proudly.
Lexi McDavid was on her way to a friend’s house when she was knocked down and killed.
‘Just three people who understand that there’s only two genders.’
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