White House

April 19, 2025 8:56 AM

White House launches COVID website that criticizes WHO, Fauci and Biden

Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's White House launched a COVID-19 website on Friday in which it blamed the origins of the coronavirus on a lab leak in China while criticizing Democratic former President Joe Biden, former top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci and the World Health Organization. The website was also critical of steps like social distancing, mask mandates and lockdowns. Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the U.S. - by far the WHO's largest financial back...

April 16, 2025 10:47 AM

Trump maintains position on Canada, believes it would benefit as 51st US state: White House

US President Donald Trump still believes Canada would benefit from becoming the 51st state of the United States, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing on Tuesday. Responding to a question about whether Trump’s stance on Canada had changed, Leavitt said, “I would reject the notion that the president’s position on Canada has shifted. Perhaps he just hasn’t been asked about Canada recently by members of the press in the Oval Office, where they see him al...

April 11, 2025 12:04 PM

Dollar sinks to decade-low vs Swiss franc as US hit by loss of confidence

The dollar slumped on Friday as waning confidence in the U.S. economy prompted investors to ditch U.S. assets to the benefit of safe havens such as the Swiss franc, yen, and euro, as well as gold. The yellow metal recorded a new all-time peak, and the franc notched a fresh decade high. Investors dumped Wall Street stocks overnight, as a powerful relief rally on Wednesday - when President Donald Trump abruptly paused higher tariff rates on dozens of trading partners - reversed course in a frene...

March 18, 2025 8:50 AM

Israel consulted US on its strikes in Gaza: White House

The administration of President Donald Trump was consulted on Monday by Israel on its deadly strikes in Gaza, a White House spokesperson told Fox News' "Hannity" show. "The Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Fox News interview. Palestinian medics in Gaza reported dozens of people were killed in the aftermath of a series of the most violent air attacks by Israel on the ...

March 11, 2025 9:20 AM

Saudi Arabia to host talks between US and Ukraine to address conflict with Russia

Saudi Arabia is set to host high-level talks on Tuesday, bringing together the United States and Ukraine to discuss the ongoing conflict with Russia. The talks, scheduled to take place in Jeddah, come after a heated exchange during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House on February 28, 2025, which strained relations between the two nations. While Riyadh may seem like an unconventional venue for such critical discussions, Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of Crown Prince Moha...

March 7, 2025 12:47 PM

Trump signs order to establish strategic bitcoin reserve

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve, a day before meeting with executives from the cryptocurrency industry at the White House. The reserve will be capitalized with bitcoin owned by the federal government that was forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings, the White House crypto czar, billionaire David Sacks, said in a post on social media platform X. Attendees at Friday's White House crypto summit ...

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...