Afghanistan
Taliban leaders in Afghanistan host rare official talks with India (VOA)
India Holds First Talks With Taliban Defense Chief to Boost Ties (Bloomberg)
Pakistan
Pakistan army says four soldiers killed in firefight with militants (Reuters)
Four soldiers, two schoolchildren killed in attacks in northwest Pakistan (Al Jazeera)
Pakistan: 4 troops killed in clash with militants, army says (Deutsche Welle)
Record Air Pollution Hospitalizes Hundreds in Pakistani City (New York Times)
Record air pollution causes hospitalizations in Pakistan (AP)
Pakistan bans entry to parks, zoos as air pollution worsens (Reuters)
Trump 2.0: Will China and Imran Khan test Pakistan ties with the US? (Al Jazeera)
India
With Trump win, India open to freeing up market access for U.S. firms, sources say (Reuters)
Trump’s return to power presents a complex landscape for India-US ties, ranging from China containment to trade issues. (Deutsche Welle)
Tycoon Drives India’s Push Against China’s Solar-Energy Dominance (Wall Street Journal)
Reliance Power to legally challenge Indian clean energy agency’s ban (Reuters)
2 suspected rebels, 2 members of government-run militia are killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir (AP)
India surge fuels global patent filings to record high (Nikkei Asia)
India Ban on Rushdie’s ‘Satanic Verses’ May Ease on Legal Loophole (Bloomberg)
India’s Hindus bathe in holy river defiled by pollution (Agence France-Presse)
India’s Top Court Orders Liquidation of Bankrupt Jet Airways (Bloomberg)
The Secret Sauce of the China-India Rivalry Is Education (Bloomberg – opinion)
NSB
India’s Adani Power cuts Bangladesh supply by over 60% on payment dispute (Reuters)
Bangladesh staves off more Adani power cuts (Financial Times)
Central Asia
How a drab Soviet metropolis became Central Asia’s capital of cool (CNN)
Kyrgyzstan: Chinese firm scores a sweetheart deal to turn Bishkek’s garbage into profits (EurasiaNet)
On Press Day, Kyrgyz Authorities Urge Journalists To Focus on Positive News (The Diplomat)
Uzbekistan Jails 11 Men On Terrorism Charges (Radio Free Europe)
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SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS