Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris appeared on the “Saturday Night Live” TV comedy show on Saturday, adding a surprise jolt to the U.S presidential election ust three days before her with showdown with Republican Donald Trump.“Keep Calm-ala and carry on-ala,” Harris said in unison with the actor who plays her on the show, Maya Rudolph.

It was Harris’ first time on the show, which has had other presidential candidates over its decades-long run. Trump appeared during his first presidential bid in 2015, where he poked fun at his tendency to exaggerate and steer clear of policy specifics.He also appeared in 2004, long before he entered politics.A Trump aide said he didn’t know if he had been invited to appear this year.Earlier on Saturday, Harris and Trump’s planes shared the tarmac in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the two candidates held dueling events in the southern state, one of a handful that will determine the outcome of Tuesday’s election.It was the fourth day in a row that the candidates campaigned in the same state.Only seven states are seen as truly competitive, but poll released on Saturday showed Harris holding a surprise lead in Iowa, a state Trump won easily in the last two elections.Trump and Harris stuck to familiar themes at their appearances.Trump said he would deport millions of immigrants if elected and warned that if Harris wins, “Every town in America would be turned into a squalid, dangerous refugee camp.”Campaigning in Atlanta, Harris said Trump would abuse his power if he returned to the White House.“This is someone who is increasingly unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and the man is out for unchecked power,” she said.More than 75 million Americans have already cast ballots, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida, in a sign of voter enthusiasm.In North Carolina, the western counties that were devastated by Hurricane Helene appeared to be voting at roughly the same rate as the rest of the state, according to Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer.At a later rally in Salem, Virginia, Trump said he ran for office to rescue the economy from “obliteration” even though it would have been easier to relax at one of his oceanfront resorts.“I didn’t need to be here today,” he said. “I could have been standing on that beach, my beautiful white skin getting nice and being smacked, being smacked in the face by a wave loaded up with salt water.”Trump was joined on stage by women from a local college swim team who have objected to competing against transgender athletes.Some of Trump’s TV ads have sought to capitalise on transgender controversies.Meanwhile, Kamala Harris has surpassed Donald Trump in a new poll in Iowa, according to the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released on Saturday.Women voters are likely responsible for the turnaround in a state that Trump easily won in 2016 and 2020.The poll of 808 likely voters, who were surveyed Oct. 28-31, has Harris leading Trump 47%-44% in Iowa, which has been trending deeply Republican in recent years.It is within the 3.4 percentage point margin of error, but it marked a turnaround from a September Iowa Poll that had Trump with a 4-point lead, the newspaper reported.“The poll shows that women — particularly those who are older or who are politically independent — are driving the late shift toward Harris,” the Register said.Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said the Iowa poll was “idiotic” and an outlier that has no credibility. (Reuters/NAN)

At least 51 people have died in the severe storms in Spain, specifically in the Mediterranean region of Valencia, the Spanish news agency Europa Press reported on Wednesday.

The report cited the regional government in Valencia.

Torrential rain and widespread flooding have wreaked havoc across Spain, and several people are reportedly still missing, according to the authorities.

Rescue operations are ongoing in many areas.

The situation is particularly dire in the Mediterranean coastal regions of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia, which are very popular with holidaymakers.

The regional leader of Valencia, Carlos Mazón, has called on residents to move to higher ground.

In some areas, residents were trapped in their homes and sent emergency messages via social media, the newspaper El País reported.

In addition to heavy rainfall, there was also hail and strong gusts of wind, according to the national weather service AEMET.

“The hailstones were the size of golf balls. It seemed like the end of the world,’’ farmer Mercedes González, 46, told El País.

The storms have caused rivers to overflow, flooding streets, homes, and fields, with cars and trees swept away by the floodwaters.

The area of rain is expected to move north-east today.

However, a severe weather warning remains in place for large parts of the country.

The weather service said that the situation across Spain would not fully calm until Thursday.

In the south and east of Spain, motorways and rural roads had to be closed in many places.

Air and rail transport were also affected. Classes were cancelled at numerous schools and universities.

Due to a landslide, a high-speed train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed shortly after departure with 291 passengers on board.

However, there were no injuries reported, Spain’s state-owned railway Renfe said.

The storm with heavy rain had already hit Mallorca and other Balearic Islands on Monday.

The situation there has eased, although a yellow storm warning was still in force for some areas, including Mallorca.

Heavy rainfall events have become more frequent and intense worldwide, largely due to climate change.

As global temperatures rise, warmer air holds more moisture, leading to increased precipitation levels.

However, flooding is not solely a result of changing weather patterns.

Other human activities, such as urban development, deforestation, and inadequate infrastructure, also contribute significantly to flood risks. (dpa/NAN)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has accused Israel of barring medical specialists from entering Gaza to support clinics in the besieged enclave.

The WHO said since August, eight organisations and over 50 specialised personnel had been affected by Israel’s blockade.

The specialists were intended to provide crucial support for various medical services, as well as psychological support for healthcare workers at facilities including the European Gaza Hospital and the Nasser Hospital, the WHO said.

It was reported that among the organisations denied entry was the U.S.non-profit Palestinian American Medical Association, which supports Palestinians in need of medical care.

According to the WHO, this marks the first instance in which Israel has denied entire organisations the ability to participate in relief efforts for the Gaza Strip.

The WHO reported that in the past week, support teams conducted 25 per cent fewer operations than usual.

With only 17 out of 36 clinics and 43 medical practices remaining partially operational, the WHO emphasised the irreplaceable role of these external teams in providing essential medical services.

The WHO called for full access for emergency aid teams. (dpa/NAN)