- Mali singer Traore child custody case postponed
- France mourns Mayotte victims amid uncertainy over government
- UK economy stagnant in third quarter in fresh setback
- African players in Europe: Salah leads Golden Boot race after brace
- German far-right AfD to march in city hit by Christmas market attack
- Ireland centre Henshaw signs IRFU contract extension
- Bangladesh launches $5bn graft probe into Hasina's family
- US probes China chip industry on 'anticompetitive' concerns
- Biden commutes sentences for 37 of 40 federal death row inmates
- Clock ticks down on France government nomination
- Mozambique on edge as judges rule on disputed election
- Mobile cinema brings Tunisians big screen experience
- Honda and Nissan to launch merger talks
- Police arrest suspect who set woman on fire in New York subway
- China vows 'cooperation' over ship linked to severed Baltic Sea cables
- Australian tennis star Purcell provisionally suspended for doping
- Luxury Western goods line Russian stores, three years into sanctions
- Wallace and Gromit return with comic warning about AI dystopia
- Philippine military says will acquire US Typhon missile system
- Afghan bread, the humble centrepiece of every meal
- Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
- 'Draconian' Vietnam internet law heightens free speech fears
- Israeli women mobilise against ultra-Orthodox military exemptions
- Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate worries
- Tens of thousands protest in Serbian capital over fatal train station accident
- Trump vows to 'stop transgender lunacy' as a top priority
- 'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying
- Only 12 trucks delivered food, water in North Gaza Governorate since October: Oxfam
- Beyond Work Unveils Next-Generation Memory-Augmented AI Agent (MATRIX) for Enterprise Document Intelligence
- Langers edge Tiger and son Charlie in PNC Championship playoff
- Explosive batsman Jacobs gets New Zealand call-up for Sri Lanka series
- Holders PSG edge through on penalties in French Cup
- Daniels throw five TDs as Commanders down Eagles
- Atalanta fight back to take top spot in Serie A, Roma hit five
- Mancini admits regrets over leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia
- Run machine Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
- Slovak PM Fico on surprise visit to Kremlin
- 'Incredible' Liverpool must stay focused: Slot
- Maresca 'absolutely happy' as title-chasing Chelsea drop points in Everton draw
- Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout
- Three and easy as Dortmund move into Bundesliga top six
- Liverpool hit Spurs for six, Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth
- Netanyahu vows to act with 'force, determination' against Yemen's Huthis
- Ali hat-trick helps champions Ahly crush Belouizdad
- Salah stars as rampant Liverpool hit Spurs for six
- Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'
- 'Sonic 3' zips to top of N.America box office
- Rome's Trevi Fountain reopens to limited crowds
- Mbappe strikes as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- Pope again condemns 'cruelty' of Israeli strikes on Gaza
'Pineapple express' storm wallops California
Dozens of evacuation orders were in place Friday as a powerful atmospheric river, known as a "Pineapple express," surged into an already-sodden California, sparking warnings of widespread flash flooding.
Up to nine inches (23 centimeters) of rain were expected in some parts of the state, with several feet of heavy, wet snow falling over mountains where a huge snowpack has built up over months of near-record storms.
Forecasters said the Pineapple Express -- so called because it is bringing warm, sub-tropical moisture from Hawaii -- could cause some of that monster snowpack to melt, overwhelming river systems.
"Rainfall totals of 4-9 inches, atop areas with saturated soil and deep snowpack will cause widespread and severe flooding impacts," the National Weather Service (NWS) warned.
"Higher elevations in northern California and the Sierras will receive a heavy, wet snow leading to difficult travel."
US President Joe Biden on Friday approved an emergency declaration for the state, clearing the way for federal assistance to help local agencies.
The move came after a request from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who said he was mobilising resources to help anyone in need.
"California is deploying every tool we have to protect communities from the relentless and deadly storms battering our state," Newsom said.
The bulk of evacuation orders affect northern California, with seven rivers expected to burst their banks.
Many of them flooded at the start of the year as a daisy chain of atmospheric rivers dumped trillions of gallons (liters) of rain on the state.
More than 20 people died as back-to-back storms washed out communities, bringing down trees and causing landslides -- and emergency services now are worried the fresh storms could cause more problems.
- 'Stay at home' -
San Mateo County Sheriff said two people whose car was crushed by a falling tree in Redwood City were expected to be ok.
"Stay home tonight if you can, folks," the sheriff's office tweeted, alongside a photo of the mangled car.
"If you must drive in the storm, deputies are here for you, day or night."
The Sierra Nevada mountain range has been buried in unusually heavy snow for weeks.
As more moved in on Friday, a number of ski resorts shut their gates, citing weather worries.
In South Lake Tahoe, the weight of the accumulated snow brought down the roof of a gas station, sparking a fire, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Local fire marshal Kim George said crews had responded to similar calls over the last few days.
"No one has been hurt in any of these incidents, which is remarkable," the Chronicle quoted her as saying.
In the San Bernardino Mountains, in the south of the state, most communities have dug out after days or even weeks of being cut off.
But local sheriffs said one man appeared to have taken things a bit far when he stole a municipal snowplow.
The suspect, named by law enforcement in Big Bear as Jonathan Hernandez, allegedly drove off with the vehicle on March 4.
He didn't manage to cover his tracks all that well though -- the plow had a GPS device and when officers followed the signal they found the stolen vehicle with Hernandez still sitting inside.
F.Moura--PC