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A recent Lebanese public opinion poll suggests there may be limits to Iran-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah’s restraint in confronting Israel. It also suggests why Iran feels emboldened by escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The Republican nominee for the presidency will be the 90-times-indicted rapist Donald Trump unless court rulings, guilty verdicts, or acts of God prevent that from happening. Depending upon who you believe, either the anti-MAGA majority will come through again and Biden will win or Trump himself could actually end up re-entering the White House. One thing’s for sure: Neither candidate will get there without a determined electorate marching to the polls on their behalf.

The first week of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has stirred the politics in the North East India. The political churning that began with former Congress President Rahul Gandhi led Yatra launch on January 14 from Toubal in Manipur has already alarmed the BJP leaders, especially Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, who seems to be panic stricken, as his actions and statements reveal.

More than the leadership of the Congress and Samajwadi Party, it is the media, which is relatively inquisitive and worried about the two parties still not resolving the contentious issue of seat sharing in Uttar Pradesh. While the leaders of two parties express their gratification at the pace and dimension of the political development, the media does not see any rationale and the shade of serenity in their claim.

Is India awash in religion? India cannot help itself. Religion is so mixed with politics and everyday life in India that it bristles. This, despite the country’s apex court asserting in1994 that mixing religion with politics was fraught with danger. Today, the same Supreme Court has by far a far more liberal attitude on mixing politics with religion, which the international media labels as “Modi’s illiberalism”.

India will hold national elections in April-May this year. With 16 state governments under control, the BJP and its allies seem all set to continue their grip on national politics. However, the notorious heat of the upcoming summer makes the elections something to watch out for. Not all political leaders can brave India’s summer campaigning for the national elections. Let’s see how they fare!

Relations between Pakistan and Iran are on a boil. It is teetering on the edge of a precipice. Both countries should step back. It is time to talk it over at the diplomatic level replacing the armed incursions the duo has carried out within each other's borders to punish "rebels".

This month, a controversy arose following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Lakshadweep, an Indian archipelago. The visit, which strained relations with the nearby Maldives, also unexpectedly increased tourist interest in this small group of islands, causing concern among environmental specialists and residents.

The Houthis, a group in Yemen, have a bold slogan “death to America, death to Israel." For many years, their focus was mainly on conflicts within Yemen and with neighbouring countries on the Arabian Peninsula. However, since October, this once small and isolated group in northern Yemen has become involved in conflicts with the most powerful nation in the Middle East and the leading global superpower.

Negative politics does not pay – either in the short term or in the long run. This is the bitter lesson the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala is learning.