Why Trump’s decision to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia has raised eyebrows

View in browser The News Explained 18, Nov 2025

Hello, readers. We are back with your much-needed daily dose of news. All eyes are on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today. He will be meeting US President Donald Trump at the White House. This will be MBS's first trip to the US since the killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. So what can we expect from this visit? We explain this and more in today's edition of the Firstpost newsletter, "The News Explained". Here are the other stories you must not miss: India's dilemma on Sheikh Hasina's extradition The encounter of the top Moaist leader, Madvi Hidma Narayana Murthy backs 72-hour work week… once again Why the US selling F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia is controversial President Donald Trump said he will sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visits Washington. The proposal is highly contentious as it brings into focus many concerns, like Israel's security guarantees in the region and China's rising Gulf influence Read Full Article India's Sheikh Hasina dilemma: Can New Delhi ignore Dhaka's request to extradite ex-PM? A special tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity linked to the 2024 student uprising. With Hasina living in exile in India since August last year, Dhaka is pressuring New Delhi for her extradition, turning the verdict into a major diplomatic test for the neighbours Read Full Article How Gazans are arriving on mystery flights in South Africa, paying Rs 1.77 lakh per seat Officials in South Africa were caught off guard last week after a plane full of Palestinians, many without appropriate travel documents, landed in Johannesburg via Nairobi. The plane was kept on the runway for 12 hours while authorities investigated. But who is ferrying Gazans out of Gaza? Read Full Article Madvi Hidma killed: How top Maoist commander, who evaded security forces for years, was killed in 4 hours Madvi Hidma, the commander of the Maoists Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion 1, was killed by security forces in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday (November 18) morning, along with his wife and four others. The Maoist leader, a tribal born in a remote village in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, is believed to be behind at least 26 attacks on security forces over the years. He carried a bounty exceeding Rs 1 crore but remained out of the forces' bounds until now Read Full Article What is China's gruelling 9-9-6 work system that Narayana Murthy has endorsed? Infosys founder Narayana Murthy has once again sparked debate with his views on work-life balance and long working hours. Backing his call for the 72-hour work week, the billionaire pointed to China's infamous '9-9-6' work routine as an example of the kind of commitment he believes young Indians may need to show to move faster on the global stage Read Full Article

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