Tamil Nadu's poll mandate, Pakistan as peacemaker, and a rare birth

First, we speak to The Indian Express’ Arun Janardhanan about how the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly Election is shaping up differently this time, with a fragmented, multi-cornered contest replacing the traditional DMK vs AIADMK binary. <br /><br />Next, we turn to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, where Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between the US and Iran. The Indian Express’ Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy explains how this mediation role evolved, what it signals for regional diplomacy, …