Midterms in America usually provide a perspective on how a president's first two years have impacted electoral sentiments. In 2018, Mr Trump energised his support base in the midterms, but he also inspired a large Democratic turnout. They have clawed back enough political leverage to create a situation in which he will have to tread carefully.

After a brief hiatus, the issue of the NRC in Assam and “illegal migrants” from Bangladesh seems to have returned to the focus of political discourse in India.

In Paris, the ceremony to mark the centenary of the end of World War I was stately and moving. It featured such grace notes as students reading from letters written a hundred years ago, when the news about the armistice broke through.

India's “non-official” participation in a multilateral conference in Moscow on November 9 on exploring the possibilities of a negotiated settlement of the crisis in terror-torn Afghanistan has set off a flutter in New Delhi.

For most of 2018, the talk was there would be a Blue Democratic wave, sweeping the Democrats into power in both chambers of Congress. President Trump had unusually low approval rates over the last two years on average getting less than 40 percent approval ratings according to Gallup.

The US midterm elections on November 6, 2018 have been widely accepted as being among the most consequential in American history.

Right from the beginning of their diplomatic ties in October 1975, China and Bangladesh have been maintaining a close relationship, often entitled as “trusted friendship” or “all-weather friendship”.

By-elections continue to be the proverbial Achilles' heel for India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. This has been the trend ever since it returned to power in May 2014.

Depending on who you talk to, the US midterm elections resulted in either a blue wave of Democratic triumph or were a testament to the entrenched white nationalism, bigotry and jingoism of the American people. I would posit that both perceptions are correct.

Far from settling the question of the United Kingdom's future, the 2016 Brexit referendum and subsequent negotiations with the European Union have triggered a full-blown identity crisis and culture war in Britain.

This is not the first time the Pakistani state has been cowed by a violent mob and surrendered its writ in favour of those who challenged it so blatantly. In a functioning democracy with a constitution in place, it would be unheard of for a government to agree to take action on a case that has gone through due process of appeals and been decided by its supreme court.

Never has America been so bitterly polarised, nor midterm congressional and state gubernatorial polls aroused such frenzied partisan feelings.

Americans vote on November 6 in a momentous mid-term elections. Polls suggest that the total Republican grip on federal power is about to be shattered as Democrats regain the House.

Two temples—one existing in the South and another proposed in the North of India—are being used by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and other Hindutva outfits to bring to the centre stage of the political discourse a highly emotive issue in the run-up to the coming assembly elections in five states in November and December and the national polls next year.

Only a few would be persuaded that President Donald Trump is deeply informed about any moderately complex subject. Ballistic missiles is one such.

There were three dramatic announcements on the evening of Friday, October 26, 2018 from the Presidential Secretariat, which occurred in the following order:

Fresh unrest is simmering in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam over Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's move to give citizenship to “persecuted” religious minorities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The high tide of financial markets is now in retreat, and murder in the oriental consulate unfolds in internet speed. Everywhere, the centre in politics and creed cannot hold, whilst polarisation is increasing by the day.

The recent elections to Bhutan's national assembly produced a victory for the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT), a left-of-the-centre party led by Dr Lotay Tshering.

In an uncharacteristic move, President Abdullah Yameen of the Maldives accepted defeat on September 24, 2018 after an astonishing result where he lost the presidential election to Ibrahim Solih of the opposition coalition. Solih won 58 percent of the votes as opposed to 42 percent by Yameen.