North America

WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The Biden administration is appealing a federal court ruling that struck down the government mask mandate for travelers using public transportation, citing an assessment by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement on Wednesday that a notice of appeal had been filed in light of a CDC assessment that "an order requiring masking in the transportation corridor remains necessary to protect the public health."

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year ago, Joe Biden marked his first Earth Day as president by convening world leaders for a virtual summit on global warming that even Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping attended. Biden used the moment to nearly double the United States’ goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, vaulting the country to the front lines in the fight against climate change.

21 April 2022; MEMO: An Israeli private detective detained in New York since 2019 on charges of involvement in a hacker-for-hire scheme pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit hacking and aggravated identity theft on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

Federal prosecutors say the detective, Aviram Azari, organised a series of hacking missions on behalf of unnamed third parties against American companies based in New York, using fake websites and phishing messages to steal email account passwords.

MIAMI (AP) — For years after leaving Cuba, the mother of two tried to get her children and parents into the U.S. through legal channels.

Finally, she decided she wouldn’t wait any longer: She paid more than $40,000 dollars to someone to help them sneak in through Mexico.

“I said to myself, `Enough. I am going to risk everything,’” said the 30-year-old woman, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from U.S. authorities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said.

The notice came minutes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision handed down by a federal judge in Florida earlier this week.

A notice of appeal was filed Wednesday in federal court in Tampa.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Americans still question whether President Joe Biden is showing enough strength in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, even as most approve of steps the U.S. is already taking and few want U.S. troops to get involved in the conflict.

A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows 54% of Americans think Biden has been “not tough enough” in his response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thirty-six percent think his approach has been about right, while 8% say he’s been too tough.

MEXICO CITY, Apr 20 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF), yesterday, cut Mexico’s 2022 economic growth forecast to 2.0 percent, down from 2.8 percent.

According to an update to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook report, released earlier this year, the forecast for the country’s growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, was also downgraded, by 0.2 percentage points to 2.5 percent.

WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on dozens of people and entities, including a Russian commercial bank and a virtual currency mining company, hoping to target Moscow's evasion of existing sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. Treasury Department said it designated a virtual currency mining company for the first time, alongside more than 40 people and entities led by U.S.-designated Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev.

UNITED NATIONS, April 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for a four-day humanitarian pause in fighting in Ukraine to allow for the opening of humanitarian aid corridors during the Orthodox Christian Holy Week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Secret Service officers shot and killed an intruder who was smashing windows at the residence of the Peruvian ambassador to the United States on Wednesday, authorities said.

The ambassador and his family were inside the residence in the Forest Hills neighborhood of northwest Washington when they heard several windows being smashed just before 8 a.m. and called the Secret Service. The agency is responsible for protecting foreign dignitaries and missions in the U.S., including embassies and diplomatic residences.