International

Balendra Shah was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal on 27 March 2026 at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, Kathmandu. He is the leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and was elected as the party’s parliamentary leader before assuming office. At 35 years, he became Nepal’s youngest elected Prime Minister and the first from the Madhes region to hold the post.

His party, RSP, achieved a landslide victory in the March 5, 2026 parliamentary elections, winning 182 out of 275 seats in the House of Representatives. The elections marked a major political shift, with voters favoring new leadership after Gen Z-led protests demanding change and anti-corruption reforms.

Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and former Kathmandu mayor, defeated former PM K. P. Sharma Oli in Jhapa-5 constituency, a traditional stronghold of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML).

Sweden officially joined North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on 7 March 2024, becoming the 32nd member of the military alliance. This historic move ended Sweden’s over 200-year policy of military non-alignment, which had been in place since the Napoleonic Wars.

Sweden formally completed the process by depositing its instrument of accession in Washington, D.C., thereby gaining the protection of NATO’s collective defense clause, Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members.

Founded on 4 April 1949, NATO is a military alliance headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, aimed at ensuring collective security among its member states. With Sweden’s accession, the alliance now includes 32 countries.

Sweden brings advanced armed forces, strong defense industries, and strategic expertise in the Arctic and Baltic regions, strengthening NATO’s northern flank. However, the expansion has also increased tensions with Russia, which has opposed NATO’s enlargement.

Overall, Sweden’s membership marks a major shift in European security policy and reinforces NATO’s position as the largest military alliance in the world.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow but vital waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is in the news in 2026 because Iran has closed it following US–Israel strikes, triggering a global oil and gas price surge. Iran controls the strait through its geographic position, military presence, and the ability of its Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to block or disrupt shipping.

🌍 What is the Strait of Hormuz?

• Location: Between Oman and Iran, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
• Width: Narrowest point is about 33 km wide.
• Importance: Around 20% of global oil trade passes through it daily, making it the world’s most critical energy chokepoint.
• Users: Oil tankers from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar rely on it to reach global markets.

📰 Why is it in the News (2026)?

• On 28 February 2026, US–Israel carried out strikes on Iran, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
• In retaliation, Iran announced closure of the Strait of Hormuz on 2 March 2026.
• Consequences:
  • Global oil and gas prices surged sharply.
  • Shipping disruptions: At least 11 merchant ships damaged, one tug sunk, and multiple casualties reported.
  • Regional spillover: Conflict spread into the Indian Ocean, forcing ships to reroute through longer, riskier paths.

🇮🇷 How Iran Controls the Strait

• Geographic Advantage: Iran borders the entire northern side of the strait, giving it natural dominance.
• Military Presence:
  • The IRGC Navy deploys fast attack boats, mines, and anti-ship missiles.
  • Over 150 tankers were anchored along the strait under Iranian orders in March 2026.
• Tactics Used:
  • Closure announcements backed by military enforcement.
  • GPS jamming and electronic warfare to disrupt navigation.
  • Threat of mining and missile strikes deters commercial shipping.
• Strategic Leverage: Iran uses control of the strait as a bargaining chip in geopolitical conflicts, knowing its closure impacts global energy markets.

TEHRAN — Iran’s Assembly of Experts has officially named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader. The 56-year-old cleric succeeds his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28, 2026, during joint United States and Israeli airstrikes targeting his compound in Tehran.

The appointment, announced shortly after midnight on March 9, marks the first time in the history of the Islamic Republic that power has passed from father to son.

• Assembly Decision: The 88-member Assembly of Experts selected Mojtaba following a “decisive vote”.
• Military Backing: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) immediately pledged “complete obedience and self-sacrifice” to the new leader.
• Immediate Action: Hours after the announcement, the IRGC launched a new wave of missiles toward Israel, with projectiles reportedly bearing the slogan “At Your Command, Sayyid Mojtaba”.

Early results of Nepal’s general elections held on 5 March 2026 indicate a major political shift, with Balen Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) heading toward a historic victory. According to the Election Commission of Nepal, the RSP has already won 18 seats and is leading in 99 of the 165 directly elected constituencies. If this trend continues, 35-year-old Balen Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and former Kathmandu mayor, could become Nepal’s youngest Prime Minister and lead the country’s first majority government in 27 years.

The elections were conducted for 275 parliamentary seats (165 First-Past-the-Post and 110 proportional representation), with a voter turnout of around 60%, the lowest since 1991. The polls were triggered by Gen Z protests in September 2025, which forced the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

Traditional parties such as the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are trailing significantly, each leading in only about 11 constituencies. Key campaign issues included anti-corruption measures, youth employment, and political reforms. The results are also being closely watched internationally, especially by India and China, due to Nepal’s strategic importance in the region.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s four-day visit to India (27 February–2 March 2026) marked a historic reset in India–Canada relations, ending nearly eight years without a bilateral PM-level visit. The trip signaled a clear move past years of diplomatic strain and laid the foundation for a more ambitious partnership.

The visit delivered major outcomes, led by a USD 2.6 billion, 10-year uranium supply agreement to support India’s civil nuclear energy program. Both sides agreed to fast-track CEPA negotiations, targeting completion by end-2026 and aiming to raise bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030. A Strategic Energy Partnership was launched to boost cooperation in clean energy, including solar, wind, and hydrogen.

In education and innovation, 13 university-level agreements were signed in areas such as AI, healthcare, and agriculture, with Canadian universities planning hybrid campuses in India. On security, a new Defence Dialogue was established, along with a trilateral MoU with Australia on technology and innovation.

Diplomatically, the visit marked a shift from the 2023 Nijjar-related crisis, with Canadian officials indicating no current linkage of the Indian government to violent acts in Canada. For Canada, the visit also supports economic diversification beyond the U.S. and aligns with its Indo-Pacific strategy, alongside stops in Australia and Japan.

Both leaders framed the trip as transformative—PM Carney calling it the start of a “new, more ambitious partnership,” and PM Modi describing bilateral ties as having made a “light-year leap.”

On March 1, 2026, Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a carried out on February 28, 2026. The strikes targeted his compound in central Tehran and other strategic locations across Iran.

The operation—called “Roaring Lion” by Israel and “Operation Epic Fury” by the U.S.—involved precision aerial bombardment. Along with Khamenei, several senior Iranian officials, including the IRGC chief and the Defence Minister, and members of his family were reportedly killed. After initial denials, Iran officially declared his death as “martyrdom” and announced 40 days of national mourning.

Global reactions were sharply divided. The U.S. and Israel publicly defended the strike as a justified blow against Iran’s leadership, while protests and mourning were reported among Shia communities in parts of India, including Lucknow, Kashmir, and Kargil.

Regionally, the situation escalated rapidly. Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israeli and U.S. targets across the Middle East. Global oil markets surged amid fears of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Politically, Iran formed an interim leadership council to govern until a new Supreme Leader is chosen by the Assembly of Experts.