storm

Authorities warn residents that extreme conditions could pose risks and urge people to stay away from flooded areas.

Residents of the northeastern United States are facing a powerful storm known as a nor’easter that has knocked out power and caused flooding across the region.

The storm has led to the cancellation of more than 400 flights and power outages affecting more than 88,000 homes and businesses as of Saturday afternoon local time. That figure is down from a high of 119,000 earlier in the day.

Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, said that the storm is likely to persist, with “a lot of high winds, a lot of high tides and heavy rain possibility over the next few days for the northeastern US”.

The governors of New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency in counties expected to see the worst of the storm, including New York City, on Friday.

Authorities have also warned residents about the risks of flooding and high tides, cautioning people to stay away from the beach and areas inundated with water.

“Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.

Despite the warnings, people have been seen kayaking down flooded streets in Long Island, New York, while others took advantage of large swells in Hampton, New Hampshire.

“In all the canals, the water is up really high and coming into people’s back yards,” Jay Boyd, a resident of Ocean City, Maryland, told The Associated Press news agency.

Oravec said that nor’easters are not unusual as the region of New England enters the autumn season, but that “this might be a little earlier than average for a big storm”.

About 425 flights have been cancelled and 1,338 delayed so far on Saturday, according to data from the flight tracker FlightAware.

Concerts and sporting events have also been cancelled, including musician Ed Sheeran’s scheduled shows in the state of Massachusetts on Friday and Saturday.

Israeli settlers have stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem again and performed Jewish prayers in the courtyard.

The weekend witnessed a series of provocative acts by Israeli politicians and settlers in the build-up to Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and next month’s Israeli election.

On Thursday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and others again stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for Yom Kippur. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also visited a labyrinth of tunnels below occupied East Jerusalem on Saturday.

Early on Sunday morning, Netanyahu released videos and photographs on his official Instagram account documenting his participation in Jewish “Selichot” prayers at the Western Wall, known as the al-Buraq Wall to Muslims.

The tunnels lie underneath occupied East Jerusalem’s bustling Old City and the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, making the incursions particularly sensitive for the occupied territory’s Palestinian population.

Translation: Happy New Year and a good final signature to all Israelis from the Western Wall.

Under the protection of security forces, Netanyahu, accompanied by several government ministers and thousands of Israeli settlers, made his way onto the plaza of the wall in occupied East Jerusalem on Saturday evening, ahead of Yom Kippur.

Footage shared by the prime minister showed him performing the rituals from behind bulletproof glass. In another video, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, passed through one of the excavation tunnels running beneath the Western Wall while Jewish prayers took place.

“Well, we are in the tunnels at the al-Buraq Wall. It is moving to touch the rock of our existence. We are here very close to the Holy of Holies. We are here, and we will always remain here,” Netanyahu stated in the video.

Translation: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife in prayer for the safety of Israeli soldiers tonight at the Western Wall.

Yom Kippur incursions

The prime minister’s subterranean visit unfolded alongside a wave of settler incursions into the holy site above ground.

On its official Facebook page, the Palestinian Jerusalem governorate reported that about 570 settlers had stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by 10am local time on Sunday. According to the governorate, the settlers performed Talmudic rituals and “epic prostrations” to mark Yom Kippur.

The Palestinian group Hamas strongly condemned the incursions in a press statement published on its official Telegram channel.

“The storming by Benjamin Netanyahu, against whom an arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court, of the tunnels and excavations beneath the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the al-Buraq Wall, and the provocative statements and false claims accompanying it about the so-called Holy of Holies, represents a blatant attack on the identity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its status, and a provocation to the feelings of our Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nations,” the statement in Arabic said.

The group emphasised Al-Aqsa’s exclusively Islamic heritage and rejected Israel’s ongoing excavations under the holy site.

Religious or political?

Israel has been digging beneath occupied East Jerusalem for years, a move that has been condemned by archaeologists and the United Nations. The works are believed to be intended to find proof of the rampart wall of the Second Temple, but experts say there is no proof of this claim. Others view these measures as an attempt by Israel to cement its rule over occupied Palestinian land.

In 2022, Netanyahu led a cabinet meeting in the labyrinth, describing Israel as the “landlords of Jerusalem”. East Jerusalem has been earmarked as the capital of a future Palestinian state by Palestinians.

The timing of Saturday’s visit not only comes on the eve of Yom Kippur but also at a time of huge political significance for the Israeli leader, who trails in the polls against his rival Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party.

Ahmed al-Hila, a political analyst specialising in Middle East affairs and the Arab-Israeli conflict, told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu is using religious symbolism to try to secure his political survival ahead of October’s general election.

“Benjamin Netanyahu wanted, through this visit … creating this symbolism for himself as a leader spearheading the right wing to consolidate the Israeli political and religious narrative in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, to attempt to gather the largest possible number of votes to serve as an electoral lever for him,” said al-Hila.

“As for the intense security mobilisation and Benjamin Netanyahu’s appearance behind a bulletproof glass shield [during a speech above ground], this is a direct indication that this city has not, up to this moment, submitted to Israeli security control, despite the repeated and frequent talk that Jerusalem is ‘the capital of the State of Israel’.”

The visit could also be a message to the wider world, amid global criticism of the controversial illegal settlement project E1, which the Israeli government has issued tenders for, and which appears designed to sever East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank.

“What further confirms this conclusion is that initiating the settlement project called E1 does not only isolate the northern West Bank from its south … but this settlement project completes the isolation of the city of Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings,” Al-Hila said. “Therefore, this visit with its political symbolism confirms the idea of Israeli sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem.”

BERLIN: Buoyed by partisan home fans, host Germany upset Belgium 93-74 to reach the semifinals of the women’s FIBA World Cup on Thursday.

Leonie Fiebich scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds to lead Germany to a showdown with France on Saturday. Nyara Sabally also had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

“I can’t quite believe it yet,” forward Frieda Bühner said. “We’re among the best four teams in the world. I can’t believe it. It’s crazy.”

The players screamed and whooped in celebration. Germany had never reached the semifinals before.

“Everyone stepped up today and we did it from the first second to the very last,” said Alexandra Wilke, who scored 10 points.

Germany lost their opening game by 30 points to Spain, but bounced back with impressive wins over Japan and Mali before routing South Korea in a playoff to reach the quarterfinals.

Egged on by fervent commentary from the announcer, fans cheered, jumped and waved Germany flags at the Berlin Arena to help the home team keep their momentum going.

“It’s always really cool to play in front of such a crowd,” Sabally said. “I couldn’t have wished for more, especially in Germany. It’s really cool to see that there’s so much hype and the whole venue is caught up in it. It’s really, really cool.”

It’s the sixth straight World Cup at which the host have made the final four since China failed to make the semifinals in 2002.

Belgium, the European champion, were one of three teams that advanced through group play without a loss.

Emma Meesseman led Belgium with 29 points and added eight rebounds, but her team were unable to regain the lead after Bühner made it 20-19 toward the end of the first quarter.

Germany did not qualify for the World Cup since the unified country’s only previous appearance as host in 1998. East Germany’s women’s basketball team finished fourth at the 1967 tournament.

France rout China

Marine Johannès and Janelle Salaün led France to the semifinals for the first time by beating China 90-61 earlier.

Both Johannès and Salaün scored 15 points while Gabby Williams contributed 14 as the Olympic finalists put themselves in contention for a first World Cup medal since the inaugural tournament in 1953, when France finished third in the final round.

“It means a lot,” Williams said of reaching the semifinals for the first time. “We want to be one of the greatest teams ever to put on the French jersey. Obviously, we have a big goal this tournament, but it’s great to check this off the list.”

Chants of “Allez les Bleues” rang around the Berlin Arena before Williams opened the scoring, and the French supporters made sure they were heard for the rest of the game as their team dominated on the court below. France have been fluid and free-scoring, beating their four opponents so far by a combined 156 points.

The team set a tournament record for 3-pointers in a single game by netting 22 in their final group game on Monday. The French players connected on 14 of 37 attempts Thursday, with Johannès and Salaün scoring three triples each.

“We are lucky because we are a group that have known each other for a couple of years now,” Salaün said of France’s team spirit. “We went through a lot of things, the Olympics, training camp(s), so we just know each other and we know what we want. We have a goal and we want to do everything to get to this goal.”

Salaün had an ice pack bound to her right knee. France coach Jean Aime Toupane told The Associated Press it was just a precaution.

Zhang’s impact limited

The French defense limited the impact of China’s 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu, who had the attention of two French players any time she received the ball. The 19-year-old sensation was held scoreless over her 7 minutes, 18 seconds of play in the first half, though she contributed in defense with three blocks before halftime.

There was nothing Zhang could do to stop Johannès from scoring successive 3-pointers in the third quarter, when she also got on the scoreboard. Zhang finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds and seven turnovers.

Han Xu, who had a double-double in each of her four games at the tournament, again led China with 21 points and nine rebounds.

US never in danger

The United States, the four-time defending champion, routed Hungary 108-56 in the first quarterfinal with Napheesa Collier scoring 19 points to stretch their winning run in the tournament to 34 games since a semifinal loss to Russia in the 2006 semifinals.

The US await the winner of Spain-Australia in the last quarterfinal later.

SPICE GIRLS, Girls Aloud and Little Mix are just some of the huge girl groups who have ruled the charts over the years.

Now the next generation is ready to get in on the action.

Step forward Manifest — Turkey’s picture-perfect group, who are taking the world by storm.

Despite being yet to release a single English-language track, the girls already have 7.3million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

The group is made up of six amazing women: Sueda Uluca, Hilal Yelekci, Lidya Pinar, Mina Solak, Esin Bahat and Zeynep Sude Oktay.

And they have the backing of Dua Lipa, who personally invited them to perform as part of her Sunny Hill music festival in Kosovo earlier this summer, and has tipped them for greatness.

DUA LEAPER

Dua Lipa jumps for joy as she marks 31st birthday in Ibiza on 8th trip of year

TAUT & TANNED

Dua Lipa shows off bronzed body in a bikini as she sunbathes on girls’ trip

They said: “Dua was amazing. We really love her, and meeting with her was like a dream come true. We saw meeting Dua and playing her festival as a step to becoming global stars.

“She gave us some great advice and was keen for us to just remember to enjoy the show.

“She encouraged us to enjoy our time on stage and not worry too much. If we have fun, the fans have fun.”

Each member has their own distinct personality and style, and since being put together on a TV talent contest in Turkey last year, their popularity has skyrocketed.

Keen to take on the world, the girls invited Bizarre’s Jack to Izmir, on Turkey’s Aegean coast, to see them in action at their three-day festival, Manifestival.

He was blown away — not only by the vocals and the sharp choreography but by just how lovely the girls were backstage.

In their first UK interview, the group explained: “We have been manifesting ourselves to be a successful band for years. We have always believed we can do it and make it global.

“We believe people can manifest anything, so when it came to picking a name for us, as soon as someone mentioned Manifest, it stuck.

“We loved it. We didn’t want a name that was too cheesy.”

The group are putting in some serious hours to make themselves stars.

They explained: “We don’t have days off, we have hours. We are so busy, but that’s good. We are constantly in rehearsals.

“It only takes us one day to learn a dance but then we practise it over and over again.

“We want the show to be perfect. Sometimes we will practise a single routine for five days until it’s ready.”

Next month, Manifest will jet to the UK for their first ever headline show on British soil and, boy, are they starting big.

Leapfrogging smaller venues due to demand, they will headline London’s Wembley Arena on October 16.

As well as the gig, the girls are set to take part in a number of promo activities across the capital to show there’s a new band in town.

Admitting they still battle with nerves even though they have “made it” in their home country, the group said: “When we first started to perform, we were really nervous — it almost felt like you were having a heart attack from the nerves.

“But now it’s just excitement. Every time we perform, it’s still so exciting for us. It’s what we love to do.

“We have rituals to calm us down, and we pray to God before we take to the stage.”

In another sign Manifest are attracting all the right attention, they have also landed themselves a Netflix series which will show them on the road and take each member back to their home town.

Setting their sights as high as possible, the girls now hope they can emulate their Girl Power idols.

They added: “We would love to be as big as the Spice Girls; they are our inspiration.

“We have just recorded our first English song, which should be out soon, and we are coming to London.”

Take it from us, there are big things to come from Manifest.

Sam’s on £400m sales

SAM SMITH looked pleased as punch receiving this plaque celebrating the sale of 400million singles worldwide.

The Lay Me Down singer, whose latest album Hazel Eyes came out last month, beamed backstage at the London Coliseum.

Sam played the first show of an eight-night To Be Free residency there on Tuesday, and I’m sure this boost was most welcome before taking to the stage.

An ABBA Fab tribute

IN what I can only describe as the maddest musical mash-up I’ve heard of in a long time, Una Healy, Samantha Mumba, Duncan James and Antony Costa are teaming up for an ABBA extravaganza.

All Stars: The Music Of Abba is a new stage show ­celebrating the Swedish group’s biggest hits.

Across a 21-date tour, The Saturdays star Una, Samantha and the Blue bandmates will form a pop supergroup paying homage to the works of the chart legends, backed by a live band.

Further dates are expected down the line, but they will kick off in Croydon on February 26, before ­taking in shows in cities nationwide including Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Southend, Nottingham and Hull.

Tickets go on pre-sale from 10am today online at allstarsonstage.com.

SHAKIRA’S World Cup anthem Dai Dai with Burna Boy has surpassed one billion views on YouTube and made her the most-viewed female artist on the platform.

The achievement comes ahead of the launch next week of her sold-out 12-night residency at a purpose-built stadium in Madrid.

THE WEEKND has wrapped his 42-date After Hours Til Dawn 2026 tour, grossing £255million after performing in front of more than two million fans.

The gigs gave a massive boost to local economies and raised more than £1.6million in charitable donations for both the United Nations World Food Programme and the Global Citizen project.

Strike a pose Julia

JULIA GARNER is the spitting image of a young Madonna as she vows that the superstar’s biopic will be made.

The Ozark actress sported cropped blonde hair and a feathery gown in the October issue of Elle magazine after being cast in the film, which was canned amid budget rows.

Julia insisted: “I think the movie has to get made. But we’ll see . . .”

She and Vogue singer Madge filmed for Apple TV show The Studio together earlier this year. Their spoof storyline is inspired by the Queen of Pop’s axed film.

Julia said: “She’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. Like actually. And people don’t know that.”

Peter’s spaced out in new film role

WHATEVER you think about Peter Andre, it’s safe to say he likes to keep his career varied.

Last year he played a gangster trying to secure his nan’s £35,000 care home fee in comedy film Jafaican.

Now, I’m told the Mysterious Girl singer is about to start work on his next ­production.

Insiders tell me his latest foray into the movie world will be Love In Space, which has a similarly hilarious plot.

It will tell the story of a young man who falls in love with a charming female ­scientist after being abducted by UFOs.

A source said: “Pete just loves acting and if the project feels right and he likes the script, he goes for it.

“This film is really futuristic and Pete will be filming at the end of this month in a ready-made spaceship.”

Popcorn at the ready . . . 

A Biggie break for Swayvo

ANOTHER nepo baby has bagged a major role in Hollywood.

The son of neo-soul pioneers D’Angelo and Angie Stone has been cast as Biggie in the upcoming Snoop Dogg biopic.

Swayvo Twain, whose real name is Michael D’Angelo Archer II, will star in the Universal Pictures movie called Snoop, which is being produced by the rapper himself.

Biggie, also known as Notorious B.I.G., was one of the biggest names in hip-hop in the Nineties and had a mutual appreciation with Snoop, despite the fact they were on either side of the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry.

Jonathan Daviss will play the main man himself in the flick, which is due to hit cinemas next August.

Nirvana go for a gong

NIRVANA will be honoured with the prestigious Video Vanguard Award at the MTV VMAs on September 27.

The gong is akin to a lifetime achievement award and has been won by Mariah Carey and Rihanna in recent years, with Nirvana being the first band to do so since Duran Duran in 2003.

They only released three albums before frontman Kurt Cobain died, but surviving members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear are being tipped to attend, 34 years after winning the Best New Artist and Best Alternative Video prizes for Smells Like Teen Spirit.

The 2026 ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Madonna leading the nominations with 11.

In reach for Adela

WITH just one day of sales left, the battle for No1 is almost over but breakout star Adela is fighting for the top spot.

And it’s not just chart success she is hoping for but world domination, following the release of her brilliant debut album Prima on Friday.

More than a million videos have been made on TikTok using the audio for her single Ain’t In LA.

Now that single is set to enter the Top 20 tomorrow, plus A-lister Nicole Kidman has praised Adela after the Slovak singer named her next track after the actress.

Meanwhile, Adela has revealed her drive to become a pop star in the first place.

Speaking about her favourite Disney Channel show as a youngster, she told Bizarre’s Howell: “Hannah Montana’s where I first saw like, ‘Oh, you can sing and dance for a living and you can be a pop star. This is what that is like’.

“That’s literally where this all first began. For me, it was seeing that show and becoming obsessed with it.”

Of the show’s star Miley Cyrus, she added: “She’s like a mythical creature to me. I don’t think I can actually meet her.”

If Prima manages to clinch the No1 spot from competitors Kasabian, who she is just 332 copies behind, she will be the first solo female to go straight to No1 with her debut album since Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour in 2021.

And judging by Adela’s drive, talent and creativeness on this record, the world is her oyster.

Sept. 1 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall Tuesday at the Texas-Louisiana border, moving inland toward the northwest with gusty winds and heavy rainfall.

The National Hurricane Center said a tropical storm warning was in effect from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the Vermilion/Cameron parish line in Louisiana. As of Tuesday afternoon, wind speeds had slowed to about 50 mph after measurements of about 60 mph at landfall.

“Continued weakening is expected during the next day or so, and Edouard is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression tonight and dissipate by Wednesday night,” the NHC said.

The storm’s small size will lessen its impact, CNN reported. “Locally significant flash flooding” is possible in southeast Texas, and river flooding was also possible. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center to prepare, mobilizing more than 1,500 personnel.

The storm is expected to produce 3 to 7 inches of rainfall with some totals up to 12 inches for parts of the upper Texas coast inland through east-central Texas, the NHC said. There is the potential for 2 to 4 inches in far southwest Louisiana.

Tornadoes are possible through Tuesday evening across parts of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.

A storm surge/tide combination could cause normally dry areas near the coast to flood, the NHC said. The degree of this flooding depends on the timing of the surge and tidal cycle.

SEATTLE — Nneka Ogwumike had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Rae Burrell scored 22 points, and the visiting Sparks beat the Seattle Storm 90-74 on Sunday in their final game before the FIBA World Cup break.

The Sparks scored the first 13 points in an opening 18-2 run and Dearica Hamby’s layup with 5:45 left in the first half capped an 11-0 spurt that gave them a 39-20 lead. Seattle shot 32% (12 of 38) from the field and two of 11 (18%) from behind the arc before going into halftime trailing by 19. The Storm were just as bad from three-point range in the second half, finishing four of 22.

Cameron Brink had 11 points on three-of-15 shooting for the Sparks (15-25).

Flau’jae Johnson scored 11 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter and Dominique Malonga had 17 points, on eight-of-21 shooting, and 15 rebounds for the Storm (8-32). Zia Cooke made six of 17 from the field for 14 points.

Seattle is 1-18 against Western Conference teams this season, its only win coming at the Sparks, 82-64, on July 6.

The Storm’s Jordan Horston fell awkwardly midway through the third quarter, limped to the locker room and did not return.

Awa Fam and Natisha Hiedeman did not play for the Storm.

Up next for the Sparks: at Dallas on Sept. 17.

Aug. 27 (UPI) — The National Weather Service named Tropical Storm Dolly on Thursday, as it makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean toward the eastern Caribbean.

Dolly was located about 1,315 miles east of the Leeward Islands, which include the Virgin Islands, St. Martin and several others, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. AST update.

The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving west at a blistering 23 mph.

The NHC said Dolly should continue moving westward for the next couple of days over the central Atlantic and be nearing the Leeward Islands over the weekend.

“Although it will encounter warmer ocean waters, Dolly is likely to move into less favorable atmospheric conditions during the next couple of days,” the NHC said. “Some slight short-term strengthening is possible, but increasing vertical wind shear, relatively dry air and the fast forward motion of the system should begin to adversely affect Dolly fairly soon.”

It is forecast to be a post-tropical storm within 48 hours.

Heavy rain from Dolly could begin to affect the Leeward Islands late Saturday into Sunday, and the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola Sunday and Monday. The heavy rain may produce flash flooding, especially in areas of higher terrain, the NHC reported.

The name Dolly was chosen in advance and not as a tribute to the late Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday.

“The timing of the use of the name Dolly for this storm is purely coincidental,” the NHC said.