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UNITED NATIONS, May 09 (APP): Voicing deep concern over rising anti-Muslim attacks in parts of the world, Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council to act and prevent impending atrocities, including against the Muslims in India and in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

“We are, unfortunately, witnessing a global resurgence of right wing and fascist ideologies, hate speech, xenophobia, Islamophobia, incitement to violence and acts of brutal violence,” Ambassador Munir Akram said during a Security Council “Arria Formula” meeting on Friday.

9 May 2020; AFP: The United States on Friday stunned other members of the UN Security Council by preventing a vote on a resolution for a ceasefire in various conflicts around the world to help troubled nations better fight the coronavirus pandemic, diplomats said.

Washington's reversal came a day after it agreed to the text, negotiators said under cover of anonymity.

NEW YORK, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Global COVID-19 deaths surpassed 270,000 on Friday, reaching 270,537 as of 11:32 a.m. (1532 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

A total of 3,877,914 cases have been reported from over 180 countries and regions across the world, according to the CSSE.

The United States reported the most COVID-19 deaths at 75,852 among 1,259,777 cases. Other countries with over 20,000 fatalities included Spain, Italy, Britain and France, the CSSE data showed. 

UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday remembered the millions of people who lost their lives in World War II and asked the world to learn the lessons of 1945.

"We must never forget the Holocaust and the other grave and horrendous crimes committed by the Nazis. The victory over fascism and tyranny in May 1945 marked the beginning of a new era," he said in a message on the 75th anniversary of V-E Day -- May 8, 1945, the day on which the surrender of Germany was announced, officially ending the European phase of World War II.

NEW YORK/BOSTON (Reuters) - When American companies recently applied for U.S. government loans meant to help small businesses survive the coronavirus crisis, they had to certify they needed the cash to cover basic needs like salaries and rent. The money, up to $10 million, was meant to tide them over for eight weeks.

7 May 2020; AFP: Mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization seen as being close to Vladimir Putin, are fighting in Libya, UN diplomats said Wednesday, citing an experts' report on the country's arms embargo.

It was the first time the UN has confirmed claims first made in US media that the group is supporting military strongman Khalifa Haftar. Moscow has denied being responsible for deploying the group.

The report also revealed that Haftar was being supported by Syrian fighters.

UNITED NATIONS, May 6. /TASS/: Moscow believes that the United Nations secretary general needs to appoint a new special envoy for Libya as soon as possible following the resignation of Ghassan Salame, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Gennady Kuzmin said, addressing a video conference of the UN Security Council.

NEW YORK (AP) — Texas regulators are relaxing rules about where companies can store oil underground, raising concern among environmentalists about potential groundwater contamination and other dangers.

The members of the Railroad Commission of Texas voted Tuesday to allow companies to store oil underground in places other than salt caverns, which are considered better at preventing leaks than other geological formations.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state reported more than 1,700 previously undisclosed deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities in a tally that included for the first time people believed to have been killed by the coronavirus before their diagnoses could be confirmed.

The tally, released late Monday, emerged as state officials faced scrutiny over how they have protected vulnerable residents from the coronavirus.

At least 4,813 people have died from COVID-19 in the state’s nursing homes since March 1, according to the new totals.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Democratic presidential primary must take place June 23 because canceling it would be unconstitutional and deprive withdrawn presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang of proper representation at the Democratic convention, a judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in Manhattan ruled after lawyers for Sanders and Yang argued Monday that they otherwise would be harmed irreparably.