Afghanistan
Taliban plan regional energy trade hub with Russian oil in mind (Reuters)
Islamic State group said to be recruiting greater numbers in Afghanistan (Stars and Stripes)
Biden pursued botched Afghanistan withdrawal against diplomats’ advice: ex-negotiator (New York Post)
US Greenlit Taliban’s Kabul Takeover and Had No Contingency Plan When Hell Broke Loose, Former Envoy Says (Washington Free Beacon)
‘They are trying to eradicate us completely’: the passion and pain of telling the stories of Afghan women (The Guardian)
The Taliban targeted us, beat us and chased us out. This is how we run our Afghan newspaper from exile (The Guardian – opinion)
Pakistan
Pakistan’s clout grows as US official’s visit underscores its go-between role in Iranian affairs (South China Morning Post)
Pakistan Inflation Eases for a Fourth Month on Record Rates (Bloomberg)
India
Biden blames China, Japan and India’s economic woes on ‘xenophobia’ (Reuters)
India rejects Washington Post report on alleged plot to kill US-based Sikh activist (VOA)
Indian spies linked to killings, tracking dissidents abroad: What we know (Al Jazeera)
As India votes, misinformation surges on social media: ‘The whole country is paying the price’ (AP)
Vote or work? Tough call for India’s ‘invisible’ migrant workers (Reuters)
‘No one is bigger than him’: On the campaign trail with India’s popular yet divisive leader (CNN)
India Top Refiner Resumes Trade on Russian Sovcomflot Ships (Bloomberg)
India widens spices probe amid contamination concerns (Reuters)
Indian spice makers under heat in Asia for alleged contamination (Nikkei Asia)
India Predicts Sweltering May, Raising Power Shortage Worry (Bloomberg)
Parts of India record hottest April as heatwave kills nine (Reuters)
NSB
Bangladesh: Garment Workers Must Receive Rights-Based Compensation and Justice Immediately (Amnesty International)
Nepal Battles Raging Wildfires Across The Country (Agence France-Presse)
Central Asia
In Kazakhstan, a ‘storm’ over domestic violence after minister killed wife (Al Jazeera)
Tajikistan Advises Citizens Against Travel to Russia (The Diplomat)
Turkmenistan’s natural gas exports to China outearn Russia’s supplies (EurasiaNet)
Uzbekistan: Striving to improve conditions for labor migrants (EurasiaNet)
Indo-Pacific
India and Pakistan’s New Shadow Rivalry (The Diplomat)
Twitter
Afghanistan
Pakistan
India
NSB
Central Asia
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS