Daily US Times: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged on Friday for an “all-out effort” to end the “tsunami of hate and xenophobia” sparked by the novel coronavirus pandemic, though he did not mention any specific countries.
Guterres said in a statement: “The pandemic continues to unleash a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scaremongering.”
“Anti-foreigner sentiment has surged online and in the streets. Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories have spread and COVID-19-related anti-Muslim attacks have occurred.”
Refugees and migrants have been “vilified as a source of the virus — and then denied access to medical treatment”, according to Guterres.
He said whistleblowers, health professionals, journalists, human rights workers, and aid workers are being targeted simply for doing their jobs.
Mr Guterres appealed for “an all-out effort to end hate speech globally,” and singled out educational institutions to help teach “digital literacy” to young people — whom he called “captive and potentially despairing audiences.”
Though the UN chief did not mention any country, but reports have been coming out of discrimination and racism in different parts of the world. People are acting like selfish and the many regions have been facing a wave of hate.
Trump offers Biden rapid COVID-19 test
President Donald Trump offers Joe Biden a rapid COVID-19 testing system so Biden can return to the campaign trail. Mr Biden will be his presumptive Democratic opponent in the next general election scheduled in November.
The President said this in a telephone interview with ‘Fox & Friends’. He said he would be willing to provide the former vice president with the same coronavirus tests he uses.
Trump said: “Yes, 100%. I’d love to see him get out of the basement so he can speak,” needling the Democratic candidate for holding virtual campaign events and media interviews from a studio in his home.
Friday prayers resume as mosques reopen in Lebanon
As authorities eased restrictions imposed in March to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Lebanon’s mosques welcomed worshippers for Friday prayers.
Dozens of worshippers performed the weekly prayers at Beirut’s iconic Al-Amin Mosque. The masked worshippers sat, contrary to traditions, at considerable distance from one another. They were obliged to bring their own prayer mats.
This year, Muslims find themselves cut off from much of what makes Ramadan special as authorities fight the pandemic. Many countries have closed mosques and banned taraweeh to prevent crowds.
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