Afghanistan
China’s President Receives Afghan Ambassador; Taliban Seek Recognition From Russia, Iran (VOA)
China Quietly Expanding Influence In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan (Agence France-Presse)
Pakistan
In His Second Sentencing in Two Days, Imran Khan Gets 14 Years (New York Times)
For second time in 24 hours, ex-Pakistani leader Khan sentenced to prison (Washington Post)
Imran Khan Sentenced to 10 Years Ahead of Pakistan’s Elections (New York Times)
Pakistan Opposition Leader Imran Khan Gets Fresh Conviction (Wall Street Journal)
Jailed Imran Khan Favored in Survey to Run Pakistan’s Economy (Bloomberg)
At least 15 killed after rebel attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan (Reuters)
Balochistan battle death toll rises to 15, says Pakistan military (Agence France-Presse)
Pakistan’s Islamist Parties Could Emerge Spoilers or Kingmakers (The Diplomat)
India
Modi’s Party Expands Control to 17 Indian States Ahead of Polls (Bloomberg)
Modi’s party set to bring contentious common civil laws in India through states (Reuters)
Hate crime tracker Hindutva Watch blocked in India ahead of national vote (Al Jazeera)
Indian government appoints members for new finance panel (Reuters)
Hunger is India’s ‘biggest problem’ — one of the world’s largest food producers leaves millions hungry (CNBC)
India’s navy rescues two hijacked boats. British military warns of two pirate groups in Indian Ocean (AP)
IMF raises India’s growth forecast to 6.5% for next financial year (Reuters)
India Could Help Break China’s Hold on U.S. Drug Supply Chains (Newsweek – opinion)
NSB
Why Aren’t Farmers In Bangladesh Adopting Climate Smart Agriculture? (Forbes)
Maldives Prosecutor General Appointed By Previous Administration Reportedly Stabbed (International Business Times)
Girls in Nepal find opportunities in education (The Times)
Sri Lanka Inflation Accelerates on Tax Hike, Elevated Food Costs (Bloomberg)
Police in Sri Lanka use tear gas to disperse opposition protest against dire economic conditions (AP)
Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan: Japarov being primed for second term (EurasiaNet)
Turkmenistan: Big brother is listening (EurasiaNet)
Central Asia No Closer to Shaking Perceptions of Corruption (The Diplomat)
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SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS