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The Greater Middle East is a ticking time bomb. Generations in war-wracked Palestine, Syria, and Yemen have little, if anything, to look forward to. Moreover, discontent is mounting and could explode anytime in countries like Jordan, Egypt, and Iran.

In the highly polarized Presidential elections in America scheduled in November this year, the announcement by Robert Kennedy Jr. has caused a slight jolt to the prospects of the Democratic Party nominee President Joe Biden. If the anti-MAGA majority is united and votes strategically in the 2024 elections, Biden can defeat Trump in a head-to-head matchup, and Democrats could gain Congressional majorities. The GOP/MAGA leaders know this well. One essential strategy to defeat Biden is propping up third-party campaigns to split the anti-MAGA coalition. With Kennedy Jr. contesting against the Democratic nominee, that possibility is there.

Delhi High Court’s remark on the third plea, after rejection of the two earlier, seeking removal of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is significant. The petitioner deserved to have “heavy costs” imposed on him since the petition was filed for “publicity”. The earlier two pleas were already rejected since an elected chief minister has right to rule even from behind the bar, much to the chagrin of the Union Government led by PM Narendra Modi that has made Arvind Kejriwal a detenu on charges of money laundering.

In Bihar, a resurgent left has been primarily responsible for catching the imagination of the proletariat, dalit, EBC and Muslims and motivate them to rally behind the secular Mahagathbandhan in 2020 assembly election, notwithstanding the RJD claim of being the face of the backwards and downtrodden in the state. The combined Left, comprising CPI(ML), CPI and CPI(M), had won 16 of the 29 seats they had jointly contested in 2019. CPI and CPM contested six and four seats and won two each. CPI(ML) was the biggest gainer, winning 12 out of 19 seats it contested.

The Supreme Court’s order on April 5 granting bail to former Nagpur University professor Dr. Shoma Sen in the Bhima Koregaon case is a blatant exposure of how the National Investigation Agency of the centre keeps people undertrial for years even after failing to produce any worthwhile documents which will vindicate the accusations in the Court.

The allegation is the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies "cheated their way" to power and then left Maharashtra in shambles. How much did the subterfuge to bring down the Maha Vikas Aghadi cost Maharashtra is another question. The Congress is asking this though the question can be redirected to Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray who started the cheating rigmarole by scrapping the alliance with the BJP and joining the Congress and the then unified NCP led by Sharad Pawar to form government.

Assam Chief Minister Mr Himanta Biswa Sarma leads a charmed life : confounding his numerous opponents, the operationalisation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has hardly raised a ripple in the state so far.

On February 7, one day before Pakistan was set to have its national elections, there were two bomb explosions near where political candidates have their offices in Balochistan. These bombs killed at least 24 people. So far, no one has said they are the ones who did it.

Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau of the Liberal Party and the opposition leader Pierre Poilievre of the Conservative Party are giving poll speeches and interviews for the Canadian Federal Elections, expected to be held before 20 October 2024. However, the Chinese social media app WeChat has taken center stage. An inquiry commission is examining evidences and hearing government officers and political leaders on foreign interference in Canada’s election process.

TEL AVIV: Opponents of far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held giant demonstrations this weekend on the six-month mark of the war in Gaza to demand his resignation and an immediate ceasefire. Organizers estimated some 100,000 people were in attendance at the main rally in Tel Aviv.