USA

GUERNEVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Floodwaters that turned two Northern California communities into islands were expected to begin receding Thursday as a rain-engorged river finally peaked after swamping thousands of homes, businesses and other buildings.

The Russian River in the wine country north of San Francisco crested at more than 46 feet (14 meters) Wednesday night, Sonoma County officials said.

The river frequently floods in rainy weather but it hadn’t reached that level for 25 years and wasn’t expected to recede again until late Thursday night.

28 Feb 2019; AFP: The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed its first major gun safety measure in a quarter century, a landmark bill that would expand background checks to virtually all firearm sales.

While the effort managed to draw a handful of Republicans and was deemed a historic step by newly empowered Democrats and gun control advocates, it is unlikely to advance in the Republican-controlled Senate.

28 Feb 2019; DW: Donald Trump is a "racist" and a "con man," his former lawyer Michael Cohen told the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform at the outset of a damning public testimony based on his decadelong professional relationship with the US president.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called for international efforts to help silence the guns in Africa by 2020.

Over the past few years, the African Union (AU) and African countries have been vigorously implementing Agenda 2063 and the initiative of silencing the guns in Africa by 2020 alongside the steady improvement of the continent's peace and security situation, said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

NEW YORK, Feb 27(APP): A US-based Sikh advocacy group Tuesday denounced India’s violations of Pakistani airspace, saying the overseas Sikhs will standby Pakistan in thwarting the Indian aggression.

UN, February 27. /TASS/. The United States has demonstrated double standards by "killing" Russia’s draft UN Security Council resolution on Venezuela with its amendments, Russian Deputy UN envoy, Dmitry Polyansky, told the UN Security Council session on Tuesday.

UN, February 27. /TASS/. The United States should unfreeze Venezuela’s assets instead of going ahead with its hypocritical attempts to deliver aid to Venezuela, which look more like "force-feeding," Russia’s UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya said.

"The Venezuelan authorities are ready to accept the required humanitarian and technological assistance. However, in order to work according to this scheme, it is necessary to unblock an opportunity for Caracas to pay for the delivery of food and medicines," the diplomat told the UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela.

WASHINGTON, February 27. /TASS/. The House of Representatives of the US Congress on Tuesday voted on a resolution to overturn President Donald Trump’s order to declare the state of emergency on the border with Mexico.

During the vote, broadcast live on the US Congress website, 245 lawmakers voted in favor and 182 voted against.

NEW YORK, February 27. /TASS/. Paul Whelan, a US citizen detained in Russia on espionage charges, is not allowed to communicate by phone or mail while in Russia’s Lefortovo jail, his brother David Whelan has emailed to TASS.

According to David Whelan, no phone calls are permitted for his brother, even though other Lefortovo prisoners have phone access. Besides, "no personal letters are being given to Paul and "no mail is being allowed from Paul," he said.

In addition, a house arrest was also not allowed, despite a space being offered by Paul's lawyer.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A South African envoy on Tuesday reiterated deep concern about "the dire humanitarian situation" in Syria, and called on the United Nations and the international community to further increase financial and material assistance to the Middle East country.