The Cedar River, which burst its banks after torrential rain, has forced at least 20,000 people from their homes in the US state of Iowa, officials said today.

After a 30-year run, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra has played its final chorus in New York, bidding Dewa mata (Japanese for “See you later”) at a sold-out Birdland jazz club before an audience that included fans who had come from as far away as Japan and Italy.