‘He’s a fantastic man, a friend’: Trump praises PM Modi, signals ‘good’ India-US trade deal
Washington: US President Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a close friend and expressing confidence that India and the United States would reach a trade agreement.
Trump made the remarks while delivering his only on-camera soundbite to an Indian journalist at the World Economic Forum in Davos, News18 reported on Thursday.
“I have great respect for your Prime Minister. He’s a fantastic man and a friend of mine,” Trump said.
According to the report, Washington and New Delhi continue high-stakes negotiations to resolve a prolonged trade standoff marked by tariffs, geopolitical tensions and disputes over energy and agriculture.
Asked directly about a potential trade agreement, the US President said, “We are going to have a good deal.”
Earlier this month, Trump had publicly linked India’s trade treatment to its purchases of Russian oil, claiming New Delhi had reduced imports in response to US pressure.
“They wanted to make me happy,” Trump said at the time, adding, “Basically, Modi is a very good man. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy.”
Trump warned that India could face swift trade consequences if it failed to align with Washington’s position on Russian energy. “We do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” he said, adding, “And it would be very bad for them.”
New Delhi has denied giving any assurances on curbing Russian oil imports, maintaining that its energy decisions are guided by national interest and price stability.
Trade relations between India and the US remain strained, with the Trump administration imposing tariffs totalling up to 50% on several Indian exports, including penalties linked to India’s continued engagement with Russia and its participation in the BRICS grouping.
India has responded cautiously, introducing retaliatory duties on selected US agricultural imports. Key sticking points remain unresolved as the White House continues to press India to open its agricultural markets further, a sensitive issue for New Delhi, which views farm protections as non-negotiable.
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Epstein files allege email claims about Bill Gates seeking antibiotics; foundation denies charges
Washington DC: fresh set of documents released as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files has triggered renewed attention after screenshots of alleged self-emails attributed to Epstein made claims involving Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
The screenshots, circulating online and reported by several outlets, purport to show Epstein writing to himself in July 2013, alleging that Gates had contracted a sexually transmitted disease during encounters with women described as “Russian girls” and had asked Epstein to arrange antibiotics to be given discreetly to his then wife, Melinda Gates. The documents also contain claims of personal disputes and alleged requests that Epstein delete certain emails.
The authenticity of the screenshots has not been independently verified. The allegations contained in them remain unsubstantiated and are disputed by context and prior public statements from Gates. There is no confirmation from official records that the claims are factual.
According to reports, the screenshots are part of a larger tranche of documents released by the United States Department of Justice, comprising hundreds of thousands of pages related to Epstein. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
The alleged email text includes Epstein expressing anger over Gates distancing himself from their relationship and claiming involvement in matters he described as morally or ethically inappropriate. The documents also reference marital tensions between Bill and Melinda Gates, though no independent evidence is provided to support the claims.
Bill Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein and has said he regretted the association, while repeatedly denying any involvement in illegal or unethical activities. His philanthropic foundation has issued a strong denial in response to the latest claims, calling the allegations absurd and completely false.
Bill and Melinda Gates were married from 1994 until their divorce in 2021. Melinda Gates has publicly stated that Gates’s extramarital relationships and his association with Epstein were among the factors that led to the end of their marriage, without detailing specific allegations.
As with earlier Epstein-related disclosures, legal experts and media analysts have urged caution, noting that the presence of a name in released documents does not establish wrongdoing and that many claims in the material remain unproven.
