President claims US negotiators spoke with Iranian officials through intermediaries after Iran says it ‘has no plans to negotiate with US’

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While the lawmakers in the US House have already left Washington to get a head start on midterm campaigning, the Senate is hoping to wrap up its legislative agenda this week. Today, we can expect a vote at 5.30pm ET on the Protect College Sports act, which attempts to provide greater protections for university athletes in the US.

The bill includes provisions for players to earn compensation from their name, image and likeness – known as NIL payments, and allow them to transfer schools (and teams) without being penalized or forced to sit out for a defined period of time. If the legislation clears the Senate it will still need to head back to the lower chamber before it can head to Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

Counter terror police say earlier that they arrested five men who were British national in their 20s from London

• UK security forces aware of suspected bomb plot, hints defence secretary

• RAF Fairford suspected bomb plot: have you been affected?

Speaking at the Labour party conference in Liverpool, the defence secretary, Wes Streeting, said he could not give further details about the RAF Fairford incident because there is a live police investigation.

However, he used his speech to stress that the UK-US relationship is “the closest alliance” of any two countries in the world, adding the two nations will always “stand together” against those who wish to cause harm.

Poland’s centre for security upgraded a upgraded a warning to ‘threat of an air attack’ and told residents in eastern Poland to shelter

Back to Metz, we are still waiting for the main part of the event to begin – with Emmanuel Macron now welcoming guests outside the venue.

Former commission president Jean Claude Juncker gets a big hug on arrival.