Author: HeraldStar

By Qaiser Nawab The latest Nature Index rankings (covering the period from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024) were recently released by the internationally renowned academic publisher Nature. The rankings reveal China’s dominance in high-quality research output, with nine of the world’s top ten academic institutions coming from China. Harvard University remains the only non-Chinese institution in the top ten. In discipline-based rankings, Chinese institutions performed particularly well in Chemistry, Physical sciences, and Earth & environmental sciences. The Nature Index is an open database of author affiliations and institutional relationships. The Index tracks contributions to research articles published in…

By Qaiser Nawab As China navigates the final year of its 14th Five-Year Plan, the nation’s agricultural sector is emerging as a critical pillar of both domestic economic stability and international engagement. The recently concluded Two Sessions—a major annual political event—shed light on China’s agricultural ambitions, emphasizing self-sufficiency in grain production while also fostering global cooperation. A highlight of the Government Work Report released on March 5 was the announcement of an ambitious new grain production target: 1.4 trillion jin (approximately 700 million tons). This represents a significant increase from previous years and marks the first time China has crossed…

By Qaiser Nawab March 7, Beijing: Amidst global economic uncertainties, China has set an ambitious course for 2025, reaffirming its position as a stabilizing force in the world economy. With a GDP growth target of around 5%, the annual Two Sessionsmeeting of China’s top legislative and advisory bodies unveiled a comprehensive plan centered on domestic consumption, technological innovation, and financial stability. The economic blueprint for 2025 includes a notable shift towards expansionary fiscal policies, with the deficit-to-GDP ratio set at 4% compared to last year’s 3%. Liu Shangxi, former president of the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, termed this increase…

Athens, Greece – Sardar Waqar Shahzad, Director of Global Engagement at the Global Strategic Institute for Sustainable Development (GSISD), recently visited Greece, engaging in discussions that highlighted the country’s rich cultural heritage and potential for global collaboration.During his visit, Sardar Waqar Shahzad emphasized Greece’s historical significance, diverse cultural landscape, and remarkable Mediterranean cuisine. He noted that Greece continues to captivate with its blend of ancient mythology and modern vibrancy, offering an unparalleled experience to visitors from around the world.As part of his engagements, Sardar Waqar Shahzad had the privilege of meeting with His Excellency Konstantinos Moatsos, former Ambassador of Greece,…

By Jiang Zaidong The current world is undergoing accelerated transformation not seen in a century, with international situations growing more chaotic and intertwined, geopolitical conflicts escalating, and multiple crises emerging in succession. The deficits in peace, development, and governance continue to widen, making global governance at a historical juncture. Many people are keeping asking the question: Where is the world headed? If I may borrow the theme of this year’s Munich Security Report, it is headed toward multipolarization. A multipolar world is not only a historical inevitability; it is also becoming a reality. Will multipolarity bring chaos, conflict and confrontation?…

By Qaiser Nawab, Chairman of the Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development (BRISD) China’s annual legislative session, the National People’s Congress (NPC), convened on March 5, 2025, where Premier Li Qiang delivered the Government Work Report outlining the nation’s strategic priorities for the coming year. The report emphasizes economic stabilization, technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and national defense, reflecting China’s commitment to sustainable development amid global challenges.In response to a sluggish global economy, China has set a GDP growth target of around 5% for 2025. This cautious approach acknowledges external challenges, including ongoing trade tensions with the United States, slowing…

The meeting between Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington on Thursday resulted in an “unprecedented” invitation to the US president from Britain’s King Charles III. But what was actually in the letter that Starmer handed over? Presenting Trump with the missive from the British monarch in the Oval Office, Starmer said it contained an invitation for an “unprecedented second state visit.” “This is really special. This has never happened before. Unprecedented,” Starmer said, putting a hand on Trump’s shoulder. “I think that just symbolizes the strength of the relationship between us,” he continued, adding: “I think the last state visit was…

White House chefs were at work in the West Wing on Friday laying out plates of rosemary chicken, celery root puree and collard greens when the sound of raised voices began floating over from the Oval Office. Inside, a remarkable scene was unfolding. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had begun berating their guest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a hitherto unseen public implosion of a key global relationship. For supporters of Ukraine, the moment was disastrous: Everything that could have gone wrong in a meeting between two headstrong leaders did, in the span of 10 minutes. Yet for all…

Federal employees at multiple government agencies are once again being told to report their work accomplishments over the past week to the Trump administration, according to a union source and several employees who received the Friday evening missives. The emails, titled “What did you do last week? Part II,” were sent to employees at the Bureau of Prisons, General Services Administration, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Personnel Management, Social Security Administration and the departments of Education and Veterans Affairs, among others, the sources said. CNN has viewed a number of the emails. Workers were again directed to reply to the email,…

An attorney for a Texas pipeline company said Wednesday at trial that he will prove various Greenpeace entities coordinated delays and disruptions of a controversial oil pipeline’s construction in North Dakota, and defamed the company to its lenders. Attorneys for the Greenpeace defendants told a jury there is no evidence to back up the claims by Dallas-based Energy Transfer, which seeks potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from Greenpeace. The case is tied to protests in 2016 and 2017 of the Dakota Access Pipeline and its controversial Missouri River crossing upstream of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation.…