USA

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A UN official accused Iran of lying in its explanation of how it shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet near Tehran last year at a time of acute tension with the US.

On Jan 8, 2020, Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 crashed shortly after taking off from Iran’s capital Tehran killing all 176 people aboard, including 55 Canadians.

Iran admitted three days later that its forces mistakenly shot down the Kiev-bound Boeing 737-800 plane after firing two missiles.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden’s nominee to be director of the CIA, William Burns, is expected to sail through his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, with discussion largely focused on challenges from China and Russia and threats from international hacking networks.

Burns, 64, a former career diplomat who worked in both Democratic and Republican administrations, has already been confirmed by the Senate five times for his stints as ambassador to Jordan and Russia and three senior positions at the State Department.

23 Feb 2021; MEMO: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed a range of issues with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, including partnership and human rights, the State Department said Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reported.

The two diplomats discussed a "strong strategic partnership" between the two nations on security and counterterrorism cooperation over the telephone, said agency spokesperson Ned Price in a statement.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers on Tuesday that U.S. economic recovery remains uneven and far from complete, and the path ahead is highly uncertain.

"The resurgence in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in recent months is causing great hardship for millions of Americans and is weighing on economic activity and job creation," Powell said at a virtual hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leading technology companies said Tuesday that a monthslong breach of corporate and government networks was so sophisticated, focused and labor-intensive that a nation had to be behind it, with all the evidence pointing to Russia.

In the first congressional hearing on the breach, representatives of technology companies involved in the response described a hack of almost breathtaking precision, ambition and scope. The perpetrators stealthily scooped up specific emails and documents on a target list from the U.S. and other countries.

DENVER (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday ordered airlines in the United States to ground planes with the type of engine that blew apart after takeoff from Denver this past weekend until they can be inspected for stress cracks.

The FAA’s order applies to U.S. operators of airplanes equipped with certain Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, which are used solely on Boeing 777s. Before the planes can fly again, operators must conduct a thermal acoustic image inspection of the large titanium fan blades at the front of each engine.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A legislative panel wrapped up its review of a flurry of impeachment efforts targeting the top levels of Kentucky government, recommending Tuesday night that the Democratic governor and the Republican attorney general not face removal from office.

A handful of Kentuckians filed separate petitions weeks ago against Gov. Andy Beshear for his coronavirus-related restrictions and Attorney General Daniel Cameron for his handling of the Breonna Taylor death investigation.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The huge parachute used by NASA’s Perseverance rover to land on Mars contained a secret message, thanks to a puzzle lover on the spacecraft team.

Systems engineer Ian Clark used a binary code to spell out “Dare Mighty Things” in the orange and white strips of the 70-foot (21-meter) parachute. He also included the GPS coordinates for the mission’s headquarters at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge late Tuesday indefinitely banned President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations.

U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a preliminary injunction sought by Texas, which argued the moratorium violated federal law and risked imposing additional costs on the state.

ATLANTA (AP) — Fueled by Black turnout, Democrats scored stunning wins in Georgia in the presidential and U.S. Senate races. Now, Republicans are trying to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

GOP lawmakers in the once reliably red state are rolling out an aggressive slate of voting legislation that critics argue is tailored to curtail the power of Black voters and undo years of work by Stacey Abrams and others to increase engagement among people of color, including Latino and Asian American communities.