Afghanistan
US Exploring Consular Return to Afghanistan Without Recognizing Taliban Rule (VOA)
UN experts: Terrorist threat is high in Africa conflict zones and Afghanistan, and rose in Europe (AP)
The Taliban vowed to cut ties with al Qaeda, but the terror group appears to be growing in Afghanistan (CBS News)
Afghanistan withdrawal caused ‘doom loop’ for caseworkers, report says (Roll Call)
China Welcomes a Taliban Ambassador to Beijing (The Diplomat)
Afghan special forces soldiers abandoned to Taliban will be allowed into UK in U-turn (The Telegraph)
Pakistan
Pakistan vows to hold polls as planned despite violence (Reuters)
No delay in Pakistan polls after security meeting (Agence France-Presse)
Nawaz Sharif: Pakistan’s king of comebacks looks set to be PM again (BBC)
Pakistan: Unusually dry winter threatens food supply (Deutsche Welle)
India
US Greenlights $4 Billion Sale of Drones, Missiles to India (Bloomberg)
US approves $4 billion drone sale to India for maritime security needs (AP)
US State Dept approves nearly $4 billion sale of 31 armed drones to India (Reuters)
US approves $4 bn India drone deal after assassination row (Agence France-Presse)
India’s Quiet Push to Steal More of China’s iPhone Business (New York Times)
India Boosts Pakistan Border Defenses Over Fears of Hamas-Style Attack (Newsweek)
India opposition accuses government of crackdown after minister’s arrest (Reuters)
India begins to flex its naval power as competition with China grows (AP)
Indian police clear a suspected Chinese spy pigeon after 8 months in bird lockup (AP)
Hindu prayers begin inside India’s Mughal-era mosque after court order (Al Jazeera)
NSB
Fear grips refugees after UNHCR says it will close Sri Lanka operations (Al Jazeera)
Sri Lanka’s online regulations highlight restrictions sweeping South Asia (Nikkei Asia)
India offers to supply LNG to Sri Lankan power plants - Sri Lanka minister (Reuters)
Central Asia
Early Notice: Kyrgyz President Japarov Will Seek Second Term (The Diplomat)
‘We’ll Kill You’: Karakalpak Students Face Threats, Arrest In Uzbekistan For Voicing Support For Anti-Government Protests (Radio Free Europe)
Indo-Pacific
China Is Quietly Expanding Its Land Grabs in the Himalayas (Foreign Policy)
Twitter
Afghanistan
Pakistan
India
NSB
Central Asia
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS