LOS ANGELES -- Nearly 24,000 monkeypox cases had been confirmed in the United States as of Monday, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

California had the most confirmed cases among U.S. states so far, with 4,656 cases, followed by New York with 3,755 and Florida with 2,398, according to CDC data. (US-Monkeypox-Cases)

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BUENOS AIRES -- Technical staff of the International Monetary Fund on Monday approved the second review of the organization's debt relief agreement with Argentina, paving the way for the South American country to access some 3.9 billion U.S. dollars in the coming weeks, the IMF said.

"IMF staff and the Argentine authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the second review under Argentina's 30-month EFF (Extended Fund Facility) arrangement," the agency said in a press release. (Argentina-IMF-Debt Relief)

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MOSCOW -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for an immediate cessation of shelling in the area of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) during a telephone call with French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna on Monday.

Lavrov and Colonna discussed the situation in Ukraine, with a particular focus on the importance of ensuring the safety of the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (Russia-France-Ukraine)