White House

February 14, 2025 1:20 AM

Mobile billboard in Washington DC highlights US-India alliance ahead of PM Modi-Trump meeting

A mobile billboard advertising truck in Washington, DC has showcased boards featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, with messages such as "Paving the Path for Progress: US-India Alliance in Developing Skilled Workforce" and "Pillars of Friendship, Pathways of Progress." The display comes just hours ahead of the much-anticipated meeting between PM Modi and President Trump at the White House, marking their first in-person interaction since Trump assumed office for a ...

February 13, 2025 11:33 PM

India’s ‘early signals’ received well, Trump official says US aims for trade deal by 2025

The Donald Trump administration has welcomed India's "early body signals" on trade, with a senior White House official expressing optimism for a "fair" bilateral trade deal between the two countries by the end of 2025. Speaking to reporters ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, the official said that while substantial work remains, the initial approach from the Indian government has been well received in Washington. The official anticipated that the d...

February 13, 2025 10:05 PM

US to prioritise defence, energy sales to India: White House

The US will seek to prioritise and boost defence and energy sales to India, senior White House officials said Thursday, previewing a meeting later in the day between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The officials also said the two leaders will build on the accomplishments of the American leader’s first term and focus their conversation on key areas such as defence, trade, energy, infrastructure, and regional partnerships when they meet later in the day. The two leader...

February 13, 2025 8:30 PM

PM Modi’s Washington visit ‘momentous’, will further solidify India-US strategic partnership: Former Foreign Secretary

Former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said that re-establishing the next steps in an already close strategic partnership would be a key element of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. Shringla said that the very fact that PM Modi's "momentous visit" to Washington takes place just a few weeks after President Trump assumed office underscores the strength of India-US friendship and strategic ties betwe...

February 12, 2025 9:21 AM

With Musk at his side, Trump orders US agencies to plan for ‘large-scale’ staff cuts

President Donald Trump ordered U.S. agencies on Tuesday to work closely with top adviser Elon Musk's effort to shrink the federal workforce by identifying government employees who can be laid off and functions that can be eliminated entirely. With his 4-year-old son by his side or on his shoulders, billionaire Musk stood next to Trump in the Oval Office at the White House before the order was signed, taking questions from reporters and making it clear that he was leading efforts to cut what he ...

February 5, 2025 10:49 PM

US President Trump invites PM Modi to White House for high-level talks

US President Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a working visit to the White House next week, a senior White House official confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday. The visit, scheduled to last two days, follows a recent phone call between the two leaders on January 27. The discussion reportedly covered key regional and global issues, including security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Europe. A White House statement highlighted that both leade...

January 29, 2025 10:20 AM

White House bans federal support for child gender transition procedures

The White House has issued an executive order prohibiting federal funding and support for child gender-transition procedures, citing concerns over irreversible consequences and potential long-term harm. The administration has described such medical interventions as "chemical and surgical mutilation" under the "radical and false claim that a child's sex can be changed." The order argues that children subjected to these procedures may face permanent sterilization and lifelong health complications...

January 21, 2025 12:41 AM

Will take back Panama Canal & leave Paris climate accord: Trump

President Donald Trump on Monday said he will issue executive orders that will declare a national emergency along the border and all illegal entry will be immediately halted, adding that he will start the process of sending back people who came to the U.S. illegally. Trump also said he will be ordering troops to secure the border. The President announced a slew of measures that he said would end American decline and mark the beginning of a golden age. They include a new body to collect tariffs...

January 20, 2025 1:02 PM

China both hopeful and on edge as Trump returns to White House

Chinese officials and ordinary people are hopeful but on edge as Donald Trump returns to the White House, eager to avoid a repeat of the bruising trade war that drove a wedge between the economic superpowers during his first term. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, in meetings with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other members of the U.S. business community in Washington ahead of Trump's inauguration, said he hoped U.S. companies would "take root" in China and help to stabilise bilateral relations, acc...

January 13, 2025 9:28 AM

Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu discuss progress on Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal

US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the progress of ongoing negotiations regarding the ceasefire-hostage deal in relation to the situation in Gaza, the White House said in a statement on Sunday (local time). Currently, negotiation on the Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal is taking place in Doha, Qatar, which involves a high-level Israeli delegation including Mossad Director David Barnea, Director of Israel's Internal Security Agency Ronen Bar, Netany...