President Donald Trump has compared the UFC structure being built at the White House to the Eiffel Tower and says he may "never, ever take it down".
The UFC is set to host an unprecedented show on the South Lawn of the home of the United States' leader in Washington DC on 14 June, to mark 250 years of American independence.
Construction has started, with workers assembling domed arches over a staging area which will become the octagon.
Trump says he may choose to leave the arena standing
Reuters Russian-backed authorities in the occupied region of Crimea in Ukraine say at least four people have been killed in the latest wave of Ukrainian strikes on the peninsula.
Three people were killed and seven wounded in one of the attacks on what were described as "non-residential facilities" in the regional capital, Simferopol. It appears to be the first attack resulting in fatalities there. Ukraine said they had hit a fuel depot.
In a separate
Think of it as being like a dinner party where the hosts are in the midst of a tense argument when you arrive.
Football fans travelling to North America for the continent's first co-hosted World Cup will find three host countries who have endured a tense time.
The tournament, which will take place across a sprawling 1
Getty Images A Nepali climbing guide thought to have died on Mount Everest has been found crawling down to Base Camp, six days after he was last seen alive.
Dawa Sherpa was last seen above Camp 3, at around 7,500m (24,600ft), while coming down the mountain after summiting.
Hopes for his survival were slim as the air at that altitude is thin - but on Thursday, a
Getty Images US President Donald Trump has said he will nominate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to take on the role permanently.
If confirmed by the Senate, Trump's former personal lawyer will become the administration's number one prosecutor on a continuing basis. The US attorney general is the top law enforcement position at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Blanche took on the interim role shortly after Trump removed Pam Bondi in April.
A loyal Trump ally, Blanche defended the president
AFP via Getty Images Government forces and opposition fighters have exchanged heavy gunfire in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, as a row over delays to elections has escalated.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term in office ended on 15 May but was extended by a year. The opposition said this was unconstitutional and called for protests on Thursday.
Gunfire was reported in several neighbourhoods of the capital and persisted throughout the night, according to accounts by residents.
Police said they were conducting
Getty Images A major Indian film workers' union has withdrawn its appeal asking members not to work with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh after his alleged abrupt exit from an upcoming film.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) issued the informal ban last month after the producers of Don 3 complained that Singh had quit the film just weeks before filming was set to begin.
The boycott withdrawal comes after Singh reportedly
Lin Chia-lung/Facebook In a first, China has banned four New Zealand Members of Parliament for a year over their visit to Taiwan, New Zealand's foreign ministry says.
The MPs learned of the ban - which the Chinese Embassy said could be reduced or waived with an apology - when they returned from the trip in May,