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NEW YORK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States remains among nations with the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases, driven mostly by a surge in the south, where many states are lagging in getting people vaccinated against the coronavirus, CNN has reported.

In August, the United States has so far reported more than 1.5 million new cases, more than three times the numbers for Iran and India, which now hold second and third place respectively, according to Johns Hopkins University.

NEW YORK, Aug 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — A tour bus rollover in New York State on Saturday left dozens of people injured, New York State Police said.

At approximately 12:41 p.m. local time, New York State Police responded to a rollover crash involving a tour bus on a toll road in the town of Brutus in Cayuga County in central New York State, said the State Police in a press release.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on Taliban militants to immediately halt their offensive against government forces and return to the negotiating table in good faith, in the interest of Afghanistan, and its people.

The top UN official told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that humanitarian needs were "growing by the hour" and the country largely spinning out of control.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 14 (APP): Pakistan’s national flag was unfurled Friday in the United Nations (UN) compound by Ambassador Munir Akram to mark the country’s Independence Day, as a top UN official said that Munir Akramcan count on the world body.

“We count on Pakistan and all of you. And Pakistan can count on the United Nations,” Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a large gathering of UN officials of Pakistani origin and officers and staff of the Pakistan Mission to the UN celebrating the 74th anniversary of the country’s establishment.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The New York state Assembly will suspend its investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo once he steps down after its leader concluded the Legislature didn’t have the clear authority to impeach a departed official, the chamber’s top Democrat said Friday.

Cuomo announced Tuesday he planned to resign over sexual harassment allegations as it became clear he was almost certain to be impeached by the Legislature. He said his resignation was effective in 14 days, at which point he’ll be replaced by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 13 (APP): Young people are on the “frontlines of the struggle to build a better future”, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday, while marking International Youth Day.

“They are tackling inequities in food security, biodiversity loss, threats to our environment and much more”, he said in his message for the day.

And noting that coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the “dire need for…transformational change”, he said that young people must be “full partners in that effort”.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The top UN envoy in Somalia, James Swan, on Thursday told the Security Council that significant progress has been made in the political situation in the Horn of Africa country.

"I am pleased to report that significant progress has been made" since the signing of the May 27 Electoral Implementation Agreement between Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and leaders of the federal member states, Swan told the Council meeting on the situation in Somalia.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 12 (APP): UN expert has expressed concern over arrests, harassment, criminalization and threats against human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and within Israel, and called on Israeli government to make sure all Palestinian human rights defenders are protected.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed a series of benchmarks for Sudan’s transitional government to meet that could lead the U.N. Security Council to lift the arms embargo and other sanctions it imposed after the conflict in Darfur began in 2003.

In a 16-page report to the council circulated Tuesday, the U.N. chief cited improvements in Darfur largely brought on by the democratic revolution of December 2018 that led the military to overthrow autocratic President Omar al-Bashir four months later after nearly three decades of rule.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 10 (APP): Pakistan Monday told the UN Security Council that India’s “belligerent and aggressive” policies posed an immediate and pervasive threat to international and regional peace and security, especially as the Indians had nuclearized the Indian Ocean, an important avenue for global trade.

“In pursuance of its hegemonic designs, India has nuclearized the Indian Ocean and continues to induct advanced weapons systems and naval delivery platforms,”Ambassador Munir Akram said in a written statement submitted to the 15-member Council, which was held virtually.