AFP USA

President Donald Trump’s administration said in a long-awaited new strategy document Friday that the United States will shift from its historic global role toward increasing dominance in Latin America and vigorously fighting migration.The national security paper, meant to flesh out Trump’s norms-shattering “America First” worldview, signals a sharp reorientation from longstanding US calls to refocus on Asia, although it still identifies China as a top competitor.The strategy also brutally criticized allies in Europe and said that the United States will champion opponents to European Union-led values, including on immigration.Breaking with decades of attempts to be the sole superpower, the strategy said that the “United States rejects the ill-fated concept of global domination for itself.”It said that the United States would also prevent other powers from dominating but added: “This does not mean wasting blood and treasure to curtail the influence of all the world’s great and middle powers.”The strategy called for a “readjustment of our global military presence to address urgent threats in our Hemisphere, and away from theaters whose relative import to American national security has declined in recent decades or years.”The strategy speaks in bold terms of pressing US dominance in Latin America, where the Trump administration has been striking alleged drug traffickers at sea, intervening to bring down leftist leaders including in Venezuela, and loudly seeking to take charge of key resources such as the Panama Canal.The strategy cast Trump as modernizing the two-century-old Monroe Doctrine, in which the then young United States declared Latin America off-limits to rival powers, then from Europe.”We will assert and enforce a ‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine,” it said.- Championing Europe ‘resistance’ -Trump has sharply reversed many longstanding US principles since returning to office in January.He rose to political prominence demanding sweeping curbs on immigration to the United States, fanning fears that the white majority was losing its status, and since taking office has ordered drastic and high-profile raids to deport undocumented people.”The era of mass migration must end. Border security is the primary element of national security,” the strategy said.The strategy made clear that the United States under Trump would aggressively pursue similar objectives in Europe, in line with far-right parties that have made strong gains in much of the continent.In extraordinary language in speaking of close allies, the strategy said: “Cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations.”Germany quickly hit back, saying that it does not need “outside advice.”The strategy pointed to Europe’s lower share of the global economy — which is the result largely of the rise of China and other emerging powers — and said: “This economic decline is eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure.”Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less.”As Trump seeks an end to the Ukraine war that would likely favor Russia gaining territory, the strategy accused Europeans of weakness and said the United States should focus on “ending the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance.”- Less on Middle East and Africa -The strategy paid comparatively little attention to the Middle East, which has long consumed Washington.Pointing to US efforts to increase energy supply at home and not in the oil-rich Gulf, the strategy said: “America’s historic reason for focusing on the Middle East will recede.”The paper said it was a US priority for Israel to be secure, but stopped short of the fulsome language on Israel used even in the first Trump administration.On China, the strategy repeated calls for a “free and open” Asia-Pacific region but focused more on the nation as an economic competitor.After much speculation on whether Trump would budge on Taiwan, the self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing, the strategy made clear that the United States supports the decades-old status quo, but called on allies Japan and South Korea to contribute more to ensure Taiwan’s defense from China.The strategy predictably puts little focus on Africa, saying the United States should transition away from “liberal ideology” and an “aid-focused relationship” and emphasize goals such as securing critical minerals.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup takes place in Washington on Friday, with Donald Trump set to play a prominent part in a star-studded ceremony that will map the path to glory for contenders at the first-ever 48-team finals.The most logistically complex World Cup in history will be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in Qatar in 2022.The ceremony at the Kennedy Center starts at 1700 GMT and reaches far beyond football, with several of the biggest stars in the American sporting world participating while Trump takes centre stage.FIFA president Gianni Infantino has developed a close relationship with Trump, visiting the White House several times.Now the US president is expected to be the first ever recipient of the FIFA Peace Prize, which will be awarded during the draw ceremony, “to recognize the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations”, as Infantino put it.The draw will be co-hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and American actor and comedian Kevin Hart, and feature performances by the Village People, Robbie Williams and Andrea Bocelli.NFL legend Tom Brady, ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky and former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal will be among the stars helping to conduct the draw.Trump has made the World Cup a centrepiece event of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.But he has not hesitated to inject domestic politics into the preparations, threatening to move World Cup matches from Democratic-run cities if he deems conditions “unsafe”.”I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal, and I would say, let’s move it to another location. And he would do that,” Trump said recently.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will also be present at the ceremony.Eleven of the 16 World Cup venues are in the United States, with three in Mexico and two in Canada.The tournament will kick off at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and culminate at the MetLife Stadium outside New York City.- Argentina put title on line -The political element to the draw saw Iran vow to boycott the ceremony because the United States refused to grant visas to several members of its delegation, although Iranian head coach Amir Ghalenoei will be there in the end.Lionel Messi’s Argentina are the reigning champions after winning the World Cup for the third time in Qatar in 2022.Messi will turn 39 during the tournament but this week told ESPN: “I hope I can be there. I’ve said before that I’d love to be there.”Argentina are among the top seeds along with European champions Spain, record five-time winners Brazil, France, Germany, England, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium. The three host nations complete the first pot of seeds.The decision to expand the tournament has also cleared the way for several first-time qualifiers, including Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao.- ‘Natural evolution’ -If the expansion is to everyone’s liking, FIFA’s head of global football development Arsene Wenger insisted this week it was a “natural evolution” and that 48 teams is “the right number”.Those teams will be split into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each advancing alongside the eight best third-placed sides to the last 32.For the first time, the four highest-ranked nations will be kept apart, meaning Spain, Argentina, France and England cannot meet before the semi-finals, if all four top their groups.Six finals berths are still to be decided in playoffs, the winners of which will be among the bottom seeds — the favourites will therefore want to avoid the potential banana skin of Italy, World Cup winners as recently as 2006 but who failed to qualify for the last two tournaments.Because of the complexity, teams will only learn the full details of their match venues and kick-off times on Saturday, a day after the draw.

The US Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Texas to use redrawn congressional districts for the 2026 midterm elections, boosting the hopes of President Donald Trump’s Republicans to retain control of the House of Representatives.The push by Texas, which carves out five more Republican-friendly districts and came at the behest of Trump, launched a series of similar efforts in states around the country.The decision by the conservative-dominated high court stayed a lower ruling which had said the redrawn maps “unconstitutionally” sort voters based on race.”Texas needs certainty on which map will govern the 2026 midterm elections, so I will not delay the Court’s order,” Justice Samuel Alito, one of six conservatives on the bench, wrote in his concurring opinion.The three liberal justices all dissented with the order, which was unsigned.”The District Court conducted a nine-day hearing… And after considering all the evidence, it held that the answer was clear. Texas largely divided its citizens along racial lines to create its new pro-Republican House map,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent.While the ruling is technically only a temporary halt to the lower court ruling, with a candidate filing deadline next week in Texas, it effectively ensures that the Republican-favored map will be in effect for the 2026 midterms.- ‘We won!’ -US electoral districts are traditionally drawn following the national census, taken once per decade to reflect the changing population.The next census is not scheduled until 2030, but Republican-ruled Texas, under pressure from Trump, decided to redraw its congressional maps mid-decade to yield more Republican districts.Texas Governor Greg Abbott celebrated the decision.”We won! Texas is officially — and legally — more red,” he wrote on X.Democrats voiced disappointment with the ruling.”The right-wing Supreme Court majority has once again shredded its credibility by rubber-stamping a racially gerrymandered map in Texas,” US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement.”Republicans know the extremists can only win by cheating. The people of California and beyond will prevent that from happening.”The US Supreme Court has previously permitted so-called partisan gerrymandering, but the situation becomes more complicated when a person’s race is involved due to civil rights legislation.Democratic-run California has also approved a new electoral map that would also create five districts more likely to vote for the left-leaning party.But those maps have also been challenged in court by the Republican Party of California, in a lawsuit that has received the backing of the Trump administration and which claims race was also unlawfully used.US Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose Justice Department filed a brief supporting the new Texas maps, hailed Thursday’s ruling.”Federal courts have no right to interfere with a State’s decision to redraw legislative maps for partisan reasons,” Bondi said in a statement on X.Republicans in North Carolina have also redrawn that state’s map, while efforts are underway in Indiana, Missouri, and elsewhere.

The Pentagon said Thursday it has endorsed the tripartite AUKUS security pact with the United Kingdom and Australia, which would involve Canberra’s acquisition of at least three Virginia-class nuclear submarines within 15 years.The administration of Donald Trump said earlier this year it was reviewing a 2021 deal for the nuclear-powered attack subs signed under his presidential predecessor Joe Biden.The Department of Defense completed its five-month review, which endorsed the AUKUS agreement and determined it is “in alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.”Consistent with President Trump’s guidance that AUKUS should move ‘full steam ahead,’ the review identified opportunities to put AUKUS on the strongest possible footing.”Congressman Joe Courtney, the top Democrat on a US House subcommittee on sea power, said the review’s completion assures that the pact’s “framework is aligned with our country’s national security interest.””With its completion, it is important to note that the 2021 AUKUS agreement has now survived three changes of government in all three nations and still stands strong.”Courtney is a vocal champion of AUKUS in Congress, and represents a Connecticut district that is home to the primary submarine manufacturing facility in the United States.The AUKUS pact aims to arm Australia with a fleet of cutting-edge submarines from the United States and would provide for cooperation in developing an array of warfare technologies.- Long-range strike -The submarines, the sale of which will begin in 2032, lie at the heart of Australia’s strategy of improving its long-range strike capabilities in the Pacific, particularly against China.The deal could cost Canberra up to US$235 billion over the next 30 years, and also includes the technology to build its own vessels in the future.Australia’s defense industry minister, Pat Conroy, said Friday he was pleased the US review had confirmed that AUKUS was “full steam ahead.””We’ll engage constructively with its findings and its recommendations on how to improve AUKUS even further.”Conroy said it was up to Washington to decide whether to release the document publicly. “We’re working through the review right now, and we’ve said publicly over the last two years where we can improve delivery, improve performance of AUKUS, we will do that.”AUKUS is a “living agreement”, Conroy said.”It will go for 30 or 40 years at a minimum. We’re going to see changes. We’re going to see improvements in it.”Australia had a major bust-up with France in 2021 when it canceled a multi-billion-dollar deal to buy a fleet of diesel-powered submarines from Paris and go with the AUKUS program instead.

Donald Trump still seems unsure whether to call it soccer or football. But the US president’s aim is truer when using the world’s favorite sport to score diplomatic goals.Trump will try to do so again Friday when he meets the leaders of 2026 World Cup co-hosts Canada and Mexico at the tournament’s draw in Washington.As the first World Cup hosted by three countries simultaneously, it should be a golden opportunity to show North American unity, with the three leaders reportedly set to take part in a ceremonial draw.But Trump’s aggressive stance towards his allies on trade, migration and drug-trafficking since his return to power means they will have thorny issues to tackle on the sidelines of the gala event.For Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum it will be her first meeting with Trump. She told reporters they would discuss bilateral trade during the “small meeting” before the draw, in which the 48 qualifying teams are divided into 12 World Cup groups.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has visited the White House twice but it will be his first encounter with Trump since briefly meeting in South Korea in November, after Trump suspended trade talks in a bizarre row over an anti-tariff ad.They will have a “brief meeting during their time together at the Kennedy Center,” the venue for the tournament draw, Carney’s office told AFP Thursday, adding that he would also meet briefly with Sheinbaum.Trump has slapped steep tariffs on exports from Canada and Mexico that do not fall under the USMCA trade agreement that Washington is seeking to renegotiate next year.He has threatened further punishment if they fail to curb cross-border migration and drug trafficking — and irked Sheinbaum by saying he would be “OK” with airstrikes on Mexico to tackle traffickers.Canada meanwhile was outraged by Trump’s calls earlier this year for it to become the 51st US state.- FIFA ‘peace prize’ -Yet the three countries now find themselves hosting the world’s biggest sporting event together, having launched their joint bid in 2017 during Trump’s first term in the White House.He has unashamedly seized on the World Cup to score political and diplomatic points — even though the golf fan’s knowledge of the beautiful game mainly comes from his son Barron, 19.The US president has struck up a close friendship with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, who also has close ties with a number of authoritarian leaders including Russia’s Vladimir Putin.Trump dangled the carrot of the chance to compete at the 2026 World Cup as a possible “incentive” for Russia — banned from international football since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine — to end the war.Infantino is set to play to Trump’s love of flattery when he presents a new FIFA “peace prize” on Friday that the US leader is widely expected to win.Trump has hosted Infantino several times at the White House — as he did Portuguese superstar Ronaldo at a dinner for visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November.But Trump’s football diplomacy has also risked colliding with his domestic priority of a massive crackdown on immigration.Trump recently unveiled a special fast-track visa process for people with World Cup tickets, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that a ticket would not guarantee admission to the United States.More recently, Trump responded to an Afghan national allegedly shooting two National Guard members in Washington by slapping a freeze on all asylum decisions from 19 countries.They include World Cup participants Haiti and Iran.Trump has also caused jitters at FIFA and in foreign capitals by threatening to move World Cup matches from Democratic-run cities where he has launched anti-crime and immigrant operations.

A grand jury declined on Thursday to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political foe of President Donald Trump, on mortgage fraud charges, US media reported.The failure by federal prosecutors to secure an indictment of James comes less than two weeks after the initial case against her was tossed out.District Judge Cameron Currie dismissed the case against James — and another against former FBI chief James Comey — on the grounds that the US attorney handpicked by Trump who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed.NBC News said different prosecutors presented the James case to a grand jury in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday but failed to get an indictment.The television network said the Justice Department could still try again.James, 67, a Democrat who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud, was indicted in October on one count of bank fraud and a second one of making false statements to a financial institution.Comey, 64, was charged in September with making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.Both cases have been widely seen as retribution by Trump against political opponents.The Comey and James indictments came after the interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, stepped down after reportedly telling Justice Department leaders there was insufficient evidence to charge them.Attorney General Pam Bondi replaced Siebert with Lindsey Halligan, a former personal lawyer to Trump, and she secured the indictments.Top federal prosecutors are subject to Senate confirmation. Judge Currie had said that Halligan had been unlawfully appointed because her predecessor was also serving in an acting capacity, and US law does not allow two successive interim prosecutors.After Trump left the White House in 2021, James won a civil fraud case against him, alleging he and his real estate company had unlawfully inflated his wealth and manipulated the value of properties to obtain favorable bank loans or insurance terms.Comey was appointed to head the FBI by president Barack Obama in 2013 and was fired by Trump in 2017 amid a probe into whether any members of the Trump presidential campaign had colluded with Moscow to sway the 2016 vote.The charges against Comey came just days after Trump publicly urged Bondi to take action against the former FBI director and others he sees as enemies — a stunning departure from the principle that the Justice Department must be free from White House pressure.

A federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily put on hold a lower court’s order directing National Guard troops to leave the US capital next week.District Court Judge Jia Cobb ruled last month that President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in Washington was unlawful.Cobb ordered an end to the deployment by December 11 but stayed her order for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to file an appeal.A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit granted a Trump administration request for a stay of the district judge’s order to give it time to consider the case.In a brief order, the panel stressed that the move “should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits.”Trump has sent National Guard troops to Democratic-run Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis to combat crime and help enforce his crackdown on undocumented migrants.Authorities in Los Angeles and Memphis have resisted those efforts, saying the deployment of troops is unnecessary. The mayor of Washington, which has limited autonomy under US law, has largely worked with the White House on its crackdown.Federal judges have temporarily blocked the deployment of troops in two other Democratic-controlled cities — Chicago and Portland — and the Supreme Court is expected to deliver the final word soon on whether the actions are lawful.Trump ordered more than 2,000 National Guard to patrol Washington in August, claiming the city was a “filthy and crime ridden embarrassment.”Brian Schwalb, attorney general for the US capital, filed a lawsuit in September seeking to end the deployment of the National Guard in the city.Cobb, in her opinion, said the Trump administration had “acted contrary to law” by deploying the National Guard for “for non-military, crime-deterrence missions in the absence of a request from the city’s civil authorities.”Trump’s extraordinary domestic use of the National Guard was also challenged by California this year after the president sent troops to Los Angeles to quell protests sparked by the rounding up of undocumented migrants.A district court judge ruled it unlawful but an appeals court panel allowed the Los Angeles deployment to proceed.Trump has denied charges he is strictly targeting cities run by his political opponents for his anti-crime campaign and immigration crackdown.This week, he said he would send troops to New Orleans — another Democratic-run city in a state controlled by Republicans.Trump has also ordered additional troops to the US capital after two National Guard members were shot in downtown Washington last week.

A policeman testified Thursday that officers questioned the man suspected of murdering a US insurance executive, even after he had indicated he did not want to answer, as the defense seeks to exclude potentially incriminating evidence from trial.Luigi Mangione’s attorneys are attempting to prevent jurors hearing responses he gave officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, before he was read his rights. US suspects have a legal right to silence and to not self-incriminate, with the conduct of arresting officers under the microscope at pre-trial evidence hearings in New York state court this week.Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthCare, was gunned down in Manhattan on December 4, 2024 in a crime that sent shockwaves through corporate America and exposed anger with the profit-driven private healthcare system.An officer who encountered and helped detain Mangione, Tyler Frye, recounted asking Mangione “what brings you up here from New Jersey?” after he produced a driving license from the state.Mangione, 27, indicated in an exchange captured by Frye’s body-worn camera he did not want to talk.”I don’t know what you guys are up to I’m just going to wait,” he said as he continued to eat and Christmas music played. Frye said in cross-examination Thursday that he had been trained to lie to suspects and use ruses to secure information, and that he thought the man he encountered in a McDonald’s restaurant — Mangione — was the New York shooter.The court was shown officers questioning Mangione about why he was in Altoona, 300 miles from Manhattan, and if he had been in New York.Mangione is charged in both state and federal court in the shooting of Thompson and faces life imprisonment with no parole in the state case, and the death penalty in the federal process.Mangione’s defense team are also seeking to have evidence recovered from his bag, including a gun and a notebook with comments about the health system, kept from jurors because officers did not have a search warrant.Frye said that neither he nor his partner Joseph Detwiler told Mangione he was under arrest or not free to leave while they were initially asking questions.Frye testified McDonald’s staff had raised the alarm about Mangione.Officers were shown approaching a man in a medical mask sitting surrounded by McDonald’s food before subsequently producing an allegedly fake New Jersey driving license with the name “Mark Rosario.”Mangione appeared in court Thursday wearing a white shirt and a grey jacket, stroking his chin as Frye was questioned. No schedule has been set for any jury trial.Mangione’s supporters, mostly young women, were in court to see the hearing, with one wearing a “New Yorkers for Luigi” shirt.The court was shown video of Mangione accompanied by police entering the Altoona police station, where officers strip-searched him and went through property that included a handgun, a suppressor and a jar of Skippy peanut butter.A checklist also found on Mangione contained entries including “intel check in” and reminders to purchase a camera from Best Buy.

US President Donald Trump has hired a new architect for his $300-million White House ballroom, a spokesman said Thursday, after reported disagreements with the project’s original designer.Trump had differences with James McCrery, a specialist in classical architecture, including over the billionaire president’s wishes to increase the size of the ballroom, US media reported.The Republican had now picked architect Shalom Baranes, who has “shaped the architectural identity of our nation’s capital for decades,” to come on board, said White House spokesman Davis Ingle.”As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House ballroom, the administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision,” Ingle said in a statement to AFP.The firm has previously worked on projects including the modernization of the US Treasury building near the White House, and renovating the Pentagon after the September 11, 2001 attacks.Trump has demolished the entire East Wing of the White House to make way for a ballroom that he says will have a capacity of 1,000 people.His plans have sparked concerns that the new building could overshadow the main presidential mansion itself, one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks.The project, which Trump says will be fully privately funded, has yet to undergo any public review.US media reported that in addition to disagreements over the size of the ballroom, property magnate Trump had concerns that McCrery’s small firm would be able to meet deadlines.A person familiar with the project however said that McCrery would remain a “valuable consultant” on the ballroom, adding that it was “not a replacement but rather a passing of the baton as the project develops into new phases.”

It may not make up for missing out on the Nobel Prize, but President Donald Trump still looked thrilled to arrive at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.”It’s a great honor,” said Trump, gazing admiringly at the ceiling as he hosted the signing on Thursday of a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.The billionaire Republican then effusively thanked the leaders of the two African countries for attending the ceremony at the “spectacular” institute in the US capital Washington.”It means maybe more because we are here together for the first time ever in this building — brand new beautiful building,” Trump added.In fact, the building formerly known as the United States Institute of Peace was built in 2011, five years before Trump won the US presidency for the first time. But its current incarnation is new — and the latest in a series of moves by the administration aimed at bolstering Trump’s image as a global peacemaker.The State Department announced on the eve of the peace deal signing ceremony that the institute had been renamed in honor of the Republican president to “reflect the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history”.It also shared a picture of the building with Trump’s name added on a wall above the engraved name of the organization.Trump has made no secret of his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize and claims to have resolved eight global conflicts since returning to office in January, including the war in the eastern DRC.Nor is it just Trump’s administration seeking to flatter the former reality TV star.Trump is widely regarded as the frontrunner to win a new peace prize that football’s governing body FIFA is set to award at the 2026 World Cup draw on Friday.That will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington — which Trump jokingly, or perhaps mischievously, referred to on Thursday as the “Trump-Kennedy Center”, before adding: “whoops, excuse me.”- Next stop Mount Rushmore? -The 79-year-old Trump has not been shy about stamping his own image on Washington during his second term.The US Institute of Peace itself was subject to a Trump takeover earlier this year.Created in 1984 by former president Ronald Reagan as a non-profit organization to prevent conflicts, and funded by the taxpayer, Trump ordered its dismantlement in February. In March, former ally Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) seized control of the center while the organization’s president was removed from its headquarters by law enforcement.And it is far from the last institution to get a makeover from Trump — who before he became president was famed partly for the skyscrapers and casinos bearing his name that stood astride several US cities.In the White House, the heart of the US presidency, Trump has covered the Oval Office with gold decor and turned the Rose Garden into a patio.Most notoriously he has demolished the entire East Wing to build a giant $300-million ballroom that, US media reported, will eventually be known as the “Donald J. Trump” ballroom.There could be more Trump-branded landmarks to come.Proposals have been made for Trump’s image to feature on a $1 coin and for his name to feature on a new stadium for the Washington Commanders NFL team and the capital’s Dulles Airport.A bill by Republican lawmakers has even suggested adding Trump’s face to the rock-hewn pantheon of presidents in Mount Rushmore.