On 23 June 2021 amid intense scrutiny about the true origins of covid, Chinese scientists have deleted crucial data from the earliest confirmed covid patients.
Dozens of test samples from patients in epicentre Wuhan were found to have been wiped from an international database used to track the virus' evolution.
The files could have provided vital clues about how the virus originated and how long it had been spreading before the Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market outbreak in December 2019.
The American professor who spotted their deletion and managed to recover some of the data said they suggested covid was circulating long before China's official timeline.
He found the early samples of the virus were more evolved than would be expected of a pathogen that had recently jumped from animals to humans — but did not say it gave more weight to the 'lab leak' theory.
Professor Jesse Bloom, a virologist from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, said that he believed China had removed the files to "obscure their existence".
British scientists told MailOnline the findings confirm covid was spreading in people before being linked to wet markets, "perhaps months before".
The latest cover-up comes amid mounting suspicion the virus may have accidentally leaked from a high-level biosecurity laboratory in Wuhan.
Boris Johnson's former chief aide Dominic Cummings said that Professor Bloom's find pointed further 'towards' the 'lab leak' theory.
Giving evidence to a House of Lords select committee on 23 June, the UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said there was a "real need to make sure that we understand what’s going on" in high-grade virology labs.
The cover-up was detailed in a scientific paper titled "Recovery of deleted deep sequencing data sheds more light on the early Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 epidemic" today.
Forty-five positive samples had originally been uploaded to the National Institute of Health‘s (NIH) Sequence Read Archive by the Wuhan University in early March 2020.
The NIH is a US Government agency responsible for biomedical and public health research.
The samples were published as part of a study into diagnosing covid patients using PCR tests – just days before the Chinese Government issued an order requiring approval of the publication of all coronavirus data.
Professor Bloom noted all 45 samples have since been pulled from the database, with 'no plausible scientific reason for the deletion'.
He said the most likely explanation was to "abuse" and "obscure" the truth about the origins of the pandemic.
The professor explained scientists can get their genetic samples removed from the NIH's database with relative ease, normally via an email request.
He said that while there were often legitimate and valid reasons for having them deleted, there was no evidence of any in the case of the Wuhan samples.
"The current study suggests... the trusting structures of science have been abused to obscure sequences relevant to the early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan.'' he wrote.
However, he defended staff at the NIH's Sequence Read Archive, explaining that they have to manage more than 13 million samples, "making it infeasible for its staff to validate the rationale for all requests".
The virologist was able to partially recover 13 of the samples using Google Cloud before sequencing the viruses.
He noted several genetic differences between the strains in the deleted samples and the virus that eventually spread around the world.
In a Twitter thread detailing his findings today, Professor Bloom said: 'Although events that led to emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan are unclear (zoonosis vs lab accident), everyone agrees deep ancestors are coronaviruses from bats.
"Therefore, we’d expect the first SARS-CoV-2 sequences would be more similar to bat coronaviruses, and as SARS-CoV-2 continued to evolve it would become more divergent from these ancestors. But that is *not* the case!
'Instead, early Huanan Seafood Market SARS-CoV-2 viruses are more different from bat coronaviruses than SARS-CoV-2 viruses collected later in China and even other countries.'
British experts commenting on the study said it confirmed long-held suspicions that covid was spreading before December 2019.
They also warned that it highlighted the flaws in the World Health Organization's investigation into covid's origins, which is being carefully supervised by China.
Professor Lawrence Young, a molecular biologist at the University of Warwick, told MailOnline, "The study further cements the fact the virus was circulating in Wuhan before the outbreak in December.
"It highlights and reinforces the inadequacy of the original WHO investigation, which was compromised by not being able to access data.
"This just shows how important it is to understand the early spread of the virus and any future investigation really does need to look seriously at the whole issue.
"It's particularly worrying that crucial data was uploaded and then deleted - it's odd behaviour."
Asked about what the findings reveal about the origins of the virus, Professor Young said, "It doesn't tell you where the virus came from."
But he added that it "raises suspicions" and will fuel the the theory that it might have emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which many have suggested.
He added, "It [the study] certainly suggests the covid virus or a very close precursor virus [a less mutated version] was circulating before it started to take off.
"It could've jumped to humans much earlier than the consensus thinking, perhaps even months before."
The study was shared by former No10 aide Mr Cummings today who said evidence was moving 'towards' the China lab leak theory. However, he stressed that the idea was still "unproven".
Mr Cummings, responding to another scientist who endorsed Professor Bloom's research, tweeted: 'Yuri has uncovered lots of evidence on this, as he says this deletion is *clear evidence of coverup by China*.
'Seems to me reasonable to update further towards lab leak hypothesis, though obviously this also remains unproven...'
The Prime Minister has said that the government's central theory is that the virus was "zoonotic" in origin, and jumped to humans from another species.
But Mr Johnson has said that the possibility that it escaped from the viral institute in Wuhan has not been ruled out.
Top scientists and Government officials in the UK and globally had publicly written off the "lab leak" hypothesis as a conspiracy until recently.
But recent developments and revelations about the type of research that went on at the Wuhan lab has led to growing doubts about the virus' origin.
Sir Patrick Vallance was asked about the likelihood of the lab leak theory at the House of Lords' Risk Assessment and Risk Planning Committee.
He said the biggest risk "by far" is natural infection spreading from animals into humans. But he admitted there should be tighter regulations placed on labs carrying out risky viral research.
Sir Patrick said, "The issue in biosecurity in general is that many of these amendments to organisms are actually quite easy these days, it’s not that difficult to do things in labs, so there is a real need to make sure that we understand what’s going on...
"So there is I think a rather important need for the world to think about what systems are to keep an eye on this and to make sure that the level four labs are appropriately regulated and looked after.
"And I think most of them you know about and some of them you don’t know about I suspect, we don’t know. But there is absolutely a need to keep an eye on that.
"There is a need to understand the risks of things happening... in places that are less well regulated and I think that is a very real area of future concern.
"Now, it is still the case that the biggest risk by far is natural infection spreading from animals into humans. That remains by far the risk, but the labs of course do need to be looked at in terms of their security."
US infectious diseases boss Dr Anthony Fauci has faced calls to resign over the scandal after he last year dismissed the theory as nonsense but appeared to be considering it behind closed doors.
Scientists who put their names to a letter denouncing the 'lab leak' theory last year have since changed their minds and said a full inquiry is required.
President Joe Biden has ordered a full investigation into the origin of the pandemic virus and demanded scientists work out whether there is truth to the theory.
The head of the World Health Organization insisted just a day earlier that the theory that covid emerged from a Wuhan lab has not been ruled out – as he said China should help solve the mystery out of 'respect' for the dead.
The body's director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, suggested that Beijing had not cooperated fully as he urged more "transparency" in the continuing investigation.
There has been mounting controversy over how the virus first emerged - whether through animal contact at a "wet" market in Wuhan or leakage from a highly secure research laboratory in the same city as some have suggested.
China says it is not responsible for the pandemic and has dismissed theories about the disease being man-made.
The latest twist in the lab leak theory saga came yesterday when British scientist Peter Daszak had been removed from a commission looking at the origins of the pandemic.
Professor Daszak secretly denounced the lab leak theory while failing to mention his close ties to the same facility.
The scandal-hit scientist's departure from the UN-backed Lancet commission into the virus's origins was revealed on its website.
It added a sentence in brackets under his photo and above his biography, saying 'recused from Commission work on the origins of the pandemic.'
No further information on Daszak's departure was given - but he has faced conflict of interest claims after his close ties to the Wuhan Institute of Virology were revealed last month.
Daszak, 55, president of the New York-based EcoHealth Alliance, was one of 28 experts from around the world asked to analyze how best to respond to the pandemic.
The panel comprised leading global figures in public health, economics, philanthropy, diplomacy and politics.
Ref: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9716531/More-proof-support-lab-leak-theory-China-DELETED-samples-earliest-patients.html?ito=push-notification&ci=260565&si=29714469&ai=9716531
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Michigan county calls out Dominion, demands audit and answers about election manipulation
https://www.westernjournal.com/spreading-mi-county-calls-dominion-demands-audit-answers-election-manipulation/?utm_medium=westernjournalism&utm_source=push&utm_campaign=jeeng
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The Cuban domestic vaccines' protection is as high as 92%
Editor : Zhou Zixin / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
In order to curb the spread of covid in the country, Cuba has started to administer the domestic covi vaccine on a large scale about a month ago. People are vaccinated to monitor the protection of vaccines. According to the Cuban government on the 21st, clinical trials have confirmed that the domestically produced "Abdala vaccine" that requires 3 doses has a protective effect of up to 92% and is effective against covi.
News (4)
The protection rates among known covi vaccines
According to the "New York Times" report, since the beginning of the epidemic, the Cuban government has refused to import any foreign-developed covi vaccines and insisted that it can only be "made in Cuba." According to the clinical trial results announced by the government on Monday, the "Abdala vaccine" has directly become one of the most protective covi vaccines in the world. At present, the best protection is still Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with 95% protection, followed by Moderna with 94.1%, and Russia's "Sputnik V" with 91.6%.
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Second covi vaccine of Cuba "Sovereign 2" better than CoronaVac
The state-owned biotechnology company "BioCubaFarma", which is officially owned by the Cuban government, also announced on the 20th that another domestic vaccine "Sovereign 2" has a protective effect of up to 62% after inoculation of the second dose of the 3 doses, and 3 doses have been completed. Later clinical data is expected to be released in the next few days.
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9% vaccinated against covid in Cuba
The local government has been carrying out a "mass vaccination campaign" in Havana since May, and the vaccine "intervention research" project has been used as an experimental vaccine for the public. At present, about 1 million Cubans have been vaccinated with 3 doses of domestically produced Abdala or Sovereign 2 vaccines, accounting for about 9% of the population. According to official data, the number of confirmed cases in Havana, which has the highest vaccination rate, has been reduced by 50%, showing the protective effect of the vaccine.
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Cuba faces threat from Beta in second wave
However, Cuba is currently facing a severe epidemic, and the number of confirmed cases is on the rise. On Monday, about 1,600 new cases were notified in a single day, and the Beta variant virus that originated in South Africa was also spreading in Cuba.
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Cuban covi vaccines attract interest from Vietnam and three other countries
Over the past year or so, the local tourism industry in Cuba has been suspended due to the epidemic, and the sanctions imposed during Trump’s administration have made the country’s economy miserable. Therefore, the success of domestic vaccines can be said to have brought long-lost good news to Cuba. The governments of Mexico, Argentina, Vietnam, and Iran have all expressed their willingness to purchase Cuban-made vaccines.
Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/world/1532779?from=Copy_content
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Cuba has 5 candidate covi vaccines
Cuban biopharmaceutical company BioCubaFarma on 20 June 2021 quoted the preliminary results of late-stage clinical trials and pointed out that the domestic covi vaccine "Sovereign 2" (Soberana 2) is effective, and the effectiveness of two doses after three doses is 62%. The Cuban Biotechnology Department currently has 5 candidate vaccines in clinical trials, of which "Sovereign 2" and Abdala have entered the advanced stage of trials.
Ref: news.tvbs.com.tw/world/1531201?from=Copy_content
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3 unlinked infections in Singapore on 23 June including a nurse of National Centre for Infectious Diseases
There are three newly unrelated cases in Singapore on 23 June 2021 including a nurse from the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. These patients are all cases discovered through the active detection operation of the authorities.The Ministry of Health issued a statement tonight (23 June) revealing that the 64394th case is an 81-year-old local retired man who received the first dose of the vaccine on 10 June. He developed cough ten days later. His condition worsened the day before yesterday (21st) and he went to Singapore General Hospital for treatment and was tested for covid on the same day. He was diagnosed on 22 June, and the serum test results have not yet been released.
The 64399th case is a 34-year-old local woman who works as a nurse at the National Center for Infectious Diseases and has received two doses of the vaccine. She has communicated with covid patients but wears complete personal protective equipment during work.
The last time she was tested regularly in rotation was on 10 June but the result was negative. The day before yesterday, she developed a runny nose and sore throat. The next day she went to the family clinic for medical treatment and received rapid antigen test (ART) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Both results were positive, and the serological test result was N antigen. Negative means that the infection is at an early stage.
The 64405th case is a 69-year-old local retired woman who has received two doses of vaccine. She developed cough and runny nose the day before yesterday, but did not seek medical attention. Yesterday, she underwent a community test conducted by the authorities for residents of Bukit Merah Lane, and the diagnosis was confirmed the next day. The serum test results have not yet been released.
As of 12 pm on 23 June, 22 new confirmed covid cases have been reported locally, 13 of which are community cases, of which three are not related to known cases.
At present, the cumulative number of cases in Singapore has reached 62,470.
Ref: https://www.8world.com/news/singapore/article/covid-19-unlinked-cases-20210623-1516561
News (11) to (12) / Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News (11)
Each family in Singapore will receive a blood oxygen meter for free
Image : Web Screenshot / Temasek Foundation
Starting from 5 July 2021, each local family will receive a blood oximeter for free.The Temasek Foundation issued a statement stating that it will provide each family in Singapore with an oximeter to allow the public to measure their blood oxygen index regularly to help everyone fight the covid pandemic.
The statement said that asymptomatic patients with covid may feel healthy but at the same time their lungs may have been damaged and the body may be severely deprived of oxygen. Therefore, measuring the blood oxygen index through an oximeter can remind everyone to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
If a person’s blood oxygen level is between 90% and 94%, which is a low level, he may need supplemental oxygen and seek medical advice. If blood oxygen is below 90%, which is a dangerous level, he must receive treatment immediately and go to the emergency department immediately and seek medical attention.
SingPost will distribute leaflets and redemption labels to the mailboxes of households between next Monday (28 June 2021) and Saturday (3 July 2021).
Residents only need to bring flyers and redemption labels to collect the oximeter from the 300 participating supermarkets and pharmacies across the island between 5 July and 5 August 2021. The public can check the most reliable home pick-up location through the website www.stayprepared.sg/oximeter. The Temasek Foundation will also provide other covid-related care products in the second half of the year, including masks and disinfectant mouthwashes.
Ref: https://www.8world.com/news/singapore/article/temasek-foundation-oximeters-1516811
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Suez Canal Authority and stranded freighter ship owner reached compensation agreement
The owner of the Japanese large-scale container ship Nagachi has reached a compensation agreement with the Suez Canal Authority, and it is expected that the ship will be able to leave the canal soon.
The Ever Given ran aground on the Suez Canal in March this year and caused blockage. It took nearly a week to get out of the water and was subsequently detained in the inner lake of the canal.
Reuters reported that the Canal Authority initially asked for compensation of US$916 million, which was later reduced to US$550 million.
When the Ever Given ran aground, Taiwan Evergreen Shipping was responsible for shipping.
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Hong Kong Apple Daily: Freedom of the press becomes a victim of tyranny
Image : At night of 23 June, Hong Kong people bid farewell to Apple outside the Apple Daily building. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)
Apple Daily published its last hardcopy newspaper on 24 June, and the website stopped updating after midnight. The newspaper published that day issued 1 million copies to bid farewell to 26 years of history. The editorial was titled "Farewell Letter to Hong Kong People", referring to "The death of Apple, and freedom of the press is a victim of tyranny."Since the Chinese Communist Party enforced the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Law," Hong Kong's freedom of press and speech has been severely suppressed.
After the Hong Kong police involving 500 national security officers conducted a raid in Next Media's Apple Daily headquarters and arrested five high-level officials , they raided the Apple Building. In the early morning of the 6th and 23rd, the police arrested the Apple Daily "Ping On" column author Li Pingfor the crime of "collaborating with foreign countries" under the National Security Law.
Mark Simon, former consultant of Next Media’s founder Jimmy Lai, also revealed to the media recently that an unknown person threatened "Apple Daily" employees, saying that the Hong Kong police would once again arrest 100 people in the headquarters building.
Next Media's "Apple Daily" announced on 23 June to bid farewell to readers. President Huang Lishang described that the media has reached the end and is currently doing a good job of retreating. "In the past, everyone has worked hard for Apple Daily and enjoyed the freedom of being a press. There will be no regrets."
In the evening of 23 June, Hong Kong people bid farewell to Apple outside the Apple Daily building. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)
On 17 June, the Hong Kong police used more than 500 police officers to search the "Apple Daily" building for more than 5 hours. Zhang Jianhong, Chief Executive Officer of Next Media, Group Chief Operating Officer Zhou Daquan and Luo Weiguang, "Apple Daily" Vice President Chen Peimin, and "Apple News" platform director Zhang Zhiwei were arrested on suspicion of violating the National Security Law.
At the same time, the funds of three companies including Apple Daily, Apple Printing and Apple Internet were frozen. Chen Peimin, Zhou Daquan and Zhang Zhiwei were released on bail and left the police station at about 10 pm on 18 June.
The National Security Department of the police formally prosecuted Zhang Jianhong and Luo Weiguang on the 18th, accusing them of violating Article 29 of the "Hong Kong National Security Act" "crime of colluding with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security." The two were taken to West Kowloon Magistracy for questioning on the morning of the 19th. The two applied for bail and were rejected and must be detained until 13 August before interrogation.
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Apple Daily ceases publication, U.S., Britain and Europe condemn the CCP for stifling freedom
Image : In the early morning of 24 June, Apple Daily employees said goodbye to the people outside the building. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)
Hong Kong's "Apple Daily" was forced to suspend publication on 24 June under the pressure of the CCP. The United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union condemned the CCP for stifling the freedom of press and speech in Hong Kong.
The US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau stated on its official social media Facebook page that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ensures that everyone has the right to free expression, including all journalists or members of the media. A free and open network is also an important factor for press freedom.
The British Foreign Secretary Raab issued a statement saying that the Hong Kong government's forcible suspension of the operation of the "Apple Daily" was a chilling blow to freedom of speech in Hong Kong.
He said that the powers granted to the Hong Kong government by the Hong Kong National Security Act are being used as a tool to restrict freedom and punish dissent, rather than maintaining public order. He urged the Chinese Communist government to abide by the "China-UK Joint Statement" to protect the freedom of press and speech.
The EU issued a statement stating that the incident clearly shows that Beijing’s implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law is used to stifle freedom of press and speech. Freedom and pluralism of the media are essential to any open and free society, but it has suffered severely in Hong Kong. Destruction runs counter to Hong Kong's aspirations as an international business centre.
A spokesman for the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the suspension of the Apple Daily was a heavy blow to Hong Kong's press freedom.
US lawmakers from both parties also condemned Beijing’s suppression of the Apple Daily on the 24th and stifled freedom of press and speech.
Democratic Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Menendez tweeted on the 24th that the "Apple Daily" lights out is another blow to Hong Kong's democracy. This is a sad day for press freedom, and it will let you risk everything. The risk is only heartache for the brave journalists who are pursuing the truth and transparency of information.
Menendez said that a free and flourishing media will never be the enemy of the people, but the foundation of democracy and an important force that checks and balances government abuses, which is vital to social growth.
He called, "As China (the Communist Party) is trying to eliminate Hong Kong's fundamental rights, we must resolutely defend and support those who have the courage to expose the naked truth."
Republican Senate Foreign Minister Jim Risch also tweeted lamenting the disappearance of Apple Daily. He said that the CCP succeeded in stopping freedom of speech in Hong Kong.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio issued a statement in his office stating that the "Apple Daily" was once a dazzling symbol of freedom. As it was forced to turn off its lights, Hong Kong was plunged into a dark age, and there was not even a little freedom left.
The statement said, "A city controlled by the CCP has neither the rule of law nor the protection of basic human rights, and it cannot be an international financial center."
Republican Senator Pat Toomey called on the U.S. Treasury Department to use the "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" that took effect on 14 July 2020 to sanction CCP leaders who humiliated freedom and democracy.
Apple Daily was raided by the Hong Kong police on 17 June, searched the building and arrested 5 executives. The assets of 3 companies including "Apple Daily", Apple Printing and Apple Internet were frozen at 18 million Hong Kong dollars. Banking services were also banned. The "Apple Daily" operating funds were cut off. On the 23rd, the police once again arrested a well-known editorial editor of Apple Daily.
The "Apple Daily" board of directors was forced to issue a suspension statement at night of 23 June. That night, a large number of Hong Kong people tear-eyed came outside the Apple building to bid farewell to Apple Daily employees.
News (15)
What is the earliest time of the outbreak? US lawmakers initiate investigation into Wuhan Military Games
The Washington Post has an exclusive report recently that a number of U.S. congressmen are asking the U.S. government to investigate the World Military Games held in Wuhan in October 2019.
At that time, more than 9,000 soldiers from more than 100 countries went to Wuhan, and many people later became ill.
Athletes from France, Germany, Italy and other countries publicly stated that based on their symptoms, they believed that they had contracted COVID-19 at the Wuhan Games.
For example, the French athlete female modern pentathlon world champion Elodie Clouvel came forward in May 2020 and said that she and her boyfriend Valentin Belaud had contracted covid when they traveled to Wuhan to participate in the Games. If it is true, it would be exactly two months earlier than the first case notified by China.
In an interview with a local French television station, Cowell stated that when the French delegation participated in the 7th Military World Games in Wuhan, China, many people, including herself and Bellao, were infected with SARS-CoV-2. After the sports game, she and other French athletes became ill and both had the same symptoms. At that time, she thought she had the flu.
After they returned from Wuhan, SARS-CoV-2 began to circulate, and people began to talk about the virus. They saw the military doctor and the other party told her that she was infected with the virus.
The former Italian Olympic fencing champion Matteo Tagliariol has the same experience. He also had symptoms similar to covid when he participated in the Wuhan Military Games. The five athletes who lived with him also had the same symptoms and it took a long time to recover.
A Luxembourg swimmer, Julien Henx, also said that two people in the same group fell ill during the competition. He specifically pointed out, "The 200,000 Chinese volunteers will go home every night. It is very likely they spread the virus to the contestants."
However, no one wanted to go into this matter at the time, and no one thought of testing these athletes in any way. At that time, the epidemic began to spread and it was chaotic again. No one thought that the Wuhan Military Games might be the first super-spread incident.
However, some legislators in the United States are now asking for investigation of this incident.
On Monday, Congressman Mike Gallagher sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Austin and General Milly, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The letter said, "Although it is anecdotal, these reports raise important questions about the timeline for the earliest outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan."
The World Military Games, held every four years, is a military game like the Olympic Games. The Wuhan Games in October 2019 was the largest in the history of this event. At that time, the Chinese Communist Party put a lot of energy into it, and Xi Jinping also attended the opening ceremony.
At that time, the US delegation had 280 athletes and staff members participating in the Games.
So Congressman Gallagher asked the Pentagon a series of questions, "Has the Pentagon tested these 280 members for antibodies? Have you ever tried to track the outbreak at the base where they returned? Has the US military ever shared information or data with other troops participating in the military games? Are there any investigations currently underway?"
On 26 March 2020, Dr. Robert Redfield, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, said in an interview with CNN: "If I want to guess, this virus started from (2019) September. It has spread in Wuhan since October and October."
There is also the U.S. report on the test of previously saved blood samples which found that as early as 13 December 2019, a very small number of people in the U.S. had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in their serum.
News (16)
Did the US military bring SARS-CoV-2 from Fort Detrick to Wuhan?
Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson of the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tried to use the U.S.blood samples as early as 13 December 2019 to slap the United States. In fact, the Chinese Communist Party also wanted to throw the US military into the Wuhan Games before. It is said that the US military brought the virus from the Fort Detrick Military Laboratory in Maryland.
Qin Peng, well-known socio-political commentator, said, "But it doesn't make sense. Because the virus broke out in Wuhan, not Maryland. Let's wait and discuss."
The United States did not expect to pursue investigations at the time, but the lawmakers called for investigations. In addition to Gallagher, on 22 June 2021, Senator Roger Marshall wrote to the Secretary of Health to ask whether he knew of any American athletes who fell ill after returning from Wuhan and whether he was investigating this issue.
Marshall wrote in the letter, "The distance from the World Military Games to the 'Wuhan Institute of Viology' and the new details that athletes may be exposed to the virus while participating in the competition are shocking. Our government must investigate to establish an accurate timeline of the outbreak", "If these people are infected in October, this evidence will further help us understand the origin of COVID-19 and prepare for future outbreaks."
A reporter from the "Washington Post" asked the U.S. Department of Health and the Department of Defense for comment. A Pentagon spokesperson replied that the Department of Defense did not know if any of the U.S. troops participating in the 2019 World Military Games had been infected with COVID-19. He said that before the U.S. government imposed travel restrictions in early 2020, there was no evidence that U.S. military personnel had been infected.
However, he also said, "We fully support the ongoing investigation into the origin of COVID-19-of course, the full transparency of the Chinese authorities can benefit the investigation."
Actually, five senior national security officials of the Trump administration told the Washington Post reporter that no one had thought of testing American military athletes returning from Wuhan. They pointed out that the traditional view at the time was that COVID-19 broke out in December 2019, not two months ago.
Last year, the only incident that made U.S. State Department officials think about the Military Games was the Wolf Warrior Zhao Lijian, who posted several tweets on March 12 stating that the virus was brought to Wuhan by U.S. soldiers. At that time, these tweets caused huge controversy, including Trump's strong dissatisfaction.
Former State Department official David Feith told the Washington Post that at the time, the US State Department believed that the CCP was engaging in false information propaganda, so it did not take it seriously. He said that in fact, reports of athletes who claimed to be sick during the game should be investigated and more information should be found.
However, this also raises a question. Is it true that people in the core circle of the CCP, like Zhao Lijian, have long known the details of the spread of the Wuhan Military Games, and even the earliest cases of virus infection?
Qin Peng commented, "This is indeed a very good question, but at that time everyone regarded Zhao Lijian's remarks as rumours and conspiracy. At that time, Cui Tiankai, the CCP’s ambassador to the United States and leaving office in a few days, also said that such conspiracy theories were "crazy" and that diplomats, not scientists, would speculate on the source of the novel coronavirus as "harmful." Therefore, it seems that neither the international public opinion nor the US government takes it seriously.
News (17)
Mysterious exercise in September 2019: Novel coronavirus infection
However, looking back now, there are indeed many doubts about the Wuhan Military Games. For example, before the military games, there is the mysterious exercise in Wuhan's international airport.
After the outbreak of the great plague last year, many people recalled, as early as 18 September 2019, before the Games, There is the opening test of the airport dedicated lane for the Military Games at Wuhan Tianhe Airport. It is an emergency response exercise which simulates the whole process of handling the novelcoronavirus infection. At that time, the official media of Hubei Province and Xinhua News Agency also reported.
Looking at it now, did the CCP know that there will be a new type of coronavirus in September 2019? Otherwise, who would have thought to practice this?
Qin Peng commented, "This exercise is really weird. Because most people don't know about the new type of coronavirus, it's better to say a little bit if you were practising to prevent another SARS outbreak, because there were experiences and lessons learned in 2003."
News (18)
Wuhan Naval University of Engineering closed on 2 January 2020
On 2 January 2020, the Naval University of Engineering in Wuhan was closed, a full 18 days before Wuhan was locked down. Remember, on 2 January, the authorities still denied human-to-human transmission and eight CCTV presenters criticized the so-called "rumour-makers" in the program.
So what are the insider stories hidden by the CCP's military and the CCP's high-level officials?
Qin Peng commented, "The CCP relies on two core forces to start and maintain its regime. One is a pen and the other is a gun. Therefore, the CCP’s military is the most informed and the most protected."
According to CCTV's centralized criticism of the rumours on 2 January, the National Health Commission’s No. 3 document on 3 January, the United States and the WHO were notified of the infection on 3 January. It can be inferred that as early as 2 January, Zhongnanhai and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) had already known that the epidemic might not be controlled, and they were making various information prevention preparations.
Therefore, many people suspect that the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party should have known about covid a long time ago.
News (19)
The vaccine has been developed as early as 5 January 2020
The chairman of Sinopharm once disclosed that they only took 98 days to complete the second phase of clinical trials from the start to the beginning. This means that they have started developing the CCP covi vaccine as early as 5 January 2020.
Qin Peng said, "Yes, considering that diplomacy is not a trivial matter, on 3 January, while the CCP continued to conceal the epidemic from the country, it informed the United States first. This must have been approved by Xi Jinping, because he was " Leader of the Central Leading Group for Foreign Affairs. This also means that Zhongnanhai had already met before 2 January to discuss this matter but for the so-called stability and the New Year, he decided to walk on two legs: on the one hand to cover up, on the other hand to prepare for vaccines and information warfare."
News (20)
The mysterious meeting of the Wuhan Institute of Virology exposes the traps in China's Secret Law
There was a report in the Washington Post on Tuesday (22 June 2021) that mentioned a mysterious secret meeting. It felt that the role of the WIV in this great plague was indeed not simple.
According to the Washington Post report, in May 2019, all the staff of Wuhan Institute of Virology assembled in an old-fashioned lecture hall. Tang Kaihong, a local official in Hubei Province, discussed the national security risks they face and warned of infiltration activities by foreign spies.
Finally, the report also said that the signing of the Institute’s 2019 "Safety and Confidential Work Responsibility Letter" was also organized at the meeting.
Qin Peng said, " What kind of national security secrets are involved in the WIV? We don't know."
News (21)
China has low barriers to secrecy, and the authorities have broad discretion
Compared with some countries, China has a low level of confidentiality, and everything must be kept secret. According to the "Law on the Protection of State Secrets" designated by the CCP, the materials to be kept secret include not only military and foreign affairs, but also sensitive information related to the country’s economic, scientific, and social development. The CCP authorities have a wide range of information about what is considered “sensitive” discretion.
The CCP has deliberately mixed the theory of virus manufacturing with laboratory leaks, saying that there is no manufacturing and therefore there is no leakage.
But in fact, the two do not conflict. Many Western scientists are in favour of natural origin but they also admit that laboratory accidents will occur.
Qin Peng said, "Regarding laboratory leaks, it is not a state secret in Western countries. On the contrary, it must be made public."
In 2019 alone, the annual report of the US regulatory agency recorded 219 accidental releases of "selected agents" (fatal viruses or toxins) and 13 missing samples. They are all public information.
However, nobody knows exactly how many laboratories in China have leaked. After the outbreak of the great plague last year, Dr. Wu Zhihong talked about many similar incidents in China at that time and Chinese laboratories also handled experiments very lightly. Animals can easily lead to virus leakage.
News (22)
WIV regularly organizes confidential training courses for employees
Going back to this secret meeting, the Washington Post noticed that WIV regularly held confidential training courses for employees, including one in 2018. The speaker discussed overseas travel guides for confidential and sensitive projects and the "Receiving Foreign Confidential Management of Human Hours".
That meeting was held a few months after the visit of American diplomats, who sent a telegram to Washington about the security problems of maintaining the virus.
Qin Peng said, "Therefore, it can be understood that the confidential training of these CCP scientists, including the fact that the family ugliness cannot be publicized, that is, some CCP problems cannot be disclosed to foreign countries. Anyway, before the accident, it must be great and honorable. After the accident, the leaders must personally direct and make decisions. This is not confidentiality, this is a joint crime."
Because the CCP agencies refuse to disclose true information, many Chinese scientists may have also acted as accomplices in the CCP's cover-up of information and the pandemic. They include Shi Zhengli who also told the New York Times before that due to confidentiality regulations, many things cannot be said, and many things have to be verified and cannot be verified. However, the victims may include themselves, their relatives, and many people in China and the world.
The CCP’s opacity and concealment have killed many people, including the Chinese. Finding out the truth about the source of the virus as soon as possible to prevent these things from happening again in the future is critical.
On the US lawmakers' point of investigating the Wuhan Military Games, pointing to the earliest possible outbreak of the epidemic in October 2019,and the mysterious meeting of the WIV, the latest news will be published as soon as the details are available.
News (23)
Exposure of the fierce material, Daszak was exposed to participate in sensitive experiments
The problem facing Daszak is similar to that of Shi Zhengli, that is, the evidence that is constantly being dug up proves that he is lying. Earlier, he had insisted that there were no dead or alive bats in the WIV but the internal video of the bats raised by the WIV published by Sky News was exposed.
He also claimed that he had never participated in the gain of function experiment conducted by the WIV, including Shi Zhengli who also denied in an interview with The New York Times, claiming that her laboratory had never done or cooperated with the gain of function enhancement experiment.
The problem is that a paper as early as 2015 showed that Shi Zhengli and Dasak collaborated to create a chimeric virus. Dasak provided the SARS virus as the skeleton, and Shi Zhengli provided her exclusive possession of the chrysanthemum bat coronavirus. S protein, a new virus hybridized between the two, severely infected the lungs of mice and successfully achieved cross-species transmission. This experiment is an out-of-the-box gain-of-function enhancement experiment.
In addition, just after 1 am today, DasZak himself was dug out. In a series of tweets sent on October 2, 2018, he clearly mentioned that he and Shi Zhengli’s team had discovered a series of bat caves in Yunnan, coronaviruses related to SARS, and these viruses also include some viruses that can bind to human ACE2 receptors and can infect and cause disease in humanized mouse SARS models.
Does Daszak's "humanized mice" mentioned here sound a bit familiar to everyone? The exclusive investigation report published by the magazine "Vanity Fair" clearly mentioned that the Chinese military used gene editing technology to design humanized mice in 2019. At the same time, Shi Zhengli has been tested for at least two viruses. In other words, let the lungs of mice have certain human characteristics, and then test their susceptibility, pathogenicity, etc. after being attacked by the target virus.
Judging from Daszak’s own tweets, Shi Zhengli’s experiment with "humanized mice" to test the coronavirus was even earlier. Does this kind of experiment also belong to the "gain of function enhancement experiment"?
It can be seen from the tweet that Daszak is not only an insider, but also a participant, equivalent to the second suspect in the virus outbreak. Such a person actually became a member of the investigation team to investigate the No. 1 suspect, which is a joke.
News (24)
Weird! Dong Jingwei accompanied Zhao Kezhi to a meeting
Image : The Minister of Public Security of the Communist Party of China Zhao Kezhi, Vice Minister of National Security Dong Jingwei and others attended the meeting. (Weibo picture)
Zhao Kezhi, State Councilor of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Public Security, attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting on 23 June and delivered a speech on that day. Vice Minister of State Security of the Communist Party of China, Dong Jingwei, who was rumored to have fled, accompanied Zhao Kezhi. The picture of the meeting was exposed. It makes the outside world feel weird.
According to the Chinese Communist Party media report, the 16th meeting of the Secretary of the Security Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States was held on 23 June, and Zhao Kezhi delivered a speech.
The report said that Zhao Kezhi's attendance at the meeting included: Meng Yang, Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council of the Communist Party of China, Cheng Guoping, Foreign Security Affairs Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Du Hangwei, Deputy Minister of Public Security, and Dong Jingwei, Deputy Minister of National Security. Liu Bin, the Chinese Communist Party's ambassador to Tajikistan, attended the meeting in Dushanbe.
It is worth noting that in the past week, rumours of Dong Jingwei's defect have continued to ferment overseas.
On 4 June, Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson published an article saying that he had received information from the intelligence community that a Chinese fugitive of the highest level in history had arrived in the United States and has cooperated with the National Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for three months, revealing to the US information about the CCP’s "biological weapons program."
On 17 June, the American conservative media RedState broke the news that a government source confirmed that the fugitive was Dong Jingwei, who was responsible for the CCP’s counterintelligence work. He flew to the United States in mid-February this year. He went to a California university to visit his daughter.
The report said that when Dong Jingwei landed in California, he contacted DIA officials to tell them his escape plan and the information he brought. Dong then hid "under all eyes" for about two weeks, and then disappeared according to DIA's plan. Until the last three to four weeks, no one outside of DIA knew about the defector.
On the same day, SpyTalk, a multimedia website dedicated to reporting news from the intelligence community, also reported that Dong Jingwei came to the United States in mid-February this year and contacted the National Defense Intelligence Agency upon arrival.
According to SpyTalk, the information Dong Jingwei provided to the Biden government caused him to change his position on the Wuhan laboratory and reconsider the traceability of the virus that caused the pandemic.
On 18 June, the Chinese Communist Party media reported that Dong Jingwei hosted a counterintelligence forum of the Ministry of Public Security. It was speculated that the CCP was refuting rumors that Dong Jingwei had fled the United States. However, since the news did not have Dong Jingwei's video or photos, it was doubtful whether Dong was actually on the scene.
US Newsweek said on 23 June that they contacted a US government official on the 22nd. The official said that the report on Dong's defection was inaccurate but did not elaborate. A second U.S. government source also said on condition of anonymity that these rumours were "absolutely untrue."
The report also stated that a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington stated that Dong Jingwei actually participated in the 16th meeting between the Secretary of the Security Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other member states on 23 June.
U.S. government officials also told SpyTalk on 22 June that Dong Jingwei’s message of surrendering to the United States was completely wrong. The anonymous government official said that extensive reports about Dong Jingwei were "inaccurate."
When asked why the Biden administration came out to deny the rumours of high-level CCP surrender, the official replied, "This is more of a policy issue," and said that he would refer the issue of "spy theory" to the White House.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council did not respond to this matter. SpyTalk sought comment from the U.S. State Department last week. It did not receive a response whether Dong Jingwei and his daughter Dong Yang surrendered to the United States via Hong Kong in February.
The strange thing is that on 18 June, the top leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, led the highest-level officials of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to review the Oath of Joining the Party at the Exhibition Hall of the History of the Communist Party of China, swearing to "never rebel and keep the secrets of the Party."
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection also published a rare article on 19 June, reviewing the early CCP leader Gu Shunzhang’s rebellion, and warning the CCP that “never betray the party is more than an oath”, which aroused public attention.
The rumours surrounding Dong Jingwei’s escape went viral, on the eve of the founding of the Communist Party of China a hundred years ago, and this is considered a major matter of life and death for the Communist Party of China. Even the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which revolves around whether Xi Jinping can remain in power, may have an impact.
However, NTD has contacted various parties for interviews, and is still unable to verify the authenticity of "Dong Jingwei's defection".
Dong Jingwei is not in the United States? The United States has "refuted rumours"
The Dong Jingwei incident is now raging. No matter how true the external rumors are, the CCP arranged for Dong Jingwei to host a symposium, and the water was messed up all at once.
However, many people are still immune to the CCP’s refuting rumors and will not believe the CCP is refuting rumours. Because Dong Jingwei presided over the meeting and there was no video material of the meeting, the CCP’s refutation of rumors made many believe that Dong Jingwei was very likely to abscond to the United States.
But on 22 June another weird incident occurred. A US government official came forward and said that Dong Jingwei did not abscond to the United States. The official told SpyTalk anonymously that the widespread reports of the CCP’s top counterintelligence officer’s flight to the United States in the past few weeks were “inaccurate”.
The article quoted an anonymous US official saying that the report of Dong Jingwei's absconding is not true, but "cannot confirm or deny his exact location," but he only implies that Dong Jingwei is still in China.
The CCP often refutes rumors but few people believe it, because the more the CCP refutes rumours, the more often it is true. Therefore, netizens all know a word, the CCP’s "rumour is a prediction that is far ahead."
But now US government officials have also "refuted rumours." This is a very interesting thing. Everything has become confusing. So what do we think of this "rebuking" in the United States? How will it develop in the future?
News (26)
US high-level "coordination"? Designed game?
US government officials anonymously "refuted the rumors," making "SpyTalk" reporter Jeff Stein also puzzled because this issue is "extremely sensitive." Regardless of whether Dong Jingwei is in the United States or not, the US government can actually be noncommittal.
Neither affirmation nor denial, and allowing outside speculation to question, this is quite common in the politics of various countries. Especially last week, "SpyTalk" solicited comments from the US State Department on Dong Jingwei's rumours. The State Council did not respond at the time.
Now the US government has taken the initiative to "refute rumors," which is a bit strange. So Jeff Stein asked the official why he did it.His response was, "This is more of a policy issue" and Jeff should ask the White House. However, the spokesperson of the National Security Commission did not respond to Jeff Stein's inquiries.
"SpyTalk" website is an alliance organized spontaneously by some senior reporters. This website focuses on reporting some information from the intelligence community and has a certain degree of authority in Washington.
Nicholas Eftimias, who was also "shocked" by this approach, believed that this official's actions were "probably coordinated at the highest level of the Biden administration" and arranged for him to "refute the rumors", hoping to give this incident. Draw a full stop".
Eftimias is the author of "Chinese Spy: Actions and Tactics" and was a China expert at the Pentagon, the State Department, and the Central Intelligence Agency. He said that the Biden administration came forward to "clarify" and "confirmed" Dong Jingwei's affairs. This "game" was "designed".
News (27)
Internal and external pressures from the Biden administration
The "SpyTalk" article quoted the views of some people who have observed US-China relations for a long time, and expressed doubts about this abnormal practice of the Biden administration. The article believes that the Biden administration took the initiative to deal with an issue that is usually highly confidential. There may be internal and external reasons.
The external reason is of course related to the CCP. Robert Manning, who has served in bipartisan governments for more than 30 years, said that US-China relations are still declining. This Asian expert believes that the Biden administration does not want to stimulate the CCP, so it must eliminate this "unnecessary factor."
The internal reason is related to the parties in the United States, in order to reduce the critics of the Republican Party. This is because the Republican Party is launching a large-scale investigation into the leak of the CCP virus from the Wuhan laboratory.
Ttracing the source of the virus involves Dr. Fauci, the chief infectious disease expert in the United States. Fauci has always criticized the former President Trump’s anti-epidemic measures against the CCP virus, but recently there have been constant media reports that Fauci has some connections with the WIV, and he has been criticized by people.
The Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases led by Fauci transferred hundreds of thousands of US dollars to the Wuhan Institute of Virology through the "EcoHealth Alliance" of British expert Daszak, to support them in the research of virus "gain of function enhancement". There are many kinds of evidence pointing to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and it is suspected that the virus leaked from there but Biden made it clear that he "believes" Fauci.
"SpyTalk" quoted an observer in the article as saying that the Biden administration did so mainly to avoid the Republican Party accusing the Biden administration of hiding a fugitive who has laboratory virus leaks or other related information.
From the analysis of observers, out of internal and external considerations, the Biden administration does have such a "factor" to refute rumors, trying to calm people's attention to the Dong Jingwei incident as soon as possible.
Some netizens speculated, "An anonymous official of the Biden administration came forward to clarify the rumours. This sounds very unreliable. Since they are rumours and rumorsare not made by the U.S. government, is it necessary for the U.S. government to come forward to clarify? Look at Fauci. He also changes. He changed his mind and said that the virus could not have originated in the laboratory. It is estimated that something happened, ha ha. Is it possible that China (the Chinese Communist Party) should exchange Hunter’s sensitive photos for Dong Jingwei? Ha ha."
The netizen said that Fauci changed direction, but the day before yesterday (21st) he changed his words again in an interview with The New York Times. He overturned his original view in May, saying that he "does not believe" that the virus originated in nature. But the day before yesterday, he overturned the May view and claimed that he did not believe that the virus originated in a laboratory.
Fauci claimed that those who criticized him were "actually criticizing science." Fauci’s statement is ridiculous. If he puts it in another way, it means "I am science, and science is me." If you criticize me, you criticize science. But is science always right? The development of science is advancing in constant questioning and criticism. According to Fauci, can this science be developed?
Let's not talk about Fauci's words. Just talk about his changes and constantly overthrowing himself. This is very doubtful. Just as netizens guessed, did something happen behind the scenes?
A netizen speculated, "Biden made a private transaction with the CCP."
News (28) to (30) / Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA / Source : The Washington Post
News (28)
The Tokyo Olympics: No-confidence vote from Japan's Emperor
According to the head of the Imperial Household Agency (IHA), Japanese Emperor Naruhito appears “concerned” that this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo could cause a rise in covi infections.
“His majesty is very worried about the current infection situation of covid,” Yasuhiko Nishimura, grand steward of the agency, told a regular news conference on Thursday, the Kyodo News agency reported. “I suppose that he is concerned that while there are voices of anxiety among the public, the event may lead to the expansion of infections,” Nishimura said.
The emperor is Honorary Patron for the Tokyo 2020 Games, and is widely respected in Japan but holds no political power.
It is rare for him to speak out on such an important and controversial topic and his words carry weight. His warning will embarrass the government and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) but have almost certainly come too late to cause of a change of heart among organizers, who are determined the Games will start on 23 July, after a one-year delay due to the pandemic.
Organizers announced this week they would allow limited numbers of domestic spectators to attend events at the Olympics, with attendances capped at 10,000 or 50 percent of a venue’s capacity but they also warned that the decision could be revisited if there is an abrupt change in the pandemic situation, and on Wednesday announced that alcohol would be banned at venues.
The government partially lifted a state of emergency over Tokyo on Sunday, leaving in its place what it calls a “quasi state of emergency,” with restrictions on eating out and drinking alcohol in the evening.
News (29)
Tokyo epidemic rebound before the Olympics
The government coronavirus advisers warned on Thursday that a rebound in cases already appeared to be underway, with Tokyo recording 570 new cases on Thursday and 619 on Wednesday, both numbers more than 100 higher than the week before. They also expressed concern that most new cases could be of the infectious delta variant by the time the Games begin.
Japan has avoided the explosion in coronavirus cases seen in many countries, but has recorded 14,500 deaths, and experienced severe pressure on its economy and medical system. Its vaccination program has picked up speed in recent weeks, with more than a million shots a day being administered, and 19 percent of the population having received at least one dose. News (30)
Two Ugandan athletes diagnosed positive with covid had AZ vaccination
Concerns are also mounting about keeping athletes safe, healthy, and able to compete, after a second member of a Ugandan Olympic team tested positive for covid.
A first member of the nine-person team, a coach, had tested positive on arrival at Tokyo’s Narita Airport on Saturday, but the other eight members were controversially allowed to proceed to their training camp in Osaka. According to Kyodo News, with a second member now testing positive in sample taken Tuesday, the entire delegation have been asked to remain in their hotel and refrain from training until 3 July 2021.
The IOC says well over 80 percent of residents of the Olympic Village will be vaccinated by the time they arrive, with between 70 and 80 percent of journalists also inoculated but there are concerns about the effectiveness of some vaccines in preventing infections by some variants of the virus. All the Ugandan team were reported to have been covered by AstraZeneca shots.
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