UK and US criticise WHO's Covid report and accuse China of withholding data

Statement signed by 12 other nations says investigation into virus origins not extensive enough

• Coronavirus - latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

The US and the UK have sharply criticised a World Health Organization report into the beginnings of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, implicitly accusing China of withholding access to complete, original data and samples".

The statement, also signed by 12 other countries including Australia and Canada, came hard on the heels of an admission on Tuesday by the head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, that the investigation was not extensive enough" and experts had struggled to access raw information during their four-week visit to Wuhan in January.