Defense secretary issues commendation to US army sentinel who told him and his aides to be quiet after laughter was heard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

• Pete Hegseth awards medal to soldier who reprimanded him

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Perhaps you saw this ad from Scott Colom, who was just elected to serve as Mississippi’s first Democratic senator since 1989:

The New York Times spoke to Russ Hudson, the man who is grilling in the first part of the ad and uttered the “sheeeit” that has now become an emblem of Colom’s successful campaign. Here’s what he had to say, from the Times:

The lines, he said, felt natural. He left thinking maybe a couple thousand people would see it.

“I just did it like a Mississippian would,” Mr. Hudson said in an interview.

France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, has warned protesters that covering their faces with Halloween costumes could result in fines

Protesters in Paris have begun marching from Porte de Bagnolet, with demonstrations also taking place in Lille and Lyon.

Crowds of people have gathered in Paris for the protests, where two French student unions have called for a blockade of schools and universities on Tuesday and Thursday.

The prime minister says he wants to focus on tackling the cost of living

Burnham spoke of Ravenscraig, once the pride of Scotland’s steel industry that employed tens of thousands of people before it closed in 1992.

He said:

When it closed, it wasn’t just a works that shut, it was a whole community which saw the pillars underneath it just taken away, collapsed beneath it.

That was a decision taken hundreds of miles away without any real consequences for what that would mean for people here, taken by people who would never have to live with those consequences, or see those consequences.

I was the MP there for 16 years from the early 2000s, just after the pits had shut in the 1990s. It broke my heart to see the old miners shuffling into my surgery, carrying oxygen bottles, still struggling to get compensation for the damage that was done to their lungs.

It pained me to drive past the wasteland around Bickershaw Colliery, one of the last pits to close in Leigh. Nobody asked Leigh what was going to come next either.

I care about Scotland a lot, and I am coming today with a big offer and in search of common ground.

When I walked into Downing Street in July, I said I wanted to do politics differently. Place first, not party first. Honestly, I meant it, and I arrive here in that spirit because people in Scotland, in my view, deserve better from politicians and politics.

Brand is in Southwark crown court today where his rape and sexual assault trial begins

Taking jurors through the third allegation, Karmy-Jones said Brand pulled another woman into a toilet during an incident at a bar in Soho in 2004.

The third complainant was “not so lucky as to be able to pull away”, the prosecutor said.

She continued to resist saying, ‘I’m not coming in there, don’t be silly. Are you mad? Get off,’ and she managed to pull herself away, and to release his grasp.

At that point he gave up and went into the toilet, and she left the area.”

First Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season makes landfall in the US as officials warn of ‘spinoff tornadoes’

• Full story: Two dead as Isaias weakens to post-tropical cyclone after striking Florida panhandle

• Key things to know about Hurricane Isaias as millions under evacuation orders

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Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, said no requests for search and rescue assistance had been received following Isaias, which he described as “cautiously, a good sign”.

Speaking to Fox News, he said:

I think that may be a sign that people heeded the warnings, took proper precautions. We sure would love to say we have not gotten a report of a fatality yet, and we’ll see what happens.

There’s also a lot of hazards post-storm that people should be careful of, but so far we’ve had a lot of assets in place that have not been called on, which is a good sign. I’d rather be over-prepared, and not have to use them, than not have what you need.”

Hurricane Isaias has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone early Saturday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, after it made landfall in Florida and lashed the US Gulf coast with heavy rain and fierce winds.

The category 2 hurricane hit the coast near Destin, Florida, late on Friday, with maximum sustained winds of 105mph.

The storm is expected to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley, the NHC added, with maximum sustained winds decreased to near 35mph.

President has claimed pipeline project was part of a deal made last year to lower tariffs on imports from South Korea in return for billions of dollars of investments in the US

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• Send us your questions on how the Iran war will affect US voters in the midterms

And as we bring you the latest on how the jobs report stands to impact voter sentiment ahead of the November midterms, my colleagues have done all the hard work in mapping out the battle for Congress and the key states, candidates and districts that will ultimately decide the balance of power on Capitol Hill.

Many indicators of voter sentiment suggest the Democrats are favored to take back control of the House of Representatives, and potentially the Senate. Winning either would be a significant victory for the party and give it the power to block Trump’s legislative agenda and more aggressively investigate his administration.

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here

Back to France, midday figures quoted by Le Figaro show that 564 schools and educational establishments have been disrupted by the ongoing unrest, and some 600 people have been arrested so far today as the high school protests continue.

Europe environment correspondent

Farage was speaking ahead of a rally in Doncaster

Just as a reminder of why prisoners are being released early, here is an explainer by Jamie Grierson which sets out how the scheme works, why it was introduced and the changes made by Burnham’s government:

Jamie writes:

The Labour government says it inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse, with fewer than 100 spaces left in the summer of 2024. No 10 says a lack of investment in the prison estate, with just 500 net places added over a decade, has led to a situation where adult male prisons are now at 98% capacity. It says the steps are necessary while it builds capacity.

This blog is now closed, you can read our full report on this story here

Netanyahu said one of the FlyDubai pilots stabbed his fellow pilot and intended to crash the plane.

He added that one of the passengers on the flight managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they “neutralised” the attacking pilot.

Almost all the passengers on the flight were Israelis. During the flight, as they were approaching Israel, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and it appears he was attempting to crash the plane with everyone on board.”

Israeli prime minister hails IDF as ‘most moral army in the world’

The Russian foreign minister Sergei ⁠Lavrov has been spotted speaking to officials on the sidelines of the general assembly. He has already spoken to the US secretary of state Marco Rubio and is scheduled to address the general assembly on Saturday. Meanwhile his country has continued bombing Ukraine, where at least seven people were killed and a further 12 people injured in a Russian strike on a farm in the north-eastern region of Kharkiv. My colleague Jakub Krupa has the latest over on our Europe live blog here.

To follow Donald Trump’s movements today, including his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, my colleague Chris Hippensteel has the latest over on our US politics live blog here:

Acting president says Venezuela returning strongly after ‘setbacks’; Trump meets Chinese leader at US air base ahead of meeting set to include trade, AI and Iran war

• Trump greets Xi Jinping at plane as Chinese leader arrives for state visit

These latest attacks come just hours before Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the UN general assembly, so he is likely to reflect on them during his UN speech later.

So far, we have had no public comment from Zelenskyy or Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.

Bill would allow terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to end their lives, after the approval of a panel of experts

While the debate continues, we have a comment from Sam Royston, executive director of research and policy at Marie Curie. He said the government must address the crisis in palliative care regardless of what happens with assisted dying, calling for a new framework and funding to ensure everyone has access to compassionate end-of-life care.

He said:

Whatever happens with assisted dying, the UK government must fix the crisis in palliative care.

It is devastating that nearly one in three people die without the help they need. Too many spend their final days in pain or on busy, chaotic hospital wards, while families are left fighting for help instead of spending time with the people they love.

I think it’s absolutely right that, for instance, the prime minister and the government have said that improving palliative care must be a priority for him and his government. I think that’s something that we can all support.

I think everybody should have access to good quality palliative and hospice end-of-life care at their final moment.”

Fars news agency reports four-year-old among those killed at wedding as Iranian Red Crescent calls for ICC to investigate

• Iran accuses US of ‘war crime’ after missile blast kills five people at wedding

Iranian state media has shared video from the site of the reported attack in Sirik, southern Iran, where officials say US strikes hit a wedding ceremony in a residential area, killing four people including two children aged four and 16.

Footage reportedly filmed inside the building where the wedding took place shows a debris-strewn floor, with women’s and girls’ embellished sandals and garlands scattered among the wreckage. A separate video shows the heavily damaged building from the outside, with a large hole visible in the roof. Here is an image from the footage released by the Iranian Red Crescent:

UK PM to join delegation of leaders lobbying US president to step up supplies

• Burnham plans trip to New York as Ukraine pleads for US-made missiles

Vatican envoy Paul Gallagher met Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow earlier today, and Reuters has some snap quotes from Pope Leo XIV’s representative following the meeting. He is quoted as saying that “The Ukrainian war must end” and that the pair discussed “avenues for pursuing lasting and just peace in Ukraine”.

In relation to the post on a US military plane landing in Moscow (at 11:23), Reuters reported that the last time a US jet flew to Russia from Europe was in ​January, when special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin for peace talks.

Prime minister suggests possible measure as he prepares to chair emergency Cobra meeting in response to extreme heat

Here’s today’s latest Met Office forecast for UK cities:

Aberdeen 22C

Belfast 24C

Birmingham 32C

Cardiff 33C

Glasgow 25C

Liverpool 32C

London 32C

Newcastle 29C

Plymouth 31C

Sheffield 31C

This live blog is now closed.

The ⁠geographic coordinates for a shipping ⁠route ⁠through the ​strait of Hormuz ⁠have been agreed by Iran and ⁠Oman, and ​a ‌joint announcement ‌is being ‌finalised, provided no third parties interfere, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei ‌said on Wednesday.

Baghaei added ​that any such agreement between Iran and ⁠Oman would not, ​by itself, ​guarantee security ​in the ​strategic waterway.

US secretary of state comments come after treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said Washington could reach a deal ‘by tomorrow’

• US and Qatar report progress on Iran ceasefire and reopening Hormuz strait

Iran and Oman have made progress toward a deal to reopen the strait of Hormuz, a potential breakthrough that could help end the war in the Middle East, regional officials have said.

Under the emerging agreement, ships would enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman, with service fees charged for providing security and preserving the maritime environment, two regional officials told the Associated Press.

Blaze in south-western region ‘is no longer spreading’, but others have reignited or have been fuelled by strong winds

Back to Ukraine, where nine people were killed in Kyiv this morning from a Russian missile and drone attack.

Damage was reported in seven districts of the capital, according to Ukrainian officials, with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying fires broke out across the city and residential buildings, a school and infrastructure sites were hit.

US president says his Board of Peace reached ‘historic’ deal for disarmament of Hamas while militant group says if Israel does not implement deal, ‘neither will we’

• US launches fresh strikes on Iran after days-long pause, amid fears the war is widening

A liquefied natural gas tanker controlled by QatarEnergy exited the strait of Hormuz overnight – the first such vessel ⁠visible on ship-tracking data to ⁠leave the waterway ​since 11 July, data from analytics firms showed on Thursday.

The Al Areesh tanker, which loaded a cargo at Qatar’s Ras Laffan terminal around 4-6 July, sailed ⁠out of the strait overnight on 29 July, according to Kpler and LSEG data.

Foreign ministry spokesman says children’s cancer hospital had to be evacuated in Ahvaz; Kuwait says it responding to renewed Iranian drone attacks

• US attacks oil tanker in strait of Hormuz as strikes reported in Tehran

The Lebanese foreign minister, Youssef Raggi, said Lebanon has made a decision to “end Hezbollah’s military presence” and that decisions on war and foreign policy are the “exclusive prerogative of the Lebanese state”.

The Lebanese government is pushing to disarm Hezbollah, one of the most heavily armed militias in the Middle East, and it has become a central component of the US-brokered talks between Lebanon and Israel.

Lebanon has made its choice: there will be no return to dual authority, and there is no longer any place for weapons outside the authority of the state or for decisions taken outside its constitutional institutions.

The decision to end Hezbollah’s military presence is a sovereign Lebanese decision. It preceded the Framework Agreement and paved the way for it, affirming that decisions on war and peace, as well as foreign policy, are now the exclusive prerogative of the Lebanese state.”