Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google has announced&nbsp;that it will&nbsp;cut the service fee it charges developers on its app store by half on the first $1 million they earn in revenue in a year, after a similar move by rival Apple Inc last year.

Both the companies have come under fire from large firms such as Microsoft Corp, Spotify Technology SA, as well as startups and smaller companies, that allege the fees deprive consumers of choices and push up app prices.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-more-us-states-join-texas-led-antitrust-lawsuit-against-google-371008" hreflang="en">Four more US states join Texas-led antitrust lawsuit against Google</a>

Google&nbsp;said in a blog post on Tuesday that it would cut app store fees to 15 per cent&nbsp;from 30 per cent&nbsp;effective July 1, a move that would impact most of the developers on its app store.&nbsp;

In contrast, Apple said in November it planned to lower its commissions only for developers who make $1 million or less in proceeds in a year from its app store.

Fortnite creator Epic Games said in a statement to Reuters that&nbsp;Google's move only alleviates some of the financial burden of developers.

"Whether it's 15 per cent&nbsp;or 30 per cent, for apps obtained through the&nbsp;Google&nbsp;Play Store, developers are forced to use&nbsp;Google's in-app payment services," Epic said.

Epic has been at loggerheads with Apple since August when the game maker tried to avoid paying fees on the iPhone maker's app store by launching its own in-app payment system, which prompted Apple to ban Fortnite from its store.

Data analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated that it could have cost&nbsp;Google&nbsp;about $587 million&nbsp;or about 5 per cent&nbsp;of the $11.6 billion it earned from&nbsp;Google&nbsp;Play last year had the service fee cut come into effect in 2020.

Alphabet Inc's Google has announced that it will cut the service fee it charges developers on its app store by half on the first $1 million they earn in revenue in a year, after a similar move by rival Apple Inc last year.

Alphabet Inc's Google has announced that it will cut the service fee it charges developers on its app store by half on the first $1 million they earn in revenue in a year, after a similar move by rival Apple Inc last year. Both the companies have come under fire from large firms such as Microsoft Corp, Spotify Technology SA, as well as startups and smaller companies, that allege the fees deprive consumers of choices and push up app prices. Also read| Four more US states join Texas-led antitrust lawsuit against Google Google said in a blog post on Tuesday that it would cut app store fees to 15 per cent from 30 per cent effective July 1, a move that would impact most of the developers on its app store. In contrast, Apple said in November it planned to lower its commissions only for developers who make $1 million or less in proceeds in a year from its app store. Fortnite creator Epic Games said in a statement to Reuters that Google's move only alleviates some of the financial burden of developers. "Whether it's 15 per cent or 30 per cent, for apps obtained through the Google Play Store, developers are forced to use Google's in-app payment services," Epic said. Epic has been at loggerheads with Apple since August when the game maker tried to avoid paying fees on the iPhone maker's app store by launching its own in-app payment system, which prompted Apple to ban Fortnite from its store. Data analytics firm Sensor Tower estimated that it could have cost Google about $587 million or about 5 per cent of the $11.6 billion it earned from Google Play last year had the service fee cut come into effect in 2020.

Google announces cut in app store fee by half on developers' first $1 million in sales

More than 10 million&nbsp;people have been displaced in the last six months due to&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change-induced events such as flooding and droughts, the majority of them in Asia, according to a recent report.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said about 2.3 million others were displaced by conflict in the same period, indicating the vast majority of internal displacements are now triggered by climate change.

Though the figures cover only a six-month period from September 2020 to February 2021, they highlight an accelerating global trend of climate-related displacement, said Helen Brunt, Asia Pacific Migration and Displacement Coordinator for the IFRC.

"Things are getting worse as climate change aggravates existing factors like poverty, conflict, and political instability," Brunt said. "The compounded impact makes recovery longer and more difficult: people barely have time to recover and they're slammed with another disaster."

Some 60 per cent&nbsp;of climate-IDPs (internally displaced persons) in the last six months were in Asia, according to IFRC's report.

McKinsey and&nbsp;Co consulting firm has said that Asia "stands out as being more exposed to physical climate risks than other parts of the world in the absence of adaptation and mitigation".

Statistics from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) show that on average 22.7 million people are displaced every year. The figure includes displacements caused by geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but the vast majority are displaced by weather-related events.

Globally, 17.2 million people were displaced in 2018 and 24.9 million in 2019. Full-year figures are not yet available for 2020, but IDMC's mid-year report showed there were 9.8 million displacements because of natural disasters in the first half of last year.

More than 1 billion people are expected to face forced migration by 2050 due to conflict and ecological factors, a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace found last year.&nbsp;

More than 10 million people have been displaced in the last six months due to climate change-induced events such as flooding and droughts, the majority of them in Asia, according to a recent report.

More than 10 million people have been displaced in the last six months due to climate change-induced events such as flooding and droughts, the majority of them in Asia, according to a recent report. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said about 2.3 million others were displaced by conflict in the same period, indicating the vast majority of internal displacements are now triggered by climate change. Though the figures cover only a six-month period from September 2020 to February 2021, they highlight an accelerating global trend of climate-related displacement, said Helen Brunt, Asia Pacific Migration and Displacement Coordinator for the IFRC. "Things are getting worse as climate change aggravates existing factors like poverty, conflict, and political instability," Brunt said. "The compounded impact makes recovery longer and more difficult: people barely have time to recover and they're slammed with another disaster." Some 60 per cent of climate-IDPs (internally displaced persons) in the last six months were in Asia, according to IFRC's report. McKinsey and Co consulting firm has said that Asia "stands out as being more exposed to physical climate risks than other parts of the world in the absence of adaptation and mitigation". Statistics from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) show that on average 22.7 million people are displaced every year. The figure includes displacements caused by geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but the vast majority are displaced by weather-related events. Globally, 17.2 million people were displaced in 2018 and 24.9 million in 2019. Full-year figures are not yet available for 2020, but IDMC's mid-year report showed there were 9.8 million displacements because of natural disasters in the first half of last year. More than 1 billion people are expected to face forced migration by 2050 due to conflict and ecological factors, a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace found last year.

More than 10 million displaced by climate disasters in last six months: Report

US&nbsp;Defence Secretary Lloyd&nbsp;Austin&nbsp;said on Wednesday that Washington's alliance with South Korea is ever more important because of growing security concerns over China and North Korea.

South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook said it was important for the allies to maintain a strong deterrence and joint defence posture against North Korea.

The Biden administration is focused on rallying alliances with its key Asian partners to counter a rising China.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-officials-reach-seoul-for-key-talks-371061/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

North Korea is likely to move up the agenda in the South, where the US stations 28,500 troops to defend it against its neighbour.

Meanwhile, in North Korea's first comments directed at the Biden administration, Kim Jong Un's powerful sister on Tuesday warned the US to "refrain from causing a stink" if it wants to "sleep in peace" for the next four years.

Kim Yo Jong, a senior official who handles inter-Korean affairs, also criticised the US and South Korea for holding military exercises. She also said the North would consider abandoning a 2018 bilateral agreement on reducing military tensions and abolish a decades-old ruling party unit tasked to handle inter-Korean relations if it no longer had to cooperate with the South.

She said the North would also consider scrapping an office that handled South Korean tours to the North's scenic Diamond Mountain, which Seoul suspended in 2008 after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean tourist.

The US envoys will meet on Thursday with President Moon Jae-in, who brokered the process between Kim and former US president Donald Trump in 2018.

A senior official from the Biden administration said on Saturday that US officials have tried to reach out to North Korea through multiple channels since last month, but had yet to receive a response.

The South Korean and US militaries began annual military exercises last week that will continue through Thursday.

The drills are command post exercises and computerised simulation and don't involve field training. They said they held the downsized drills after reviewing factors like the status of COVID-19 and diplomatic efforts to resume the nuclear talks with North Korea.

The new US administration is expected to wrap up a review of North Korea policy in coming weeks. And Blinken said Washington is considering whether additional pressure on North Korea could be effective.

Policy review

Trump's unorthodox approach to foreign policy saw him trade insults and threats of war with Kim Jong Un before an extraordinary diplomatic bromance that saw a series of headline-grabbing meetings.

But ultimately no progress was made towards Washington's declared aim of denuclearising North Korea, with a second summit in Hanoi in early 2019 breaking up without an agreement and Pyongyang still under multiple international sanctions for its banned weapons programmes.

Blinken and&nbsp;Austin&nbsp;will consult on a review of Washington's policy towards the North being carried out by the new administration.

But subtle differences between Washington and Seoul could be seen in their readouts of the defence chiefs' meeting on Wednesday.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said&nbsp;Austin&nbsp;and Suh had expressed commitment to achieving "the denuclearisation of North Korea".

On the other hand, Seoul's defence ministry said that they had "shared objectives of achieving the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and a permanent peace in the region".

The specific "North Korea" phrasing used by Washington is anathema to Pyongyang, which prefers the broader and more ambiguous reference to the peninsula as a whole, terminology that could be taken to include the US nuclear umbrella over the South.

The difference threatens to put Seoul on the horns of a diplomatic dilemma: since Hanoi, Moon's administration has repeatedly tried to reach out to Pyongyang but has been regularly rebuffed.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that Washington's alliance with South Korea is ever more important because of growing security concerns over China and North Korea.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that Washington's alliance with South Korea is ever more important because of growing security concerns over China and North Korea. South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook said it was important for the allies to maintain a strong deterrence and joint defence posture against North Korea. The Biden administration is focused on rallying alliances with its key Asian partners to counter a rising China. North Korea is likely to move up the agenda in the South, where the US stations 28,500 troops to defend it against its neighbour. Meanwhile, in North Korea's first comments directed at the Biden administration, Kim Jong Un's powerful sister on Tuesday warned the US to "refrain from causing a stink" if it wants to "sleep in peace" for the next four years. Kim Yo Jong, a senior official who handles inter-Korean affairs, also criticised the US and South Korea for holding military exercises. She also said the North would consider abandoning a 2018 bilateral agreement on reducing military tensions and abolish a decades-old ruling party unit tasked to handle inter-Korean relations if it no longer had to cooperate with the South. She said the North would also consider scrapping an office that handled South Korean tours to the North's scenic Diamond Mountain, which Seoul suspended in 2008 after a North Korean guard fatally shot a South Korean tourist. The US envoys will meet on Thursday with President Moon Jae-in, who brokered the process between Kim and former US president Donald Trump in 2018. A senior official from the Biden administration said on Saturday that US officials have tried to reach out to North Korea through multiple channels since last month, but had yet to receive a response. The South Korean and US militaries began annual military exercises last week that will continue through Thursday. The drills are command post exercises and computerised simulation and don't involve field training. They said they held the downsized drills after reviewing factors like the status of COVID-19 and diplomatic efforts to resume the nuclear talks with North Korea. The new US administration is expected to wrap up a review of North Korea policy in coming weeks. And Blinken said Washington is considering whether additional pressure on North Korea could be effective. Policy review Trump's unorthodox approach to foreign policy saw him trade insults and threats of war with Kim Jong Un before an extraordinary diplomatic bromance that saw a series of headline-grabbing meetings. But ultimately no progress was made towards Washington's declared aim of denuclearising North Korea, with a second summit in Hanoi in early 2019 breaking up without an agreement and Pyongyang still under multiple international sanctions for its banned weapons programmes. Blinken and Austin will consult on a review of Washington's policy towards the North being carried out by the new administration. But subtle differences between Washington and Seoul could be seen in their readouts of the defence chiefs' meeting on Wednesday. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Austin and Suh had expressed commitment to achieving "the denuclearisation of North Korea". On the other hand, Seoul's defence ministry said that they had "shared objectives of achieving the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and a permanent peace in the region". The specific "North Korea" phrasing used by Washington is anathema to Pyongyang, which prefers the broader and more ambiguous reference to the peninsula as a whole, terminology that could be taken to include the US nuclear umbrella over the South. The difference threatens to put Seoul on the horns of a diplomatic dilemma: since Hanoi, Moon's administration has repeatedly tried to reach out to Pyongyang but has been regularly rebuffed.

US-South Korea alliance important due to security concerns over China, North Korea: Austin

French Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot has announced that the country&nbsp;will return a masterpiece by&nbsp;Gustav&nbsp;Klimt&nbsp;to the heirs of its owner, more than 80 years after she was forced to sell it in the Nazi era.

'Rosiers sous les Arbres'&nbsp;or 'Rose Bushes Under Trees', painted by the Austrian artist around 1904-05, will be returned to the family of Holocaust victim Nora Stiasny, who&nbsp;had to sell the painting&nbsp;at a knockdown price to survive financially after the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938.

The art dealer, a Nazi sympathiser, held on to it until his death and France, unaware of its history, eventually bought it at auction for its Musee d'Orsay museum in 1980, the minister added.

"The restoration of looted items is an ardent obligation. It is the honour of the Republic to do so, the honour of France," she said.&nbsp;

The painting was bought in 1911 by Stiasny's uncle, a Jewish Austrian collector named Viktor Zuckerkandl.&nbsp;

She was forced to sell it very cheap shortly after the Nazis came to power in Austria in 1938 at a time when Jewish families were being frozen out of the economy.&nbsp;

It was bought by Stiasny's former lover, Philipp Haeusler, who had joined the Nazi party and managed to hide his past after the war.

Stiasny died in 1942 along with her husband and son. It is not clear whether they were in the Polish ghetto of Izbica or the Belzec concentration camp.&nbsp;

France acquired 'Rose Bushes Under Trees'&nbsp;from a Swiss gallery in 1980 for its soon-to-open Musee d'Orsay in Paris, knowing nothing of its violent history.&nbsp;

"The decision we've taken is obviously difficult. It means removing a master-work from the national collection that is the only painting by Gustav Klimt that France owns," said Bachelot.&nbsp;

"But I'm not heartbroken over it, quite the contrary."

She added that it had been a challenging process due to the destruction of evidence and the erosion of family memories.&nbsp;

The work will go to the descendants of Stiasny's sister, Hermine Mueller-Hofmann, who managed to escape the Holocaust.

French Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot has announced that the country will return a masterpiece by Gustav Klimt to the heirs of its owner, more than 80 years after she was forced to sell it in the Nazi era.

French Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot has announced that the country will return a masterpiece by Gustav Klimt to the heirs of its owner, more than 80 years after she was forced to sell it in the Nazi era. 'Rosiers sous les Arbres' or 'Rose Bushes Under Trees', painted by the Austrian artist around 1904-05, will be returned to the family of Holocaust victim Nora Stiasny, who had to sell the painting at a knockdown price to survive financially after the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938. The art dealer, a Nazi sympathiser, held on to it until his death and France, unaware of its history, eventually bought it at auction for its Musee d'Orsay museum in 1980, the minister added. "The restoration of looted items is an ardent obligation. It is the honour of the Republic to do so, the honour of France," she said. The painting was bought in 1911 by Stiasny's uncle, a Jewish Austrian collector named Viktor Zuckerkandl. She was forced to sell it very cheap shortly after the Nazis came to power in Austria in 1938 at a time when Jewish families were being frozen out of the economy. It was bought by Stiasny's former lover, Philipp Haeusler, who had joined the Nazi party and managed to hide his past after the war. Stiasny died in 1942 along with her husband and son. It is not clear whether they were in the Polish ghetto of Izbica or the Belzec concentration camp. France acquired 'Rose Bushes Under Trees' from a Swiss gallery in 1980 for its soon-to-open Musee d'Orsay in Paris, knowing nothing of its violent history. "The decision we've taken is obviously difficult. It means removing a master-work from the national collection that is the only painting by Gustav Klimt that France owns," said Bachelot. "But I'm not heartbroken over it, quite the contrary." She added that it had been a challenging process due to the destruction of evidence and the erosion of family memories. The work will go to the descendants of Stiasny's sister, Hermine Mueller-Hofmann, who managed to escape the Holocaust.

France to return Klimt painting looted by Nazis to Holocaust victim

The United Kingdom has a history of colonising countries with dark-skinned natives.

Indian-origin Rashmi Samant was the first Indian woman to be elected the President of the Oxford University Students Union. However, her achievement was short-lived as she was forced to resign within a few days.

A student of MSc energy systems at Oxford University, Samant was forced to resign within five days of her appointment over several of her social media posts which were labelled to be anti-Semitic and racist.

While she did issue a public apology for 'unintentionally' hurting anyone's emotions, the Udupi-origin woman believes she was unfairly targeted as a 'conscious attempt'.

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar expressed concern, asserting that the matter will be taken up with Britain with "great candour".

It comes after the British monarchy is facing allegations&nbsp;of racism by&nbsp;Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.

Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, accused Britain's royal family of raising concerns about how dark their son's skin might be and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in a tell-all television interview that will send shockwaves through the monarchy.

The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into royalty in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self-harm after pleading for help but getting none.

Meghan&nbsp;said her son Archie, now aged one, had been denied the title of prince because there were concerns within the royal family "about how dark his skin might be when he's born".

"That was relayed to me from Harry, those were conversations that family had with him,"&nbsp;Meghan&nbsp;recounted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on CBS late on Sunday.

YMCA's Young and Black report found that 95 per cent&nbsp;of young Black people in the UK&nbsp;have heard or witnessed racist language at school. While&nbsp;49 per cent of people&nbsp;feel racism is the largest hurdle to academic attainment.

The British government has&nbsp;dedicated a website to the country's&nbsp;ethnicity facts and figures.&nbsp;It was established by the former Prime Minister Theresa May to tackle ''burning injustice.''

A report presented in the British parliament last year stated that over 60 per cent&nbsp;of black people in the UK do not believe their health is as equally protected by the NHS, compared to white people.

The death rate for Black women in childbirth is five times higher than for white women in the country.

85 per cent&nbsp;of Black people are not confident that they would be treated the same as white people.&nbsp;

The failings of successive governments to act in response to the successive reports and the review shows&nbsp;that something is wrong with the architecture which is supposed to protect&nbsp;human rights and promote racial equality.

Instead of correcting institutional wrongs, Britain's parliament is busy debating on the internal affairs of another country.

Last week, it spent 90 minutes talking about protests in India.

In&nbsp;1986, Prince Philip reportedly told a group of British students in China,&nbsp;''if you stay here much longer, you will be slitty-eyed.''

The United Kingdom has a history of colonising countries with dark-skinned natives. Indian-origin Rashmi Samant was the first Indian woman to be elected the President of the Oxford University Students Union.

The United Kingdom has a history of colonising countries with dark-skinned natives. Indian-origin Rashmi Samant was the first Indian woman to be elected the President of the Oxford University Students Union. However, her achievement was short-lived as she was forced to resign within a few days. A student of MSc energy systems at Oxford University, Samant was forced to resign within five days of her appointment over several of her social media posts which were labelled to be anti-Semitic and racist. While she did issue a public apology for 'unintentionally' hurting anyone's emotions, the Udupi-origin woman believes she was unfairly targeted as a 'conscious attempt'. India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar expressed concern, asserting that the matter will be taken up with Britain with "great candour". It comes after the British monarchy is facing allegations of racism by Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle. Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, accused Britain's royal family of raising concerns about how dark their son's skin might be and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in a tell-all television interview that will send shockwaves through the monarchy. The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into royalty in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self-harm after pleading for help but getting none. Meghan said her son Archie, now aged one, had been denied the title of prince because there were concerns within the royal family "about how dark his skin might be when he's born". "That was relayed to me from Harry, those were conversations that family had with him," Meghan recounted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on CBS late on Sunday. YMCA's Young and Black report found that 95 per cent of young Black people in the UK have heard or witnessed racist language at school. While 49 per cent of people feel racism is the largest hurdle to academic attainment. The British government has dedicated a website to the country's ethnicity facts and figures. It was established by the former Prime Minister Theresa May to tackle ''burning injustice.'' A report presented in the British parliament last year stated that over 60 per cent of black people in the UK do not believe their health is as equally protected by the NHS, compared to white people. The death rate for Black women in childbirth is five times higher than for white women in the country. 85 per cent of Black people are not confident that they would be treated the same as white people. The failings of successive governments to act in response to the successive reports and the review shows that something is wrong with the architecture which is supposed to protect human rights and promote racial equality. Instead of correcting institutional wrongs, Britain's parliament is busy debating on the internal affairs of another country. Last week, it spent 90 minutes talking about protests in India. In 1986, Prince Philip reportedly told a group of British students in China, ''if you stay here much longer, you will be slitty-eyed.''

Britain's history of racism spans across institutions

Jos Buttler's blistering 83 not out trumped Virat Kohli's majestic half-century as&nbsp;England&nbsp;beat India by eight wickets in the third Twenty20 International to go 2-1 up in the five-match series in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Kohli struck an unbeaten 77 off 46 balls to rescue India from a top-order collapse and help them to a competitive 156-6.

England&nbsp;overwhelmed the target with 10 balls to spare with Buttler smashing four sixes and five fours in his blistering 52-ball knock.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-joins-kane-williamson-in-elite-list-after-achieving-iconic-landmark-in-t20i-cricket-370964" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli joins Kane Williamson in elite list after achieving iconic landmark in T20I cricket</a>

Earlier put in to bat, India got off to a horror start mirroring their batting struggle in the series opener.

Their top order batsmen looked in discomfort against the pace and bounce of Mark Wood (3-31) and Jofra Archer.

Archer floored a return catch to reprieve Rohit Sharma off his first ball but&nbsp;England&nbsp;did not have to wait long for a breakthrough.

Wood breached KL Rahul's defence with an express delivery in the third over, dismissing the opener for his second successive duck in the series.

If pace got rid of Rahul, bounce did the trick against Rohit and Ishan Kishan.

India were 24-3 after the six powerplay overs and 55-3 at the halfway stage of their innings before Kohli counter-attacked.

The home captain smashed four sixes and eight boundaries as the hosts milked 56 runs off the last four overs.

England&nbsp;began cautiously and lost Jason Roy early after the opener played a reverse-sweep against Yuzvendra Chahal.

Buttler smashed a couple of sixes in that over and raced to a 26-ball fifty with his sustained aggression.

The English batsman got a life on 76, when Kohli, usually a safe catcher, dropped him at point after he had played a reverse-sweep.

Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten 40 included the winning boundary.

Ahmedabad hosts all five matches with the fourth Twenty20 International scheduled on Thursday.

The last three matches are being played behind closed doors following a rise in COVID-19 cases in the state of Gujarat.

Jos Buttler's blistering 83 not out trumped Virat Kohli's majestic half-century as England beat India by eight wickets in the third Twenty20 International to go 2-1 up in the five-match series in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Jos Buttler's blistering 83 not out trumped Virat Kohli's majestic half-century as England beat India by eight wickets in the third Twenty20 International to go 2-1 up in the five-match series in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Kohli struck an unbeaten 77 off 46 balls to rescue India from a top-order collapse and help them to a competitive 156-6. England overwhelmed the target with 10 balls to spare with Buttler smashing four sixes and five fours in his blistering 52-ball knock. Also read| Virat Kohli joins Kane Williamson in elite list after achieving iconic landmark in T20I cricket Earlier put in to bat, India got off to a horror start mirroring their batting struggle in the series opener. Their top order batsmen looked in discomfort against the pace and bounce of Mark Wood (3-31) and Jofra Archer. Archer floored a return catch to reprieve Rohit Sharma off his first ball but England did not have to wait long for a breakthrough. Wood breached KL Rahul's defence with an express delivery in the third over, dismissing the opener for his second successive duck in the series. If pace got rid of Rahul, bounce did the trick against Rohit and Ishan Kishan. India were 24-3 after the six powerplay overs and 55-3 at the halfway stage of their innings before Kohli counter-attacked. The home captain smashed four sixes and eight boundaries as the hosts milked 56 runs off the last four overs. England began cautiously and lost Jason Roy early after the opener played a reverse-sweep against Yuzvendra Chahal. Buttler smashed a couple of sixes in that over and raced to a 26-ball fifty with his sustained aggression. The English batsman got a life on 76, when Kohli, usually a safe catcher, dropped him at point after he had played a reverse-sweep. Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten 40 included the winning boundary. Ahmedabad hosts all five matches with the fourth Twenty20 International scheduled on Thursday. The last three matches are being played behind closed doors following a rise in COVID-19 cases in the state of Gujarat.

Buttler blitz trumps Kohli knock as England reclaim series lead

The emergence of the Earth's first living organisms billions of years ago may have been facilitated by a bolt out of the blue - or perhaps a quintillion of them.

Researchers said on Tuesday that lightning strikes during the first billion years after the planet's formation roughly 4.5 billion years ago may have freed up phosphorus required for the formation of biomolecules essential to life.

The study may offer insight into the origins of Earth's earliest microbial life - and potential extraterrestrial life on similar rocky planets. Phosphorus is a crucial part of the recipe for life. It makes up the phosphate backbone of DNA and RNA, hereditary material in living organisms, and represents an important component of cell membranes.

On early Earth, this chemical element was locked inside insoluble minerals. Until now, it was widely thought that meteorites that bombarded early Earth were primarily responsible for the presence of "bioavailable" phosphorus. Some meteorites contain the phosphorus mineral called schreibersite, which is soluble in water, where life is thought to have formed.

When a bolt of lightning strikes the ground, it can create glassy rocks called fulgurites by super-heating and sometimes vaporizing surface rock, freeing phosphorus locked inside. As a result, these fulgurites can contain schreibersite.

The researchers estimated the number of lightning strikes spanning between 4.5 billion and 3.5 billion years ago based on atmospheric composition at the time and calculated how much schreibersite could result. The upper range was about a quintillion lightning strikes and the formation of upwards of 1 billion fulgurites annually.

Phosphorus minerals arising from lightning strikes eventually exceeded the amount from meteorites by about 3.5 billion years ago, roughly the age of the earliest-known fossils widely accepted to be those of microbes, they found.

"Lightning strikes, therefore, may have been a significant part of the emergence of life on Earth," said Benjamin Hess, a Yale University graduate student in earth and planetary sciences and lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications.

"Unlike meteorite impacts which decrease exponentially through time, lightning strikes can occur at a sustained rate over a planet's history. This means that lightning strikes also may be a very important mechanism for providing the phosphorus needed for the emergence of life on other Earth-like planets after meteorite impacts have become rare," Hess added.

The researchers examined an unusually large and pristine fulgurite sample formed when lightning struck the backyard of a home in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, outside Chicago. This sample illustrated that fulgurites harbour significant amounts of schreibersite.

"Our research shows that the production of bioavailable phosphorus by lightning strikes may have been underestimated and that this mechanism provides an ongoing supply of material capable of supplying phosphorous in a form appropriate for the initiation of life," said study co-author Jason Harvey, a University of Leeds associate professor of geochemistry.

Among the ingredients considered necessary for life are water, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and phosphorus, along with an energy source.

Scientists believe the earliest bacteria-like organisms arose in Earth's primordial waters, but there is a debate over when this occurred and whether it unfolded in warm and shallow waters or in deeper waters at hydrothermal vents.

"This model," Hess said, referring to phosphorous unlocked by lightning, "is applicable to only the terrestrial formation of life such as in shallow waters. Phosphorus added to the ocean from lightning strikes would probably be negligible given its size."

&nbsp;

The emergence of the Earth's first living organisms billions of years ago may have been facilitated by a bolt out of the blue - or perhaps a quintillion of them.

The emergence of the Earth's first living organisms billions of years ago may have been facilitated by a bolt out of the blue - or perhaps a quintillion of them. Researchers said on Tuesday that lightning strikes during the first billion years after the planet's formation roughly 4.5 billion years ago may have freed up phosphorus required for the formation of biomolecules essential to life. The study may offer insight into the origins of Earth's earliest microbial life - and potential extraterrestrial life on similar rocky planets. Phosphorus is a crucial part of the recipe for life. It makes up the phosphate backbone of DNA and RNA, hereditary material in living organisms, and represents an important component of cell membranes. On early Earth, this chemical element was locked inside insoluble minerals. Until now, it was widely thought that meteorites that bombarded early Earth were primarily responsible for the presence of "bioavailable" phosphorus. Some meteorites contain the phosphorus mineral called schreibersite, which is soluble in water, where life is thought to have formed. When a bolt of lightning strikes the ground, it can create glassy rocks called fulgurites by super-heating and sometimes vaporizing surface rock, freeing phosphorus locked inside. As a result, these fulgurites can contain schreibersite. The researchers estimated the number of lightning strikes spanning between 4.5 billion and 3.5 billion years ago based on atmospheric composition at the time and calculated how much schreibersite could result. The upper range was about a quintillion lightning strikes and the formation of upwards of 1 billion fulgurites annually. Phosphorus minerals arising from lightning strikes eventually exceeded the amount from meteorites by about 3.5 billion years ago, roughly the age of the earliest-known fossils widely accepted to be those of microbes, they found. "Lightning strikes, therefore, may have been a significant part of the emergence of life on Earth," said Benjamin Hess, a Yale University graduate student in earth and planetary sciences and lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications. "Unlike meteorite impacts which decrease exponentially through time, lightning strikes can occur at a sustained rate over a planet's history. This means that lightning strikes also may be a very important mechanism for providing the phosphorus needed for the emergence of life on other Earth-like planets after meteorite impacts have become rare," Hess added. The researchers examined an unusually large and pristine fulgurite sample formed when lightning struck the backyard of a home in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, outside Chicago. This sample illustrated that fulgurites harbour significant amounts of schreibersite. "Our research shows that the production of bioavailable phosphorus by lightning strikes may have been underestimated and that this mechanism provides an ongoing supply of material capable of supplying phosphorous in a form appropriate for the initiation of life," said study co-author Jason Harvey, a University of Leeds associate professor of geochemistry. Among the ingredients considered necessary for life are water, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and phosphorus, along with an energy source. Scientists believe the earliest bacteria-like organisms arose in Earth's primordial waters, but there is a debate over when this occurred and whether it unfolded in warm and shallow waters or in deeper waters at hydrothermal vents. "This model," Hess said, referring to phosphorous unlocked by lightning, "is applicable to only the terrestrial formation of life such as in shallow waters. Phosphorus added to the ocean from lightning strikes would probably be negligible given its size."

Primordial lightning strikes may have helped emergence of Earth's first living organisms

The&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;will send a 10-person delegation to an Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia this week, the insurgent group's spokesman said on Monday.

The delegation will be led by Mullah Baradar, the&nbsp;Taliban's deputy leader and chief negotiator in US-brokered talks in Qatar, spokesman Mohammad Naeem said in a statement.

The Russian-backed conference is scheduled for March 18, one of a number of diplomatic initiatives to attempt to jumpstart the stalling Afghan peace process. The Afghan government confirmed on Saturday it would participate in the conference.

The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has this month been travelling around the region trying to shake up the peace process and spark progress as a troop withdrawal deadline nears and Washington reviews its policy for Afghanistan.

A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Khalilzad had met with Ghani in Kabul on Monday and updated him on his recent trips. Khalilzad had previously been in Doha, where negotiations are taking place, and also visited Pakistan.

Khalilzad has also proposed a meeting among main players to be held in Turkey with heavy United Nations involvement next month. The Afghan government has said they would take part in that conference, but the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;has not yet confirmed whether they would attend.

It comes at a crunch time for the peace process as a May 1 deadline for foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan looms. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, which is reviewing arrangements including a deal with the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;made under his predecessor, Donald Trump, has said all options remain on the table.

Peace talks have failed to gain momentum since starting in September with both sides yet to agree on an agenda, while violence has risen.

On Monday, a blast tore through a minivan in Kabul, according to police who said 15 civilians were injured. It was not clear who was behind the blast.

The Taliban will send a 10-person delegation to an Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia this week, the insurgent group's spokesman said on Monday. The delegation will be led by Mullah Baradar, the Taliban's deputy leader and chief negotiator in US-brokered talks in Qatar, spokesman Mohammad Naeem said in a statement.

The Taliban will send a 10-person delegation to an Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia this week, the insurgent group's spokesman said on Monday. The delegation will be led by Mullah Baradar, the Taliban's deputy leader and chief negotiator in US-brokered talks in Qatar, spokesman Mohammad Naeem said in a statement. The Russian-backed conference is scheduled for March 18, one of a number of diplomatic initiatives to attempt to jumpstart the stalling Afghan peace process. The Afghan government confirmed on Saturday it would participate in the conference. The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has this month been travelling around the region trying to shake up the peace process and spark progress as a troop withdrawal deadline nears and Washington reviews its policy for Afghanistan. A spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Khalilzad had met with Ghani in Kabul on Monday and updated him on his recent trips. Khalilzad had previously been in Doha, where negotiations are taking place, and also visited Pakistan. Khalilzad has also proposed a meeting among main players to be held in Turkey with heavy United Nations involvement next month. The Afghan government has said they would take part in that conference, but the Taliban has not yet confirmed whether they would attend. It comes at a crunch time for the peace process as a May 1 deadline for foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan looms. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, which is reviewing arrangements including a deal with the Taliban made under his predecessor, Donald Trump, has said all options remain on the table. Peace talks have failed to gain momentum since starting in September with both sides yet to agree on an agenda, while violence has risen. On Monday, a blast tore through a minivan in Kabul, according to police who said 15 civilians were injured. It was not clear who was behind the blast.

Taliban to send delegation to Afghanistan peace meeting hosted by Russia

Huawei&nbsp;Technologies announced royalty rates for the use of its 5G phone technology for the first time, in a move its chief legal officer said was an effort to increase transparency at an event on Tuesday.

The company was put on an export blacklist by former US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in 2019 and barred from accessing critical technology of US&nbsp;origin, affecting its ability to design its own chips and source components from outside vendors.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-huawei-faces-tough-times-ahead-301211/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But,&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;is looking to showcase its own research achievements, with the company expecting to receive around $1.3 billion in revenue from patent licensing between 2019 and 2021, according to its head of IP, Jason Ding.

For every phone that uses&nbsp;Huawei's 5G technology, which are capable of working the company will receive up to $2.5 in royalties, Ding said.

Along with rivals Samsung Electronics, Nokia, Ericsson, and chipmaker Qualcomm,&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;is one of the leaders in 5G patents, although studies about which company is ahead in the race vary.

Huawei&nbsp;achieved positive growth for both 2020 revenue and net profit, the company's founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei had said in February, adding that the company continued to see significant levels of confidence from its customers.

Yet, the company's smartphone business remains under intense pressure due to the US&nbsp;ban.&nbsp;Huawei's consumer business made up 54.4 per cent&nbsp;of the company's revenues in 2019.

The company is expected to reveal full 2020 figures at the end of the month.

By the end of 2020,&nbsp;Huawei&nbsp;held more than 100,000 active patents in over 40,000 patent families worldwide, the company said. Its R&amp;D investments totalled 131.7 billion yuan ($20.27 billion) in 2019.

Huawei Technologies announced royalty rates for the use of its 5G phone technology for the first time, in a move its chief legal officer said was an effort to increase transparency at an event on Tuesday.

Huawei Technologies announced royalty rates for the use of its 5G phone technology for the first time, in a move its chief legal officer said was an effort to increase transparency at an event on Tuesday. The company was put on an export blacklist by former US President Donald Trump in 2019 and barred from accessing critical technology of US origin, affecting its ability to design its own chips and source components from outside vendors. But, Huawei is looking to showcase its own research achievements, with the company expecting to receive around $1.3 billion in revenue from patent licensing between 2019 and 2021, according to its head of IP, Jason Ding. For every phone that uses Huawei's 5G technology, which are capable of working the company will receive up to $2.5 in royalties, Ding said. Along with rivals Samsung Electronics, Nokia, Ericsson, and chipmaker Qualcomm, Huawei is one of the leaders in 5G patents, although studies about which company is ahead in the race vary. Huawei achieved positive growth for both 2020 revenue and net profit, the company's founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei had said in February, adding that the company continued to see significant levels of confidence from its customers. Yet, the company's smartphone business remains under intense pressure due to the US ban. Huawei's consumer business made up 54.4 per cent of the company's revenues in 2019. The company is expected to reveal full 2020 figures at the end of the month. By the end of 2020, Huawei held more than 100,000 active patents in over 40,000 patent families worldwide, the company said. Its R&D investments totalled 131.7 billion yuan ($20.27 billion) in 2019.

Huawei to start charging royalties to smartphone makers using its patented 5G tech

Malaysia has charged glove maker Top Glove Corp on 10 counts of failing to provide minimum standards of worker accommodation, authorities said on Tuesday.

State news agency Bernama earlier reported that ten of the company's sites for foreign workers in the state of Perak were not certified by the labour department.

Top Glove, the world's largest producer of medical gloves, confirmed that the case was in relation to a November inspection under legislation on minimum housing and amenities standards and said it has pleaded not guilty.

Court hearings on the case will resume on April 28, the company said.

Top Glove also said it has set out plans to improve the standard of the various types of accommodation the company provides for its workers.

If found guilty, Top Glove could be fined up to 50,000 ringgit ($12,159.53) on each charge, a charge sheet showed.

The labour department declined to comment on a case still in progress.

The charges follow authorities' investigations into worker accommodation and hostels at several Top Glove sites last November after a coronavirus outbreak at one of its factories near the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

That outbreak grew into Malaysia's largest cluster, with more than 5,000 workers testing positive.

Top Glove last week said that an independent consultant had found no indication of systemic forced labour at the company after it had taken measures to address U.S. concerns over working conditions.

Malaysia has charged glove maker Top Glove Corp on 10 counts of failing to provide minimum standards of worker accommodation, authorities said on Tuesday. State news agency Bernama earlier reported that ten of the company's sites for foreign workers in the state of Perak were not certified by the labour department.

Malaysia has charged glove maker Top Glove Corp on 10 counts of failing to provide minimum standards of worker accommodation, authorities said on Tuesday. State news agency Bernama earlier reported that ten of the company's sites for foreign workers in the state of Perak were not certified by the labour department. Top Glove, the world's largest producer of medical gloves, confirmed that the case was in relation to a November inspection under legislation on minimum housing and amenities standards and said it has pleaded not guilty. Court hearings on the case will resume on April 28, the company said. Top Glove also said it has set out plans to improve the standard of the various types of accommodation the company provides for its workers. If found guilty, Top Glove could be fined up to 50,000 ringgit ($12,159.53) on each charge, a charge sheet showed. The labour department declined to comment on a case still in progress. The charges follow authorities' investigations into worker accommodation and hostels at several Top Glove sites last November after a coronavirus outbreak at one of its factories near the capital, Kuala Lumpur. That outbreak grew into Malaysia's largest cluster, with more than 5,000 workers testing positive. Top Glove last week said that an independent consultant had found no indication of systemic forced labour at the company after it had taken measures to address U.S. concerns over working conditions.

Malaysia charges Top Glove over quality of worker housing

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-planning-to-increase-nuclear-weapons-stockpile-govt-review-370906" hreflang="en">UK planning to increase nuclear weapons stockpile: govt review</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="791315d7-7c1c-470c-9224-4132b105f882" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9624UW.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-postpones-coronavirus-origin-report-likely-to-be-out-next-week-370924">WHO postpones coronavirus origin report, likely due next week</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77611c02-fdaf-49b0-9a98-19578422c1dd" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_92V4JC.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-secretary-of-state-antony-blinken-warns-china-against-coercion-and-aggression-370894">US Secretary of State Blinken warns China against 'coercion and aggression'</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="89ec8739-6e35-43e5-827c-1dbede38c88a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2814%29_23.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-gives-twitter-one-month-to-remove-banned-content-370938" hreflang="en">Russia gives Twitter one month to remove 'banned' content</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3f04e917-4d2e-4d95-8cdb-7f0ba5c3204a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9473RB_0.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/prince-philip-leaves-hospital-after-four-weeks-of-treatment-370919" hreflang="en">Prince Philip leaves hospital after four weeks of treatment</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="31a407bb-9e04-402a-8ec5-d81ef266fa53" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9639CY.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-critic-alexei-navalny-claims-he-is-locked-up-in-concentration-camp-outside-moscow-370910" hreflang="en">Kremlin critic Navalny claims he is locked up in 'concentration camp'</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="24d8d82d-b394-4bf8-a7a6-69bfbdc8b503" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2815%29_30.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-coronavirus-strain-discovered-in-frances-brittany-region-health-ministry-370870" hreflang="en">New coronavirus strain discovered in France's Brittany region: Health Ministry</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7943b8fc-1d54-49c3-8d96-440dfcfe80e6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9624JC.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/138-killed-in-myanmars-anti-coup-protests-since-february-1-un-370753" hreflang="en">138 killed in Myanmar's anti-coup protests since February 1: UN</a>

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/encrypted-messaging-app-signal-no-longer-working-in-china-370880" hreflang="en">Encrypted messaging app Signal no longer working in China</a>

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a5c2902c-7bc5-47be-bd41-816bbcc31049" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2812%29_27.jpg" />

&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/biden-team-to-tour-the-us-to-promote-19-trillion-covid-relief-bill-370935/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

UK planning to increase nuclear weapons stockpile: govt review WHO postpones coronavirus origin report, likely due next week US Secretary of State Blinken warns

UK planning to increase nuclear weapons stockpile: govt review WHO postpones coronavirus origin report, likely due next week US Secretary of State Blinken warns China against 'coercion and aggression' Russia gives Twitter one month to remove 'banned' content Prince Philip leaves hospital after four weeks of treatment Kremlin critic Navalny claims he is locked up in 'concentration camp' New coronavirus strain discovered in France's Brittany region: Health Ministry 138 killed in Myanmar's anti-coup protests since February 1: UN Encrypted messaging app Signal no longer working in China

Top 10 world news today: UK planning to increase nuclear weapons, WHO postpones coronavirus origin report and more

China was on the defensive in Brazil.

The Trump administration had been warning allies across the globe to shun Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, denouncing the company as a dangerous extension of China’s surveillance system.

Brazil, ready to build an ambitious 5G wireless network worth billions of dollars, openly took President Donald Trump’s side, with the Brazilian president’s son — an influential member of Congress, himself — vowing in November to create a secure system “without Chinese espionage.”

Then pandemic politics upended everything.

With COVID-19 deaths rising to their highest levels yet, and a dangerous new virus variant stalking Brazil, the nation’s communications minister went to Beijing in February, met with Huawei executives at their headquarters and made a very unusual request of a telecommunication company.

“I took advantage of the trip to ask for vaccines, which is what everyone is clamoring for,” said the minister, Fábio Faria, recounting his meeting with Huawei.

Two weeks later, the Brazilian government announced the rules for its 5G auction, one of the biggest in the world. Huawei, which the government appeared to have barred just months before, will be allowed to participate.

The about-face is a sign of how politics in the region have been scrambled by the pandemic and Trump’s departure from the White House — and how China has begun to turn the tide.

China spent months batting away resentment and distrust as the place where the pandemic began, but in recent weeks its diplomats, pharmaceutical executives and other power brokers have been fielding scores of requests for vaccines from desperate officials in Latin America, where the pandemic is taking a devastating toll that grows by the day.

Beijing’s ability to mass-produce vaccines and ship them to countries in the developing world — while rich countries, including the United States, are hoarding many millions of doses for themselves — has offered a diplomatic and public relations opening that China has readily seized.

Suddenly, Beijing finds itself with enormous new leverage in Latin America, a region where it has a vast web of investments and ambitions to expand trade, military partnerships and cultural ties.

Only last year, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, a right-wing leader who was closely aligned with Trump, disparaged the Chinese vaccine while it was undergoing clinical trials in Brazil, and shut down an effort by the health ministry to order 45 million doses.

“The Brazilian people WON’T BE ANYONE’S GUINEA PIG,” he wrote on Twitter.

But with Trump gone and Brazilian hospitals overwhelmed by a surge of infections, Bolsonaro’s government scrambled to mend fences with the Chinese and asked them to expedite tens of millions of vaccine shipments, as well as the ingredients to mass-produce the shots in Brazil.

The precise connection between the vaccine request and Huawei's inclusion in the 5G auction is unclear, but the timing is striking, and it is part of a stark change in Brazil’s stance toward China. The president, his son and the foreign minister abruptly stopped criticizing China, while Cabinet officials with inroads to the Chinese, like Faria, worked furiously to get new vaccine shipments approved. Millions of doses have arrived in recent weeks.

“With the desperation in Latin America for vaccines, this creates a perfect position for the Chinese,” said Evan Ellis, a professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College, who specializes on the region’s relationship with China.

With the coveted 5G contracts at stake — a source of intense geopolitical jockeying worldwide, including in countries like Britain and Germany — Huawei has mounted a well-timed charm offensive in Brazil.

It supplied hospitals with software to help doctors on the front lines of the pandemic. More recently, it donated 20 oxygen-making machines to the city of Manaus, where COVID patients suffocated to death in February as hospitals ran out of oxygen.

“May our joint efforts save lives!” the Chinese Embassy in Brazil said in a message on Twitter announcing the gift.

Before the first vaccines rolled off assembly lines, Huawei seemed to be losing the 5G contest in Brazil, knocked to the sidelines by the Trump administration’s campaign against it. Latin America’s largest nation was only months away from holding an auction to create its 5G network, a sweeping upgrade that will make wireless connections faster and more accessible.

Huawei, along with two European competitors, Nokia and Ericsson, aspired to play a leading role in partnering with local telecommunications companies to build the infrastructure. But the Chinese company needed the green light from Brazilian regulators to take part.

The Trump administration moved aggressively to thwart it. During a visit to Brazil late last year, Keith Krach, then the State Department’s top official for economic policy, called Huawei an industry pariah that needed to be locked out of 5G networks.

“The Chinese Communist Party cannot be trusted with our most sensitive data and intellectual property,” he said in a Nov. 11 speech in Brazil, during which he referred to Huawei as “the backbone of the CCP surveillance state.”

Krach argued that “free nations” needed to agree to coalesce around a “clean network” that excluded Huawei, because “our chain of security is only as strong as its weakest link.”

Weeks after the visit, Brazil appeared to be on board with Washington’s efforts to blacklist Huawei. In a statement issued after Krach’s meeting, Brazil’s foreign ministry said Brazil “supports the principles contained in the Clean Network proposal made by the United States.”

Eduardo Bolsonaro, a son of the president, who headed the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of Congress, said in a tweet that Brazil would back Washington’s push.

China had already faced scorn in some corners of Latin America early in the pandemic, as concerns that it had been careless in allowing the virus to slip beyond its borders took root. Beijing’s reputation took an additional hit in Peru, after exporting cheap, unreliable COVID tests that became an early misstep in the country’s efforts to rein in contagion.

But China found an opportunity to shift the narrative early this year, as its CoronaVac became the cheapest and most accessible inoculation for countries in the developing world.

With the pandemic under control in China, Sinovac, the maker of CoronaVac, began shipping millions of doses abroad, offering free samples to 53 countries and exporting it to 22 nations that placed orders.

As the first doses of CoronaVac were administered in Latin America, China took a swipe at wealthy nations that were doing little to guarantee prompt access to vaccines in poorer countries.

“Global distribution of vaccines must be fair and in particular, accessible and affordable to developing countries,” the foreign minister, Wang Yi, said in a speech late last month. “We hope that all countries that have the capability will join hands and make due contributions.”

In late February, as the first doses of China’s vaccines were being administered in Brazil, the country’s telecom regulatory agency announced rules for the 5G auction, which is scheduled to take place in July, that do not exclude Huawei.

The change in Brazil reflects how the campaign against Huawei driven by Trump has lost momentum since his defeat in the November election. Britain said it would not ban equipment made by Huawei from its new high-speed 5G wireless network. Germany has signaled a similar approach to Britain’s.

Thiago de Aragão, a Brasília-based political risk consultant who focuses on China’s relationships in Latin America, said two factors saved Huawei from a humiliating defeat in Brazil. The election of President Joe Biden, who has harshly criticized Brazil’s environmental record, made the Brazilian government unenthusiastic about being in lock step with Washington, he said, and China’s ability to make or break the early phase of Brazil’s vaccination effort made the prospect of angering the Chinese by banning Huawei untenable.

“They were facing certain death by October and November and now they’re back in the game,” de Aragão said of Huawei.

The request for vaccines by the Brazilian communications minister, Faria, occurred as it became clear Beijing held the keys to accelerate or throttle the vaccination campaign in Brazil, where more than 270,000 people have died of COVID-19.

The only reason Brazil had a few million doses of CoronaVac on hand in early February was that one of Bolsonaro’s rivals, São Paulo Gov. João Doria, had negotiated directly with the Chinese.

In an interview, Faria said there was no quid pro quo suggested in his request to Huawei for help with vaccines. In fact, he said, he also asked executives at competing telecommunications companies in Europe if they could help Brazil obtain shots.

“It wasn’t put on the table, vaccines versus 5G,” he said, describing the request for help with vaccines as appropriate.

On Feb. 11, Faria posted a letter from China’s ambassador to Brazil in which the ambassador noted the request and wrote that “I give this matter great importance.”

In a statement, Huawei did not say it would provide vaccines directly but said the company could help with “communication in an open and transparent manner in a topic involving the two governments.”

China is also the dominant supplier of vaccines in Chile, which has mounted the most aggressive inoculation campaign in Latin America, and it is shipping millions of doses to Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia.

In a sign of China’s growing leverage, Paraguay, where COVID-19 cases are surging, has struggled to gain access to Chinese vaccines because it is among the few countries in the world that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory.

In an interview, Paraguay’s foreign minister, Euclides Acevedo, said his country is seeking to negotiate access to CoronaVac through intermediary countries. Then he made an extraordinary overture to China, which has spent years trying to get the last few countries that recognize Taiwan to switch their alliances.

“We would hope the relationship does not end at vaccines, but takes on another dimension in the economic and cultural spheres,” he said. “We must be open to every nation as we seek cooperation and to do so we must have a pragmatic vision.”

China was on the defensive in Brazil. The Trump administration had been warning allies across the globe to shun Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, denouncing the company as a dangerous extension of China’s surveillance system.

China was on the defensive in Brazil. The Trump administration had been warning allies across the globe to shun Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, denouncing the company as a dangerous extension of China’s surveillance system. Brazil, ready to build an ambitious 5G wireless network worth billions of dollars, openly took President Donald Trump’s side, with the Brazilian president’s son — an influential member of Congress, himself — vowing in November to create a secure system “without Chinese espionage.” Then pandemic politics upended everything. With COVID-19 deaths rising to their highest levels yet, and a dangerous new virus variant stalking Brazil, the nation’s communications minister went to Beijing in February, met with Huawei executives at their headquarters and made a very unusual request of a telecommunication company. “I took advantage of the trip to ask for vaccines, which is what everyone is clamoring for,” said the minister, Fábio Faria, recounting his meeting with Huawei. Two weeks later, the Brazilian government announced the rules for its 5G auction, one of the biggest in the world. Huawei, which the government appeared to have barred just months before, will be allowed to participate. The about-face is a sign of how politics in the region have been scrambled by the pandemic and Trump’s departure from the White House — and how China has begun to turn the tide. China spent months batting away resentment and distrust as the place where the pandemic began, but in recent weeks its diplomats, pharmaceutical executives and other power brokers have been fielding scores of requests for vaccines from desperate officials in Latin America, where the pandemic is taking a devastating toll that grows by the day. Beijing’s ability to mass-produce vaccines and ship them to countries in the developing world — while rich countries, including the United States, are hoarding many millions of doses for themselves — has offered a diplomatic and public relations opening that China has readily seized. Suddenly, Beijing finds itself with enormous new leverage in Latin America, a region where it has a vast web of investments and ambitions to expand trade, military partnerships and cultural ties. Only last year, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, a right-wing leader who was closely aligned with Trump, disparaged the Chinese vaccine while it was undergoing clinical trials in Brazil, and shut down an effort by the health ministry to order 45 million doses. “The Brazilian people WON’T BE ANYONE’S GUINEA PIG,” he wrote on Twitter. But with Trump gone and Brazilian hospitals overwhelmed by a surge of infections, Bolsonaro’s government scrambled to mend fences with the Chinese and asked them to expedite tens of millions of vaccine shipments, as well as the ingredients to mass-produce the shots in Brazil. The precise connection between the vaccine request and Huawei's inclusion in the 5G auction is unclear, but the timing is striking, and it is part of a stark change in Brazil’s stance toward China. The president, his son and the foreign minister abruptly stopped criticizing China, while Cabinet officials with inroads to the Chinese, like Faria, worked furiously to get new vaccine shipments approved. Millions of doses have arrived in recent weeks. “With the desperation in Latin America for vaccines, this creates a perfect position for the Chinese,” said Evan Ellis, a professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College, who specializes on the region’s relationship with China. With the coveted 5G contracts at stake — a source of intense geopolitical jockeying worldwide, including in countries like Britain and Germany — Huawei has mounted a well-timed charm offensive in Brazil. It supplied hospitals with software to help doctors on the front lines of the pandemic. More recently, it donated 20 oxygen-making machines to the city of Manaus, where COVID patients suffocated to death in February as hospitals ran out of oxygen. “May our joint efforts save lives!” the Chinese Embassy in Brazil said in a message on Twitter announcing the gift. Before the first vaccines rolled off assembly lines, Huawei seemed to be losing the 5G contest in Brazil, knocked to the sidelines by the Trump administration’s campaign against it. Latin America’s largest nation was only months away from holding an auction to create its 5G network, a sweeping upgrade that will make wireless connections faster and more accessible. Huawei, along with two European competitors, Nokia and Ericsson, aspired to play a leading role in partnering with local telecommunications companies to build the infrastructure. But the Chinese company needed the green light from Brazilian regulators to take part. The Trump administration moved aggressively to thwart it. During a visit to Brazil late last year, Keith Krach, then the State Department’s top official for economic policy, called Huawei an industry pariah that needed to be locked out of 5G networks. “The Chinese Communist Party cannot be trusted with our most sensitive data and intellectual property,” he said in a Nov. 11 speech in Brazil, during which he referred to Huawei as “the backbone of the CCP surveillance state.” Krach argued that “free nations” needed to agree to coalesce around a “clean network” that excluded Huawei, because “our chain of security is only as strong as its weakest link.” Weeks after the visit, Brazil appeared to be on board with Washington’s efforts to blacklist Huawei. In a statement issued after Krach’s meeting, Brazil’s foreign ministry said Brazil “supports the principles contained in the Clean Network proposal made by the United States.” Eduardo Bolsonaro, a son of the president, who headed the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of Congress, said in a tweet that Brazil would back Washington’s push. China had already faced scorn in some corners of Latin America early in the pandemic, as concerns that it had been careless in allowing the virus to slip beyond its borders took root. Beijing’s reputation took an additional hit in Peru, after exporting cheap, unreliable COVID tests that became an early misstep in the country’s efforts to rein in contagion. But China found an opportunity to shift the narrative early this year, as its CoronaVac became the cheapest and most accessible inoculation for countries in the developing world. With the pandemic under control in China, Sinovac, the maker of CoronaVac, began shipping millions of doses abroad, offering free samples to 53 countries and exporting it to 22 nations that placed orders. As the first doses of CoronaVac were administered in Latin America, China took a swipe at wealthy nations that were doing little to guarantee prompt access to vaccines in poorer countries. “Global distribution of vaccines must be fair and in particular, accessible and affordable to developing countries,” the foreign minister, Wang Yi, said in a speech late last month. “We hope that all countries that have the capability will join hands and make due contributions.” In late February, as the first doses of China’s vaccines were being administered in Brazil, the country’s telecom regulatory agency announced rules for the 5G auction, which is scheduled to take place in July, that do not exclude Huawei. The change in Brazil reflects how the campaign against Huawei driven by Trump has lost momentum since his defeat in the November election. Britain said it would not ban equipment made by Huawei from its new high-speed 5G wireless network. Germany has signaled a similar approach to Britain’s. Thiago de Aragão, a Brasília-based political risk consultant who focuses on China’s relationships in Latin America, said two factors saved Huawei from a humiliating defeat in Brazil. The election of President Joe Biden, who has harshly criticized Brazil’s environmental record, made the Brazilian government unenthusiastic about being in lock step with Washington, he said, and China’s ability to make or break the early phase of Brazil’s vaccination effort made the prospect of angering the Chinese by banning Huawei untenable. “They were facing certain death by October and November and now they’re back in the game,” de Aragão said of Huawei. The request for vaccines by the Brazilian communications minister, Faria, occurred as it became clear Beijing held the keys to accelerate or throttle the vaccination campaign in Brazil, where more than 270,000 people have died of COVID-19. The only reason Brazil had a few million doses of CoronaVac on hand in early February was that one of Bolsonaro’s rivals, São Paulo Gov. João Doria, had negotiated directly with the Chinese. In an interview, Faria said there was no quid pro quo suggested in his request to Huawei for help with vaccines. In fact, he said, he also asked executives at competing telecommunications companies in Europe if they could help Brazil obtain shots. “It wasn’t put on the table, vaccines versus 5G,” he said, describing the request for help with vaccines as appropriate. On Feb. 11, Faria posted a letter from China’s ambassador to Brazil in which the ambassador noted the request and wrote that “I give this matter great importance.” In a statement, Huawei did not say it would provide vaccines directly but said the company could help with “communication in an open and transparent manner in a topic involving the two governments.” China is also the dominant supplier of vaccines in Chile, which has mounted the most aggressive inoculation campaign in Latin America, and it is shipping millions of doses to Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia. In a sign of China’s growing leverage, Paraguay, where COVID-19 cases are surging, has struggled to gain access to Chinese vaccines because it is among the few countries in the world that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory. In an interview, Paraguay’s foreign minister, Euclides Acevedo, said his country is seeking to negotiate access to CoronaVac through intermediary countries. Then he made an extraordinary overture to China, which has spent years trying to get the last few countries that recognize Taiwan to switch their alliances. “We would hope the relationship does not end at vaccines, but takes on another dimension in the economic and cultural spheres,” he said. “We must be open to every nation as we seek cooperation and to do so we must have a pragmatic vision.”

Brazil needs vaccines. China is benefiting

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Vyomica Berry

Home

Live Tv

Latest

World

India

Business

Entertainment

Sports

Opinions

Videos

Photos

Gravitas

Lifestyle

Science

Tech

Rajasthan News in Hindi: In-depth coverage of Rajasthan Crime, Political News, Education, Rajasthan Weather Update and Latest Rajasthan News on Zee News Rajasthan.