International
Trump pens executive order to get ‘transgender ideology’ out of military
President Trump signed multiple executive orders Monday night that could reshape the management and composition of the military, with provisions addressing diversity measures, transgender service members, and troops who were discharged for refusing COVID vaccinations.
He also signed an executive order to establish a process to develop what the administration is calling an American Iron Dome — a missile defense shield for the homeland.
(Iron Dome is the name often used for Israel’s system for intercepting rockets, which was developed with U.S. support.)
Mr. Trump signed the four orders aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from a stop in Florida.
One of the orders would reinstate members of the military who were discharged for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
About 8,200 service members were discharged for refusing to comply with the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to data provided by the service branches.
However, the mandate was rescinded in January 2023 by the Biden administration, and since then, about 110 service members have rejoined the military.
The president also signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to determine a policy for transgender service members based on readiness within 30 days.
The action does not immediately ban transgender service members, however, it does state that the Defense Department’s policy for troop readiness is “inconsistent with the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria.
“The order also states that identifying as a gender that is inconsistent with one’s biological sex “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life” and that those doing so “cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”
Speaking about his plans at a retreat with House Republicans Monday at his property in Doral, Florida, Mr. Trump said, “To ensure we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will get transgender ideology the hell out of our military.
It’s going to be gone.”Another order addresses diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the military, banning the use of race- or sex-based preferences in the armed forces, the Defense Department and the Homeland Security Department.
“I ordered the end to all of the lawless diversity, equity and inclusion nonsense policies across the government and all across the private sector and the military,” Mr. Trump said at the House GOP retreat.
“We’re getting it out and we’ve gotten it out pretty much. We did that in one week, and it wasn’t that easy, but everybody wanted it.
“Under this order, the defense secretary and homeland security secretary are to review the curriculum at the service academies and other academic institutions to ensure DEI and “gender ideologies” are eliminated.
The president announced plans last week to end DEI initiatives across the federal government, and the Office of Personnel Management ordered all federal DEI employees to be placed on leave.
International
Death toll in Hong Kong fire rises to 44 with 279 still missing, authorities say
Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.
Photo: AFP
At least 44 people have been killed so far in a major fire engulfing public housing apartments in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, with 279 people not accounted for.
Three construction company executives have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to flammable materials, including mesh and plastic sheets, that may have allowed the fire to spread quickly.
More than 800 firefighters are tackling the blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which has been burning for over 18 hours.
The fire has been classified a level five blaze, the most serious level in Hong Kong.
A baby and an elderly woman were rescued during a late-night rescue, local media reports.
Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.
I can smell it in the air. I can also see a number of small fires still burning in the apartment blocks.
Even more fire engines and an ambulance have arrived this morning to help with rescue efforts
BBC.
International
BREAKING: Indian fighter jet crashes at Dubai airshow
An Indian fighter jet has crashed while performing a display at an airshow in Dubai, officials have said.
Details later.
International
JUST IN: Bangladesh war Crimes Court Sentences Ex-PM Hasina to Death
A Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death.
The verdict, delivered on Monday, November 17, 2025, follows a months-long trial that found Hasina guilty of ordering a lethal crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. She received a death sentence for the killing of several protesters and a life sentence on charges of crimes against humanity.
The ruling marks the most significant legal action against a former Bangladeshi leader in decades and comes ahead of parliamentary elections expected in early February 2026. There was cheering and clapping in the courtroom as the death sentence was pronounced. The verdict can be appealed in the Supreme Court, though Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, said they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government, including the Awami League, is in office.
Prosecutors told the court that evidence showed Hasina directly ordered security forces to use lethal force to suppress protests in July and August 2024. A United Nations report estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed during the demonstrations, with thousands more injured, making it the deadliest unrest in Bangladesh since its 1971 war of independence.
Hasina, represented by a state-appointed defense lawyer, denied the charges, calling the tribunal proceedings unfair and claiming a guilty verdict was “a foregone conclusion.”
Tensions in Bangladesh had escalated ahead of the verdict, with at least 30 crude bomb explosions and 26 vehicles torched in recent days, though no casualties were reported.
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