Afghanistan
Fears for US citizen held by Taliban amid reports he has been handed over to al-Qaeda (The Independent)
US Is Leaving Its Best Afghan Allies Behind (Bloomberg – opinion)
Pakistan
Pakistan wins additional financing assurances from China, UAE, Saudi-IMF official (Reuters)
Pakistan braces for ‘transitional pain’ as IMF approves $7 bn loan (Agence France-Presse)
Pakistan inks $7bn IMF bailout with big concessions; challenges lie ahead (Nikkei Asia)
IMF loan offers Pakistan relief but long-term reforms remain a challenge (Al Jazeera)
Pakistan Signs Contract To Sell JF-17 Fighter Jets To Azerbaijan (Reuters)
Pakistani police are responsible for killing a doctor held in a blasphemy claim, the government says (AP)
Pakistan inquiry finds doctor accused of blasphemy was killed in fake police shootout (Reuters)
At Least 15 Injured In Blast Inside Police Station In Pakistan (Radio Free Europe)
India
Dozens, Mostly Children, Drown During a Hindu Festival (New York Times)
Dozens of children drown while bathing during 3-day Hindu festival in eastern India (AP)
Dozens of children drown during Hindu festival in India (Reuters)
China Says More Consensus Reached With India on Troop Removal (Bloomberg)
Indian-ruled Kashmir election officials report over 50% turnout (VOA)
India cuts target for fast-track sex crime courts as states fall short (Reuters)
India’s CDSCO flags quality issues with over 50 widely used drugs (Reuters)
India hikes minimum wages as living costs surge (Reuters)
India Keeps Markets Guessing Over Key Central Bank Positions (Bloomberg)
NSB
Bangladesh’s Makeshift Government Confronts Looming Water Crisis (Bloomberg)
How Can Bangladesh Recover Assets Stolen During Awami League Rule? (The Diplomat)
Sri Lanka Keeps Rates Steady in First Meeting After Elections (Bloomberg)
Sri Lanka holds rates steady, sees rosy inflation, growth outlook (Reuters)
Central Asia
Kazakhstan launches program to reintroduce tigers to lost habitat (EurasiaNet)
Rights Groups Decry Harsh Sentences Sought For Kyrgyz Reporters (Radio Free Europe)
Language Incident At Uzbek School Leads To Heated Exchange With Moscow (Radio Free Europe)
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SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS