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Ridley Scott’s Napoleon marches into cinematic battle with the bluster and confidence that comes with a reported $200-million budget and Sir Ridley’s decades-deep track record of well-mounted action epics.All that money and prestige is visible onscreen in the film’s far-flung locations, hundreds of extras, delectable period costumes and decor, and, as advertised, several massively-scaled scenes of battle, on land and sea, circa 1789 to 1815.Legions of infantry and cavalry clash on various rolling hills of Europe, shot in icy, desaturated blues and grays by Dariusz Wolski, Scott’s cinematographer on his last nine films (though not his next one, Gladiator 2, being lensed by Gladiator d.p. John Mathieson).Against vast fields of green or snow-covered grasses, and CGI-enhanced masses of combatants, soldiers’ coats flash a red that’s many shades brighter than the blood that flows and bursts violently across the screen.The filmmakers spare no visual detail in depicting the bodily devastation of hand-to-hand armed combat — death by bayonet, point-blank gunfire, horse hooves, or long-range artillery.Death here is bloody, disgusting, and woefully unnecessary, but it’s also the main currency of war, and this movie revels in the loud, explosive spectacle of war far more enthusiastically than it casts its feebly critical eye at the men who clamor for it.Above all else, the film renders tribute to Napoleon Bonaparte, portrayed by Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix as a shrewd but coarse, fearless, petulant, glowering egomaniac who rises to imperial power fighting and winning wars.

his and Meghan Markle’s $14 million Montecito mansion as he honored his “friend” Sergeant First Class Elizabeth Marks.Harry awarded the US combat medic, a four-time Invictus Games gold medalist and five-time Paralympic medalist, in a “special presentation” of the award, calling her a “beacon of inspiration.”Sgt. Marks, 33, suffered bilateral hip injuries while stationed out in Iraq in 2010.

Military.com mid-January headline was blunt: “Army Sees Sharp Decline in White Recruits.” An appropriate, similarly blunt reaction might be, “Who cares?” Not surprisingly, the right wing cares. Histrionically. They’re all in a bunch about it.Of these bunched-up deplorables, Rep.

BTS are to begin their mandatory South Korean military duties soon, their management agency said.Big Hit Music said in a statement Tuesday that the enlistments are “upcoming” but didn’t disclose the starting dates.South Korean media reported that all four members will begin their duties next week — RM and V on Dec. 11 and Jimin and Jung Kook, who are scheduled to enlist together, on Dec.

Serving in Secret.The documentary, a co-production of MSNBC Films and TIME Studios, is one of several films in Trevor Noah’s documentary series “The Turning Point,” a collection that examines hot-button issues in the United States. Serving in Secret focuses on the historical prohibitions put in place to prevent gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals from serving in the U.S.

wore his own military medals in a video — just months after he was banned from donning his uniform at his father King Charles’ coronation.His speech also took place on the same day that Charles, 74, delivered his first King’s Speech to Parliament in the UK.In his message, Harry was dressed to the nines in a crisp suit and his medallions. Three of his British army ribbons were presented to him by his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

A post shared by Grand Ole Opry (@opry)Morgan has also worked with the USO, and has earned the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal and the USO Merit Award.Last year, Morgan told Fox News Digital that despite growing up in a musical family with his father and uncles, he hadn’t considered it more than a hobby.,“It never seemed like it was something that was a career for them, even though it kind of was, at times, and especially for me, even throughout my military career,” he said at the time.“It wasn’t until later in my military career that I thought that I could possibly pursue it as a profession.”During his time in the service, he won awards for songs that he wrote and performed for his fellow soldiers.A post shared by Craig Morgan (@cmorganmusic)The “Almost Home” singer rose steadily through the ranks and was told by one of his senior officers that he was on the fast track to becoming a major.“But he also told me, he said, ‘I think that you have a talent and at minimum you ought to pursue it,’” Morgan recalled.Fox News Digital’s Ashley Hume and Larry Fink contributed to this report.

inspiration for Paramount’s forthcoming action thriller “Special Ops: Lioness,” which debuts Sunday and stars Zoe Saldaña, 45, alongside Oscar winners Nicole Kidman, 56, and Morgan Freeman, 86. The eight-part series — a brainchild of Taylor Sheridan, the visionary behind “Yellowstone” and “Sons of Anarchy” — follows the journey of a young Marine named Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveria, 31, of Netflix’s “Locke & Key”).She’s recruited by the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to befriend the daughter of a terrorist group leader in an effort to ravage the criminal organization. Saldaña, who plays “Joe,” the station chief charged with readying new recruits for undercover operations, explains the significance of the niche program to De Oliveira’s “Manuelos” in the first episode, noting the evolution of their task force’s duties over the past two decades. “When the Lioness team was first formed we needed female soldiers to frisk and interrogate female insurgents,” she says. “What we do now is locate the wives and the girlfriends and daughters of these high value targets and we place an operative close to them,” continues Joe.

terrifying new AI weaponry, a new documentary exploring the future of artificial intelligence in battle reveals.“World leaders in Russia and China, people in the US military have said, whoever gets the advantage in AI is going to have an overwhelming technical advantage in war,” Jesse Sweet, director of “UNKNOWN: Killer Robots, premiering Monday on Netflix, told The Post.“This revolution is happening now, but I think our awareness [is] lagging behind,” Sweet, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and producer, warned. “Hopefully, it doesn’t think a mushroom cloud to make us realize, ‘Oh man, this is a pretty potent tool.'”Weapons-grade robots and drones being utilized in combat isn’t new, the documentary shows.

seized on drag as a contentious issue in the modern-day culture wars, with many GOP lawmakers seeking to ban public drag performances in the name of protecting children from being exposed to potentially inappropriate material.Some overzealous law enforcement authorities in Nashville even went so far as to threaten singer Hayley Kiyoko with legal action earlier this year over having drag queens on stage with her as part of her concert tour — despite the fact the Tennessee law seeking to ban drag shows in public had been blocked by the courts.But conservatives have also seized on drag shows as emblematic of the military’s overall LGBTQ-inclusive service and recruiting policies, with many arguing that allowing drag shows at military facilities is an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds, undermines military readiness by weakening soldiers’ resolve, and hampers the military’s recruiting efforts by making military service unpalatable to social conservatives, especially those from the South or so-called “red states.”“Per DoD Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), certain criteria must be met for persons or organizations acting in non-federal capacity to use DoD facilities and equipment,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in a statement to Politico. “As [Defense] Secretary [Lloyd] Austin has said, the DoD will not host drag events at U.S.

seized on drag as a contentious issue in the modern-day culture wars, with many GOP lawmakers seeking to ban public drag performances in the name of protecting children from being exposed to potentially inappropriate material.Some overzealous law enforcement authorities in Nashville even went so far as to threaten singer Hayley Kiyoko with legal action earlier this year over having drag queens on stage with her as part of her concert tour — despite the fact the Tennessee law seeking to ban drag shows in public had been blocked by the courts.But conservatives have also seized on drag shows as emblematic of the military’s overall LGBTQ-inclusive service and recruiting policies, with many arguing that allowing drag shows at military facilities is an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds, undermines military readiness by weakening soldiers’ resolve, and hampers the military’s recruiting efforts by making military service unpalatable to social conservatives, especially those from the South or so-called “red states.”“Per DoD Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), certain criteria must be met for persons or organizations acting in non-federal capacity to use DoD facilities and equipment,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in a statement to Politico. “As [Defense] Secretary [Lloyd] Austin has said, the DoD will not host drag events at U.S.

The Corps follows the story of a gay teenager who has been bullied and decides to enlist in the U.S. Marines.The setting is 1990, a period when being gay in the military was a criminal offense, as underlined by “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”His straight best friend also signs on to serve in the Marines, and the two navigate through the challenges of basic training camp and their sexual identities in an era when things were not as good as they are now for many in the LGBTQ community.At present, Netlifx describes The Corps, which is a working title, as a dramedy, meaning it expects viewers to become emotionally invested and laugh.

a revival of the original series, which aired from 1989-1993 and followed Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula), a scientist who found himself trapped in time who leapt between various bodies to help people solve a dilemma. Dean Stockwell played his sidekick, Al. This new version is set 30 years after the original series and follows a new team that’s been assembled to restart Beckett’s project.

Stars and Stripes show that Takahashi was aiding in the rescue of an 11-year-old girl, her mother and a soldier caught in a current at Mermaid’s Grotto in Okinawa, Japan.According to the publication, US Army Major and scuba diving instructor Robert Bourgeau was at the popular dive spot with students when he heard the screams of an unidentified Japanese mother caught in the current and jumped into action.At some point during the rescue, Takahashi, 60, was seen by the students jumping into the water to assist in the rescue, but then disappeared beneath the waves.“He’s a hero,” Bourgeau said of Takahashi, adding, “He died trying to save someone else.”Bourgeau managed to physically save the woman and child and was able to verbally guide the soldier to safety.The anime and manga creator’s body was discovered two days after the rescue — seen floating off the coast of Okinawa by a person running a marine leisure business, according to an official at the Naha Coast Guard Nago station.The official also shared in a July interview that Takahashi’s body showed signs of being attacked by a marine creature, possibly sharks, but the cause of death was still under investigation.Later, a rental car was discovered at Mermaid’s Grotto under the trading card game creator’s name, allowing his family to identify his body.Bourgeau was nominated for the Soldier’s Medal for his rescue efforts.

whether they should be given exemptions.Lee Ki Sik, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, told lawmakers on Friday that it’s “desirable” for BTS members to fulfill their military duties to ensure fairness in the country’s military service.Earlier this week, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup made almost identical comments about BTS at a parliamentary committee meeting, and Culture Minister Park Bo Gyoon said his ministry would soon finalize its position on the issue.Whether the band’s seven members must serve in the army is one of the hottest issues in South Korea because its oldest member, Jin, faces possible enlistment early next year after turning 30 in December.Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men are required to perform 18-21 months of military service. But the law provides special exemptions for athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers who have won top prizes in certain competitions that enhance national prestige.Without a revision of the law, the government can take steps to grant special exemptions.

the departure of American troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, chaos, fear and rampant violence has ruled the country, said Roberts, the director of “Escape From Kabul,” a new documentary chronicling the harrowing exodus premiering Wednesday on HBO Max.Armed raids are only the beginning of everyday terrors under Taliban rule now faced by Afghanistan citizens — including American allies unable to flee.“You’ll see it on the street, [the Taliban] have complete control and they’re hardliners. So people follow their rules and if they don’t, then you get beaten, or you get put in prison, or you don’t really know, because the rules aren’t really set yet … there were people getting shot at checkpoints,” he added.

the Daily Beast reports.Kingrey, a 14-year veteran, told the Daily Beast that the Guard withdrew a job offer that she had already applied for and rejected her for another role after the senior leader’s comments.“From 2016 to 2018, I was constantly being pulled into my seniors’ offices being told my hair was out of regs [non-regulation],” Kingrey said.“It crossed a line into harassment, and I carried on my person a copy of our regulations in regards to female hair length because I was not breaking any rules.”Kingrey claims in her lawsuit that she was subjected to “continued harassment, discrimination, and retaliation based upon her sex, including her sexual orientation and perceived gender nonconformity.”She alleges that vice wing commander colonel Michael Cadle told a female lieutenant colonel to suggest that Kingrey change her appearance to be more feminine.It was suggested that she “grow my hair out and start wearing makeup because if I didn’t, it would be detrimental to my career in the West Virginia Air National Guard,” Kingrey claimed.“I had heard of other females with short hair having issues with people saying things, but I don’t know that progressed to the extent mine did. My hair length has nothing do with my work ethic or job performance,” she added.“Initially I was embarrassed.

issued a formal apology for the government-sponsored discrimination against LGBTQ members of the foreign service and civilian employees at the State Department.

the book’s synopsis reads. “This book is the light at the end of the tunnel when being apart is inevitable.

< 1 min read US President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Monday that will lift the Pentagon’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.

the Inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. The singer posted a video on Tuesday taking a selfie with service members at the Capitol to Twitter and Instagram.

“Three Wise Men: A Navy SEAL, a Green Beret, and How Their Marine Brother Became a War’s Sole Survivor” (St.

House Democrats have written a letter to the military demanding the transgender service member ban be lifted in light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling protecting LGBTQ from workplace discrimination.

statement earlier this month in support of LGBTQ servicemembers and the ten-year anniversary of the repeal of DADT —  a policy that prohibited gay and bisexual people from serving openly — stating that USMC is “committed to living the values we defend and treating everyone equally, and with dignity and respect.”“This June, Commanders and leaders are encouraged to take time to recognize the 2020 LGBT Pride Month, and promote participation in observance events throughout their local communities,”

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