USA

NEW YORK, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A growing number of U.S. governors from both political parties and other officials are circumventing a federal guidance to offer boosters to anyone over 18 in hopes of staving off a spike in cases over the holidays, while the Joe Biden administration is purchasing more vaccines and pills in preparation for future pandemics, especially a potential surge of the coronavirus this winter.

SUMAS, Wash. (AP) — Residents of this small U.S. city along the Canadian border were assessing damage from flooding that hit an estimated three quarters of homes, as Washington state and British Columbia tried to dry out from an intense, days-long rain storm that cut off key roadways and forced hundreds of evacuations.

Skies were sunny Wednesday morning in the area around Sumas, Washington, where about 500 rescues and evacuations were reported.

18 Nov 2021; MEMO: Over 100 Hollywood celebrities have signed a letter criticising Israel's labelling of six Palestinian NGOs as terror groups, international news agencies reported yesterday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — North America’s leaders are reviving three-way summitry after a Trump-era break.

As President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador resume the tradition of the North America Leaders Summit on Thursday, the three allies face deep differences on migration, climate and trade.

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — The jury in Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial was to move into a third day of deliberations Thursday, even as its request to re-watch video in the case sparked a fresh bid from his attorneys for a mistrial.

Judge Bruce Schroeder did not immediately rule on the request, which stemmed from the defense team’s assertion that it received an inferior copy of a potentially critical video from prosecutors. It was the second mistrial motion from the defense in a week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — North America’s leaders are reviving three-way summitry after a Trump-era break.

As President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador resume the tradition of the North America Leaders Summit on Thursday, the three allies face deep differences on migration, climate and trade.

17 Nov 2021; MEMO: The US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, met Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday and urged him to stop settlement activities. Thomas-Greenfield also pledged to replenish the occupation state's Iron Dome missile defence system. "We will support Israel's ability to defend itself," the Times of Israel reported her as saying.

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US military has defended as “legitimate” an air strike attack which killed dozens of people in Syria in 2019.

The attack on so-called Daesh fighters killed 80 people, as the group made their last stand.

The US identified 16 of the dead as militants, and four as civilians.

But officials could not conclude on more than 60, and a spokesperson said it was “highly likely” more civilians were killed.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Security Council on Monday extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until Dec. 15, 2021.

Unanimously adopting Resolution 2606 and acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, the council reaffirmed all previous resolutions and presidential statements concerning the situation in Abyei and along the border between Sudan and South Sudan, underlining the importance of full compliance with and implementation of these.

NEW YORK, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- As the cold days set in, the United States is again seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases, though deaths and hospitalizations trend lower, while the federal government's vaccine mandate consistently faces legal challenges and sectoral resistence.

According to The New York Times, the seven-day average of confirmed cases of the pandemic stood at 80,885 nationwide on Sunday, with its 14-day change striking an 11-percent rise. COVID-19-related deaths were 1,133 on Sunday, with the 14-day change realizing a 16-percent fall.