| | 01/November/21
| | New book on COVID-19 origins was plagued by censorship A new book has been published on the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It concludes that there is “overwhelming” evidence that the virus was genetically engineered for enhanced infectivity in gain-of-function experiments and then escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China. The book, by investigative journalist Paolo Barnard and two eminent scientists, has been plagued by censorship, even before it was written. Read GMWatch's review of the book and eye-opening interviews with Paolo Barnard and co-author Prof Angus Dalgleish in which they explain their experiences of censorship and delve into the possible motivations. GMWatch Conflicts of interest – again – in WHO team to investigate COVID origin The World Health Organization has proposed 26 scientists for a new group to investigate the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as future outbreaks. WHO plans to appoint members to the new Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) after a two week review to gather public opinion on the proposed choices, which ended last week. WHO’s terms of reference to strengthen public trust and transparency require that SAGO individuals “must be free of any real, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest. However, several proposed panel members have clear conflicts of interest. US Right to Know Paraguay failed to stop GM soy farms from poisoning Indigenous land, UN says The UN Human Rights Committee says the Paraguayan government failed to stop the illegal use of pesticides being sprayed on the land of the Ava Guarani Indigenous community. For more than a decade, spraying from neighbouring GM soybean plantations killed the community’s plants and animals, while creating health issues for many residents. As a result, younger generations of Ava Guarani were unable to learn the community’s cultural customs, and many moved away from the community. Paraguay has the laws and institutions in place to regulate commercial agriculture but has demonstrated an unwillingness to apply them, according to the committee. Mongabay UK TAKE ACTION – Make sure your MP understands the evidence on gene editing This week (1-5 November) is ‘Evidence Week’ in the Westminster Parliament. The idea is to highlight to parliamentarians and their staff the importance of evidence – how to sift it, assess it and use it – in effective policy making and legislation. These are good aims, but the problem is that Evidence Week is orchestrated by Sense About Science, an organisation biased in favour of genetic engineering. Now's the time to ask MPs key questions and highlight evidence which challenges the pro-GM government line. Please take a quick and easy action to email your MP – a new online platform gives you a direct link to him or her. If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, please use the platform to email your representative in Westminster. Beyond GM DONATE TO GMWATCH __________________________________________________________ Website: http://www.gmwatch.org
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