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A divided US Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender military personnel to take effect while litigation plays out, putting thousands of troops at risk of dismissal.The ruling — which the court’s three liberal justices opposed — is a significant victory for Trump, who has made rolling back transgender rights a major part of his second term in office, and has railed against judges who blocked parts of his agenda.Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation — which filed the lawsuit that had resulted in a lower court temporarily blocking the implementation of the ban — slammed the Supreme Court’s decision.The ruling “is a devastating blow to transgender servicemembers who have demonstrated their capabilities and commitment to our nation’s defense,” the organizations said in a statement .”Transgender individuals meet the same standards and demonstrate the same values as all who serve. We remain steadfast in our belief that this ban violates constitutional guarantees of equal protection and will ultimately be struck down,” they said.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt hailed the ruling as “another MASSIVE victory in the Supreme Court,” saying in a post on X that Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth “are restoring a military that is focused on readiness and lethality — not DEI or woke gender ideology.”Hegseth meanwhile responded to the news with a post on his personal X account that said: “No More Trans @ DoD.”In a January 27 executive order, Trump stated that “expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.”- Shifting policies -The Pentagon followed that up with a memo issued in late February stating that it would remove transgender troops from the military unless they obtain a waiver on a case-by-case basis, as well as prevent transgender people from joining.The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the ban to take effect means thousands of currently serving troops could be removed from the ranks.The restrictions in the Pentagon memo are aimed at those who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria — of whom there were 4,240 serving in the military as of late last year, according to a senior defense official — as well as those who have a history of the condition or exhibit symptoms of it.Transgender Americans have faced a roller coaster of changing policies on military service in recent years, with Democratic administrations seeking to permit them to serve openly, while Trump has sought to keep them out of the ranks.The US military lifted a ban on transgender troops in 2016, during Democrat Barack Obama’s second term as president.Under that policy, trans troops already serving were permitted to do so openly, and transgender recruits were set to start being accepted by July 1, 2017.But the first Trump administration postponed that date to 2018 before deciding to reverse the policy entirely.Trump’s restrictions on transgender military service — which underwent changes in response to various legal challenges — eventually came into force in April 2019 following a protracted legal battle that went all the way to the nation’s top court.His Democratic successor Joe Biden moved to reverse the restrictions just days after he took office in 2021, but Trump was reelected last year after making clear he would again seek to target transgender rights.Transgender issues have roiled US politics in recent years, as states controlled by Democrats and Republicans have moved in opposite directions on policies ranging from medical treatment to what books on the topic are allowed in public or school libraries.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told US President Donald Trump on Tuesday that his country would be “never for sale” as they met at the White House amid tensions on tariffs and sovereignty.In their first Oval Office meeting, Trump insisted to the recently elected Carney that it would be a “wonderful marriage” if Canada agreed to his repeated calls to become the 51st US state.But afterward both leaders hailed the talks as having made progress — even if Carney said he had asked Trump in private to stop calling for Canada to join the United States.”As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney told property tycoon Trump, comparing Canada to the Oval Office itself and to Britain’s Buckingham Palace.”Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever.”Trump then replied: “Never say never.”Liberal leader Carney, 60, won Canada’s April 28 election on a pledge to stand up to Republican Trump, 78, warning that ties between the North American neighbors could never be the same.Trump has sparked a major trade war with Canada with his tariffs while repeatedly making extraordinary calls for the key NATO ally and major trading partner to become part of the United States.- ‘Very constructive’ -Carney at points gripped his hands tightly together and his knee jiggled up and down while Trump spoke.Trump, when asked if there was anything Carney could say in the meeting that would persuade him to drop tariffs, replied bluntly: “No. It’s just the way it is.”The US president even referenced his blazing Oval Office row with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in February — if only to insist that there would be no repeat.”We had another little blow-up with somebody else, that was much different — this is a very friendly conversation,” Trump said. Yet after the two-hour meeting both leaders struck a positive tone.Carney told a press conference that the trade talks were “complex” but that his two-hour discussions with Trump were “very constructive.””He’s willing to have that negotiation,” Carney said when asked if Trump would be ready to drop tariffs as part of a deal.But he added that he had called on Trump to stop urging Canada to become its 51st state.”I told him that it wasn’t useful to repeat this idea, but the president will say what he wants,” said Carney, speaking in French.For his part, Trump said there was “no tension” during the “very great” meeting with Carney.”We want to do what’s right for our respective peoples,” he said at an event on the 2026 World Cup, which the United States will co-host with Canada and Mexico.- ‘Cherished’ -The meeting was highly anticipated after a Canadian election during which Carney vowed that the United States — Canada’s biggest trading partner — would never “own us.”Carney has since vowed to remake NATO member Canada’s ties with the United States in perhaps its biggest political and economic shift since World War II.Trump has slapped general tariffs of 25 percent on Canada and Mexico and sector-specific levies on autos, some of which have been suspended pending negotiations. He has imposed similar duties on steel and aluminum.He has also more broadly accused Canada of “ripping off” the United States and treating it unfairly on trade, while also calling on both Canada and Mexico to stop the cross-border flow of the deadly drug fentanyl.The US president inserted himself into Canada’s election early on by calling on Canada to avoid tariffs by becoming the “cherished 51st state.”Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party had been on track to win the vote but Trump’s attacks, combined with the departure of unpopular premier Justin Trudeau, transformed the race.Carney, who replaced Trudeau as prime minister in March, convinced voters that his experience managing economic crises made him the ideal candidate to defy Trump.The political newcomer previously served as governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Tuesday received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to increase the number of annual Starship rocket launches from five to 25 at its Texas base, marking a major boost for the company’s ambitions.Following a multi-year environmental review, the FAA concluded that the expanded cadence of launches and landings would not significantly affect the environment, overruling objections from conservation groups who warned the move could endanger species such as sea turtles and shorebirds.Musk’s massive campaign donations and close ties to US President Donald Trump have raised concerns over possible conflicts of interest, particularly given the influence of the Department of Government Efficiency — an entity Musk led — which exerts significant sway over federal agencies.”The purpose of SpaceX’s proposed action is to provide greater mission capability to NASA and the Department of Defense,” the FAA said in its finding.”SpaceX’s activities would continue to fulfill the US expectation that increased capabilities and reduced space transportation costs will enhance exploration (including within the Artemis and Human Landing System programs), support US national security, and make space access more affordable.”The agency reviewed SpaceX’s application across multiple criteria, including air quality, noise pollution, and impacts on historic buildings, as well as biological effects at the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas.A couple weeks after winning the election, Trump visited the facility built by Musk, the world’s richest person, who donated more than $270 million to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.That facility officially became Starbase City on Saturday, following an election involving 283 eligible voters — most of whom were SpaceX employees or connected to the company.The FAA noted that SpaceX was back in compliance after previous unpermitted water discharges associated with launch operations, which made it subject to state and federal enforcement.It further stated that while launches and sonic booms could “startle” sensitive species, including shorebirds, the overall impact would be minimal.Ahead of the decision, the public and environmental groups submitted numerous objections.”In April 2023, a Super Heavy exploded during a failed launch attempt, raining boulder-sized chunks of concrete and flaming debris onto the wildlife refuge,” Defenders of Wildlife and Audubon Texas wrote in a joint letter.”Even a relatively uneventful launch in June 2024 propelled a high-velocity gravel plume that destroyed bird nests.”The groups also flagged potential impacts to critically endangered Rice’s whales — of which only a few dozen are thought to remain — stemming from ocean landings.Starship is key to Musk’s long-term goal of colonizing Mars, and NASA is relying on a modified version of the vehicle to land astronauts on the Moon under its Artemis 3 mission.To date, Starship has completed eight integrated test flights atop the Super Heavy booster, with four successes and four failures ending in explosions.

For residents of Colombia’s largest migrant camp, an already tough life is getting tougher thanks to Donald Trump’s aid cuts.Eight months pregnant and 20 years old, Astrid lives on an abandoned dust-blown airstrip in Colombia’s Guajira desert.Home is a lean-to shack, cobbled together from tin sheets and lumber.It is not much, but it protects her and her five-year-old son — who is paralyzed with encephalopathy — from the blistering equatorial sun.”What do I lack? Everything,” the Venezuelan single mother tells AFP. “Nothing here is mine.”Like many of La Pista’s 10,000-14,000 residents, Astrid fled nearby Venezuela, where poverty, hardship and organized crime are endemic.Without running water, a bathroom, or even money to attend prenatal checkups, Astrid dreams of working and giving her children “a home.”But in La Pista malnutrition is common and many depend on aid handouts to survive. Since Trump returned as US president in January, cuts to aid arm USAID have been keenly felt in this ad-hoc settlement, where children skip barefoot past dogs and cows rummaging in the garbage for food.Trump and his cost-cutting sidekick Elon Musk have argued that the US federal budget is bloated, that spending is unsustainable and that Americans, not foreigners, should benefit from any tax-payer largesse.USAID was effectively shuttered and its annual budget of close to $43 billion — providing more than 40 percent of the world’s humanitarian aid — was decimated.Local mayor Miguel Aragon said the US cuts felt like “a cold bucket of water.” Of the 28 non-governmental groups that existed in the area last year, only three remain today, he said.”Today we feel alone,” says the 37-year-old politician, who fears disaster is on the way.- ‘Rice with cheese’ – Inside a local medical center, several women with babies wait to be attended. Luz Marina, a 40-year-old Colombian, is there with her five-year-old son who is underweight. She has experienced US politics first-hand. Earlier this year, she was chosen to receive aid, only to be told it was cancelled due to decisions in Washington.”I didn’t get to receive anything,” she says through tears. “It’s so sad, it was something I truly needed.” With the help of nutritional supplements, Luz Marina’s son had managed to gain some weight.But that progress is now at risk due to a lack of food.”It’s not the same to eat rice with chicken as it is to eat rice with cheese,” she told AFP. Humanitarian groups have tried to alleviate some of the hardships, and the Colombian state provides potable water once a week to households. But even rich Western aid groups are also feeling the pain of US spending cuts.At a local school, until recently kids played instruments, sang and took workshops.But the Save the Children-run project closed after the cuts reduced its Colombia budget by 40 percent.Country director Maria Mercedes Lievano fears that the closure of such projects will create a “greater risk of people entering criminal groups.””Having to turn our backs on the people we were supporting is very difficult,” Lievano says, her voice choking. “It hurts a lot.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held highly anticipated talks with Donald Trump at the White House Tuesday amid tensions over the US president’s tariffs and threats of annexation.Trump slammed Canada on Truth Social for effectively freeloading off the United States just minutes before greeting the recently reelected Carney outside the West Wing.Liberal leader Carney, 60, won the Canadian election on a pledge to stand up to Trump, saying the United States would never “own us” and warning that ties between the North American neighbors could never be the same.Republican Trump, 78, has sparked a major trade war with Canada with his tariffs while repeatedly making extraordinary calls for the key NATO ally and major trading partner to become the 51st US state.Trump said ahead of Carney’s arrival that “I very much want to work with him” but pointed to a possibly tense meeting.”Why is America subsidizing Canada by $200 Billion Dollars a year, in addition to giving them FREE Military Protection, and many other things?” Trump posted on Truth Social.”We don’t need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship, which hopefully we will always maintain. The Prime Minister will be arriving shortly and that will be, most likely, my only question of consequence.”After his tough talk on the campaign trail, Carney will meanwhile be seeking to cool the temperature and move towards a trade deal.”Canada and the United States are strongest when we work together — and that work starts now,” Carney said on X as he arrived in Washington on Monday night.Trump slapped general tariffs of 25 percent on Canada and Mexico and sector-specific levies on autos, some of which have been suspended pending negotiations. He has also imposed similar duties on steel and aluminum.Carney has vowed to remake NATO member Canada’s ties with the United States in perhaps its biggest political and economic shift since World War II.- ‘Old relationship’ -“Our old relationship based on steadily increasing integration is over. The questions now are how our nations will cooperate in the future,” Carney said in his first post-election press conference on Friday.The Canadian leader said he would also “fight to get the best deal” on the tariffs.But Trump’s ultra-loyal Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said it would be “really complex” to reach a deal.”They have their socialist regime and it’s basically feeding off of America,” he told Fox Business on Monday. “I just don’t see how it works out perfectly.”The US president inserted himself into Canada’s election early on with a social media post saying Canada would face “ZERO TARIFFS” if it “becomes the cherished 51st state.”Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party had been on track to win the vote but Trump’s attacks, combined with the departure of unpopular former premier Justin Trudeau, transformed the race.Carney, who replaced Trudeau as prime minister in March, convinced voters that his experience managing economic crises made him the ideal candidate to defy Trump.The political newcomer previously served as governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and in the latter post he played a key role reassuring markets after the 2016 Brexit vote.Carney is known for weighing his words carefully but he will face a challenge dealing with the confrontational Trump on the US president’s home turf.”This is a very important moment for him, since he insisted during the campaign that he could take on Mr Trump,” Genevieve Tellier, a political scientist at the University of Ottawa, told AFP.The Canadian premier would also have to avoid the fate of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who walked into a brutal tongue-lashing from Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February, said Tellier.But one point in Carney’s favor is that he is not Trudeau, the slick former prime minister whom Trump famously loathed and belittled as “governor” of Canada, she added.

There are currently no signs that the United States has entered a recession despite the world’s largest economy recording a contraction in the first quarter, the US Treasury Secretary said Tuesday. “I believe in data, and there is nothing in the data that shows that we are in a recession,” Scott Bessent told lawmakers during an appearance in Congress. Bessent’s remarks contrast with those of Trump, who was asked in a recent interview if the United States could enter a recession. “Anything can happen,” he told NBC in the interview, which was broadcast on Sunday. “But I think we’re going to have the greatest economy in the history of our country. I think we’re going have the greatest economic boom in history.”The technical definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of economic contraction, although the National Bureau of Economic Research uses a slightly broader metric when making official judgements about the US economy. “As a matter of fact, the jobs report had a surprise to the upside,” Bessent said, referring to the better-than-expected April jobs report published last week.Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has rolled out steep tariffs against top trading partners, leading to a surge in volatility in the financial markets and causing analysts to predict higher inflation and slower growth this year.Growth in the first quarter of 2025 unexpectedly contracted, according to initial government estimates, as consumers and businesses rushed to import more goods ahead of the rollout of Trump’s sweeping “liberation day” tariffs in early April.Bessent told lawmakers the administration was making good progress with top trading partners ahead of a self-imposed July deadline to reach a deal or face the prospect of higher tariffs — with the exception of China, with which the United States has not yet begun talks. “Perhaps as early as this week we will be announcing trade deals with some of our largest trading partners,” he said, echoing recent remarks from the US president.”And what I will tell you is that in negotiating with some of them, they may not like the tariff wall that President Trump has put up, but they have them,” he added. “So if tariffs are so bad, why do they like them?”Once the negotiations conclude, Bessent said he expects the United States would “see a substantial reduction in the tariffs that we are being charged, as well as non-tariff barriers, currency manipulation, and the subsidies of both labor and capital investment.”

The US trade deficit reached a new record in March, according to fresh government data published Tuesday, as imports surged ahead of President Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariff rollout.The overall trade gap of the world’s largest economy jumped 14.0 percent to $140.5 billion for the month, the Commerce Department said in a statement. This was the widest deficit for a month on record, dating back to 1992, and marked a $17.3 billion increase from a revised gap of $123.2 billion in February.”Businesses pulled forward needed industrial supplies and retailers stocked their shelves with consumer goods in March ahead of tariffs,” economists at Wells Fargo wrote in a note to clients. The data covers the month before Trump introduced steep levies on China, and lower “baseline” levies of 10 percent on goods from most other countries.The White House also introduced higher tariffs on dozens of other trading partners, and then paused them until July to give the United States time to renegotiate existing trade arrangements.The March trade deficit came in above the median estimate of $137.6 billion from surveys of economists conducted by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.The trade gap was the result of a 4.4 percent rise in imports to $419.0 billion, as people rushed to buy goods ahead of the introduction of the widely trailed tariffs. By far the largest increase was seen in the import of consumer goods, which increased by $22.5 billion in March.Exports rose by a modest 0.2 percent to $278.5 billion. “April may bring a last ditch effort of firms front running tariffs, but after that net exports are set to reverse dramatically,” the economists at Wells Fargo said. 

The US Federal Reserve began a two-day discussion over interest rates Tuesday, with policymakers widely expected to pause again and wait for clarity on the economic impact of Donald Trump’s tariff rollout.The US president’s on-again, off-again rollout has unnerved investors, and caused analysts to pare back their forecasts for growth this year and to hike their inflation outlook. This is a challenging situation for the Fed’s rate-setting committee, which began its two-day meeting in Washington at 8:30 am local time (1230 GMT).The US central bank has a dual mandate to tackle both inflation and unemployment, primarily by hiking and lowering its benchmark lending rate, which acts like a throttle or brake for demand.Both the inflation and unemployment rates are close to where the Fed wants them, making another rate cut pause this week overwhelmingly likely. That would leave the bank’s key lending rate at between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent, where it has sat since last December. Financial markets see a roughly 97 percent chance that the Fed will vote to pause this week, according to data from CME Group. 

Four Palestinian photographers from Agence France-Presse (AFP) were finalists for their Gaza coverage in the “Breaking News Photography” category of the Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious awards in US journalism.The jury for the award, presented on Monday by Columbia University in New York, praised the “powerful images” from Gaza by Mahmud Hams, Omar Al-Qattaa, Said Khatib and Bashar Taleb.The AFP photographers’ work encapsulated “the enduring humanity of the people of Gaza amid widespread destruction and loss,” they said.The Pulitzer nomination crowns an exceptional year for Hams, who also won the News award at the Visa pour l’Image festival in Perpignan and the Bayeux Calvados Prize for war correspondents — two of the most prestigious international awards in photojournalism.AFP has provided uninterrupted coverage of the war in Gaza since 2023, when Hamas launched its attack against Israel on October 7, with teams on both sides of the border to guarantee rigorous and impartial information.AFP’s local journalists are working in perilous conditions in Gaza to document the consequences of the war on civilians.Since the start of the war, virtually no journalist has been able to cross into Gaza, which borders Israel and Egypt.”This recognition is a tribute not only to the talent and bravery of these photographers, but also to AFP’s steadfast commitment to documenting events with accuracy and integrity, wherever they unfold,” Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, said in a statement.”We are deeply grateful to Mahmud, Omar, Said, and Bashar, whose work gives voice to those caught in the heart of the conflict,” he added.

Hollywood reacted with skepticism on Monday to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of 100 percent tariffs on foreign films, with movie insiders calling it a policy made up on the fly by a president who fails to understand how the industry works.”It makes no sense,” entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel said of Trump’s idea.Handel told AFP that many US productions, from James Bond flicks to the “Mission Impossible” franchise, are filmed abroad for obvious creative reasons.”If the stunt is Tom Cruise climbing up the Eiffel Tower, what are we supposed to do, shoot at the replica Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas?” Handel said. “I mean, it’s just nonsensical.”Writing on his platform Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump said: “I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.””WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!” he wrote.His words plunged the movie industry into uncertainty as entertainment companies saw their stock prices fall, unions struggled to understand if the bombshell also applies to TV series and everyone wondered if the policy could even be enforced.Handel said movies involve intellectual property.”You can buy a movie ticket, but you don’t buy a movie the way you buy a piece of clothing or an automobile,” which can be taxed as they cross a border into the United States, he said.Even if a system could be devised to impose tariffs on movies filmed outside the United States, such levies would do more harm than good to the US industry, Handel said.”The result of that would be to reduce production, to increase the cost of movies, to reduce the number of movies available for movie theaters and streamers to show, which would damage the distribution side of the business,” he said.California Governor Gavin Newsom called on Monday for a partnership with the Trump administration to “Make America Film Again”.”We’ve proven what strong state incentives can do. Now it’s time for a real federal partnership to Make America Film Again,” he wrote on social media platform X.- ‘Confusion’ -Unions for actors and other media and entertainment workers said they awaited more details of Trump’s plan but supported the goal of increasing production of movies, TV and streaming in the United States. “We will continue to advocate for policies that strengthen our competitive position, accelerate economic growth and create good middle-class jobs for American workers,” said one such guild, SAG-AFTRA.Many movie studios and other industry organizations had yet to officially react by Monday but Trump’s announcement triggered crisis meetings, Hollywood news outlets reported, publishing skeptical comments from insiders speaking on condition of anonymity.”I can’t see his target here other than confusion and distraction,” the showbiz news outlet Deadline quoted a top distribution executive as saying.”Let’s hope this only encourages desperately needed increases in US state tax incentives being implemented ASAP,” the person said.Such incentives offered by other countries — such as Britain, Canada and Ireland, among others — are a lure for US movie studios to film outside the country.Australia, which for years used generous tax breaks and other cash incentives to lure foreign filmmakers, said it still wants to make “great films” with the United States.With Trump’s tariffs threatening the home of Hollywood hits including “The Matrix”, “Elvis” and “Crocodile Dundee”, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday that “collaboration is a good thing.”While Trump’s idea is divisive, there is widespread agreement that the US movie industry is in dire straits.Hollywood has struggled to get back on its feet since the historic strikes by actors and writers that shut it down in 2023.The number of filming days in Los Angeles hit a record low in 2024, excluding the total shutdown in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.This is in part because many movies are now filmed in a growing number of countries that offer incentives such as tax rebates.Deadline quoted a Hollywood movie financier as saying he agreed with Trump’s goal of having more movies filmed in the United States.”But obviously the need is for rebates, not tariffs. Tariffs will just choke the remaining life out of the business,” they were quoted as saying.As Hollywood fretted over Trump’s announcement, the White House said no decision on foreign film tariffs has been made. “The Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump’s directive to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again,” the White House said in a statement.Trump told reporters Monday: “I’m not looking to hurt the industry. I want to help the industry. But they’re given financing by other countries.”That seemingly conciliatory remark stopped short of walking back the film tariff announcement, as Trump criticized Newsom, who is pushing for his state to double the tax credits it grants to the movie industry.”Our film industry has been decimated by other countries taking them out, and also by incompetence,” Trump said of Newsom.”He’s just allowed it to be taken away from, you know, Hollywood.”