After Trump’s pledge to ‘open up’ China, low expectations for summit deal
Washington and Beijing expected to extend trade truce, but analysts see only modest breakthrough in strained ties.
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EDITOR'S ANALYSIS
US-China summit: Why Beijing may have the advantage
Trade between the two countries has suffered since Trump came into office even as China’s exports have hit new highs.
Kevin Warsh confirmed as new US Federal Reserve chair amid controversy
Senate confirms Trump pick Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair amid growing concerns over independence.
EXPLAINER
Can Macron’s Kenya visit revive French influence in Africa?
France is facing deepening resentment in former African colonies where it once had political influence.
A salt pan worker rakes salt on an alkali flat in the Little Rann of Kutch region in Gujarat. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
In the blinding white glare of the salt flats, workers rake shallow pans of brine each day, coaxing out crystals that help Gujarat produce most of India’s salt. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
Regular raking of the salt pans ensures even crystalisation. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
Researchers say the salt pan workers in Gujarat suffer from high levels of dehydration and early signs of kidney malfunction. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
On the remote salt pans with no electricity or healthcare, the workers rely on a single water tanker that arrives every 25 days to supply all their drinking and washing needs. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
A salt pan worker holds a handful of harvested salt. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
Despite rising heatwaves and storms that can erase months of work overnight, salt pan families return to the Little Rann each year, saying they have no other way to earn a living. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
A salt pan worker carries a rare pair of rubber boots as she walks across an alkali flat in Gujarat’s Little Rann of Kutch. The protective footwear shields workers’ feet from corrosive brine that can crack exposed skin so deeply it bleeds. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
Rows of white salt mounds rise out of the desert, the result of weeks of raking and shovelling by families who earn only a few hundred dollars for a season’s labour. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
A truck drives past solar panels while transporting harvested salt from an alkali flat at the Little Rann of Kutch region in Gujarat. [Shammi Mehra/AFP]
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Messi remains highest paid player in MLS with base salary of $28m
Miami and Argentina player earns more than twice as much as the second-highest-paid player in Major League Soccer.
US court pauses decision blocking Trump’s 10 percent global tariff
A coalition of 24 states have argued that Trump’s latest tariffs do not meet the standards of 1974 Trade Act.
Macron unveils $27 billion Africa investment, urges reset with Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron, in Kenya for the Africa Forward summit, called for a ‘fundamental reset’ in Africa.
Published On 12 May 2026
Kevin Warsh confirmed to US Federal Reserve board in close Senate vote
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, joins Republicans to advance Warsh’s confirmation.
US faces rising costs with Iran war driving energy prices, inflation higher
Consumer prices spike in April, driven by soaring energy costs, with petrol prices up nearly 30 percent since last year.
EBay rejects GameStop’s $56bn bid as ‘neither credible nor attractive’
CEO Cohen, who has built a 5 percent position in eBay, has hinted he may take offer directly to eBay shareholders.
