Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia means both underground and above-ground construction can proceed pending a further hearing on 5 June..
The decision follows a ruling by District Judge Richard Leon, who had ordered a partial halt to construction, arguing that the project may have required congressional approval.
Leon also questioned the administration’s argument that the development was justified on national security grounds, warning it could be used to bypass legal requirements..
“National security is not a blank cheque to proceed with otherwise unlawful activity,” he wrote.
The project has been challenged by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which argues that construction began without proper review by the National Capital Planning Commission and without congressional authorisation.
The Justice Department appealed the ruling, warning that a halt could “imperil the president and national security” and leave a large excavation site beside the Executive Residence.
The White House has defended the project, arguing it is essential for hosting large diplomatic and security-related events.
Trump said the ballroom was “needed now” and described it as part of a broader secure complex.
“It’s all tied together as one big, expensive, and very complex unit,” he said on Truth Social, adding that it would include bomb shelters and medical facilities.
He also criticised the court decision, saying judges should not be able to block the project.
The East Wing of the White House, originally built in 1902, was demolished in October to make way for the new ballroom, which is planned to accommodate up to 1,350 guests.
The White House has said the project will cost around $400 million and is being fully funded by private donors.
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SOCAR has completed the acquisition of a 99.82% stake in Italiana Petroli (IP) from API Holding after receiving all required regulatory approvals.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
The U.S military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday (7 May). Meanwhile, Iran's Joint Military Command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire, by striking an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on several Iranian cities.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides signalled they did not want escalation. The clashes come as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a proposed deal to end the war while leaving key disputes, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now.
Singapore has isolated and is testing two of its residents who travelled aboard a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to carry on as leader on Friday (8 May) after his ruling Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections. Labour lost hundreds of councillors across the country, as some figures in the party said he should stand down.
Indonesian rescue teams have located two Singaporeans who went missing after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday (8 May) on the island of Halmahera, though authorities say it remains unclear whether they are alive.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) on Friday (8 May), following an order from President Donald Trump. U.S. officials described as a push for “unprecedented transparency”.
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