Dana White and Donald Trump. Image via: Getty Images

President Donald Trump hypes up the unprecedented UFC fight at the White House as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Speaking during a video announcement outlining plans for 2026, Trump spotlighted the South Lawn as a future fight venue and gave a direct nod to UFC CEO Dana White. He framed the event as a global moment for combat sports and American pageantry.The proposed bout, set for Flag Day on June 14, also coincides with Trump’s birthday. It would mark the first sporting event of its kind ever held at the White House. The announcement arrived alongside a broader rollout of “Freedom 250,” a multi-week slate of events designed to commemorate the nation’s founding with scale.

Donald Trump unveils UFC White House fight plans

Donald Trump described the UFC showcase in sweeping terms. He promised elite competition under an iconic backdrop. “We’ll have one of a kind UFC event here at the White House. It’ll be greatest champions in the world, all fighting that same night. The great Dana White is hosting and it’s gonna be something special but all of this is just a beginning. 2026 will be a celebration of America,” Trump said.The president has long aligned himself with the UFC and its fan base. He frequently attended events and maintained a close relationship with White.

Dana White role highlights scale of Freedom 250 celebrations

The UFC event sits within a packed schedule stretching from late June through early July 2026. According to the White House, Freedom 250 will include a Spirit of America parade honoring fallen soldiers, a Great American State Fair featuring all 50 states, and a massive fireworks display on the National Mall billed as the largest in the world.Trump also announced the launch of the Patriot Games, a four-day athletic competition featuring top high school athletes from every state and territory. “Frankly, you’ll never see anything like it and you’ll never see anything like it again,” Trump said while promoting the scope of the festivities.Beyond events, the president highlighted major construction initiatives tied to the anniversary, including plans for a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery. Trump emphasized that these projects, like the UFC fight, are intended to leave a lasting mark. “All of this is just the beginning. 2026 will be a celebration of America like no other,” he said.Dana White is set to host, and the South Lawnis poised to transform into an octagon setting. The UFC White House fight has quickly become one of the most talked-about elements of Trump’s anniversary vision.Also Read: Boos rain down on Jake Paul at Anthony Joshua weigh-in before final face-off

Analysts suggest that the market’s short-term trend remains volatile with a weak bias. (AI image)

Stock market today: Indian equity benchmark indices, Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, opened in green on Friday on positive global cues. While Nifty50 went above 25,900, BSE Sensex was up around 350 points. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,913.10, up 98 points or 0.38%. BSE Sensex was at 84,830.34, up 349 points or 0.41%.After experiencing weakness, the Nifty index appeared to stabilize with a slight downward trend on Thursday. Analysts suggest that the market’s short-term trend remains volatile with a weak bias.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “FIIs stopping selling during the last two days, though positive from the market perspective, doesn’t indicate a directional change in the market. A lot will depend on the Bank of Japan’s rate decision today. It is almost certain that BoJ will raise rates by 25bp and, therefore, such a decision is unlikely to impact the market. What the market is looking for is commentary from the Japanese central bank regarding future rate action in the context of inflation in Japan. If the BoJ chief sends a hawkish message indicating more rate hikes, that would impact the market since the market will fear further unwinding of the yen carry trade, triggering more FII outflows from markets like India. Therefore, watch out for the BoJ commentary.” “Meanwhile, cooling inflation in the US ( November core inflation has come at 2.6%, lower than the estimate of 3%) is imparting resilience to the US economy and markets. This augurs well for global equity markets as 2025 draws to a close.”Asian stocks rose on Friday following a report of cooling US inflation, which bolstered the case for potential interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve. This, along with easing concerns in the tech sector, supported gains in US stocks.On Wall Street, the main indexes ended higher on Thursday. A soft inflation report fueled expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, while a strong forecast from chipmaker Micron indicated robust demand for AI technology.The Consumer Price Index showed that consumer prices rose less than anticipated over the year to November. The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics did not release month-to-month CPI changes due to the 43-day government shutdown, which disrupted the collection of October data.On Thursday, foreign portfolio investors purchased shares worth Rs 596 crore. Domestic institutional investors were also net buyers, acquiring shares worth Rs 2,700 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

TikTok has signed a joint venture agreement with major investors to keep its platform running in the United States and avoid a potential ban linked to its Chinese ownership, according to an internal memo seen by news agency AFP.TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew told employees that the company and its parent ByteDance have agreed to form a new US-based entity, backed by Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based investor MGX. The deal is aimed at meeting the requirements of a 2024 US law that mandates the sale of TikTok’s American operations or a shutdown of the app.Under the arrangement, American and global investors will hold just over 80 per cent of the new joint venture, while ByteDance will retain a 19.9 per cent stake — the maximum ownership allowed for a Chinese company under the law, reported Reuters. Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX will each own 15 per cent, while affiliates of existing ByteDance investors will hold around 30 per cent.Chew said the US joint venture would operate as an independent entity with authority over “US data protection, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurance”. He added that the venture would have “the exclusive right and authority to provide assurances that content, software and data for American users is secure”, as per AFP.Oracle will serve as TikTok’s “trusted security partner”, responsible for auditing compliance and safeguarding sensitive US user data, which will be stored on Oracle’s cloud infrastructure in the United States, Reuters reported. The new entity will also oversee certain commercial operations, including advertising, marketing and e-commerce, while TikTok’s US entities will manage global product interoperability.The agreement is set to close on January 22, 2026, though Chew told staff that more work remains before completion. The memo marks the first confirmation that TikTok has formally signed on to a deal framework unveiled by the White House in September, AFP noted.The move follows years of pressure from US lawmakers, who have argued that TikTok could be used by Beijing to access Americans’ data or influence public opinion through its algorithm. US President Donald Trump, who initially pushed for a ban during his first term, repeatedly delayed enforcement of the law through executive orders since his return to the White House. He has credited TikTok, which has over 170 million US users, with helping him win re-election.Trump has publicly backed the new arrangement, previously naming Oracle founder Larry Ellison — a longtime ally — as a key figure in the deal. Ellison has recently re-emerged in the spotlight through major media and technology investments, AFP reported.The deal has drawn criticism from some US politicians. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said there were still unanswered questions, accusing Trump of allowing a “billionaire takeover” of TikTok, as reported by Reuters.Despite the concerns, analysts quoted by Reuters said the agreement is likely to clear regulatory hurdles, given the level of involvement by the White House in shaping the transaction.

File photo: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Picture credit: AP)

Australia will observe a national day of reflection on Sunday (December 21), one week after the deadly Bondi Beach mass shooting that killed 15 people, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday, as he urged the country to reject “hatred and violence”.Albanese called on Australians to light candles at 6:47 pm local time, marking the exact moment the attack unfolded. “It is a moment to pause, reflect, and affirm that hatred and violence will never define who we are as Australians,” he said.Flags on New South Wales and Australian government buildings will be flown at half-staff, reported CNN.The attack, described as Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades, took place on Sunday evening during a beachside Hanukkah celebration. Authorities have said the assault was antisemitic in nature. Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, are accused of carrying out the shooting. Sajid was killed in a gunfight with police, while Naveed survived and has been charged with 15 counts of murder, an act of terrorism, and multiple other offences, according to news agency AFP.Albanese said there was “something wrong with the licensing laws” that allowed Sajid Akram to legally own six long-barrelled, high-powered rifles. He announced a sweeping national gun buy-back scheme aimed at removing newly banned and illegal firearms from private ownership, reported CNN. Calling it the biggest gun buy-back since 1996, Albanese said hundreds of thousands of weapons were expected to be collected and destroyed. States and territories will handle collection and payments, while federal police will destroy the firearms.The prime minister also pledged tougher measures to combat antisemitism, including new powers to target extremist preachers and to cancel or refuse visas for people who spread hate and division. “It is clear we need to do more to combat this evil scourge,” Albanese said.Emotional scenes played out at Bondi Beach on Friday as hundreds of locals swam into the ocean in a show of solidarity. “They slaughtered innocent victims… and being part of my community again brings back the light,” security consultant Jason Carr said, as per AFP. Others described the gathering as carrying a “beautiful energy” amid grief and anger.Meanwhile, Sydney remains on high alert. Police said they detained two carloads of men following a tip-off about a possible “violent act”, though no direct link to the Bondi attack has been established.Authorities are also investigating whether the accused were inspired by the Islamic State group, with Albanese saying intelligence agencies had identified online ISIS-linked material reinforcing that assessment.

India’s headcoach Gautam Gambhir with captain Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)

India’s first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has weighed in on the debate surrounding Gautam Gambhir’s working style, saying the role of a head coach in modern-day cricket is more about player management than hands-on coaching. Gambhir has faced growing criticism after India’s 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa, with questions raised over frequent player rotation and the use of part-time options. Speaking at the Indian Chamber of Commerce’s ICC Centenary Session on Thursday, Kapil suggested the very idea of a “coach” is often misunderstood in today’s game.

“Today the word ‘coach’ is used very loosely. Gautam Gambhir cannot really be a coach. He can be a manager of the team,” Kapil said. “When I talk about a coach, I think of the people who taught me in school and college. Those were my coaches.” Kapil explained that at the international level, specialist players do not need technical instruction from a head coach. “How can you be a coach when someone is already a leg-spinner or a wicketkeeper? How can Gautam coach a leg-spinner or a wicketkeeper?” he asked. Instead, Kapil stressed that the key responsibility lies in managing personalities and creating the right environment. “Management is more important. As a manager, you have to encourage players and make them believe they can do it. Young players look up to you,” he said. According to Kapil, a coach or captain’s biggest role is to provide comfort and reassurance. “The job is to give confidence to the team and always tell them, ‘you can do better’. That’s how I see it,” he added. Reflecting on his own leadership style, Kapil said he made a conscious effort to support players struggling for form. “If someone scores a hundred, I don’t need to have dinner with him,” he said. “I would rather spend time with those who are not performing.” Kapil emphasised that building confidence in underperforming players is crucial to team success. “You need to give them belief. As a captain, your role is not just about your own performance, but about keeping the team together,” he said.

Bangladesh descended into widespread unrest overnight after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent youth leader of the country’s 2024 pro-democracy uprising. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Dhaka late Thursday and early Friday, demanding justice for Hadi, who died in a Singapore hospital after succumbing to gunshot injuries sustained in an assassination attempt last week.Demonstrations spread from Dhaka to other parts of the country, with protesters attempting to march toward Indian diplomatic premises and attacking properties linked to the former ruling Awami League.

Anti-India slogans, protests rock Bangladesh

Protesters in the southwestern city of Rajshahi tried to march toward the office of a regional Indian diplomat, but police stopped the procession. Several videos on social media showed incident of stone pelting near Indian assistant High Commission office.In Dhaka on Wednesday, hundreds of demonstrators attempted to gather outside Indian diplomatic premises, including the residence of India’s deputy high commissioner, prompting police to use tear gas to disperse the crowd.Members of the National Citizen Party (NCP), a major offshoot of Students Against Discrimination (SAD), which led last year’s protests, joined the demonstrations, chanting anti-India slogans and alleging that Hadi’s assailants had fled to India after the killing. Protest leaders called on the interim government to shut the Indian High Commission until the suspects were returned.“The interim government, until India returns assassins of Hadi Bhai, the Indian High Commission to Bangladesh will remain closed. Now or Never. We are in a war!,” PTI quoted Sarjis Alm, a key leader of NCP, sayingMeanwhile, a parliamentary committee on external affairs called the current situation in the neighbouring nation “complex and evolving”.“The committee has been informed that the current situation in Bangladesh is complex and evolving. There is uncertainty regarding the schedule of democratic elections. The political events of August 2024 have created significant instability and uncertainty with incidents of violence, attacks and intimidation of minorities, tribal communities, media groups, intellectuals, journalists, academicians, etc., becoming the norm,” it said.

Media houses vandalised

Several buildings in the capital were set ablaze as the protests escalated, including offices housing the country’s two largest newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.Fire officials confirmed at least three incidents of arson, with journalists and staff trapped inside the buildings as firefighters battled the flames, according to media reports.“Several hundred demonstrators reached the Prothom Alo office around 11 pm and later surrounded the building,” PTI quoted a witness saying, who added that the protesters then set the Daily Star office on fire.

Awami League office torched

The violence quickly spread beyond the capital. Protesters torched an Awami League office in Rajshahi and vandalised properties linked to former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after being ousted in last year’s uprising. Demonstrators also blocked a key highway connecting Dhaka with Mymensingh and attacked the residence of a former minister in the southeastern city of Chittagong, according to local media footage.

Sharif Osman Hadi’s death fuel outrage

Hadi, 32, was a senior leader of the student-led platform Inqilab Mancha and a vocal critic of both Hasina. He was shot by masked assailants on December 12 while leaving a mosque in central Dhaka and was later airlifted to Singapore for advanced medical treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday. Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus described Hadi’s death as an “irreparable loss for the nation,” announced a day of mourning, and ordered special prayers nationwide. Police have launched a nationwide manhunt for the attackers, releasing photographs of two suspects and offering a reward of five million taka for information leading to their arrest, as authorities warned that the violence risked destabilising the fragile political transition.

NEW DELHI: Rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Thursday ‘VB-G Ram G’ bill improves substantially on MGNREGA, which was “riddled” by corruption and inefficiency, as Lok Sabha passed the draft law amid fierce protests from opposition. They demanded that bill be sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny and assailed govt for removing Mahatma Gandhi‘s name from rural employment guarantee scheme.As Chouhan began his reply after Congress MP KC Venugopal’s demand for sending Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Bill to the committee went unheeded, opposition members trooped into the well, tore its copies and continued their protest till the House passed the bill.Gandhi’s name wasn’t part of original 2005 law: Shivraj Singh ChouhanRejecting opposition’s criticism, including removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name, rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan turned to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s barbed attack on govt for its obsession with changing names and said if anyone suffered from such a proclivity it was Congress, as scores of places, schemes, awards and events were named after members of the Nehru-Gandhi family.There were 25 and 27 schemes in states named after Rajiv Gandhi & Indira Gandhi, while educational institutions named after Rajiv, Indira and Jawaharlal Nehru numbered 55, 21 and 22, respectively, he said, reeling out more data. Unruly protest by Congress MPs and tearing copies of the bill amounts to killing Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, Chouhan claimed, adding his (Gandhi’s) name was not part of the original 2005 legislation and added in 2009.He said the bill was brought after extensive deliberations as it was felt such massive amounts should not be spent on merely paying wages but used for creating permanent assets as well, while making the programme more transparent. Govt has allocated over Rs 1.5 lakh crore for the scheme and Centre’s share alone be over Rs 95,000 crore, he said. In remarks after the bill’s passage, he denounced opposition for its protest, saying it has turned democracy into “bheedtantra (mobocracy) and goondatantra (hooliganism)”.Rahul Gandhi, he said, has robbed his position of LoP with his conduct, including his current visit abroad when Parliament is discussing key legislations. On the criticism that the bill burdens states with 40% of expenditure, he said both Centre and states are responsible for development. MGNREGA had many shortcomings, some states at times were more interested in drawing funds from Centre and cutting down on their share in expenses of material. One ditch after another was dug up, he said.He told LS, “We have made provisions to improve employment. This vast amount of money will be used to build fully-developed villages,” he said, adding the central sector scheme will be used to ensure water security by creating ponds, irrigation channels and rural infrastructure. Speaker Om Birla said 99 MPs had spoken on the bill during the discussion that lasted eight hours.

TOI correspondent from London: Police and immigration officers conducted a dawn raid on a property belonging to one of Britain’s largest gurdwaras and arrested one man.The property, 11 Beaconsfield Road, is one of around eight properties belonging to Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall. The properties are meant to house staff serving the gurdwara and visiting preachers from India.The gurdwara executive committee confirmed the raid took place at 6.30am on Dec 16 and said that a person “not approved by the current committee”, but who was known to an employee of the gurdwara, was “detained and taken into custody by police”.Police have not confirmed what he was arrested for, but a member of the congregation told TOI an Indian-origin Sikh man was arrested for drugs and money laundering and that he is the son of a person who works at the gurdwara.“Police executed a search warrant for criminal activity and because the house was full of preachers, they had concerns about illegal immigrants, so the immigration service was then called. The police bashed down every door and detained everyone and handcuffed them while they were searched and checked,” he said. “There have been immigration raids in the past on gurdwara properties and illegals have been detained,” he said.The executive committee said it was undertaking a review of all its properties and “individuals not involved in Sabha-related activities and those without formal agreements” had been asked to vacate.One of its properties had been given by a former committee free of charge to Aasra Welfare UK, a women’s refuge which helps women and children fleeing domestic abuse, including those without legal status in the UK.Jaskaran Kaur Shergill, director of Aasra, said the committee had now asked her to return the keys but the three women and five children living there had nowhere to go. “They can’t evict people who are at risk,” she said.Gurdwara secretary Surinder Singh Dhatt said the refuge has been served notice as “we don’t know who is living there. We want to know who is living in each place and make sure there are no illegal immigrants”. He added the gurdwara had filed a complaint with the police about the raid. “They should have informed the gurdwara in advance. It has caused a lot of distress to everyone,” he said.