Counting of votes in Nepal's general election held on March 5 shows the party of rapper and ex-Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah on course to win a possible supermajority in parliament. The Rastriya Swatantra Party's (RSP) win would mark the first time in decades that a single party garners a majority in Nepal, which has a two-system format that makes it difficult for any one party to win outright. The snap election was held six months after deadly youth protests toppled the government in September 2025.

The RSP had won 125 of the 165 seats allocated through the first past the post (FPTP) system. The party is also likely to capture at least 58 of the 110 seats allocated through proportional representation (PR), according to the BBC's calculations based on the election commission's latest data and formula. This means the party could be just one seat short of securing a two-thirds majority in parliament.

The Lebanese parliament extended its term by two years due to the US-Israel war with Iran, which has pushed the region into an escalating conflict, and Israel stepped up its attacks on Lebanon following renewed strikes with the militant group Hezbollah. The Israeli military said Monday (Mar. 9) it was targeting Hezbollah's financial arm, al-Qard Al-Hasan, as its ground forces in Lebanon's south launched "focused raids" against what it called the group's infrastructure. Human Rights Watch has accused Israeli forces of using white phosphorus incendiary shells in strikes on residential areas in a Lebanese village in violation of international law.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it struck Israeli troops inside Lebanon with anti-tank missiles and that it fired a volley of rockets on the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona in retaliation for Israeli strikes on cities, towns and villages in Lebanon. The Lebanese government last week declared Hezbollah's military activities illegal and ordered the country's security forces to detain those who were behind the strikes on Israel.

China's exports jumped nearly 22% in the first two months of the year from a year earlier, powered by a surge in shipments of computer chips, autos and electronics. The export figures released by China's customs agency this week were much better than economists had forecast. They far exceeded the 6.6% annual pace of growth recorded in December. Shipments to the US fell 11% in January and February, narrowing from a 30% drop in December. Exports to the EU increased almost 28% while those to Latin America climbed 16%.

Exports to the rest of Asia were also sharply higher. China's exports have been a bright spot for its economy despite tensions with the US, climbing 5.5% in 2025 as its trade surplus surged to a record $1.2 trillion. Higher shipments to other regions have helped offset weaker exports to the US following Donald Trump's tariffs.

In a landmark ruling, India's Supreme Court allowed the removal of life support of a 31-year-old man who has been in a vegetative state for more than a decade. This is the first instance of court-approved passive euthanasia - the act of withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatment - in India. The man, Harish Rana, had not left a will specifying directives for his treatment before he had an accident. India legalised passive euthanasia in 2018 but active euthanasia - any act that intentionally helps a person kill themselves - remains illegal.

Rana suffered serious head injuries after falling from a fourth-floor balcony in 2013. He has remained in a comatose state since then. Rana's father, Ashok Rana, said in a statement that his family was grateful to the Supreme Court for its "humanitarian" judgement. Rana's case had sparked a debate in India around the ethics of court-approved passive euthanasia, with some noting that it goes against the principle of self-determination, which is the foundation of a living will.