America celebrate 250th birthday wit fireworks, flyovers and bad weather

United States mark dia 250th birthday wit fireworks and flyovers - but celebrations across di kontri bin dey complicated sake of extreme weather.

"Di American dream don come back," US President Donald Trump bin tell one cheering crowd during one delayed rally for Washington National Mall, bifor wetin e describe as di world largest firework display.

Di 4 July federal holiday remember di 13 US colonies as dem sign di Declaration of Independence in 1776 to end British rule.

Despite di celebrations, pipo don criticise Trump say e make imsef central to di milestone and say e politicise di celebrations.

Di president's speech, wey e give just bifor midnight, bin touch on political themes wey include di rejection of communism, im support for di Save America Act and di right to carry arms.

"Long live di cause of independence," e tok. "May it reign forever and ever and ever. We go always dey on top, we no go ever let our kontri fall, we go always be di best."

Trump end im remarks by calling di moment "only di dawn of di golden age of America" wit dia destiny "written by God".

Celebrations for Washington DC bin delay sake of one thunderstorm, wey force pipo to comot di National Mall earlier in di evening.

Dem ask guests wey dey attend di Salute to America, di Great American State Fair and Fifa fan zone to find temporary shelter for nearby buildings.

Once di storm dem pass, di festivities bin start again, e include one flyover wey show di new Air Force One and concert.

Di grande finale – na di fireworks show – e dey marked by one massive flurry of blasts, e end for about 01:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

Around 400 members of di white nationalist group Patriot Front bin hold di US flags as dem march in unison through di streets of di capital.

Videos wey dem post on social media show di masked, uniformed members dey march near di Capitol building and Union Station, di city main passenger rail hub.

Concerts and naturalisation ceremonies

Accusations say Trump politicise di anniversary bin rise from di launching Freedom 250, one privately funded events committee to compete wit di America 250 commission wey US Congress establish.

As part of di bipartisan America 250 celebrations, communities across di kontri bin take part in "America's Block Party" and e host local gatherings.

Musicians wey include Ne-Yo, Mary J Blige, The Smashing Pumpkins, Chaka Khan, Christina Aguilera and Will Smith perform across di kontri.

On Thursday, members of Congress members gada for di "birthplace of America" wia dem sign di Declaration for 1776, Philadelphia Independence Hall.

America 250 organisers also bury time capsule, wey dem go open in 200 years, e include one Coca-Cola bottle, signed copy of di Constitution plus artefacts from di 50 states and US territories.

For Mount Vernon for Virginia - di first US President George Washington estate - one naturalisation ceremony welcome 150 people from 50 countries as US citizens.

New York City host dia annual hot dog eating contest, one tradition wey don dey since 1972. Joey Chestnut bin win im 18th title for di contest.

Chestnut chop 66 hot dogs in 10 minutes, according to CBS, BBC US news partner.

For di women competition, Miki Sudo finish38 and three-quarters of a hot dog to claim her 12th contest title.

Pipo bin travel across di kontri to celebrate di 250 anniversary, including South Carolina Tammy Wapshott wey bin plan her visit to Washington D.C. since November last year.

She tell BBC say, she bin come celebrate "di best kontri for di world" wia evribody dey "free to do wetin dem wan do".

Maryland Chris Cornell also travel to di capital, she reject di idea say things don turn political.

"All of us just dey hia to celebrate our kontri."

Heatwaves and power cuts

Dem cancel or temporarily pause some events around Independence Day sake of di hot weather for di US East Coast dis week.

Dem cancel di National Park Service Independence Day Parade for Washington DC on Friday. Dem shut down oda celebrationsfor New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Colorado.

Washington DC bin get 100F (37C) weather temperatures on Saturday as di main celebrations start.

Some of di highest temperatures on Saturday include 106F (41C) for New Jersey and 101F (38C) for Delaware.

About 750,000 properties for Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and New Jerseybin dey without power sake of extreme weather, according to tracker Power Outage.

Energy company DTE tok say di severe weather, wey include excess winds of 60mph (97km/h) on Friday evening for Michigan, don leave more dan 350,000 homes for di state without power.

Former presidents reflect

Di four living former US presidentsbin share messages to mark di anniversary.

Joe Biden remember di Independence Declaration edict say all pipo dey created equal.

"We chose dat path 250 years ago but dat na wia di work start, no be wia e end," e tok. E add say di nation promise of equality for all na a work in progress.

Di kontri first black president, Barack Obama, reshare excerpts of one recent speech e make for im presidential museum opening for June, wen e bin tok say"evri generation must take up di unfinished work of di last and carry am further".

Di 43rd president George W Bush say "di next 250 years require Americans to be citizens, no be spectators".

Meanwhile, im predecessor, Bill Clinton, bin take a moment to comment on US politics today.

"Today, we celebrate dis milestone for di middle of anoda period of deep division, renewed questions about America future and role for di world, and serious threats to our own institutions and to our democracy itself," e tok.

Additional reporting by Kwasi Asiedu