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KYIV: France pledged Monday to sell up to 100 Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine in a show of European support as the Trump administration has limited its military backing for the country. The agreement, which includes a range of French defence equipment in addition to the warplanes, will have a limited immediate effect on Ukraine's war against Russia. The timeline for delivering the systems extends to 2035.But the deal, which came weeks after Sweden agreed to sell up to 150 fighter jets to Ukraine, signalled a determination by Europe to help defend Ukraine against long-term threats from Russia.President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who was in France to meet with the French president Monday, said that the agreement was “truly historic for both our nations.”French President Emmanuel Macron called the deal an important step toward bringing the French and Ukrainian defence industries closer together as Ukraine's sovereignty is challenged by Russia's “imperialist and, frankly,..

NEW DELHI: Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia Monday for the violent 2024 student crackdown by a special tribunal in a verdict that she described as a foregone conclusion. Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus hailed the verdict, saying no one is above the law.Hasina had told TOI earlier the tribunal was a deflection tactic by political adversaries.India responded to Hasina’s sentencing with caution, saying it had taken note of the verdict of the ‘International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh’, and, as a close neighbour, remained committed to the best interests of the people of Bangladesh, including in peace, democracy, inclusion and stability in that country.“We will always engage constructively with all stakeholders to that end,’’ said the external affairs ministry, giving nothing away on Dhaka’s renewal of its demand, immediately after the sentencing, to extradite the deposed PM who remains in India. 2013 treaty with Dhaka states extradition can be refused if..

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyRoar trip: Singapore football fans land in Hong Kong for historic Asian Cup clash2,000 Singaporeans expected to turn up for winner-takes-all qualifier against hosts at Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday night
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPLo Hoi-yingandJiang ChuqinPublished: 8:30am, 18 Nov 2025Hundreds of Singaporean football fans have flown into Hong Kong for what some call the city state’s biggest football match when the Lions take on the hosts on Tuesday for a place at the 2027 Asian Cup.
Advertisement“Singapore has not qualified for the Asian Cup since 1984, when we hosted the games,” said Chue Guo-xian, who works in the sports industry. “So this is probably the biggest match in our national team’s history.”
Chue, who is in his late thirties, said he would be gearing up for Tuesday’s qualifier, carrying a large national flag and wearing the jersey of the national team, also known as the Lions.
He and his wife plan to stay in the c..

AdvertisementSouth KoreaAsiaSoutheast AsiaSouth Korea indicts Japanese woman for forcibly kissing BTS’ JinThe suspect, who kissed the K-pop star without consent at an event in Seoul last year, was charged with indecent assault
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPThe Korea TimesPublished: 8:13am, 18 Nov 2025A Japanese woman in her 50s has been indicted without detention for forcing a kiss on Jin of BTS during a public fan event last year.AdvertisementThe Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office said that the suspect was charged on Monday with indecent assault.
She is accused of approaching Jin (real name Kim Seok-jin) during a fan meeting held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul’s Songpa district in June last year, shortly after he completed his military service. She forced a kiss on Jin’s cheek without consent.
A photo showing Jin pulling away as if in discomfort spread online.
Following the incident, several fans filed complaints through the National Petition System, accusing h..

President Donald Trump has said Americans could see $2,000 tariff dividend checks in 2026, but no exact date has been set yet, although he hinted at the timeline.The payments are expected to come from revenue raised through tariffs.Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said the checks will not arrive in time for the Christmas shopping season. “It will be next year. The tariffs allow us to give a dividend. We’re going to do a dividend and we’re also going to be reducing debt,” he said.The MAGA chief first floated the idea of tariff dividends earlier this month, suggesting that high-income earners would be excluded, though he did not define a specific income threshold. Trump said his Truth Social platform, “A dividend of at $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone. Those against the tariffs are FOOLS!” Rebate for families making less than $100,000
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained last week that the administration was stil..