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Donald Trump hosts a card of seven mixed martial arts fights to be held Sunday inside a specially built arena on the White House's South Lawn on his 80th birthday, a spectacle spotlighting his norm-defying ​style at a tense moment in his presidency.Seventeen ‌months into his second term in office, Trump has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of the US presidency to command attention ‌and project strength. His ⁠latest stage is the Ultimate Fighting Championship's ‌Octagon, the eight-sided cage erected within eyeshot of his White ‌House bedroom for the event titled "UFC Freedom 250." That is a reference to the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding next month. The event ⁠comes as Trump grapples with the four-month-old Iran war that has pushed consumer prices to a three-year high and, as shown in public opinion polls, unnerved many voters. It also coincides with his birthday and his efforts to counter perceptions that he is becoming a lame duck president.Tickets were not sold publicly. UFC offered some to guests paying more than $1 mn, according to a person familiar with the matter. A quarter of the audience will be military service members, according to the Trump administration.Trump asserted broad executive authority to stage a private company's ‌event on federal grounds, a break with norms ⁠that drew a legal challenge and ​raised concerns about the cost of the event and the potential for ethical conflicts. The UFC's parent company is ​publicly traded TKO Group Holdings. In a Reuters/Ipsos online poll of 4,531 US adults conducted June 3-8, just 16% said it was appropriate for Trump to hold the event. A judge declined on Friday to block the event in a legal challenge by plaintiffs who had argued that his administration exceeded its authority in staging it by, among other things, failing to get congressional authorisation.Trump has long been close with UFC Chief Executive Dana White and the Ellison family, whose Paramount has a $7.7 bn deal to air UFC fights until 2033.White has used the sport's popularity, particularly with younger men, to support Trump's campaigns dating back to his first run for the presidency in 2016.UFC has said it spent more than $60mn on the event and will not make a profit.In the run-up, Trump's trust purchased stock in TKO Group Holdings while a company that licenses the president's likeness marketed commemorative coins for as ‌much as $12,000. One of the event's sponsors, Crypto.com, previously partnered ‌with Trump Media & Technology Group.The White House has denied ⁠that any conflict of interest exists and said the Trump family manages the president's business affairs."The vast majority of Americans are not celebrating 250 years ⁠of America by watching a UFC fight," said Dan ⁠Rayburn, an independent streaming analyst. "This is really a private event."Trump has made sports a recurring feature of his presidency, weighing in on issues including transgender athletes and pay for college football players, and has attended a range of major sporting events.France delayed the Group of Seven summit, which starts on Monday, to accommodate Trump's attendance at the UFC event.About a fifth of Americans call themselves MMA fans. According to the findings of the Reuters/Ipsos poll, they do not have a particularly high opinion overall of Trump's job performance, with 45% approving and 55% disapproving. That exceeds his 35% ​approval rating among all Americans but is well below his 79% approval rating among Republicans.MMA fans skew male and tend to identify as more politically independent, with nearly half of those polled saying they do not identify with either party. About a third identified as Republicans and one in five as Democrats.The arena will provide an intimate setting for the bouts. Some fighters are expected to begin their walkout to the Octagon from the Oval Office and then pass through the Rose Garden or the West Wing colonnade. The arena is 20 rows deep on all sides. Noise from the sound system caroms off the facade of the White House's Truman Balcony, shaking the executive mansion's walls.Tens of thousands of people will be able to watch the fights on a big screen from a nearby park. Daytime temperatures exceeding 90 degrees ‌Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) are expected to cool ​by the evening, but the US National Weather Service forecasts rain and thunderstorms. The arena was not built with a roof. 

Workers in the US capital removed President Donald Trump's name from the facade of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Saturday, the venue announced, after a federal judge ruled that its renaming was unlawful.In a legal filing, the center's Executive Director Matt Floca said it had "removed all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds" containing Trump's name.Around noon Washington time, the sign on the building's exterior was still covered by a white tarp put up as work was being conducted to remove Trump's name.Earlier, loud noise echoed from beneath the cover, as morning joggers stopped briefly in front of the venue to watch the work.The effort came after a judge rejected a last-minute bid by the center's board to halt the removal of Trump's name, marking a setback for the president's broader push since returning to the White House to place his name and image in official spaces — an abrupt break with American political tradition.**media[457239]**An eager crowd had gathered outside the arts center Friday night, cheering occasionally as workers erected scaffolding to take down the signage. Thousands monitored from afar via livestream, too, awaiting the moment when Trump's name would be torn from the wall.The work was delayed by "thunderstorms which presented safety concerns to workers" and was expected to be completed "in the early hours of the morning," Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca said in a statement.US District Judge Christopher Cooper, in a ruling last month, had ordered Trump's name taken off the iconic building in Washington by Friday.Cooper said in his May 29 ruling that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts had been illegally renamed after Trump and only Congress has the right to change its name.**media[457240]**He gave the administration 14 days to remove Trump's name from the marble facade and any materials linked to the venue.The Kennedy Center dropped Trump's name from the website of the institution earlier this week.On Friday, Cooper rejected a last-minute appeal by the center's board to stay his ruling, prompting the center to request a 12-hour extension of the deadline to remove the signage.The judge turned down the request, saying the public interest "is rarely served by the 'perpetuation' of 'unlawful' governmental action."Cooper has also issued a temporary block on Trump's demand to close the Kennedy Center for two years of renovations, which was due to start in July.A furious Trump reacted by saying he was giving up control of the venue, which he seized at the start of his second term last year by naming himself chairman.The center's governing board, which Trump stacked with loyalists, voted to rename the venue the "Trump Kennedy Center" in December and the Republican president's full name was added to the facade in large, all-capital letters above that of Kennedy.**media[457238]**A number of artists canceled scheduled performances following the move.The now-defunct US Institute of Peace was renamed after Trump, and his face stares down from huge banners outside the Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture.The Trump administration is also seeking to have his image on a $250 bill to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence from Britain. 

A federal judge in Washington has been asked to block President Donald Trump’s plan to host an Ultimate ‌Fighting Championship mixed martial arts bout ​at the White House ‌next week and to halt construction ‌of ⁠the metal arena ‌structure called "the Claw" on ‌the South Lawn of the iconic executive residence.Two Washington-area ⁠residents in a court filing on Sunday asked US District Judge Amit Mehta to issue a temporary restraining order halting the event, scheduled to coincide with Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14.Mehta Monday asked the lawyers in ​the case to propose a schedule to hear the emergency request.Dubbed "UFC Freedom 250", the event is set to ‌feature fighting inside the 92-foot-tall (28 ⁠meters), octagon-shaped cage ​with weigh-ins at the nearby Lincoln ​Memorial.The lawsuit, filed on Saturday, alleges that authorization of the program by the National Park Service and Interior Department was unlawful and should be set aside."This nation’s public monuments should not be loaned out for private exploitation,” the plaintiffs said.In a statement, the White House called the case an "obstructionist, baseless, and ‌dilatory lawsuit” and ‌said the event "is no different ⁠than the various other White House-hosted events on ⁠the South ⁠Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year.”The lawsuit contends the event violates rules barring sporting events on the South Lawn and at the Lincoln Memorial, and that construction ​of the large arena structure requires congressional authorization.Trump is facing other lawsuits over construction projects on the White House and elsewhere in the capital, including his plan to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing, and his proposal to renovate and close The John F. ‌Kennedy Center ​for the Performing Arts. 

The accompanying activities of the 35th Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) continued to attract a wider audience with a wide range of cultural, artistic, and social initiatives, highlighting the fair’s expanding role as a literary and community engagement platform.Among the most prominent features were the “Liwan Art” workshops, which saw sustained and growing attendance, particularly on weekends. These workshops drew large numbers of visitors in an interactive environment that combined artistic practice with cultural expression, blending traditional heritage with modern creative approaches. The high turnout, especially in the evenings, reflected increased public interest in hands-on cultural experiences that allow direct participation rather than passive observation. **media[449027]**The “Liwan Art” workshops became one of the key attractions of the fair due to their diversity and accessibility, appealing to families, children, and young adults. Activities included traditional crafts, visual arts, and contemporary experimental forms, all of which encouraged creativity and engagement.A notable highlight was the mosaic workshop, which attracted significant attention due to its technical nature and the longer completion time, typically ranging from one and a half to two hours per piece. This extended duration enabled participants to immerse themselves in the artistic process, fostering patience, focus, and deeper creative involvement. The workshops, as a whole, operated in a continuously active environment, with sustained visitor flow creating a vibrant, dynamic atmosphere throughout the day. **media[449026]**The fair also hosted an important seminar titled “The Family as a Protective Shield for Children,” held on the main stage of DIBF. The session brought together specialists in family counselling, legal protection, and community security to discuss the family's role in safeguarding children and strengthening social stability. Participants emphasised that the family represents the first line of defence in protecting children from social and digital risks, and stressed the importance of co-ordination between security institutions and civil society organisations to address evolving societal challenges.  **media[449025]**The discussion featured contributions from representatives of key institutions, including Wifaq Family Consulting Centre, the Social Protection and Rehabilitation Centre (Aman), and the community policing officials. The representative from Wifaq highlighted the centre’s continued participation in the book fair through awareness initiatives and research activities, with a focus on the role of family counselling in preventing marital disputes and family breakdown.The approach outlined included preventive measures to be implemented before conflicts arise, therapeutic interventions during disputes, and developmental support for ongoing family education and awareness. The importance of preparatory programmes for newly married couples was also emphasised as a key preventive strategy to reduce future family problems. **media[449024]**Accordingly, Aman presented its operational framework for handling cases of abuse, neglect, and family-related risks, stressing strict confidentiality procedures and secure reporting channels, including digital platforms. The centre explained that a multidisciplinary team of legal, psychological, and social specialists assesses each case to determine the appropriate level of intervention, which may include legal action, psychological support, or social services depending on the severity of the situation. **media[449023]**The Community policing representatives further highlighted the importance of shared responsibility in maintaining security and social stability, stressing that effective protection of families requires co-operation between government bodies, civil society institutions, and individuals. **media[449022]** They outlined ongoing efforts to raise awareness, prevent social problems, and protect children from digital threats, cybercrime, and behavioural risks through targeted programmes and partnerships. The discussion also pointed to the need for continuous development of legal frameworks and social policies to keep pace with rapid technological and societal changes. 

His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani paid his first visit to the headquarters of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in Kuwait Sunday as President. He chaired the 108th meeting of the OCA Executive Board, where the minutes of the previous meeting, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on January 26, were approved. The Executive Board members also discussed upcoming 2026 Asian Games, including the 2028 Asian Beach Games in the Philippines and the 2030 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Mongolia.**media[417545]**They were also briefed on the latest developments regarding the Afro-Asian Cultural Summit scheduled for March 28 in Kuwait. Sheikh Joaan met with OCA staff and thanked them for their efforts, saying: “I am delighted to be here at the OCA headquarters today. We have a strong team, and each and every one of you is a part of that team. Your hard work is appreciated, especially over the past few years.” He continued: “We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we look forward to achieving even more. We have three Asian Games in 2026, and as the new president, I am confident that everyone here will contribute their expertise to working with all the National Olympic Committees. We have a strong team, but we need to strengthen it further to overcome future challenges together.” 

Katara Arts Centre (KAC) has been hosting the works of three contemporary artists, presenting art lovers and enthusiasts with remarkable pieces that reflect unique approaches blending modernity with tradition and heritage. The exhibitions, running until February 28, are open daily to the public from 11am to 9pm.**media[410009]**The featured works include 25 portrait paintings by Qatari artist Khalid Bumatar, titled “(Faces 2)”; a collection of the works of Qatari artist Asma Sami, titled “What Remains Familiar”; and a collection of the works of Iranian-born artist Hilva Alizadeh, titled “Singing in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon”.**media[410010]**KAC founder and director Tariq al-Jaidah stressed the importance of these three art exhibitions as they represent three different schools. For instance, he said, Bumatar is considered a naturalist and self-taught artist with a unique style that blends heritage with modern perspectives, while Sami is a practising artist committed to featuring local tradition, culture and everyday life, evolving them into new forms and compositions.**media[410011]**Alizadeh is considered an international artist with a unique approach to representing Persian miniatures in lively designs using vibrant tapestries of synthetic hair.**media[410012]**Al-Jaidah said that the artistic scene and movements in Qatar are witnessing a great revival as the concerned entities. Those in charge of culture and arts in the country give great attention to promoting arts and artists, especially emerging Qatari artists, and offer them all the due support, in addition to encouraging them to be active participants locally, regionally and internationally. However, al-Jaidah said that all artists are welcome in Qatar, and they are also offered the due support and encouragement to develop and display their work.**media[410013]**Bumatar said that he had always been drawing and creating new works but only started to take part in exhibitions after his early retirement. He sees great potential in exploring the various angles of human faces and draws them from different perspectives with various unique and expressive postures. All his portraits feature intrinsic element of the original Qatari heritage, culture and traditions with lively faces that give the viewers ample areas of interpretation.**media[410014]**Bumatar said that the arts and culture atmosphere and environment in Qatar have been very encouraging for artists and innovators, stressing that such a positive approach at both the popular and official levels encourages artists, Qataris, and others to further exercise their creativity and produce original and diverse works. He added that this is his second solo exhibition, and that he is ready to collaborate with the relevant entities to participate in both local and international exhibitions.**media[410015]**The artist also said the artistic movement in Qatar has been witnessing an unprecedented boom, with multiple museums, galleries, display halls, and specialised arts events all year round.**media[410019]**True gift and talent, Bumatar added, would certainly prevail and produce authentic art in the age of modern technology, as such technology can be utilised to spread that creativity and reach a wider audience.**media[410016]**Sami meanwhile said that she focuses on various elements of local heritage and culture, using them as symbols to capture moments of nostalgia. In this exhibition, she has 17 different paintings with such focus.**media[410017]**Alizadeh said that he is happy to display his works in Doha, adding that Doha is an excellent position to be a global hub for innovative arts and artists from around the world. He noted that the overall artistic scene in Qatar is very encouraging and promising of greater potential. 

The Fire Station Artist in Residence (AIR) is hosting artists participating in the current edition of its Intensive Arts Study Programme.The artists are continuing their creative work within the artist residency programme, as part of a comprehensive educational and artistic experience, culminating in a final exhibition in October 2026.The programme selected 23 artists from among the 996 applications submitted in this edition, reflecting a high level of interest and the programme's prominent standing as one of the leading initiatives supporting contemporary arts in Qatar.The Intensive Arts Study Programme is an annual initiative held at the Fire Station. It is open to artists of all nationalities, offering an intensive curriculum that combines practical work in studios, specialised workshops, seminars, group critique sessions, and lectures delivered by artists, curators, and thinkers from around the world.Through this blend of artistic practice, theoretical reflection, and critical discussion, the programme aims to develop traditional art education methods, empowering artists to deepen their creative and critical perspectives and engage with contemporary artistic issues.The programme represents a pivotal point for emerging visual artists, providing them with an immersive, multidisciplinary artistic environment that contributes to refining their technical skills, enriching their intellectual methodologies, and broadening the horizons of their creative practices within a supportive and stimulating professional context.The programme is part of Qatar Museums' vision to establish the country as a global hub for artistic innovation and cultural dialogue by supporting emerging talent and fostering knowledge and cultural exchange.Throughout the year, the programme features international instructors and experts who deliver public lectures and open discussions, contributing to the revitalisation of the local art scene and enhancing engagement with the public.The current edition of the Intensive Art Study Programme is scheduled to culminate in a final exhibition in October 2026, showcasing the artistic experiences and projects developed by the participating artists during their residency at the Fire Station. 

The Gulf Studies Centre at College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University (QU), organised the 10th edition of its annual multidisciplinary conference, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and experts from academic institutions across the Gulf region and beyond.Under the theme ‘Bridging Tradition and Progress’, this year’s conference featured more than 10 speakers from QU and other regional and international universities, including Kuwait University, Abu Dhabi University, Bahrain University, Lebanese University, Colombia University, Oxford University, and the University of Edinburgh, in addition to experts from Unesco.Through seven specialised academic sessions, participants discussed topics related to family, artificial intelligence (AI), cultural diplomacy, law, language, and other issues connected to social transformations in the region.The sessions addressed themes related to national identity amid globalisation, the role of the family in social and economic development, and the relationship between modernisation and cultural continuity.The discussions highlighted the challenges faced by Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries as they work to balance modernisation requirements with the preservation of heritage and social traditions.In her remarks, Dr Fatima Ali al-Kubaisi, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at QU, noted that culture, national identity, and the role of the family form essential pillars of national development, making the integration of cultural discourse into development strategies a necessity across the region. She said the college’s commitment to expanding research efforts focused on national identity in the context of rapid global change. She added that the conference deepens understanding of developmental trajectories in Gulf societies and strengthens the exchange of expertise while drawing on international models in identity and cultural studies.This, she said, reinforces QU’s standing as a leading research destination in the region. Dr Maryam al-Kuwari, director of the Gulf Studies Centre at QU, noted that the conference themes address a wide range of issues, including national identity in the context of globalisation, the role of the family in social and economic development, and the relationship between modernisation and cultural continuity.

Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Lawh Wa Qalam: M F Husain Museum, set to open on November 28, will be the newest addition to Education City’s vibrant arts scene. Dedicated to the life and work of the renowned Maqbool Fida Husain, the museum will bring the pioneering modern artist’s creativity to life through multimedia storytelling and diverse art forms including paintings, films, tapestry, and photography.**media[380673]**Seeroo Fi Al Ardh – Husain’s final masterpiece, opened at Education City in 2019 – will now form part of Lawh Wa Qalam: M F Husain Museum. It highlights the progress of humanity, and its inclination to utilise the surrounding resources to achieve its goals.Alongside Lawh Wa Qalam: M F Husain Museum, QF has over 100 artworks within its portfolio of public art, all open for everyone to experience and enjoy.Here are other inspiring artworks, installations, and places at Education City where you can explore art, culture, and creativity: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to modern and contemporary art of the Arab world. Currently celebrating its 15-year anniversary, exhibitions include we refuse_d, which sees artists explore tensions between resilience and action.**media[380670]**Al Azzm is a sculpture within Education City which symbolises the determination of Qatari women, while also embodying Qatari culture and traditions and the resilience of the nation.Come Together, a public art installation designed by South Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa, pays tribute to Qatar’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The structure, resembling a dandelion, is made up of workers’ helmets, mirror balls, and traditional Qatari kitchenware.The Media Majlis at Northwestern University in Qatar, a QF partner university, is the first museum in the Arab world dedicated to discussing and examining the content of media, journalism, and communication.Georgetown University in Qatar, a QF partner university, houses a panel of the Berlin Wall, which was brought to the country by Qatar Museums under the Qatar-Germany 2017 Year of Culture, as part of its Public Art Programme. The panel, reinforced with steel bars, is covered in spray painted graffiti that conveys messages of hope, freedom, and change.Damien Hirst’s The Miraculous Journey, which stands outside QF’s women’s and children’s hospital Sidra Medicine, is a series of 14 monumental bronze sculptures that chronicle the gestation of a foetus inside a uterus, from conception to birth.**media[380672]**Louise Bourgeois’ 1999 Maman, housed in Qatar National Convention Centre, is a bronze, stainless steel, and marble sculpture which depicts a spider, and – standing at over 30ft high and over 33ft wide - is among the largest sculptures in the world.

The $55bn take-private of Electronic Arts Inc has evoked several superlatives, including being heralded as the biggest leveraged buyout of all time. Part of that list is JPMorgan Chase & Co’s $20bn of financing — the largest debt commitment ever by a single bank for such a deal.It marks the biggest win yet for Wall Street lenders that have sought to fend off the $1.7tn private credit industry from financing such transactions, which carry some of the juiciest fees in the debt-underwriting business.JPMorgan made the commitment through its leveraged-finance arm, not its private credit strategy, and the biggest US bank is expected to share the risk with rival firms to create a global syndicate of underwriters, according to people familiar with the deal. The debt — expected to be rated in the single-B range — is set to be sold through high-yield bonds and leveraged loans in a cross-border, dual-currency transaction, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential details.The final structure of the sale will depend on market conditions at the time of the launch, the people said.Normally, the buying and selling of companies by private equity firms drives a significant amount of activity in the leveraged-finance debt markets. But these deals have remained muted ever since the Federal Reserve began hiking rates in early 2022.That left investors clamouring for new deals — particularly big-ticket mergers and acquisitions such as Electronic Arts — beyond the refinancing efforts dominating the market that often recycle existing debt into lower margins, sometimes repeatedly.At the heart of the demand for new paper are collateralised loan obligations — the largest buyers of leveraged loans. The rapid creation of CLOs, which package sub-investment grade loans into bonds, is driving demand for debt deals even higher.US-based CLO exchange-traded funds welcomed $674mn of inflows last week, well above the weekly average $446mn recorded over the past year, according to JPMorgan research published on Monday.“The key element, or the connective tissue we need to produce net new issuance, is M&A,” said Tal Reback, global investment strategist at KKR & Co’s credit and markets business. “There is pent-up demand and fleeting opportunities to go to market. But there is a pipeline in the works.”Evidence of that started to emerge in recent weeks. A group of banks led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc launched a $5.5bn leveraged loan to help finance Thoma Bravo’s acquisition of human-resources software provider Dayforce Inc. And the home-care business of Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc raised almost $2.4bn of debt to support its carveout to Advent International.Advent’s deal isn’t just attracting typical CLO buyers for its term loans but also interest from Middle Eastern, Asian and smaller European banks that look set to buy up to $700mn of it.While the desire for a headline deal exists, the last big leveraged buyout was for Elon Musk’s $44bn acquisition of Twitter Inc. in 2022. That left a group of banks led by Morgan Stanley stuck with about $13bn of debt, and it took until this year for them to finally move that off their balance sheets.Separately, credit markets are dealing with two sudden distressed situations that took investors by surprise. Auto-parts supplier First Brands Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Tricolor Holdings, a used-car seller and subprime lender, filed to liquidate, leaving lenders facing potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of losses.EA is being taken private by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake Management and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners in a deal announced Monday. Representatives for JPMorgan, Silver Lake, PIF and Affinity Partners declined to comment. A spokesperson for EA didn’t reply to requests for comment.The jumbo deal is a welcome development for the broader private equity industry, which has been grappling with a prolonged deal drought, limiting its ability to return capital to investors, according to Jake Mincemoyer, global co-head of debt finance at law firm A&O Shearman.“That flywheel is not fully spinning yet,” Mincemoyer said, referring to a rebound in mergers and acquisitions. “The whole ecosystem needs to start trading assets again.”The debt commitment is made up of $18bn that’s expected to be funded at closing, according to a statement, and $2bn that will be in the form of a liquidity facility, the people familiar with the deal said.