North America

WASHINGTON, March 26. /TASS/. The House of Representatives of the US Congress voted on Monday for the bill on assisting Central and Eastern European countries to diversify energy supplies sources for countering Russia’s influence, with 391 and 24 congressmen voting for and against the bill, respectively. A live broadcast of the voting was provided by the C-SPAN TV channel.

The bill must be passed by the Senate and then be signed by the President to become law.

LANGKAWI /Malaysia/, March 26. /TASS/. Sanctions and political environment won’t affect the deliveries of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to Indonesia, Deputy Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Mikhail Petukhov told TASS on Tuesday.

Earlier reports said Russia and Indonesia had signed a contract on the supplies of 11 Su-35 fighter jets.

WASHINGTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon announced Monday that it has authorized the transfer of 1 billion U.S. dollars for the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

In a press release issued Monday night, the Pentagon said acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has authorized the commander of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning and executing up to 1 billion dollars in support to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Patrol.

HAVANA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Prince Charles and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel met here on Monday, vowing to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation in a wide range of areas, the Cuban government said.

Both sides "agreed on the mutual will to develop ties in areas such as education, health, culture, environmental protection and sustainable development," according to a press release by the Cuban government on its official website.

UNITED NATIONS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged the international community to renew its promise to end racial discrimination.

In his remarks at an event to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Guterres said that it is time to "renew our promise to end racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including social and ethnic discrimination, anti-Muslim hatred and anti-Semitism."

TORONTO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The minivan involved in the kidnapping of 22-year-old Chinese student Wanzhen Lu in Canada has been recovered, according to York Regional Police in Toronto area Monday.

Police received tips from the public that led them to a location in the City of Toronto where the vehicle used in the kidnapping was located. The vehicle was not occupied at the time.

UNITED NATIONS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN policy on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights remains unchanged despite the Trump administration's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory, a UN spokesman said Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed a proclamation recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the territory that Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981.

HOUSTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. natural gas consumption increased by 10 percent in 2018, reaching a record high of 82.1 billion cubic feet (about 2.32 billion cubic meters) per day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Monday.

WASHINGTON, March 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed a proclamation recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the disputed Golan Heights, marking a major shift in U.S. policy in the Middle East.

The proclamation said that it is "appropriate to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights" because of the security need of Israel.

"This was a long time in the making," Trump said before signing the decree at the White House with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing alongside.

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California company is voluntarily recalling whole avocados over possible listeria contamination.

Henry Avocado, a grower and distributor based near San Diego, said Saturday that the recall covers conventional and organic avocados grown and packed in California. The company says they were sold in bulk across California, Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin, North Carolina and New Hampshire.

There have been no reports of any illnesses associated with the avocados.