The city will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on November 27

By Lee Sang-ki

Former President of Asia Journalist Association, Publisher of The AsiaN

SEOUL: The Yongsan International Business District (IBD) is finally breaking ground, 18 years after the project was first announced. The development aims to transform Yongsan—located at the very center of Seoul—into a global hub for business, culture, and media. Covering roughly 450,000 square meters, it is one of the largest redevelopment projects in Seoul’s modern urban history.

The impact extends far beyond Yongsan. Once the national axis connecting Gwanghwamun–Seoul Station–Yongsan–Hangang Avenue and the pedestrian–green axis linking Namsan–Yongsan Park–IBD are completed, Seoul will gain an integrated megacomplex uniting key city hubs and the Han Riverfront. This “Grand Remodeling” is expected to elevate Seoul’s global competitiveness.

The city will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on November 27, distribute land in the first half of next year, and complete essential infrastructure by late 2028. Private-sector participation will lead to business and residential occupancy beginning in 2030.

The IBD consists of three major zones:

* International Business Zone — Upzoned commercial area, FAR up to 1,700%, skyscrapers up to 100 floors, and global MICE facilities

* Business–Industry Complex Zone — ICT, AI, big data clusters linked to the redevelopment of the Yongsan Electronics District

* Support Zone — International schools, medical services, residential infrastructure, and major green spaces

The Yongsan IBD is regarded as a strategic foundation for elevating Seoul into the world’s top five global cities. Seoul already ranks around sixth in the Global Power City Index (GPCI), and this development marks a critical turning point for building international infrastructure comparable to New York and Tokyo.

In conjunction with the groundbreaking, the city will begin full-scale consultations with companies to foster the area as a hub for global corporate headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region. The city plans to encourage investment from leading companies, working with the government and project developers, with the goal of opening the first global headquarters in the early 2030s.

The city estimates that the development of the International Business District will generate 12,000 jobs annually and generate KRW 3.3 trillion in annual production.

Im Chang-soo, Director of Future Space Planning for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, “Yongsan Seoul Core is a downtown revitalization project that will usher in the next 100 years for Seoul. Beyond simple development, it will create a new urban culture centered on technology, culture, and people, serving as a decisive moment for Seoul to leap forward as one of the world’s top five global cities.”

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Courtesy: The AsiaN

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Fergana, Uzbekistan 

Fergana State Technical University (FSTU) of Uzbekistan and MAX IV Laboratory of the Sweden’s Lund University have signed an agreement for expanding international scientific cooperation and exchanging advanced experiences.

Within the project, it is planned to send professors and researchers from FSTU to Lund University and other leading European higher education institutions for scientific internships. The first group of researchers is scheduled to begin their internship at Lund University in January 2026.

This agreement marks an important milestone for FSTU in expanding international scientific cooperation, exchanging advanced experiences, and strengthening the university’s research potential.

The agreement was signed by Professor U. R. Salomov, Rector of FSTU, who visited the MAX IV Laboratory, established under Sweden’s prestigious Lund University.

MAX IV is one of Europe’s most advanced synchrotron radiation facilities, where cutting-edge research is carried out in physics, chemistry, biology, pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, and materials science. Commissioned in 2016, the laboratory serves as an international hub of science and innovation, uniting leading scientists and researchers from around the world.

During the visit, the FSTU Rector familiarized himself with the laboratory’s scientific infrastructure and research directions. The discussions focused on opportunities for joint projects, academic exchange programs, and collaborative research initiatives.

As part of the visit, the parties reached an agreement on the official participation of FSTU in project.

During the visit, the Rector of FSTU also visited Lund University’s research centers and central library. He became acquainted with the university’s digital infrastructure, scientific information systems, and modern library services.

The meeting addressed the development of FSTU’s Information and Resource Center in accordance with international standards, ensuring open access to high-quality global scientific databases for the university’s academic staff and students.

The main objective of the visit was to study foreign experience and introduce a “state-of-the-art” information-resource system at FSTU, enhance research efficiency, and further develop innovative approaches in the educational process.

As part of the visit, a seminar-training was organized under the ERASMUS MSCA Action – MOCCA project. Participants of the project, including FSTU researchers currently undergoing internships, presented their research topics and preliminary results.

The seminar was also attended by representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Tashkent State University of Economics. The event aimed to outline the academic and practical requirements for upcoming FSTU researchers participating in the project.

Each intern is expected to publish an article in a Scopus-indexed journal and contribute to strengthening FSTU’s scientific capacity and international visibility.

Read: Lights Up: Fergana Students Take Stage

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Sherzod Artikov, Press Secretary of FSTU

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Berk Kutay Gokmen 

Istanbul

Pakistan naval chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf arrived in Bangladesh on Sunday on a four-day visit.

Soon after his arrival, Ashraf met with Bangladesh army chief Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman at the Army Headquarters, a statement from the Bangladesh military said.

The two officials discussed ways to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation and military capabilities.

They also discussed the prospects for expanding military cooperation through bilateral training, seminars, and visits.

The visit came a day after Pakistan’s naval ship PNS SAIF anchored off Bangladesh’s main port in the southeastern city of Chattogram for a four-day goodwill visit that will last until Nov. 12.

It followed a cargo ship that anchored in the port for the first time last year, shortly after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took office.

“The coordinated engagement underscores Pakistan’s commitment to strengthen longstanding ties and improve maritime collaboration with Bangladesh,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.

Bangladesh and Pakistan’s relations have improved since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024, and forced to flee to India.

Meanwhile, Daily Sun, Dhaka reported that Admiral Naveed Ashraf, chief of naval staff in Pakistan, on Sunday paid a courtesy call on his Bangladeshi counterpart Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan at the Naval Headquarters in Banani, Dhaka.

Read: Pakistan, Bangladesh back in high-level diplomatic talks

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Courtesy: Anadolu Agency (Posted on 09.11.2025)  

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• Pakistan’s military said Chinese weapons systems performed exceptionally well during recent operations

SM Najmus Sakib and Aamir Latif 

DHAKA, Bangladesh / KARACHI, Sindh, Pakistan

Bangladesh plans to purchase 20 Chinese-made fighter jets worth around $2.2 billion to modernize its air force and bolster national air defense capacity, an interim government official said.

Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, youth and sports adviser in the interim administration, said in a statement on US social Media Company X that Dhaka is considering acquiring J-10CE multirole fighter jets from China under a government-to-government deal.

“The base price of each aircraft is $60 million, or $1.2 billion for the fleet. Training, equipment, and freight add another $820 million, and other maintenance costs will make it $2.2 billion. The payments would be spread across 10 fiscal years,” the English-language daily The Business Standard reported, citing official documents.

The J-10CE, a fourth-generation multirole fighter developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, has recently drawn attention after reportedly downing several French-made Rafale jets of the Indian Air Force during the India–Pakistan clashes in May.

Pakistan’s air force reportedly deployed the J-10C during retaliatory operations following India’s May 7 strike.

Bangladeshi interim leader Muhammad Yunus discussed the possible purchase during his visit to China earlier this year, and Beijing “responded positively,” according to government sources.

The Bangladesh Air Force currently operates 212 aircraft, including 44 fighter jets, of which 36 are Chinese-made F-7s.

Pakistan’s military has praised the performance of Chinese defense platforms during the May conflict.

“Of course lately, recent Chinese platforms, they’ve demonstrated exceptionally well,” Pakistan army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Bloomberg News in an interview published Monday.

According to The Guardian, Pakistan’s deployment of J-10Cs “marked the first time the Chinese planes — and the PL-15 missiles they were carrying — have been used in combat anywhere in the world.”

Pakistan said it shot down seven Indian aircraft in retaliation, including French-made Rafales.

Last week, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said, “there was clear evidence of long-range Indian strikes (inside Pakistan), including one of more than 300 km, destroying either an AEW&C or a SIGINT aircraft, along with five fighters of the F-16 and JF-17 class.”

In a related development, US defense contractor Raytheon will supply Pakistan with advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM), the US Defense Department said on Sept. 30.

Read: Caracal sightings spark hope amid extinction

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Aamir Latif is a senior journalist based in Karachi, Sindh. He represents Anadolu, a Turkish news agency.

Courtesy: Anadolu Agency (Posted on 09.10.2025) 

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Tehran  

Iran has deported 1.4 million undocumented Afghan migrants since the start of the Persian New Year in March 2025, Tehran Governor Mohammad Sadeq Motamedian announced, as reported by Araiananews.af.

This unprecedented crackdown aims to relieve pressure on Iran’s strained housing, education, and social services. A second phase of deportations is set to begin this week, described by Motamedian as a move toward a “comprehensive, long-term solution” to illegal migration.

Iranian authorities highlight tangible domestic benefits: over 3,000 school classrooms previously occupied by migrant children have been reclaimed for Iranian students, and rental prices in Tehran and surrounding areas have dropped 30–35%, easing financial burdens and reducing social tensions in overcrowded neighborhoods.

Historically, Iran has been one of the largest hosts of Afghan refugees — welcoming millions since the Soviet invasion of 1979, followed by waves fleeing civil war, Taliban rule, and the post-2021 economic collapse. Today, the UN estimates over 3 million Afghans reside in Iran, most without legal status, placing continuous strain on healthcare, employment, and welfare systems.

Yet the mass expulsions have created a humanitarian emergency across the border. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 1.5 million Afghans have been repatriated from Iran alone since January 2025. Including returns from Pakistan since September 2023, the total exceeds 4 million people.

Afghan border provinces — Nimroz, Herat, Badghis — are nearing collapse. Local authorities are overwhelmed: shelters are full, clinics are swamped, and food stocks are depleted. Returnees often arrive destitute — many are children, elderly, or chronically ill, requiring urgent aid.

International agencies — including UNHCR and the Red Cross — are sounding the alarm: without immediate funding and logistical support, the crisis will deepen dramatically as winter approaches. Temperatures in Afghanistan’s highlands can plunge below -20°C, and hundreds of thousands remain without shelter. Experts warn that without global intervention, mass casualties from exposure and starvation are imminent.

While Iran’s policy offers short-term domestic relief, it risks long-term regional destabilization — demanding a coordinated international humanitarian response.

Read: Iran builds 10 km wall on border with Afghanistan

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Courtesy: Central Asian Light (Posted on Sept. 23, 2025)  

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• Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, resigned after the bloodshed citing ethical responsibility
• Situation remains volatile. Streets across the nation remain tense under curfew

Monitoring Desk

Kathmandu, Nepal

At least 19 people were killed and over 100 injured in clashes with security forces after thousands of young people in Nepal took to the streets on Monday to protest against corruption and a government ban on social media websites.

A curfew was imposed in parts of Kathmandu after protesters entered the Parliament building in the capital and faced off against the police.

The protest began at 9am on Monday. The demonstrators gathered in Maitighar, a neighborhood in Kathmandu. It includes a busy road intersection, featuring the Maitighar Mandala monument — one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

Growing dissatisfaction among the youth with corruption in the country materialized into the demonstration on Monday.

The government’s September 4 announcement that it was blocking several social media platforms, including Facebook, added to the anger. The government blocked 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. The ban came into effect after one week was given to these social media websites to register with the Nepali government. The websites had until September 3 to register with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

According to the government, users with fake IDs on these platforms are committing malicious acts and cybercrime, disrupting social harmony. About 90 percent of Nepal’s 30 million people use the internet, according to a 2021 NTA report.

As of 2021, about 7.5 percent of Nepal’s population was living abroad, reliant on platforms such as Meta’s Messenger to communicate with families back home. Many Nepalis have switched to Viber to communicate with their families and friends who are working abroad as migrant workers.

The mass movement against the corruption of government in Nepal led by the Generation-Z, has brought a surge of national emergency.

The other agendas of the movement include the demands for basic human rights, the freedom of speech, end to political corruption and societal inequity, resolving the issues that have long eroded public trust in Nepal’s leaders.

Protesters, who were mainly students, chanted slogans such as “Enough is enough” and “End corruption, not free speech”, holding placards denouncing political nepotism and advocating for democratic expression. The government’s response has been forceful.

Riot police, backed by the army, used tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and live rounds to disperse crowds attempting to breach Parliament’s barriers. Clashes in Kathmandu were especially deadly, but violence also flared in other cities, including Itahari, Pokhara, Butwal and many more

In the response of today’s violence, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, resigned after the bloodshed citing ethical responsibility. Meanwhile, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli faces mounting pressure at home and abroad, with critics accusing his administration of authoritarianism and failure to address the root causes of public discontent.

As of now, the situation remains volatile. Streets across the nation remain tense under curfew, yet youth groups continue to organize through alternative digital channels and offline networks. The death toll may rise as more information emerges from hospitals overwhelmed with casualties. The movement has already marked a defining moment: a collective voice demanding accountability, transparency, and freedom. Whether it results in genuine political reform or deeper repression remains uncertain. But one thing is clear, the youngest generation has forced its country, and the world, to pay attention.

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Read: Conspiracy in any Kingdom – A Poem from Nepal

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By Ariful Haque Arif

Sacramento, CA

A protest demonstration was held Saturday morning at a busy Elk Grove intersection of Sacramento to denounce ongoing killings and what demonstrators described as genocide in Gaza.

The rally brought together participants from diverse backgrounds, including people of Pakistani, Palestinian, Egyptian, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi origin, alongside White American women. Many carried Palestinian flags, banners, and posters demanding an end to the violence.

Protesters’ slogans called for:

• An immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
• An end to Israel’s “unilateral aggression.”
• A halt to U.S. financial and military aid to Israel.
• Protection of American taxpayers’ money for welfare, not war.
• Freedom for Palestine and the right of Gazans to live.
• Opening of routes for food and medicine.
• Indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for war crimes.
• United Nations intervention to stop the war.

Organizers said the demonstration was part of a broader nationwide campaign, with weekly protests at busy intersections in major U.S. cities. Similar rallies were held last week in Roseville at Blue Oaks and Foothill, and near Folsom Community Hall.

The Elk Grove protest lasted two hours, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., during which thousands of cars passed the intersection. Many drivers honked and flashed victory signs in solidarity with the demonstrators.

A Catholic woman who traveled 40 miles to attend said: “The American public now understands Israel’s oppression and brutality. People are no longer silent.”

The event concluded peacefully as protesters circled the intersection chanting in unison. Organizers stressed that such actions will continue weekly until the violence in Gaza ends.

Read: Gaza Faces Starvation Amid Global Inaction

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Aamir Latif 

KARACHI, Sindh, Pakistan

A Chinese mountaineer has died after being hit by falling rocks at K2, the world’s second-highest peak, in northern Pakistan, the country’s official mountaineering association announced on Wednesday.

Guan Jing died on Tuesday night while descending from the summit of 8,611-meter (26,246-foot) K2, located in the scenic Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, which borders neighboring China, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement.

Her death marked the third fatal accident in less than a month in GB, home to five peaks above 8,000 meters.

German mountaineer and Olympic gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier died while attempting to scale Laila Peak in GB on July 30.

In another incident, a Pakistani climber, Iftikhar Hussain, was killed and three others, including foreign mountaineers, were injured after an avalanche hit their location on K2 on July 19.

The latest accident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp — a section notorious for frequent rockfalls.

Guan had reached the summit on Monday with a group of climbers before beginning her descent.

Rescuers have launched an operation to recover her body, while other climbers who also summited K2 that day are now returning safely to base camp.

In total, more than 30 climbers reached the top of K2 on Monday.

K2, located in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range, is considered one of the most dangerous peaks in the world due to its extreme weather and challenging climbing conditions.

Read: Pakistan Mountain Tragedy Claims German Life

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Aamir Latif is a senior journalist based in Karachi, Sindh. He represents Anadolu, a Turkish news agency.

Courtesy: Anadolu Agency (Posted on 13.08.2025)

The post K2 Descent Claims Chinese Climber’s Life first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Aamir Latif and Islamuddin Sajid 

KARACHI / ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistani diplomatic sources on Thursday denied media reports that the US President Donald Trump was expected to visit the South Asian nation on Sept. 18.

Sources in the Foreign Ministry said the news circulating about Trump’s trip was “fake” as the US president is visiting the UK between Sept. 17 and 19.

“We have no information about any such visit. If there is any such thing, the Foreign Ministry will officially announce that,” a senior ministry official told Anadolu on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier, local broadcaster Geo News, citing unnamed ministry officials, reported that Trump was expected to visit Pakistan on Sept. 18. An international news agency and several media outlets reported the news, quoting the broadcaster.

However, the news channel later withdrew the report and apologized for running an “unconfirmed” story.

According to an earlier schedule, the US president is scheduled to pay a state visit to the UK between Sept. 17 and 19.

Relations between the Pakistani government and the Trump administration have strengthened in recent months, following the latter’s active intervention to broker a ceasefire between longtime rivals India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May.

Last month, Trump also hosted Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Asim Munir at the White House, in an unprecedented diplomatic development.

George W. Bush was the last US president to visit Pakistan in 2006.

Read: ‘Millions at risk’ as Pakistan feels the pinch of USAID pause

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Courtesy: Anadolu Agency (Posted on 17.07.2025)

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Riyaz ul Khaliq 

Beijing

China on Monday said its defense and military cooperation with Pakistan was “normal,” urging regional stability in South Asia.

“China and Pakistan are traditional, good neighbors, and cooperation on defense and military is normal cooperation (that) does not target any third country,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a live-streamed news conference in Beijing.

She was responding to questions on ties between Islamabad and Beijing in the wake of the latest hostilities between India and Pakistan, which fired missiles across the border in May.

“The judgement varies from person to person,” Mao replied when pressed by a reporter about China’s ties with Pakistan.

As neighbors, the spokeswoman said, India and Pakistan “cannot be moved away,” and “we support the two countries for dialogue and consultation to properly handle their differences and disagreements, and jointly maintain the peace and stability of the region.”

“China will continue to play a constructive role to this end.”

On improving ties with New Delhi, Mao said: “China-India relationship is in a critical moment of improvement… of development. We would like to work with India to promote the steady and sound growth of the China-India relationship.”

Separately, Mao said Beijing had lodged a protest with New Delhi over the issue of the Dalai Lama.

“The 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile, who has long engaged in anti-China separatist activities and attempted to separate Xizang from China under the cover of religion,” said Mao.

China refers to Tibet as Xizang

India should “appreciate the great sensitivity of Xizang-related issues… honor the commitment it has made to China on issues related to Xizang… act prudently, and stop using this issue to meddle in China’s internal issues. China has protested against India over the issue,” said the spokeswoman.

Mao was responding to a question on Indian Prime Minister Modi’s greeting to Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday.

There was no immediate response from New Delhi on the latest statement from Beijing.

Read: Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: Balancing Regional and Global Interests

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Courtesy: Anadolu Agency

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