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Trump to Pledge New 'American Dream' in Congress Speech

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
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Trump to Pledge New 'American Dream' in Congress Speech

US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)

Donald Trump will promise a "renewal of the American dream" on Tuesday in his first address to Congress since returning to office, laying out a vision of extended presidential power and a reshaped world order.

The Republican president's speech comes after a whirlwind first six weeks in office, in which the United States has been roiled by a radical bid led by billionaire Trump advisor Elon Musk to overhaul the federal government by closing down agencies and firing many workers, reported AFP.

The 78-year-old Trump has also caused turmoil on the global stage, pausing military aid for Ukraine as he pivots toward Russia, vowing to "own" Gaza and unleashing tariffs against US allies.

The White House said the theme of the speech at 9:00 pm (0200 GMT Wednesday) would be "the renewal of the American dream," in social media posts linking to a story on Fox News, the administration's preferred outlet.

Fox said Trump would cover four areas: his second term's achievements so far at home and abroad, the economy, a push for Congress to pass border funding and Trump's plans for "peace around the globe."

"President Trump is the greatest orator we've ever had in the Oval Office. Every time he's done one of these addresses, Americans have been overwhelmingly blown away," his Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters on Monday.

"It's an opportunity for President Trump, as only he can, to lay out the last month of record-setting, record-breaking unprecedented achievements and accomplishments that have made this the most successful opening to any presidency."

Trump himself promised in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday that the address to Congress "WILL BE BIG" and vowed that "I WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS!"

In a sign of Musk's influence in Trump's administration, the world's richest person will reportedly attend the joint session of the House and Senate.

Economic pressure

Trump's address at the US Capitol comes just over four years after his supporters stormed the building following his 2020 election defeat.

Trump is likely to strike a triumphant tone as he returns to a Republican-controlled Congress, determined to exert more executive power than any president in decades.

Trump, who notoriously painted a picture of "American carnage" when he was inaugurated for his first term, is expected to tout the record blitz of executive orders he has signed since his return to the White House.

Together with Musk, Trump has shown his intent to push through his "Make America Great Again" agenda -- even if it means testing the constitutional limits of his authority or straining ties with allies.

Trump has moved to unilaterally dismantle federal agencies, fired thousands of government workers, ended diversity programs and begun holding undocumented migrants at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba as part of his crackdown on foreigners without papers.

On the world stage, Trump will discuss his efforts to redefine US foreign policy.

He said on Monday that he would "let you know" during the speech about progress towards resolving the Ukraine conflict, after freezing military aid to Kyiv and stunning the world by starting talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

His speech will come just four days after an extraordinary clash in the Oval Office with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, which left US support for Kyiv hanging in the balance.

Trump's presidential offensive has left the Democrats, already stunned by their 2024 election defeat, flailing for ways to counter him and his hogging of the news cycle.

But with his poll numbers softening, Trump will also know he faces pressure to deal with stubborn issues facing Americans -- most importantly inflation.

Trump's tariffs threaten to weigh on the economy, with US stocks closing sharply lower on Monday after he confirmed the levies would come into effect one minute into Tuesday against major trading partners Mexico and Canada.

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World

With a Fatwa and Official Pledges, The Taliban Offer Implicit Reassurances to Pakistan

 Members of the Afghan police during a graduation ceremony on Thursday, in Jalalabad (EPA). 
 Members of the Afghan police during a graduation ceremony on Thursday, in Jalalabad (EPA). 
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With a Fatwa and Official Pledges, The Taliban Offer Implicit Reassurances to Pakistan

 Members of the Afghan police during a graduation ceremony on Thursday, in Jalalabad (EPA). 
 Members of the Afghan police during a graduation ceremony on Thursday, in Jalalabad (EPA). 

The Afghan Taliban government has stepped up its implicit reassurances to Pakistan, days after border clashes between the two countries, amid efforts to salvage a fragile ceasefire.

A gathering of more than one thousand Afghan clerics from across the country, attended by Interim Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund and other senior officials in Kabul, issued a political and jurisprudential statement (fatwa) on Wednesday, pledging that Afghan territory would not be used to harm any country and vowing to confront those who interfere in conflicts beyond Afghanistan’s borders.

Hours after the fatwa was issued, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi publicly reaffirmed his government’s commitment to its contents, in an attempt to contain tensions that escalated following attacks inside Pakistan attributed to militant groups, most notably the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan).

In the latest such attack, six Pakistani soldiers were killed on Tuesday when a security post was targeted in the Kurram area near the Afghan border. Islamabad has blamed the escalation of violence on militants using Afghan territory to plan cross-border attacks on its security forces. Kabul, however, rejects these accusations, insisting it has no operational ties to the Pakistani Taliban.

The statement, which was issued at the conclusion of the “Seminar on Defending and Protecting the Islamic System”, provided religious cover for the Kabul government’s position. It affirmed that the emirate “has taken upon itself the obligation that the land of Afghanistan not be used against any country,” stressing that this commitment “is a duty incumbent upon all Muslims.” It warned that anyone who violates this obligation “is considered disobedient and will be subject to the necessary measures.”

While emphasizing that “defending the sovereignty of the country is a religious duty,” the clerics’ statement simultaneously underscored that “all Muslims must refrain from using the land of Afghanistan to harm any other country... and must uphold the commitment undertaken by the Islamic Emirate.”

The statement also affirmed a ban on Afghans traveling abroad to participate in any military activity, declaring that anyone who does so “is in violation and disobedience,” and obligating the authorities to prevent such actions and take appropriate measures.

In addition, it called on Islamic countries to “maintain friendly and positive relations within the framework of brotherhood, to benefit one another, and to avoid division, discord, and conflict”, language widely interpreted as an attempt to de-escalate tensions with Pakistan.

By combining the religious fatwa with official statements and a strong official presence at the clerics’ gathering - which included, alongside the prime minister, the Chief Justice, the Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Minister of Higher Education, and other senior officials - the Afghan leadership appeared intent on delivering a dual religious and political pledge. This comes at a time of mounting pressure on Kabul to rein in cross-border militant groups and demonstrate its ability to maintain internal security.

Muttaqi’s remarks reinforced the scholars’ position, as he reiterated Afghanistan’s pledge not to allow its territory to be used against any country. In statements carried by official media, he said: “All of Afghanistan’s scholars have renewed their unified fatwa obligating the ummah to protect the Islamic system.”

He stressed that the leadership “has made a categorical commitment that Afghan soil will not be used to harm any individual or any state... This is the recommendation of the scholars, and obedience to it is obligatory for all Muslims.”

He added that the “scholars have made it clear to the ummah that if any Afghan violates the leadership’s instructions regarding military activities outside the country, the Islamic Emirate has the right to take action against him”, an implicit reference to Afghans joining the Pakistani Taliban.

The minister concluded by emphasizing the scholars’ call for “unity and the rejection of sedition,” saying that the Afghan nation “has, throughout its history, acted in accordance with the fatwas and guidance of its scholars, and will continue to do so today.”

Observers view the statements and the religious-political declaration as “part of a coordinated effort to contain Pakistani anger and to signal Kabul’s willingness to honor its security commitments,” following a series of attacks that reignited border confrontations between the two neighbors. The most recent incident involved an exchange of fire that killed four people last Friday.

 

 

World

North Korea's Kim Vows to Root Out 'Evil', Scolds Lazy Officials

The North Korean leader praised Pyongyang's soldiers fighting against Ukraine alongside Russia. STR / KCNA VIA KNS/AFP
The North Korean leader praised Pyongyang's soldiers fighting against Ukraine alongside Russia. STR / KCNA VIA KNS/AFP
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North Korea's Kim Vows to Root Out 'Evil', Scolds Lazy Officials

The North Korean leader praised Pyongyang's soldiers fighting against Ukraine alongside Russia. STR / KCNA VIA KNS/AFP
The North Korean leader praised Pyongyang's soldiers fighting against Ukraine alongside Russia. STR / KCNA VIA KNS/AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to root out "evil" and scolded lazy officials while praising his troops fighting with Russia against Ukraine, state media said Friday, capping a major meeting of Pyongyang's top brass.

The three-day meeting of the regime's central committee discussed key policy issues as well as plans for a congress of its ruling party, expected in early 2026 -- North Korea's first in five years.

Wrapping up the meeting on Thursday, Kim condemned "the wrong ideological viewpoint and inactive and irresponsible work attitude" of some officials, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

He called on officials to have "greater confidence in and courage for the future of our cause and struggle".

State media did not offer specifics, though it did say the ruling party had revealed numerous recent "deviations" in discipline -- a euphemism for corruption.

The North Korean leader reserved praise for Pyongyang's soldiers fighting against Ukraine alongside Russia, of whom at least 600 have died and thousands more sustained wounds, according to South Korean estimates.

Their work, Kim said, "demonstrated to the world the prestige of our army and state as the ever-victorious army and genuine protector of international justice".

'Modern' armed forces

Analysts say Pyongyang is receiving financial aid, military technology, food and energy supplies from Russia in return for sending troops.

Kim's mention of the troops "signaled Pyongyang's intention to maintain that deployment", Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea, told AFP.

"North Korea is also highly likely to seek a role in post-war reconstruction in Russia once... the conflict ends," he added.

Kim also hailed efforts this year in "modernizing" the country's defenses in the face of great "global geopolitical and technological changes".

Pyongyang's central committee began meeting on Tuesday, the same day North Korea fired a salvo of artillery from a multiple rocket launcher system, which analysts say could strike the South.

Last week, South Korea's dovish President Lee Jae Myung said he felt an apology was due to the North over his predecessor's alleged order to send drones and propaganda leaflets across the border.

Pyongyang has not responded to the overture from Lee, who has sought to mend fractured ties with the North.

And Friday's readout made no mention of South Korea or the United States, whose leader Donald Trump had hoped to meet Kim during a visit to Asia in October.

The pair -- who Trump once famously declared were "in love" -- last met in 2019 at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas after the US leader extended an invitation to Kim on Twitter.

But analysts now say that the North Korean leader, increasingly emboldened by his growing ties with Russia, had few good reasons to join the photo-op.

World

US, Japan Defense Chiefs Say China Harming Regional Peace

US and Japanese military aircraft held a joint exercise over the Sea of Japan on Wednesday. Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense/AFP
US and Japanese military aircraft held a joint exercise over the Sea of Japan on Wednesday. Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense/AFP
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US, Japan Defense Chiefs Say China Harming Regional Peace

US and Japanese military aircraft held a joint exercise over the Sea of Japan on Wednesday. Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense/AFP
US and Japanese military aircraft held a joint exercise over the Sea of Japan on Wednesday. Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense/AFP

Beijing's actions are "not conducive to regional peace", Japan's defense minister and US counterpart Pete Hegseth agreed during a call after Chinese aircraft locked radar on Japanese jets near Taiwan, Tokyo said Friday.

The December 6 radar incident came after comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan that infuriated China, AFP reported.

It was followed this week by Chinese-Russian air patrols around Japan.

Hegseth and Shinjiro Koizumi "exchanged candid views on the increasingly severe security situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including the radar incident", the Japanese defense ministry said after the call.

They "expressed serious concern over any actions to increase regional tensions, as China's actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability", the statement added.

Koizumi said on X he told Hegseth that China was "disseminating information that is completely contrary to the facts" about the radar incident.

"However, Japan has made clear that it does not seek escalation and that we are responding calmly while making necessary rebuttals, and we are keeping the door open for dialogue," Koizumi added.

Hegseth's office said they had "discussed... China's military activities" among other issues including "Japan's efforts to increase its defense spending and strengthen its capabilities".

'Tactical exercises'

Takaichi had indicated on November 7 that Japan would intervene with military force in any Chinese attack on Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own and has not ruled out seizing by force.

Media reports on Friday reinforced suggestions that her comments in a parliamentary debate were unplanned and that she deviated from prepared remarks.

Last week, J-15 jets from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier twice locked radar on Japanese aircraft that had scrambled in international waters near Okinawa, according to Japan.

Fighter jets use their radar for fire control to identify targets as well as for search and rescue operations.

But China's foreign ministry on Wednesday accused Japan of sending the jets "to intrude into the Chinese training area without authorization, conduct close-range reconnaissance and harassment, create tense situations, and... maliciously hype up the situation".

On Tuesday two Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable bombers flew from the Sea of Japan to rendezvous with two Chinese H-6 bombers in the East China Sea, then conducted a joint flight around the country, Japan said.

Japan said that it scrambled fighter jets in response.

A day later, Japan and the United States air forces conducted their own joint air drills, Tokyo said.

The "tactical exercises" over the Sea of Japan involved two US B52 bombers, three Japanese F-35 fighter jets and three Japanese F-15s, Tokyo said.

South Korea said Tuesday that Russian and Chinese warplanes also entered its air defense zone, with Seoul also deploying fighter jets that same day.

Beijing confirmed on Tuesday that it had organized drills with Russia's military according to "annual cooperation plans".

Moscow also described it as a routine exercise, saying it lasted eight hours and that some foreign fighter jets followed the Russian and Chinese aircraft.