Thousands battle Russian far East flooding

Emergency services in Russia, backed by thousandsof civilians, are continuing to battle rising floodwaters in the country's Far East, dpa quoted the authorities as saying on Saturday. More than 15,000 people have been taken to safety from more than 120 different locations as the flooding, caused by heavy rain, swamped thousands of homes, civil protection officials said. Emergency services have used boats and aircraft in the rescue operations - some local residents were plucked by helicopter from the rooftops of flooded buildings. The Amur region, along the border with China, is the worst-hit. Officials have warned that waters in the city of Khabarovsk could rise to their highest level for more than a century on Monday.