May 8, 2020 - 16:42 AMT
UN chief says virus has unleashed a "tsunami of hate" across world

United Nations chief António Guterres has said the coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a “tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering”, and appealed for an all-out effort “to end hate speech globally,” The Guardian reports.

The UN secretary-general said anti-foreigner sentiment has surged online and on the streets, and highlighted the spread of antisemitic conspiracy theories and Covid-19-related anti-Muslim attacks.

His comments came as China said it was “always open to cooperate” with World Health Organisation (WHO) investigations into the origins of the coronavirus, as Donald Trump repeated claims that the outbreak originated in a Wuhan laboratory.

Trump’s claims, for which the US is yet to provide evidence, have fuelled tension between the two superpowers and placed a crucial trade deal between the two countries in jeopardy.

The global death toll from the outbreak passed 269,500 on Friday, May 8 and the WHO warned that deaths in Africa could reach 190,000. Mexico recorded its highest daily toll of 1,982.