Author: HeraldStar

With US President Donald Trump due to visit Gulf states this week, a key focus will be securing significant new investment for the US economy. “President Trump wants the announcement [of more Gulf money for the US],” says economist Karen Young, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute think tank. “He wants to have a big poster in a meeting that describes where these investments might go. And some estimation of what they will do to the American economy in terms of job creation or his big push, of course, on domestic manufacturing.” Trump is due to arrive in…

The US and China have agreed a truce to lower import taxes on goods being traded between the two countries. The agreement marks a major de-escalation of the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies, which has sent shockwaves impacting countless other countries, including the UK. Here’s what it all means. What has been announced? Both the US and China have confirmed a reduction in the tariffs they imposed on each other following the initial escalation by President Donald Trump earlier this year. The deal involves both nations cancelling some tariffs altogether and suspending others for 90 days, by 14 May.…

The Arte Povera pioneer and Nobel Peace Prize nominee brings his vision to the shadow of the pyramids. In a monumental moment for the global art scene, Forever Is Now returns for its fifth edition with a name that needs no introduction: Michelangelo Pistoletto. Art D’Égypte by CulturVator in partnership with the Italian Embassy in Cairo and the Italian Institute of culture in Cairo; are proud to announce that Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of the most revolutionary artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. This year he will be among the featured artists in the fifth edition of Forever Is Now,…

Pakistan has thanked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for welcoming the recent ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India. In a statement on Sunday, the Foreign Office said Pakistan concurs with the Secretary-General’s assessment that this development represents a positive step toward promoting an environment conducive to durable peace and stability in South Asia. In this context, Pakistan reiterates that the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people, remains essential for the realization of lasting peace in the region. The Foreign Office…

By Qaiser Nawab Chairman, Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development (BRISD) The early hours of May 6–7, 2025, will remain etched in the minds of many in South Asia as a night of unnecessary suffering and avoidable escalation. As civilians in Muridke, Kotli, Muzaffarabad, and Bahawalpur slept, Indian fighter jets crossed the Line of Control, targeting what New Delhi claimed were “terrorist infrastructures.” Instead, what the world witnessed was the tragic bombing of civilian areas—including a mosque—resulting in the loss of innocent lives, including women and children. In what is trumpeted as an act of strength, India’s savage attack…

By Hadia Safeer Choudhry One month after U.S. President Donald Trump rolled out the mega tariff plan in a bid to make his country great again, hundreds of millions of households and companies this willful policy claimed to protect are groaning from the pain in the neck. According to SmartScout, a U.S.-based e-commerce analytics firm, 930 items on Amazon saw price hikes since April 9—the day a 109% tariff on Chinese imports took effect, later raised to 245%. The average increase was 29%, spanning categories such as clothing, jewelry, household items, electronics, and toys. Fearing a disruption in access to…

Shenzhen, China – [03 May 2025] — In a significant gesture of cultural diplomacy and appreciation, Mr. Qaiser Nawab, Chairman of the Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development (BRISD), has appointed Mr. Wang Xiangrong, also known by his pen name Yilong, as an Honorary Member of the BRISD Silk Road Culture and Innovation Hub for Shenzhen. During his recent visit to Shenzhen, Chairman Nawab toured Mr. Wang’s art gallery and deeply appreciated his artistic contribution to sustainable development, rural revitalization, and the promotion of Silk Road heritage through his distinctive style of Philosophic Ink Painting. Speaking on the occasion,…

By Karter Linn In 1987, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was founded on a largely untested model: producing chips for designers without their own fabs. Nearly four decades later, it has become the backbone of the global semiconductor industry, supplying most of the world’s cutting-edge chips and dominating 7nm-and-below foundry production, with advanced-node revenue making up 69% of its sales in 2024. Taiwan has leveraged this dominance as a strategic deterrent—the so-called “silicon shield.” But that may be changing. Boosted by the Biden administration’s CHIPS and Science Act and trade pressure from the Trump era, TSMC is shifting more and…

By Qaiser Nawab Global Peace Advocate | Chairman, Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development (BRISD) In recent weeks, we have witnessed yet another dangerous escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. In the immediate aftermath of a tragic terrorist incident in Pahalgam, New Delhi wasted no time in pointing fingers across the border, accusing Pakistan within moments—without any credible investigation, evidence, or even the passage of basic due process. This habitual blame game not only jeopardizes peace in the region but dangerously diverts global attention from India’s broader strategic objectives—particularly its disturbing intentions toward the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)…

China has advanced high-standard environmental protection in tandem with high-quality economic development in its drive to build a beautiful China. Facing complex challenges, these efforts have yielded encouraging progress in ecological and environmental governance, contributing to steady improvement in the country’s overall ecological and environmental quality.