Although the closest related viruses have been found in bats, the evolutionary distance between these
bat viruses and SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to be several decades, suggesting a missing link (either a
missing progenitor virus, or evolution of a progenitor virus in an intermediate host). Highly similar
viruses have also been found in pangolins, suggesting cross-species transmission from bats at least once,
but again with considerable genetic distance. Both these putative hosts are infrequently in contact with
humans, and an intermediary step involving an amplifying host has been observed for several other
emerging viruses (Henipaviruses, influenza viruses, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV). SARS-CoV-2
infection and intraspecies spread (including further transmission to humans) has been documented in
an increasing number of animal species, particularly mustelids and felids. SARS-CoV-2 adapts
relatively rapidly in susceptible animals (such as mink). The increasing number of animals shown to be
susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 includes animals that are farmed in sufficient densities to allow potential
for enzootic circulation. High-density farming is common in many places across the world and includes
many livestock species as well as farmed wildlife. There was a large network of domesticated wild
animal farms, supplying farmed wildlife. In high-density farms, there often are connections between
farms (for instance, through the workforce and food supply), leading to complex transmission pathways
that may be difficult to unravel, as was observed in other zoonotic outbreaks involving farmed animals.
Optimized conditions for sustained virus transmission chains in large-scale animal farms may also
impact on virus seasonality in favour of a year-round endemic transmission pattern, and thereby
increasing the zoonotic risk in winter months.

The closest relatives of SARS-CoV-2 from bats and pangolin are evolutionarily distant from SARSCoV-2. There has been speculation regarding the presence of human ACE2 receptor binding and a
furin-cleavage site in SARS-CoV-2, but both have been found in animal viruses as well, and elements
of the furin-cleavage site are present in RmYN02 and the new Thailand bat SARSr-CoV. There is no
record of viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2 in any laboratory before December 2019, or genomes
that in combination could provide a SARS-CoV-2 genome. Regarding accidental culture, prior to
December 2019, there is no evidence of circulation of SARS-CoV-2 among people globally and the
surveillance programme in place was limited regarding the number of samples processed and therefore
the risk of accidental culturing SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory is extremely low. The three laboratories
in Wuhan working with either CoVs diagnostics and/or CoVs isolation and vaccine development all
had high quality biosafety level (BSL3 or 4) facilities that were well-managed, with a staff health
monitoring programme with no reporting of COVID-19 compatible respiratory illness during the
weeks/months prior to December 2019, and no serological evidence of infection in workers through
SARS-CoV-2-specific serology-screening. The Wuhan CDC lab which moved on 2nd December 2019
reported no disruptions or incidents caused by the move. They also reported no storage nor laboratory
activities on CoVs or other bat viruses preceding the outbreak.

Origines du Covid-19 : la divulgation de travaux inédits menés depuis 2014 à l’Institut de virologie de Wuhan alimente le trouble

Une vingtaine de scientifiques publient, dans la revue « Science », une lettre appelant à considérer sérieusement l’hypothèse d’un accident de laboratoire comme source de la pandémie.
 
L’hypothèse d’un accident de laboratoire comme origine possible de la pandémie de Covid-19 n’est ni majoritaire, ni la plus probable, mais elle n’est pas une théorie complotiste : dans une correspondance publiée jeudi 13 mai par la revue Science, une vingtaine de scientifiques de haut niveau appellent à examiner cette possibilité au même titre que celle du « débordement zoonotique » naturel.  
 
Ce bref article ne pouvait mieux tomber. Quelques heures avant sa publication, trois travaux universitaires (une thèse de doctorat et deux mémoires de master) menés ces dernières années à l’Institut de virologie de Wuhan (WIV) étaient divulgués sur Twitter, par le compte d’un scientifique anonyme, coutumier des révélations fracassantes.
 
Rédigés en chinois, les trois mémoires, respectivement soutenus en 2014, 2017 et 2019 n’ont jusqu’à présent jamais été rendus publics ; ils contiennent des informations d’importance. Selon des spécialistes consultés par Le Monde, ils remettent en cause certaines données tenues pour acquises par la communauté scientifique internationale sur le nombre et la nature des coronavirus conservés par le WIV, sur les expériences conduites sur ces virus et même sur l’intégrité des séquences génétiques virales publiées ces derniers mois par l’institution de recherche de Wuhan.
 
« Nous savions que les chercheurs du WIV ne rendent pas publiques l’ensemble des données dont ils disposent, dit la biologiste moléculaire Virginie Courtier, chercheuse (CNRS) à l’Institut Jacques-Monod. On est cette fois un cran au-delà : plusieurs de leurs déclarations précédentes semblent contredites dans ces mémoires. »
 

'Our friendship will end here:' Duterte tells China he won't withdraw ships from West PH Sea

After drawing flak over his remark that his campaign promise for fishermen in disputed seas was a joke, President Rodrigo Duterte warned Beijing that he would not withdraw Philippine ships from disputed waters, even if China killed him.  
 
In a taped meeting that aired on Friday, Defense Secretary Lorenzana told Duterte that the Philippines had 2 ships in the West Philippine Sea, which were roving around Kalayaan islands and Mischief Reef.

"I’d like to put notice sa China. May 2 barko ako d’yan (I have 2 ships there)… I am not ready to withdraw," the President said.  
 
The Philippine ships "will not move an inch backward," he said.

I will not retreat. Kill me if you want to kill me, I will be here. This is where our friendship will end

The Security Council will hold a virtual meeting on Sunday on the conflict after the United States, a key ally of Israel, objected to a session that was originally planned for Friday.
 
Washington also refused to back a statement – calling for all parties to refrain from provocation – proposed by China, Tunisia and Norway during an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Monday.

Les Etats-Unis envoient un diplomate au Proche-Orient pour appeler les Israéliens et les Palestiniens à mettre fin à des violences "atroces", a déclaré mercredi le secrétaire d'Etat américain, Antony Blinken.
 
"Les images diffusées depuis hier sont poignantes", a-t-il dit. "J'ai demandé au secrétaire général adjoint Hady Amr de partir immédiatement pour la région afin de rencontrer des Israéliens et des Palestiniens (...) Il plaidera, en mon nom et au nom du président (Joe) Biden, en faveur d'une désescalade de la violence."

The Japanese government has confirmed at least 700 acquisitions and sales plans that may involve foreign capital such as China in a survey of land adjacent to security-critical facilities such as the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. military bases

@WSJ
 
Police in Hong Kong froze the assets of media tycoon Jimmy Lai under national-security legislation, including his majority stake in a newspaper that is a fierce critic of China’s government

China uses Uyghur forced labour to make solar panels, says report

"The [Chinese] government claims that these programmes are in accordance with PRC [the People's Republic of China] law and that workers are engaged voluntarily, in a concerted government-supported effort to alleviate poverty," the report says.
 
"However, significant evidence - largely drawn from government and corporate sources - reveals that labour transfers are deployed in the Uyghur Region within an environment of unprecedented coercion, undergirded by the constant threat of re-education and internment."

Mediavenir
 
La #Chine accuse les Etats-Unis "d'ignorer la souffrance des #palestiniens". Pékin dénonce le blocage de la réunion d'aujourd'hui du conseil de sécurité de l'#ONU par la diplomatie #américaine. (Le Figaro)

COVID-19 lab leak theory cannot be ruled out, leading scientists say

The origin of the novel coronavirus is still unclear and the theory that it was caused by a laboratory leak needs to be taken seriously until there is a rigorous data-led investigation that proves it wrong, a group of leading scientists said.

"More investigation is still needed to determine the origin of the pandemic," said the 18 scientists, including Ravindra Gupta, a clinical microbiologist at the University of Cambridge, and Jesse Bloom, who studies the evolution of viruses at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

"Theories of accidental release from a lab and zoonotic spillover both remain viable," the scientists including David Relman, professor of microbiology at Stanford, said in a letter to the journal Science.

Coronavirus: Chinese expert rails against WHO chief and Wuhan lab leak theory
 
Unnamed scientist who investigated pandemic origins given state media platform to accuse ‘irresponsible’ WHO director general of pursuing controversial theory

A Chinese scientist on the joint international team investigating the origins of Covid-19 has accused WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of being “extremely irresponsible” for pursuing the “lab leak” theory.

The WHO's conclusion "completely refutes the conspiracy theory raised by some anti-China hawks, like former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who has been accusing the Wuhan Institute of Virology of leaking the virus," the Global Times wrote.

We have been targeted as a scapegoat,” Wuhan Institute of Virology Director General Wang Yanyi told NBC News.

Accusing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of fabricating lies over the involvement of the virology lab in Wuhan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying sought to deflect criticism over its role by highlighting its French connection.

China becomes only second nation in history to land a rover on Mars
After several months orbiting Mars, a Chinese rover successfully touched down on the Martian surface Friday, making China the second nation, after the United States, to achieve a soft landing on the red planet.

Hong Kong : plus de 40 % des expatriés envisageraient de quitter la ville

Selon une enquête, 42 % des expatriés travaillant à Hong Kong envisageraient de partir à court ou à moyen terme, rapporte le site d’information Asia Times. “Parmi ceux qui cherchent à quitter la ville, 62 % expliquent que la loi sur la sécurité nationale les met mal à l’aise, tandis que 49 % précisent que les quarantaines strictes appliquées à Hong Kong pour combattre la pandémie de Covid-19 constituent également un motif important.”