UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for efforts to build sustainable cities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that "we must pursue a green, resilient and inclusive economic recovery."

"Now is the time to rethink and reshape the urban world. Now is the moment to adapt to the reality of this and future pandemics. And now is our chance to recover better, by building more resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities," Guterres said in a video message for the launch of his policy brief on COVID-19 and cities.

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. senator Susan Collins said Monday that she will vote against Judy Shelton's nomination to the Federal Reserve's board of governors, becoming the second Republican senator to oppose President Donald Trump's controversial nominee.

"I have serious concerns about this nomination. In her past statements, Ms. Shelton has openly called for the Federal Reserve to be less independent of the political branches, and has even questioned the need for a central bank," Collins said in a statement.

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CANBERRA -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday described the spread of coronavirus in Victorian aged care facilities as a "health crisis."

"The situation remains very concerning and particularly in relation to the aged care situation in Victoria," Morrison told reporters, adding that "we have just over 80 facilities out of just over 430 in Victoria which have been affected."

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PYONGYANG -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un stressed the importance of nuclear deterrence on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the armistice of the 1950-53 Korean War, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Tuesday.

At the 6th National Conference of War Veterans held here Monday, Kim said thanks to the "reliable and effective self-defense war deterrence, there will no longer be war on this land and our national security and future will be firmly guaranteed permanently," the KCNA reported.