International
SHOCKING: Donald Trump to dismiss 15,000 transgender officers from US military — Report
United States President-elect, Donald Trump, is reportedly preparing to issue an executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the US military, a move that would effectively discharge the 15,000 transgender service members currently enlisted.
According to reports by The Times Newspaper, Trump plans to implement this measure as soon as he re-enters the White House on January 20, marking a return to controversial policies from his first term.
Trump initially announced a ban on transgender military service in 2017, citing “tremendous medical costs and disruption.” The policy, which was implemented in 2019, was later reversed by President Joe Biden.
However, Trump is now expected to reinstate the ban and extend it by mandating the removal of transgender troops through medical discharges.
Rachel Branaman, executive director of the Modern Military Association of America, warned of the potential consequences during an interview with correspondent.
She stated that, “This would undermine the readiness of the military and create an even greater recruitment and retention crisis, not to mention signalling vulnerability to America’s adversaries.
”Branaman further underscored the operational and financial ramifications of such a move, explaining, “Abruptly discharging 15,000-plus service members, especially given that the military’s recruiting targets fell short by 41,000 recruits last year, adds administrative burdens to war fighting units, harms unit cohesion, and aggravates critical skill gaps.
”The Republican Party, emboldened by Trump’s 2024 campaign, has positioned anti-transgender policies as a central aspect of its platform.
GOP members have introduced numerous state-level anti-trans bills and invested millions in advertising campaigns targeting transgender rights, with Trump pledging to expand these restrictions beyond the military.
Trump’s campaign rhetoric also includes proposals to ban gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth and prevent transgender students from participating in sports or using bathrooms aligned with their gender identities.
Paulo Batista, a transgender analyst in the Navy, highlighted the potential impact of such a ban.
“You take 15,000 of us out — there’s more, but that’s the number that is always mentioned — that’s 15,000 leadership positions. Every one of us plays a vital role,” he said.
The timing of Trump’s proposed actions has sparked alarm within military circles, particularly given the armed forces’ significant recruitment shortfalls.
A source familiar with Trump’s plans told The Times, “These people will be forced out at a time when the military can’t recruit enough people.
”Adding to the controversy, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, a known supporter of the previous transgender ban, has already faced criticism for claiming that transgender individuals are “not deployable” and bring “complications” to military service.
International
US and Iran to sign historic peace deal June 19 in Switzerland
He commended both Washington and Tehran for choosing diplomacy over continued conflict and acknowledged the roles played by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye in facilitating the talks.
•US/IRAN flags
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, revealed that both the United States and Iran have reached a landmark peace agreement to the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
The formal signing ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 19 in Switzerland.
According to Sharif, the agreement is the result of extensive mediation efforts involving several regional and international stakeholders.
He commended both Washington and Tehran for choosing diplomacy over continued conflict and acknowledged the roles played by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye in facilitating the talks.
International
Zimbabwe Wins UN Security Council Seat for 2027-2028
The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.
Zimbabwe has been elected to a non-permanent, two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, the third time the country will be represented on the body mandated to maintain international peace and security.
Voice of Nigeria reports that the other countries that secured seats around the iconic horseshoe table are Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kyrgyzstan.
The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.
Austria and Portugal won the two seats allocated to the Western European and other States (WEOG) Group, while Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe were elected from the Latin American and Caribbean Group and the African Group, respectively.
Kyrgyzstan secured the Asia-Pacific seat after defeating the Philippines in four rounds of voting.
International
Finland’s president says EU should expand to 40 states — including Canada
His comments come as the Trump administration’s actions, alongside Russia’s war with Ukraine, prompt some countries to reconsider the benefits of EU membership.
• Finland’s president Alexander Stubb
Finnish President Alexander Stubb has stressed the need for a much larger European Union, saying the 27-nation bloc should increase its membership to 40 states and named the U.K., Canada, Turkey, Norway and Iceland as potential candidates to join.
Stubb made the call at an energy conference in the Finnish capital on Wednesday.
His comments come as the Trump administration’s actions, alongside Russia’s war with Ukraine, prompt some countries to reconsider the benefits of EU membership.
Stubb told the Eurelectric Power Summit that “the window of opportunity” for EU enlargement “is quite short because when the war in Ukraine ends and perhaps when the U.S. administration changes, I don’t know, then people are going to take their foot off the gas pedal and start heckling about unnecessary stuff again.”
Stubb added that “European strategic autonomy or European geopolitical power” is “often based on size and scale and I think the best European policy ever has been European enlargement.”
“In this moment, we need to think big and geographically, we need to enlarge or at least create memberships which are flexible enough to bring in a sum total of 40 European states — or even non-European,” Stubb said.
Finland’s president said the EU should look to its western flank and bring the U.K., which left the bloc in 2020, back into the fold, or at least “as close as possible
.”Canada should be considered as another option, Stubb said. “Wouldn’t it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?”
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