Reports of reinfection with the coronavirus evoke a nightmarish future: Repeat bouts of illness, impotent vaccines, unrelenting lockdowns — a pandemic without an end.

A case study published Monday, about a 25-year-old man in Nevada, has stoked those fears anew. The man, who was not named, became sicker the second time that he was infected with the virus, a pattern the immune system is supposed to prevent.

But these cases make the news precisely because they are rare, experts said: More than 38 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus, and as of Monday, fewer than five of those cases have been confirmed by scientists to be reinfections.

“That’s tiny — it’s like a microliter-sized drop in the bucket, compared to the number of cases that have happened all over the world,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University in New York.

In most cases, a second bout with the virus produced milder symptoms or none at all. But for at least three people, including one patient in Ecuador, the illness was more severe the second time around than during the first infection. An 89-year-old woman in the Netherlands died during her second illness.

Rare as these cases may be, they do indicate that reinfection is possible, said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University, who wrote a commentary accompanying the Nevada case study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

“It’s important to note that there are people who do get reinfected, and in some of those cases you get worse disease,” Iwasaki said. “You still need to keep wearing masks and practice social distancing even if you have recovered once from this infection.”

We asked experts what is known about reinfections with the coronavirus, and what the phenomenon means for vaccinations and the course of the pandemic.

Reinfection with the coronavirus is an unusual event.

First, the good news: Reinfection seems to be vanishingly rare.

Since the first confirmed case of reinfection, reported in Hong Kong on Aug. 24, there have been three published cases; reports of another 20 await scientific review.

But it is impossible to know exactly how widespread the phenomenon is. To confirm a case of reinfection, scientists must look for significant differences in the genes of the two coronaviruses causing both illnesses.

In the United States, where testing was a rare resource much of this year, many people were not tested unless they were sick enough to be hospitalized. Even then, their samples were usually not preserved for genetic analysis, making it impossible to confirm suspected reinfections.

A vast majority of people who do get reinfected may go undetected. For example, the man in Hong Kong had no symptoms the second time, and his infection was discovered only because of routine screening at the airport.

“There are a lot of people that are going to also have been exposed that aren’t having symptoms, that we’re never going to hear about,” said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

People whose second infections are more severe are more likely to be identified, because they return to the hospital. But those are likely to be even rarer, experts said.

“If this was a very common event, we would have seen thousands of cases,” Iwasaki said.

In most people, the immune system works as expected.

Reinfections can occur for any number of reasons: because the initial infection was too mild to produce an immune response, for example, or because the immune system was compromised by other health conditions. On occasion, a patient may be exposed to a large amount of virus that seeded an infection before the immune response could respond.

This variability is entirely expected, experts said, and has been observed in patients with diseases like measles and malaria.

“You’ll never have the distribution of anything with millions of people where you don’t have some very severe rare cases happening at the fringe,” said Dr. Michael Mina, a pediatric immunologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

At least two of the reinfected patients in Europe had compromised immune systems, for example, and the 89-year-old woman who died was receiving chemotherapy. In other reinfected patients, genetic factors or the lack of certain previous immune exposures may have blunted the body’s ability to fight off a second attack.

“There are some people who just don’t develop good immune responses to certain pathogens,” said Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “What is causing that? We’re not sure, but it’s rare, usually.”

In a vast majority of known infected patients, experts said, the immune system functions as it should against other pathogens.

“There are a lot of different infections where you can get reexposed to the virus, and we would probably not know because you don’t have symptoms,” Pepper said. “And that might be an important part of boosting immunity.”

When the body is exposed to an unfamiliar virus, it is normal first to develop some immunity and then to increase that response with each additional exposure. This phenomenon is well known among children, but it is less often seen in adults because they rarely encounter new viruses, Mina said.

“I think it’s important to recognize that reinfections are literally embedded in the evolution of our immune system,” he added. “We sometimes lose track of that with so many people talking about this who really haven’t studied the immune system.”

A resurgence of symptoms doesn’t prove reinfection.

For every confirmed case of reinfection, there are dozens of anecdotal reports of infected people who were sick and seemingly recovered but then became ill again weeks to months later.

Usually there are crucial data missing in those cases, like a confirmed lab diagnosis, or a virus sample that can be sequenced.

“The question is always, Is it a real reinfection?” Krammer said. “It’s very often very challenging to kind of get that kind of data.”

A vast majority of these cases are unlikely to be true infections. More likely, these are people experiencing a resurgence of symptoms connected to the original infection. The virus may set off an inflammatory response that can flare up even weeks later and cause symptoms like fatigue and heart problems. In rare cases, some patients may develop a chronic low-grade infection with the virus that never quite goes away.

“Even with viruses that can cause acute infections, like flu,” Krammer said, “you can have persistent infections if your immune system is sufficiently compromised.”

Although these are not real reinfections, they are still worrying if they lead to renewed illness or hospitalization months after the initial infection, Rasmussen said. “If there’s recrudescence happening frequently, and people are getting severely ill the second time around, that’s potentially its own problem,” she said.

People with a second bout may pass the virus to others.

Reinfected people without symptoms may still transmit the virus to others. The patient in Hong Kong, for example, was isolated in a hospital even though he had no symptoms. But his viral load was high enough that he could have passed the virus to others.

“Obviously, that person wasn’t ill, so it bodes well for him, but it doesn’t bode well for the community,” Pepper said.

But to be sure of infectiousness, researchers may need to look for live virus. South Korean researchers investigated hundreds of reports of reinfection and were able to rule them out as real cases after failing to grow infectious virus from the samples.

Similar procedures would be needed to rule out the possibility of transmission in each patient, Rasmussen said, adding, “I think that’s the only way you’d be able to get to the bottom of that.”

Reports of reinfection with the coronavirus evoke a nightmarish future: Repeat bouts of illness, impotent vaccines, unrelenting lockdowns — a pandemic without an end.

Reports of reinfection with the coronavirus evoke a nightmarish future: Repeat bouts of illness, impotent vaccines, unrelenting lockdowns — a pandemic without an end. A case study published Monday, about a 25-year-old man in Nevada, has stoked those fears anew. The man, who was not named, became sicker the second time that he was infected with the virus, a pattern the immune system is supposed to prevent. But these cases make the news precisely because they are rare, experts said: More than 38 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus, and as of Monday, fewer than five of those cases have been confirmed by scientists to be reinfections. “That’s tiny — it’s like a microliter-sized drop in the bucket, compared to the number of cases that have happened all over the world,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University in New York. In most cases, a second bout with the virus produced milder symptoms or none at all. But for at least three people, including one patient in Ecuador, the illness was more severe the second time around than during the first infection. An 89-year-old woman in the Netherlands died during her second illness. Rare as these cases may be, they do indicate that reinfection is possible, said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University, who wrote a commentary accompanying the Nevada case study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. “It’s important to note that there are people who do get reinfected, and in some of those cases you get worse disease,” Iwasaki said. “You still need to keep wearing masks and practice social distancing even if you have recovered once from this infection.” We asked experts what is known about reinfections with the coronavirus, and what the phenomenon means for vaccinations and the course of the pandemic. Reinfection with the coronavirus is an unusual event. First, the good news: Reinfection seems to be vanishingly rare. Since the first confirmed case of reinfection, reported in Hong Kong on Aug. 24, there have been three published cases; reports of another 20 await scientific review. But it is impossible to know exactly how widespread the phenomenon is. To confirm a case of reinfection, scientists must look for significant differences in the genes of the two coronaviruses causing both illnesses. In the United States, where testing was a rare resource much of this year, many people were not tested unless they were sick enough to be hospitalized. Even then, their samples were usually not preserved for genetic analysis, making it impossible to confirm suspected reinfections. A vast majority of people who do get reinfected may go undetected. For example, the man in Hong Kong had no symptoms the second time, and his infection was discovered only because of routine screening at the airport. “There are a lot of people that are going to also have been exposed that aren’t having symptoms, that we’re never going to hear about,” said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. People whose second infections are more severe are more likely to be identified, because they return to the hospital. But those are likely to be even rarer, experts said. “If this was a very common event, we would have seen thousands of cases,” Iwasaki said. In most people, the immune system works as expected. Reinfections can occur for any number of reasons: because the initial infection was too mild to produce an immune response, for example, or because the immune system was compromised by other health conditions. On occasion, a patient may be exposed to a large amount of virus that seeded an infection before the immune response could respond. This variability is entirely expected, experts said, and has been observed in patients with diseases like measles and malaria. “You’ll never have the distribution of anything with millions of people where you don’t have some very severe rare cases happening at the fringe,” said Dr. Michael Mina, a pediatric immunologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. At least two of the reinfected patients in Europe had compromised immune systems, for example, and the 89-year-old woman who died was receiving chemotherapy. In other reinfected patients, genetic factors or the lack of certain previous immune exposures may have blunted the body’s ability to fight off a second attack. “There are some people who just don’t develop good immune responses to certain pathogens,” said Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “What is causing that? We’re not sure, but it’s rare, usually.” In a vast majority of known infected patients, experts said, the immune system functions as it should against other pathogens. “There are a lot of different infections where you can get reexposed to the virus, and we would probably not know because you don’t have symptoms,” Pepper said. “And that might be an important part of boosting immunity.” When the body is exposed to an unfamiliar virus, it is normal first to develop some immunity and then to increase that response with each additional exposure. This phenomenon is well known among children, but it is less often seen in adults because they rarely encounter new viruses, Mina said. “I think it’s important to recognize that reinfections are literally embedded in the evolution of our immune system,” he added. “We sometimes lose track of that with so many people talking about this who really haven’t studied the immune system.” A resurgence of symptoms doesn’t prove reinfection. For every confirmed case of reinfection, there are dozens of anecdotal reports of infected people who were sick and seemingly recovered but then became ill again weeks to months later. Usually there are crucial data missing in those cases, like a confirmed lab diagnosis, or a virus sample that can be sequenced. “The question is always, Is it a real reinfection?” Krammer said. “It’s very often very challenging to kind of get that kind of data.” A vast majority of these cases are unlikely to be true infections. More likely, these are people experiencing a resurgence of symptoms connected to the original infection. The virus may set off an inflammatory response that can flare up even weeks later and cause symptoms like fatigue and heart problems. In rare cases, some patients may develop a chronic low-grade infection with the virus that never quite goes away. “Even with viruses that can cause acute infections, like flu,” Krammer said, “you can have persistent infections if your immune system is sufficiently compromised.” Although these are not real reinfections, they are still worrying if they lead to renewed illness or hospitalization months after the initial infection, Rasmussen said. “If there’s recrudescence happening frequently, and people are getting severely ill the second time around, that’s potentially its own problem,” she said. People with a second bout may pass the virus to others. Reinfected people without symptoms may still transmit the virus to others. The patient in Hong Kong, for example, was isolated in a hospital even though he had no symptoms. But his viral load was high enough that he could have passed the virus to others. “Obviously, that person wasn’t ill, so it bodes well for him, but it doesn’t bode well for the community,” Pepper said. But to be sure of infectiousness, researchers may need to look for live virus. South Korean researchers investigated hundreds of reports of reinfection and were able to rule them out as real cases after failing to grow infectious virus from the samples. Similar procedures would be needed to rule out the possibility of transmission in each patient, Rasmussen said, adding, “I think that’s the only way you’d be able to get to the bottom of that.”

Coronavirus reinfections are real but very, very rare

China's wolf-warrior diplomats have dented the country's global imagewith their pungent tone.

Now, China's foreign minister Wang Yi is is doing damage control after the country lost its friends due to their aggressive strategy.

The Chinese government's top diplomat is on an official a five-nation tour in Southeast Asia. These include:&nbsp;Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Thailand

This is a diplomatic mission as the United States has been trying to reach out to these countries.

Wang&nbsp;Yi urged Asian countries to remain "vigilant" over the risk of US&nbsp;strategy stoking geopolitical competition in the South China Sea and other parts of the region.

Beijing and members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) should work together to remove "external disruption" in the South China Sea,&nbsp;Wang&nbsp;said during a joint news conference with Malaysia's foreign minister.

However, Wang&nbsp;Yi is facing a hostile crowd&nbsp;on his tour. Four out of five countries that he visited&nbsp;recently signed up to join a new 'Mekong' partnership led by the United States.

With his visit, Yi is trying to keep&nbsp;to keep some neighbours within China's fold. But it will not be easy as&nbsp;Southeast Asian countries haven't been fans of China. Especially those countries that stake a claim to the South China Sea, a region&nbsp;where the Chinese navy has stepped up its aggressive activities.

Wang Yi's first challenge,&nbsp;is to contain the fallout of China's military actions.&nbsp;So, the Chinese foreign minister is turning up the charm offensive.

He&nbsp;met Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday and removed his mask for a photo-op.

During his Cambodia visit, he signed a trade deal that will allow Cambodia to export 340 mostly agricultural products without tariffs.

Wang&nbsp;contrasted China's pledges to uphold multilateralism and contribution as a responsible global player with "some countries" which turned the UN General Assembly into a "theatre for self serving political shows and an arena to provoke conflict and confrontation and to divide the whole world."

In Malaysia, he targetted Quad, which is an alliance between India, Australia, Japan and the United States.

The Chinese foreign minister said America wants to maintain its hegemony through the Quad.&nbsp;

With his visit to southeast Asia,&nbsp;Wang Yi wants the world to forget about China's expansionist drive.&nbsp;But with each military drill, China finds its list of friends in southeast Asia shrinking fast.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday directed China’s armed forces to strengthen training of troops and to be ready for war.

China's wolf-warrior diplomats have dented the country's global imagewith their pungent tone. Now, China's foreign minister Wang Yi is is doing damage control after the country lost its friends due to their aggressive strategy.

China's wolf-warrior diplomats have dented the country's global imagewith their pungent tone. Now, China's foreign minister Wang Yi is is doing damage control after the country lost its friends due to their aggressive strategy. The Chinese government's top diplomat is on an official a five-nation tour in Southeast Asia. These include: Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Thailand This is a diplomatic mission as the United States has been trying to reach out to these countries. Wang Yi urged Asian countries to remain "vigilant" over the risk of US strategy stoking geopolitical competition in the South China Sea and other parts of the region. Beijing and members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) should work together to remove "external disruption" in the South China Sea, Wang said during a joint news conference with Malaysia's foreign minister. However, Wang Yi is facing a hostile crowd on his tour. Four out of five countries that he visited recently signed up to join a new 'Mekong' partnership led by the United States. With his visit, Yi is trying to keep to keep some neighbours within China's fold. But it will not be easy as Southeast Asian countries haven't been fans of China. Especially those countries that stake a claim to the South China Sea, a region where the Chinese navy has stepped up its aggressive activities. Wang Yi's first challenge, is to contain the fallout of China's military actions. So, the Chinese foreign minister is turning up the charm offensive. He met Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday and removed his mask for a photo-op. During his Cambodia visit, he signed a trade deal that will allow Cambodia to export 340 mostly agricultural products without tariffs. Wang contrasted China's pledges to uphold multilateralism and contribution as a responsible global player with "some countries" which turned the UN General Assembly into a "theatre for self serving political shows and an arena to provoke conflict and confrontation and to divide the whole world." In Malaysia, he targetted Quad, which is an alliance between India, Australia, Japan and the United States. The Chinese foreign minister said America wants to maintain its hegemony through the Quad. With his visit to southeast Asia, Wang Yi wants the world to forget about China's expansionist drive. But with each military drill, China finds its list of friends in southeast Asia shrinking fast. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday directed China’s armed forces to strengthen training of troops and to be ready for war.

How China is trying repair the damage done by its wolf warriors

US Democratic presidential&nbsp;candidate&nbsp;Joe Biden is halting the travel of his running mate&nbsp;Kamala Harris after two people in campaigns orbit tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The decision is a precautionary measure although Harris was not in contact with communications director Liz Allen and another crew member who tested positive. She&nbsp;has conducted two PCR tests since then, both negative.

Biden's campaign manager&nbsp;Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement,&nbsp;"After being with Senator Harris, both individuals attended personal, non-campaign events in the past week. Under our campaign's strict health protocols, both individuals had to be tested before returning to their work with the campaign from these personal events."

The announcement is the latest blip in a presidential campaign that has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic, and comes two weeks to the day after President Donald Trump tested positive for the disease.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/heres-who-has-tested-positive-and-negative-in-trumps-circle-332571">Here's who has tested positive and negative in Trump's circle</a>

Biden, 77, along with his wife&nbsp;Jill&nbsp;had tested negative for COVID-19 at the beginning of this month.

"I'm happy to report that Jill and I have tested negative for COVID-19," Biden said, adding, "I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands."

Biden's doctor Kevin O'Connor in a statement said: "Vice President Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden underwent PCR testing for Covid-19 today and Covid-19 was not detected."

Both Biden and Harris have heavily criticised Trump's approach of downplaying the virus by calling it a ''hoax'' and comparing it with a flu.

US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is halting the travel of his running mate Kamala Harris after two people in campaigns orbit tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is halting the travel of his running mate Kamala Harris after two people in campaigns orbit tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The decision is a precautionary measure although Harris was not in contact with communications director Liz Allen and another crew member who tested positive. She has conducted two PCR tests since then, both negative. Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement, "After being with Senator Harris, both individuals attended personal, non-campaign events in the past week. Under our campaign's strict health protocols, both individuals had to be tested before returning to their work with the campaign from these personal events." The announcement is the latest blip in a presidential campaign that has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic, and comes two weeks to the day after President Donald Trump tested positive for the disease. Also see: Here's who has tested positive and negative in Trump's circle Biden, 77, along with his wife Jill had tested negative for COVID-19 at the beginning of this month. "I'm happy to report that Jill and I have tested negative for COVID-19," Biden said, adding, "I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands." Biden's doctor Kevin O'Connor in a statement said: "Vice President Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden underwent PCR testing for Covid-19 today and Covid-19 was not detected." Both Biden and Harris have heavily criticised Trump's approach of downplaying the virus by calling it a ''hoax'' and comparing it with a flu.

US election 2020: Joe Biden halts Kamala Harris' travel after campaign staffers test positive

The&nbsp;European Union leaders on Thursday&nbsp;refused&nbsp;to ''compromise at any cost'' on Brexit with the United Kingdom.

However, agreeing upon a fair trade with Britain, EU said it is ready for an abrupt split in trade worth a trillion euros every year.

Meeting face-to-face for only the third time in the coronavirus pandemic, the EU leaders wore masks and kept their distance as they gathered in Brussels to discuss Brexit, where a new trade pact is still elusive as an year-end deadline nears.

"We want a deal, but obviously not at any price. It has to be a fair agreement that serves the interests of both sides. This is worth every effort," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Britain left the EU in January and the estranged allies have since been locked in complex negotiations to try and keep trading without tariffs or quotas from 2021.

Talks have narrowed gaps on issues from social welfare to transport but three contentious areas have so far prevented a deal: fair competition, dispute resolution and fisheries, which is particularly important to France.

"In no case shall our fishermen be sacrificed for Brexit," French President Emmanuel Macron said on arriving in Brussels.

"If these conditions are not met, it's possible we won't have a deal. If the right terms can't be found at the end of these discussions, we're ready for a no-deal for our future relations," he added.

With businesses and markets increasingly jittery as the deadline nears, Thursday's EU summit is to approve extending the negotiations with a demand for Britain to budge, as well as stepping up contingency plans for an abrupt split.

Ireland, the EU member most exposed to a chaotic rupture, said smooth post-Brexit trade between the world's sixth largest economy and biggest trading bloc was still possible and even more essential given the economic havoc of the COVID-19 crisis.

"Where there is a will there's a way," Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told EU leaders meeting in Brussels.

"With COVID-19 having such a devastating impact on society and on the economies in the United Kingdom and across Europe obviously leaders will not want to hit citizens with a shock a no-deal would represent."

'CRAZY'

The pandemic has thrust Europe into unprecedented recession and many nations are tightening restrictions again to combat a second infection wave sweeping the continent as winter looms.

Given the economic malaise and global instability, it would be "crazy" if the estranged allies failed to agree, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said Britain would reflect on the Brussels meeting before deciding next steps. "We've always been clear that a negotiated outcome is our preference," he said.

Many on financial markets expect a thin deal by early November, though after several more weeks of drama.

The EU has warned it will not leave fishing rights to last and that they must be part of a wider deal together with issues like financial services where London has a weaker hand.

The sides are also far apart on fair competition safeguards covering social, labour and environment standards, as well as state aid.

Britain wants to be able to regulate its own corporate subsidies freely in the future, while the EU seeks to lock in joint rules.

Otherwise, the bloc says Britain cannot have free access to its cherished single market of 450 million consumers.

The European Union leaders on Thursday refused to ''compromise at any cost'' on Brexit with the United Kingdom. However, agreeing upon a fair trade with Britain, EU said it is ready for an abrupt split in trade worth a trillion euros every year.

The European Union leaders on Thursday refused to ''compromise at any cost'' on Brexit with the United Kingdom. However, agreeing upon a fair trade with Britain, EU said it is ready for an abrupt split in trade worth a trillion euros every year. Meeting face-to-face for only the third time in the coronavirus pandemic, the EU leaders wore masks and kept their distance as they gathered in Brussels to discuss Brexit, where a new trade pact is still elusive as an year-end deadline nears. "We want a deal, but obviously not at any price. It has to be a fair agreement that serves the interests of both sides. This is worth every effort," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Britain left the EU in January and the estranged allies have since been locked in complex negotiations to try and keep trading without tariffs or quotas from 2021. Talks have narrowed gaps on issues from social welfare to transport but three contentious areas have so far prevented a deal: fair competition, dispute resolution and fisheries, which is particularly important to France. "In no case shall our fishermen be sacrificed for Brexit," French President Emmanuel Macron said on arriving in Brussels. "If these conditions are not met, it's possible we won't have a deal. If the right terms can't be found at the end of these discussions, we're ready for a no-deal for our future relations," he added. With businesses and markets increasingly jittery as the deadline nears, Thursday's EU summit is to approve extending the negotiations with a demand for Britain to budge, as well as stepping up contingency plans for an abrupt split. Ireland, the EU member most exposed to a chaotic rupture, said smooth post-Brexit trade between the world's sixth largest economy and biggest trading bloc was still possible and even more essential given the economic havoc of the COVID-19 crisis. "Where there is a will there's a way," Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told EU leaders meeting in Brussels. "With COVID-19 having such a devastating impact on society and on the economies in the United Kingdom and across Europe obviously leaders will not want to hit citizens with a shock a no-deal would represent." 'CRAZY' The pandemic has thrust Europe into unprecedented recession and many nations are tightening restrictions again to combat a second infection wave sweeping the continent as winter looms. Given the economic malaise and global instability, it would be "crazy" if the estranged allies failed to agree, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said Britain would reflect on the Brussels meeting before deciding next steps. "We've always been clear that a negotiated outcome is our preference," he said. Many on financial markets expect a thin deal by early November, though after several more weeks of drama. The EU has warned it will not leave fishing rights to last and that they must be part of a wider deal together with issues like financial services where London has a weaker hand. The sides are also far apart on fair competition safeguards covering social, labour and environment standards, as well as state aid. Britain wants to be able to regulate its own corporate subsidies freely in the future, while the EU seeks to lock in joint rules. Otherwise, the bloc says Britain cannot have free access to its cherished single market of 450 million consumers.

European Union refuses to 'compromise at any cost' on Brexit with UK

At least six people were killed Thursday when a convoy of oil workers was ambushed by gunmen in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, officials said.

The province, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, is the poorest in the country despite being rich with oil and gas, and remains home to Islamist, separatist and sectarian insurgents.

Paramilitary troops and workers from the state Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) were among those killed in the attack on a highway in Gwadar, a senior&nbsp;official told AFP.

"The death toll may rise," he said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to media.

A second official confirmed the incident and details.&nbsp;

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Balochistan is key to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of Beijing's regional Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

The corridor seeks to connect China's western province of Xinjiang with Gwadar, giving Beijing access to the Arabian Sea.

In a separate attack in North Waziristan, six soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb, the military said in a statement.&nbsp;

The province's roughly seven million inhabitants have long complained they do not receive a fair share of its gas and mineral wealth.

The northwestern region along the Afghan border was once a focal point in the global war on terror but attacks by militant groups have decreased following a series of army offensives. &nbsp;

At least six people were killed Thursday when a convoy of oil workers was ambushed by gunmen in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, officials said. The province, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, is the poorest in the country despite being rich with oil and gas, and remains home to Islamist, separatist and sectarian insurgents.

At least six people were killed Thursday when a convoy of oil workers was ambushed by gunmen in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, officials said. The province, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, is the poorest in the country despite being rich with oil and gas, and remains home to Islamist, separatist and sectarian insurgents. Paramilitary troops and workers from the state Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) were among those killed in the attack on a highway in Gwadar, a senior official told AFP. "The death toll may rise," he said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to media. A second official confirmed the incident and details. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Balochistan is key to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of Beijing's regional Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The corridor seeks to connect China's western province of Xinjiang with Gwadar, giving Beijing access to the Arabian Sea. In a separate attack in North Waziristan, six soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb, the military said in a statement. The province's roughly seven million inhabitants have long complained they do not receive a fair share of its gas and mineral wealth. The northwestern region along the Afghan border was once a focal point in the global war on terror but attacks by militant groups have decreased following a series of army offensives.

At least six killed in attack on Pakistan oil workers: Officials

China's state-run company&nbsp;Sinopharm is offering free COVID-19 vaccine to students&nbsp;going abroad for higher studies.

Sinopharm is&nbsp;Group Co Ltd&nbsp;is currently developing two coronavirus&nbsp;vaccines.

The move by China National Biotec Group Co (CNBG) is aimed at boosting public confidence in homegrown inoculations, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a company website and some students who applied for it.

The announcement of the company distributing vaccines to students appeared on a website where people could sign up to receive it, the newspaper reported.

The website said on Monday that 481,613 people had taken the vaccine while an additional 93,653 had applied to be inoculated, according to the report.

The website was down starting Tuesday, the report said, adding that it was "under maintenance".

CNBG did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

China launched a vaccine emergency use programme in July, offering three experimental shots developed by a unit of state pharmaceutical giant China National Pharmaceutical Group and US-listed Sinovac Biotech.

A fourth vaccine being developed by CanSino Biologics was approved for use by the Chinese military in June.

On the other hand, an Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company called Group 42 is nearing the end of Phase III clinical trials of a vaccine in partnership with CNBG.

&nbsp;

China's state-run company Sinopharm is offering free COVID-19 vaccine to students going abroad for higher studies. Sinopharm is Group Co Ltd is currently developing two coronavirus vaccines.

China's state-run company Sinopharm is offering free COVID-19 vaccine to students going abroad for higher studies. Sinopharm is Group Co Ltd is currently developing two coronavirus vaccines. The move by China National Biotec Group Co (CNBG) is aimed at boosting public confidence in homegrown inoculations, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a company website and some students who applied for it. The announcement of the company distributing vaccines to students appeared on a website where people could sign up to receive it, the newspaper reported. The website said on Monday that 481,613 people had taken the vaccine while an additional 93,653 had applied to be inoculated, according to the report. The website was down starting Tuesday, the report said, adding that it was "under maintenance". CNBG did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. China launched a vaccine emergency use programme in July, offering three experimental shots developed by a unit of state pharmaceutical giant China National Pharmaceutical Group and US-listed Sinovac Biotech. A fourth vaccine being developed by CanSino Biologics was approved for use by the Chinese military in June. On the other hand, an Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence and cloud computing company called Group 42 is nearing the end of Phase III clinical trials of a vaccine in partnership with CNBG.

Chinese company Sinopharm offering free COVID-19 vaccine to students

Greece&nbsp;accused Turkey on Thursday of deliberately holding up a government aircraft carrying its foreign minister Nikos Dendias home from Iraq, leaving it circling for 20 minutes before granting it permission to cross Turkish airspace.

Turkey denied the accusation, saying the aircraft had taken off from Iraq without a flight plan but had been allowed to pass once one was procured.

The incident comes amid renewed tensions between Greece and Turkey over sea boundaries and energy drilling rights, after Ankara redeployed its search vessel, Oruc Reis, this week for a new energy exploration mission in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean.

Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said&nbsp;Greece's foreign ministry had sent a demarche to Turkish authorities on the incident.

"It is one more provocation in a series of provocations from the Turkish side," Petsas told reporters, adding, "but we will remain on the fact that various explanations were given by the Turkish side, and we hope this phenomenon, and this event, will never be repeated again in the future."

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy dismissed the suggestion that the plane carrying Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias had been deliberately held up as a provocation to Athens.

"The plane in question took off from Iraq without presenting a flight plan. When the plane entered our air space, a flight plan was urgently requested from Iraqi authorities, and the flight was safely carried out after the plan was received," he said.

He said Turkey had granted permission to a Greek request for the minister's plane to pass over its air space en route to Iraq on October 14.

After that plane malfunctioned in Iraq,&nbsp;Greece&nbsp;sent a second aircraft which was also granted permission to fly through Turkish air space, "with the same flight permission number, without any delay", Aksoy said.

Separately on Thursday, France and Germany accused Turkey of continuing to provoke the European Union with its actions in the eastern Mediterranean, and gave it a week to clarify its positions.

Despite an EU summit deal on Oct. 2 aimed at persuading Ankara to stop exploring for natural gas in waters disputed by&nbsp;Greece&nbsp;and Cyprus, Turkey said on Wednesday it was restarting operations of a survey ship.

The European Union said it would review the possibility of sanctions on Turkey at a European summit in December.

EU leaders are to meet in Brussels on Thursday, where&nbsp;Greece&nbsp;is expected to raise the gas dispute issue.

Greece accused Turkey on Thursday of deliberately holding up a government aircraft carrying its foreign minister Nikos Dendias home from Iraq, leaving it circling for 20 minutes before granting it permission to cross Turkish airspace.

Greece accused Turkey on Thursday of deliberately holding up a government aircraft carrying its foreign minister Nikos Dendias home from Iraq, leaving it circling for 20 minutes before granting it permission to cross Turkish airspace. Turkey denied the accusation, saying the aircraft had taken off from Iraq without a flight plan but had been allowed to pass once one was procured. The incident comes amid renewed tensions between Greece and Turkey over sea boundaries and energy drilling rights, after Ankara redeployed its search vessel, Oruc Reis, this week for a new energy exploration mission in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean. Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Greece's foreign ministry had sent a demarche to Turkish authorities on the incident. "It is one more provocation in a series of provocations from the Turkish side," Petsas told reporters, adding, "but we will remain on the fact that various explanations were given by the Turkish side, and we hope this phenomenon, and this event, will never be repeated again in the future." Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy dismissed the suggestion that the plane carrying Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias had been deliberately held up as a provocation to Athens. "The plane in question took off from Iraq without presenting a flight plan. When the plane entered our air space, a flight plan was urgently requested from Iraqi authorities, and the flight was safely carried out after the plan was received," he said. He said Turkey had granted permission to a Greek request for the minister's plane to pass over its air space en route to Iraq on October 14. After that plane malfunctioned in Iraq, Greece sent a second aircraft which was also granted permission to fly through Turkish air space, "with the same flight permission number, without any delay", Aksoy said. Separately on Thursday, France and Germany accused Turkey of continuing to provoke the European Union with its actions in the eastern Mediterranean, and gave it a week to clarify its positions. Despite an EU summit deal on Oct. 2 aimed at persuading Ankara to stop exploring for natural gas in waters disputed by Greece and Cyprus, Turkey said on Wednesday it was restarting operations of a survey ship. The European Union said it would review the possibility of sanctions on Turkey at a European summit in December. EU leaders are to meet in Brussels on Thursday, where Greece is expected to raise the gas dispute issue.

Greece accuses Turkey of delaying foreign minister's plane

With less than three weeks to go until the final showdown between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden&nbsp;for the United States election 2020,&nbsp;TV networks are facing greater pressure than ever to report election results accurately and without unwarranted speculation.

Top executives at five major news networks of the country are focussing on restraint instead of&nbsp;speed; on transparency about what remains unknown; and on a reassuring message that slow results don’t signify a crisis.

How to watch election day's counting?

CBS is using its “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/2020-us-election-battleground-tracker/">Battleground Tracker</a>” that combines polling, files on voter participation, US&nbsp;Census data and historical patterns.

Walt Disney Co’s ABC News has&nbsp;voter integrity units dedicated to topics such as foreign election interference and how the vote is tallied, state by state.&nbsp;

Comcast-owned <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-elections/president-results">NBC News </a>has doubled the size of its “Vote Watch” team, which includes 24 correspondents, reporters and producers who specialize in issues such as voting rights and misinformation campaigns. For the past year, the news division has been reporting on voter sentiment in five “bellwether” counties in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

This will be the first presidential election in which the major TV networks will get data from different providers, raising the potential for divergent perspectives on election night returns.

Fox Corp’s&nbsp;Fox News has partnered with the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-gb/topics/politics/2020-us-election-services">Associated Press</a> to replace traditional in-person exit polls with online and telephone surveys that aim to reach early and Election Day voters.

The survey data will be combined with real-time results tabulated by the AP to help make projections.

Fox and the AP left the National Election Pool consortium, which includes the three broadcast news networks and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/politics/mail-in-voting">CNN</a>. The consortium will rely on the firm Edison Research for exit polls and results as they come in from each precinct. <a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/planning?search=all%3Ausa-election">Thompson Reuters</a> has a distribution deal with the NEP for 2020 election data.

According to the executives of the five big networks, slow-but-sure is the ''watchword'' for the US election 2020.

“We will project states’ [results] in the normal way. But getting to that point of confidence ... is a more complicated process, a longer process,” said ABC News President James Goldston. “And we just need to be transparent with the audience about what that looks like.”

<a href="https://ig.ft.com/us-election-2020/">Financial Times</a> is also running an online tracker for state-by-state poll with the title 'Biden vs Trump'.&nbsp;For viewing monthly recent developments in voter sentiment, they can also visit&nbsp;<a href="https://ig.ft.com/ft-peterson-poll/">FT-Peterson Economic Monitor</a>.

Voters can visit the website of the <a href="https://www.centerforvoterinformation.org/voting-information/">Center for Information</a> or <a href="https://www.vote.org/">Vote.org</a> for details on ballots.

With less than three weeks to go until the final showdown between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden for the United States election 2020, TV networks are facing greater pressure than ever to report election results accurately and without unwarranted speculation.

With less than three weeks to go until the final showdown between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden for the United States election 2020, TV networks are facing greater pressure than ever to report election results accurately and without unwarranted speculation. Top executives at five major news networks of the country are focussing on restraint instead of speed; on transparency about what remains unknown; and on a reassuring message that slow results don’t signify a crisis. How to watch election day's counting? CBS is using its “Battleground Tracker” that combines polling, files on voter participation, US Census data and historical patterns. Walt Disney Co’s ABC News has voter integrity units dedicated to topics such as foreign election interference and how the vote is tallied, state by state. Comcast-owned NBC News has doubled the size of its “Vote Watch” team, which includes 24 correspondents, reporters and producers who specialize in issues such as voting rights and misinformation campaigns. For the past year, the news division has been reporting on voter sentiment in five “bellwether” counties in Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona. This will be the first presidential election in which the major TV networks will get data from different providers, raising the potential for divergent perspectives on election night returns. Fox Corp’s Fox News has partnered with the Associated Press to replace traditional in-person exit polls with online and telephone surveys that aim to reach early and Election Day voters. The survey data will be combined with real-time results tabulated by the AP to help make projections. Fox and the AP left the National Election Pool consortium, which includes the three broadcast news networks and CNN. The consortium will rely on the firm Edison Research for exit polls and results as they come in from each precinct. Thompson Reuters has a distribution deal with the NEP for 2020 election data. According to the executives of the five big networks, slow-but-sure is the ''watchword'' for the US election 2020. “We will project states’ [results] in the normal way. But getting to that point of confidence ... is a more complicated process, a longer process,” said ABC News President James Goldston. “And we just need to be transparent with the audience about what that looks like.” Financial Times is also running an online tracker for state-by-state poll with the title 'Biden vs Trump'. For viewing monthly recent developments in voter sentiment, they can also visit FT-Peterson Economic Monitor. Voters can visit the website of the Center for Information or Vote.org for details on ballots.

US election 2020: When and where to watch presidential voting

A copy of the first collection of plays by&nbsp;William Shakespeare&nbsp;was sold Wednesday for $9.97 million at auction in New York, setting a new record for a work of literature.

The price paid for the work, widely known as the First Folio exceeded by far the estimated range of $4-6 million set by Christie's, which held the auction.

The collection, printed in 1623 and containing 36 plays by the English master, is frequently described as the greatest literary work in the English language.&nbsp;

Wednesday's auction price also marked a new world auction record for any printed work of literature, and smashed the previous high of $6.16 million for a&nbsp;Shakespeare&nbsp;First Folio that was set in 2001, auction company Christie's said.

"Comedies, Histories and Tragedies" was compiled by friends of the English playwright seven years after his death. It includes 18 plays that had never been published before and might have been lost, including "Macbeth" and "Julius Caesar."

"It is an honor to purchase one of only a handful of complete copies of this epochal volume. It will ultimately serve as a centerpiece of a great collection of intellectual achievements of man," Loewentheil said in a statement.

The First Folio marked the first time that&nbsp;Shakespeare's plays had been organized as comedies, tragedies and histories. The book's large size - previously reserved for law books and works of theology - helped raise&nbsp;Shakespeare's status in future years, Christie's books experts said.

Without the First Folio some of&nbsp;Shakespeare's most famous lines would likely have been lost, including classics like "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," from "Julius Caesar," and "If music be the food of love, play on," from "Twelfth Night."

Wednesday's sale was the first time in nearly 20 years that a complete copy of the First Folio had come to auction. It was put up for auction by Mills College, a private liberal arts college in Oakland, California.

A copy of the first collection of plays by William Shakespeare was sold Wednesday for $9.97 million at auction in New York, setting a new record for a work of literature.

A copy of the first collection of plays by William Shakespeare was sold Wednesday for $9.97 million at auction in New York, setting a new record for a work of literature. The price paid for the work, widely known as the First Folio exceeded by far the estimated range of $4-6 million set by Christie's, which held the auction. The collection, printed in 1623 and containing 36 plays by the English master, is frequently described as the greatest literary work in the English language. Wednesday's auction price also marked a new world auction record for any printed work of literature, and smashed the previous high of $6.16 million for a Shakespeare First Folio that was set in 2001, auction company Christie's said. "Comedies, Histories and Tragedies" was compiled by friends of the English playwright seven years after his death. It includes 18 plays that had never been published before and might have been lost, including "Macbeth" and "Julius Caesar." "It is an honor to purchase one of only a handful of complete copies of this epochal volume. It will ultimately serve as a centerpiece of a great collection of intellectual achievements of man," Loewentheil said in a statement. The First Folio marked the first time that Shakespeare's plays had been organized as comedies, tragedies and histories. The book's large size - previously reserved for law books and works of theology - helped raise Shakespeare's status in future years, Christie's books experts said. Without the First Folio some of Shakespeare's most famous lines would likely have been lost, including classics like "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears," from "Julius Caesar," and "If music be the food of love, play on," from "Twelfth Night." Wednesday's sale was the first time in nearly 20 years that a complete copy of the First Folio had come to auction. It was put up for auction by Mills College, a private liberal arts college in Oakland, California.

First collection of Shakespeare's plays sold for record $10 million

A United States warship sailed through the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait on&nbsp;Thursday&nbsp;enraging China, which claims sovereignty over the island and surrounding seas.

While&nbsp;the American military described it as a "routine" passage, China called it a ''serious attempt to&nbsp;undermine peace and stability''.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-warns-china-against-any-attempt-to-take-taiwan-by-force-333453">US warns China against any attempt to take Taiwan by force</a>

According to a statement by the US Pacific Fleet, "The ship's transit through the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the statement said.

"The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows," it added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/set-off-war-china-threatens-retaliation-after-us-diplomats-visit-to-taiwan-329155">'Set off war': China threatens retaliation after US diplomat's visit to Taiwan</a>

Ties between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated in recent months, over issues including trade and Hong Kong, with the self-ruled island of&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;a long-running source of tension.

Any US Navy operations in the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait, which separates China from the island, provoke a strong response from Beijing, which considers&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;to be an inviolable part of its territory.

In an angry riposte, the Chinese People's Liberation Army said it tracked the USS Barry by sea and air "throughout the entire process."

Beijing has accused Washington and Taipei of "collusion" towards the island declaring formal independence and recently ramped up air force activity near&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;in a show of force.

The White House is pushing forward to sell to&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;sophisticated military equipment including MQ-9 drones and a coastal defensive missile system, fuelling further tensions in what is already an increasingly adversarial Sino-US&nbsp;relations.

&nbsp;

A United States warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday enraging China, which claims sovereignty over the island and surrounding seas. While the American military described it as a "routine" passage, China called it a ''serious attempt to undermine peace and stability''.

A United States warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday enraging China, which claims sovereignty over the island and surrounding seas. While the American military described it as a "routine" passage, China called it a ''serious attempt to undermine peace and stability''. Also read: US warns China against any attempt to take Taiwan by force According to a statement by the US Pacific Fleet, "The ship's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the statement said. "The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows," it added. Also read: 'Set off war': China threatens retaliation after US diplomat's visit to Taiwan Ties between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated in recent months, over issues including trade and Hong Kong, with the self-ruled island of Taiwan a long-running source of tension. Any US Navy operations in the Taiwan Strait, which separates China from the island, provoke a strong response from Beijing, which considers Taiwan to be an inviolable part of its territory. In an angry riposte, the Chinese People's Liberation Army said it tracked the USS Barry by sea and air "throughout the entire process." Beijing has accused Washington and Taipei of "collusion" towards the island declaring formal independence and recently ramped up air force activity near Taiwan in a show of force. The White House is pushing forward to sell to Taiwan sophisticated military equipment including MQ-9 drones and a coastal defensive missile system, fuelling further tensions in what is already an increasingly adversarial Sino-US relations.

US warship transits Taiwan Strait; China calls it undermining 'peace'

US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday said North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose a global threat, after Pyongyang's unveiling of previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missiles at a predawn military parade.

The appearance of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during a weekend parade in North Korea captivated many Western analysts. But officials in South Korea were far more concerned by the display of new multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and fast, maneuverable short-range missiles that would be ideal for striking targets in the South.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-unveils-giant-icbm-during-pre-dawn-military-parade-334347">North Korea unveils giant ICBM during pre-dawn military parade</a>

Speaking before the start of a meeting with his South Korean counterpart at the Pentagon, Esper said; "We agree that North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs remain a serious threat to the security and stability of the region and the world."

"The United States remains committed to the security of the Republic of Korea," Esper said.

He added, however, that South Korea and the United States must find a more equitable way of sharing defense costs so it "doesn't fall unequally on the American taxpayers."

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, who has touted his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has repeatedly said Seoul should pay for a larger share of the cost of US&nbsp;military forces deployed in the South.

Some 28,500 American troops are deployed in South Korea, in what is seen as a deterrent to Pyongyang that also sends a message to China about US&nbsp;influence and capability in Asia.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday said North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose a global threat, after Pyongyang's unveiling of previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missiles at a predawn military parade.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday said North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose a global threat, after Pyongyang's unveiling of previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missiles at a predawn military parade. The appearance of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during a weekend parade in North Korea captivated many Western analysts. But officials in South Korea were far more concerned by the display of new multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and fast, maneuverable short-range missiles that would be ideal for striking targets in the South. Also read: North Korea unveils giant ICBM during pre-dawn military parade Speaking before the start of a meeting with his South Korean counterpart at the Pentagon, Esper said; "We agree that North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs remain a serious threat to the security and stability of the region and the world." "The United States remains committed to the security of the Republic of Korea," Esper said. He added, however, that South Korea and the United States must find a more equitable way of sharing defense costs so it "doesn't fall unequally on the American taxpayers." US President Donald Trump, who has touted his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has repeatedly said Seoul should pay for a larger share of the cost of US military forces deployed in the South. Some 28,500 American troops are deployed in South Korea, in what is seen as a deterrent to Pyongyang that also sends a message to China about US influence and capability in Asia.

North Korea's nuclear, missile programs 'serious threat' to security: Pentagon chief

India should take advantage of the&nbsp;rift between Bangladesh and China to mend old ties with its longtime ally.

The Bangladesh government has officially called off the development of a deep-sea port at Sonadia Island off the country’s southeastern coast.

With this, the high-profile project on the Bay of Bengal, which would have further enhanced China’s economic and strategic ambitions in the Indian Ocean region, has been given a formal burial.

The clinical trial of an experimental Chinese COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech in Bangladesh is now uncertain as the health ministry refused to co-financing the initiative as requested by the Chinese drugmaker.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-china-gives-loan-to-bangladesh-for-teesta-river-project-321534">Now, China gives loan to Bangladesh for Teesta river project</a>

New Delhi&nbsp;should utilise this opportunity for repairing its ties with Dhaka.&nbsp;

The two countries have cooperated on several fronts in the past: economic, diplomatic, development and security.

Dhaka had forged a strategic partnership with Beijing when Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh in 2016 and offered a loan of $24 billion to the country.

Bangladesh was unhappy with India's Citizenship Amendment Act as it felt that it targeted Bangladeshis.

When Bangladesh and Pakistan discussed Kashmir on a telephonic call, India banned the export of red onions to the country.

After failing to secure a water-sharing agreement with India over the Teesta river, the fourth-longest river in the country that flows from India, Bangladesh turned to China to develop a $1 billion agreement to prevent floods and erosion during rains and water shortages in the dry season.

However, these are India's internal issues and Bangladesh had no right to interfere in them.

But it may be time to end the diplomatic tug of war.&nbsp; Here's why:

Been on the waiting list for way too long

Teesta originates in India in Tsolamo. The river flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh. It is one of the 54 rivers that enter Bangladesh from India.

The Teesta has been a source of discord between the two countries with negotiations on water sharing dating back to 1951 when Bangladesh was East Pakistan.

Crucial to both

Teesta is the lifeline for several districts of West Bengal. In Bangladesh, the Teesta flood plain covers 14 per cent&nbsp;of the country's cropped area.

The river is important to both India and Bangladesh and the dispute arises from the question of: who gets how much water?

In 1983, an adhoc agreement allocated 39&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of the water to India while Bangladesh got 36 per cent. The agreement lapsed in two&nbsp;years.

In 1984, they decided to give 42.5&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of the water to India and 37.5&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to Bangladesh.

In 2011, the countries were on the verge of signing a water-sharing pact.&nbsp;The then-Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh was about to visit Bangladesh. But the deal was scuttled by India's internal politics.

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office and Bangladesh was intergral to his neighbourhood first policy. He visited bangladesh in June 2015 and&nbsp;told Sheikh Hasina that he was confident of reaching a fair solution on Teesta.

5 years on, there has been no resolution. Mostly because West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee won't play ball.

Bangladesh has been unhappy about the low flow of the Teesta river. It&nbsp;claims that its paddy crops and fisheries have been affected.

China&nbsp;sought&nbsp;leverage 

Bangladesh’s water supply is dependent on rivers that flow into the country from neighbouring India. Water sharing issues have badly strained bilateral relations, a conflict that China has sought to leverage to its own advantage.

China tried to portray itself as a helpful and better neighbour by&nbsp;giving Dhaka a loan of $1 billion for the Teesta river management project.

While China's offer is aimed at debt-trapping Dhaka, it will not be in India's interest if it looses another ally to China.

India must solve the teesta dispute to avoid this.

Perfect time

Over the last few months, India has become more sensitive towards its eastern neighbour. It&nbsp;has supported for Bangladesh's stand on Rohingyas.

The Wuhan virus pandemic has brought India and Bangladesh closer.

New Delhi has provided medical aid to Dhaka.

Bangladesh has promised 1.5 million dollars to prime minister Modi's call for regional emergency fund.

Freight services between the two countries have been increased in the last few months..

India also provided 10 locomotives to bangladesh's railways.

The ties seem to be coming back to track and it is the perfect time to talk about Teesta.

Another step towards global leadership

Solving the Teesta dispute, and cementing ties with Bangladesh, takes India further towards its goal of &nbsp;being a global leader.

And to begin with-- the leader of its immediate neighbourhood. More countries are disengaging with China.&nbsp;This&nbsp;is India's opportunity.

Headstart

The United States has expressed&nbsp;interest in seeking India's view on the Indian neighbourhood as Washington looks to reset ties with Dhaka.

India should take advantage of the rift between Bangladesh and China to mend old ties with its longtime ally. The Bangladesh government has officially called off the development of a deep-sea port at Sonadia Island off the country’s southeastern coast.

India should take advantage of the rift between Bangladesh and China to mend old ties with its longtime ally. The Bangladesh government has officially called off the development of a deep-sea port at Sonadia Island off the country’s southeastern coast. With this, the high-profile project on the Bay of Bengal, which would have further enhanced China’s economic and strategic ambitions in the Indian Ocean region, has been given a formal burial. The clinical trial of an experimental Chinese COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech in Bangladesh is now uncertain as the health ministry refused to co-financing the initiative as requested by the Chinese drugmaker. Also read: Now, China gives loan to Bangladesh for Teesta river project New Delhi should utilise this opportunity for repairing its ties with Dhaka. The two countries have cooperated on several fronts in the past: economic, diplomatic, development and security. Dhaka had forged a strategic partnership with Beijing when Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh in 2016 and offered a loan of $24 billion to the country. Bangladesh was unhappy with India's Citizenship Amendment Act as it felt that it targeted Bangladeshis. When Bangladesh and Pakistan discussed Kashmir on a telephonic call, India banned the export of red onions to the country. After failing to secure a water-sharing agreement with India over the Teesta river, the fourth-longest river in the country that flows from India, Bangladesh turned to China to develop a $1 billion agreement to prevent floods and erosion during rains and water shortages in the dry season. However, these are India's internal issues and Bangladesh had no right to interfere in them. But it may be time to end the diplomatic tug of war. Here's why: Been on the waiting list for way too long Teesta originates in India in Tsolamo. The river flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh. It is one of the 54 rivers that enter Bangladesh from India. The Teesta has been a source of discord between the two countries with negotiations on water sharing dating back to 1951 when Bangladesh was East Pakistan. Crucial to both Teesta is the lifeline for several districts of West Bengal. In Bangladesh, the Teesta flood plain covers 14 per cent of the country's cropped area. The river is important to both India and Bangladesh and the dispute arises from the question of: who gets how much water? In 1983, an adhoc agreement allocated 39 per cent of the water to India while Bangladesh got 36 per cent. The agreement lapsed in two years. In 1984, they decided to give 42.5 per cent of the water to India and 37.5 per cent to Bangladesh. In 2011, the countries were on the verge of signing a water-sharing pact. The then-Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh was about to visit Bangladesh. But the deal was scuttled by India's internal politics. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office and Bangladesh was intergral to his neighbourhood first policy. He visited bangladesh in June 2015 and told Sheikh Hasina that he was confident of reaching a fair solution on Teesta. 5 years on, there has been no resolution. Mostly because West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee won't play ball. Bangladesh has been unhappy about the low flow of the Teesta river. It claims that its paddy crops and fisheries have been affected. China sought leverage Bangladesh’s water supply is dependent on rivers that flow into the country from neighbouring India. Water sharing issues have badly strained bilateral relations, a conflict that China has sought to leverage to its own advantage. China tried to portray itself as a helpful and better neighbour by giving Dhaka a loan of $1 billion for the Teesta river management project. While China's offer is aimed at debt-trapping Dhaka, it will not be in India's interest if it looses another ally to China. India must solve the teesta dispute to avoid this. Perfect time Over the last few months, India has become more sensitive towards its eastern neighbour. It has supported for Bangladesh's stand on Rohingyas. The Wuhan virus pandemic has brought India and Bangladesh closer. New Delhi has provided medical aid to Dhaka. Bangladesh has promised 1.5 million dollars to prime minister Modi's call for regional emergency fund. Freight services between the two countries have been increased in the last few months.. India also provided 10 locomotives to bangladesh's railways. The ties seem to be coming back to track and it is the perfect time to talk about Teesta. Another step towards global leadership Solving the Teesta dispute, and cementing ties with Bangladesh, takes India further towards its goal of being a global leader. And to begin with-- the leader of its immediate neighbourhood. More countries are disengaging with China. This is India's opportunity. Headstart The United States has expressed interest in seeking India's view on the Indian neighbourhood as Washington looks to reset ties with Dhaka.

How India can utilise China-Bangladesh rift for its benefit

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