Nepali rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah’s centrist party heads for landslide election win
The Straits Times
The vote was the first since deadly September 2025 youth anti-corruption protests toppled the government. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Kathmandu - Nepal’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah has secured a majority in direct parliamentary elections, and is heading for a landslide win.
The 35-year-old’s party is also leading in the proportional representation vote, according to results declared and election commission trends.
The vote was the first since deadly September 2025 youth anti-corruption protests toppled the government.
Mr Shah himself on March 7 won the seat held by veteran four-time prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli – whose Marxist-led government was ousted in the violence in 2025.
His victory over the 74-year-old and his rise from the capital’s mayor to potential prime minister marks one of the most dramatic results in recent Nepali politics.
The September 2025 youth-led demonstrations, under a loose Gen-Z banner, began over a brief social media ban but quickly tapped into broader grievances over corruption and a struggling economy.
WASHINGTON, March 17 - President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States had been informed by most of its NATO allies that they did not want to get involved with the country's military operation in Iran, a move he described as a \"very foolish mistake\". Read more at straitstimes.com.
ROME, March 17 - Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has turned to an unlikely platform in her push for a 'yes' vote in next week's justice referendum, joining an irreverent podcast hosted by a popular rapper in a bid to reach younger voters. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The seized tankers, Asphalt Star, Al Jafzia and Stellar Ruby, are currently docked off Mumbai. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PARIS, March 17 - President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday France would never take part in operations to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, pushing back on comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that Paris was willing to help. Read more at straitstimes.com.
ANKARA, March 17 - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that Turkey is ready to host the next round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, during a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, Turkey's foreign ministry said. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BERLIN, March 17 - More than 36,000 Palestinians in the West Bank were forcibly displaced over a year by Israeli settlement expansion and associated violence, the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Hungary was blocking a loan to Ukraine over the pipeline outage, which was caused by a Russian attack. Read more at straitstimes.com.
SARAJEVO, March 17 - Slovenia's prime minister on Tuesday accused \"foreign services\" of interfering in Sunday's election after a report alleged officials from Israeli private spy firm Black Cube visited the country in December and met the main opposition contender. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Trump cited the Iran war for the delay, a reason analysts said Beijing can accept publicly, even if scepticism remains. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Mr Kent said in a statement on X that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BRUSSELS, March 17 - A Brussels court on Tuesday ordered a former high-profile Belgian diplomat to stand trial over the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of Congo, in a final attempt to shed light on the still murky circumstances surrounding his murder. Read more at straitstimes.com.
AMSTERDAM, March 17 - The Netherlands is investigating whether Iran was involved in the attack on a Rotterdam synagogue on Friday, Justice Minister David van Weel has said, adding that the suspects apprehended for the attack had most likely been recruited. Read more at straitstimes.com.
MOSCOW, March 17 - Russia said it had unwavering solidarity with Cuba on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he expected to have the honour of \"taking Cuba\" and that \"I can do anything I want\" with the Communist-run island republic. Read more at straitstimes.com.