New York

NEW YORK, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday asked residents in the state to "stay vigilant" over COVID-19, as the latest tolls showed that new coronavirus cases continued on an upward trend.

"Of the 134,267 tests reported yesterday (Oct. 2), 1,731 were positive," tweeted Cuomo. The numbers could be translated into a positive ratio of 1.29 percent, and it was 1.34 percent a day before. Such levels have not been seen in New York since May.

"Total hospitalizations are at 647. Sadly, there were 6 COVID fatalities yesterday," the governor added.

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence in March directed the nation’s top disease control agency to use its emergency powers to effectively seal the U.S. borders, overruling the agency’s scientists who said there was no evidence the action would slow the coronavirus, according to two former health officials. The action has so far caused nearly 150,000 children and adults to be expelled from the country.

NEW YORK, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States surpassed 7.3 million on Friday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

U.S. COVID-19 case count rose to 7,303,914, with the national death toll reaching 208,304, as of 2:23 p.m. local time (1823 GMT), according to the CSSE.

California reported 823,264 cases, the highest state-level caseload. Texas and Florida both topped 700,000 cases, followed by New York state with more than 460,000 cases.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Friday that the world is living “in the shadow of nuclear catastrophe,” fueled by growing distrust and tensions between the nuclear powers.

The U.N. chief told a high-level meeting to commemorate the recent International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons that progress on ridding the world of nuclear weapons “has stalled and is at risk of backsliding.” And he said strains between countries that possess nuclear weapons “have increased nuclear risks.”

NEW YORK, Oct 02 (APP): Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, has praised China’s leading role at the UN, saying its policies are based on principles of the UN Charter, support for multilateralism and “win-win” cooperation.

Speaking at a virtual reception, hosted by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun, to mark his country’s national day, he also lauded China’s phenomenal progress, especially in bringing 700 million people out of poverty and registering double digit Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 30 years.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday welcomed the announcements of an agreement to launch talks on border delineation between Lebanon and Israel, said his spokesman.

The talks will be hosted by the United Nations at the premises of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon in Naqoura, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

The United Nations, through its representatives, will remain fully committed to supporting the process as requested by the parties and within its capacity and mandate, said the statement.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — One by one, leaders and ministers from over 100 nations admitted that 25 years after the adoption of a road map to achieve equality for women not a single country has reached that goal — and many warned that instead of progress there is now push back. French President Emmanuel Macron put it bluntly, “women’s rights are under attack.”

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 30 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Wednesday accused humanity of “waging war on nature” and called on world leaders to “change course and transform our relationship with the natural world.”

“One consequence of our imbalance with nature is the emergence of deadly diseases such as HIV-AIDS, Ebola, and now Covid-19, against which we have little or no defence,” he said,

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 01 (APP): The President of UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram, has called for political will on part of world leaders to achieve biodiversity goals aimed at protecting the Earth’s plant and wildlife.

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 30 (APP): Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday commended the work of the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in advancing mutual respect for diverse cultures, traditions and religious beliefs at a virtual high-level event marking the alliance’s 15th anniversary.

In remarks to the meeting of the Group of Friends of the Alliance, which was set up in 2005 by Spain and Turkey under UN auspices, he said Pakistan, as its founding member, remained committed to promotion of these noble ideals at home and abroad.