Asia News Wrap: BNP wins Bangladesh election, and more

Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.

BNP wins Bangladesh election, Tarique Rahman likely to be PM

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) crossed the halfway mark in Friday's parliamentary election, according to a local TV station, as ballots were counted in a pivotal vote expected to restore political stability in the country. BNP chairman Rahman, who won both constituencies he contested, is likely to be chosen to lead the country. 

Bangladeshis lined up outside polling booths on Thursday as voting proceeded in a pivotal election following the 2024 ouster of longtime premier Sheikh Hasina. Hasina's Awami League was banned, and she remains in self‑imposed exile. "This election is not just another routine vote," Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim government, said this week. Alongside the elections, a national referendum was also held. The referendum focused on implementing the "July Charter," drafted after the 2024 uprising to establish good governance, democracy and social justice through institutional reforms.

India tightens grip on social media with new three-hour rule

India's government said on Tuesday that social media companies must take down unlawful content within three hours of being notified, tightening an earlier 36-hour timeline that could pose a compliance challenge for Meta, YouTube and X. 

The changes amend India's 2021 IT rules, which have already been a flashpoint between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and global technology companies. The new regulations will take effect on February 20. 

Japan restarts world's biggest nuclear power plant

Japan switched on the world's largest nuclear power plant again on Monday, after an earlier attempt was quickly suspended due to a glitch. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in the Niigata region restarted at 2 p.m., Tokyo Electric Power Company said. 

A January alarm glitch forced the suspension of its first restart since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The facility had been offline since Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after a colossal earthquake and tsunami sent three reactors at the Fukushima atomic plant into meltdown. However, Japan is now turning to nuclear energy to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and meet growing energy needs. Commercial operation will begin on or after March 18, following another comprehensive inspection.

Kites fill Lahore skies as festival returns after 18-year ban

Extravagantly colored kites flew over Lahore, and cries of victory rang out from rooftops on Friday, February 6, as the city celebrated the lifting of an 18-year ban on a spectacular three-day traditional Punjabi kite-flying festival. The Basant, a festival marking the onset of spring, was banned in 2008 after deaths and injuries to motorcyclists and pedestrians caused by stray kite strings – sometimes coated with metal to make them more fearsome in mid-air battles.

The ban was lifted in response to public demand, and this year's festival kicked off at midnight, with Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari flying the first kite.

Members of the Philippine clergy filed an impeachment complaint on Monday against Vice President Sara Duterte, the third such complaint in just over a week. 

The daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in 2025, but the country's Supreme Court dismissed the case on procedural grounds. Under the Philippine Constitution, impeachment triggers a Senate trial. A guilty verdict would bar Duterte from politics and sideline her from a potential 2028 presidential run. The filing alleges that the vice president defrauded taxpayers of at least $8.5 million while in office.

(Cover: Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, waves as he emerges from the polling station after casting his vote in the national parliamentary elections, Dhaka, Bangladesh, February 12, 2026. /CFP)