Hello. Hurricane Milton is set to hit Florida in the coming hours, with catastrophic levels of destruction predicted. Security correspondent Gordon Corera is in Tampa to talk to those who have chosen not to evacuate. In the Middle East, US President Joe Biden has spoken to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, with a response to Iran's attack last week on the agenda. Meanwhile, a shot of tadpoles swimming gracefully under lily pads in Canada has won the Wildlife Photograph of the Year contest, and a teenager has broken a record for mountain climbing.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Why have US efforts failed to stop spread of war in Middle East?

Netanyahu and Biden at the White House in July. Credit: Getty

US President Joe Biden has spoken to the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, for the first time in months as Israel widens its war against Hezbollah and continues battling Hamas in Gaza. On the agenda was also Israel's response to a huge missile attack by Iran last week. Tom Bateman looks at why US attempts to end the fighting have so far failed.

What has gone wrong?

I have watched many attempts to close a Gaza ceasefire deal being spiked by multiple competing interests. A ninth visit by Antony Blinken to the Middle East ended with him being told the Emir of Qatar - whose delegation communicates with Hamas - was ill and couldn't see him. This was after Netanyahu claimed he had "convinced" Blinken of the need to keep Israeli troops along Gaza's border with Egypt - a deal breaker for Hamas and Cairo. On his tenth trip to the region last month, Blinken did not visit Israel.

Have there been any successes?

Biden's allies point to the fact that diplomacy with Egypt and Qatar mediating with Hamas resulted in last November’s truce which saw more than 100 hostages in Gaza released for about 300 Palestinian prisoners. US officials also say the administration dissuaded the Israeli leadership from invading Lebanon much earlier in the Gaza conflict, despite cross-border rocket fire between Hezbollah and Israel - although events have now taken over.

How is the Biden-Netanyahu relationship and could someone else do more?

Biden and Netanyahu have known each other for decades, the dynamics have been often bitter - dysfunctional even. But Biden's strongly pro-Israel positions predate even his relationship with the Israeli prime minister. Kamala Harris, Biden's successor as Democratic candidate, doesn’t have the same generational background. However, neither Harris nor her Republican rival Donald Trump has set out any plan beyond what is already in process for reaching a deal.

• Two civilians were killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack on northern Israel. Read Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson's report from the scene, as Israel presses its invasion of southern Lebanon.

• What is Hezbollah and why is Israel attacking Lebanon? Read our profile of a group that has risen to prominence with the backing of Iran.

• How do young Palestinians and Israelis see the future? Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's Middle East correspondent, finds out.

THE BIG PICTURE

Tadpoles steal show in wildlife photography contest

Shane Gross wins the grand prize - and the 'Wetlands: The Bigger Picture' category. Credit: Shane Goss

A stunning shot of wriggling toad tadpoles in Canada has won Shane Goss the grand prize in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. His image captures a swarm swimming between lily pads under Ontario's Cedar Lake. "I had no idea if I had anything good at all until I got home," he told the BBC's Maddie Molloy. "When I finally looked, I was like, wow, this is pretty cool." His shot was judged the best of a bumper crop of photos - including close encounters of an insect kind in Germany, a baby macaque monkey sleeping in its mother's arms in Sri Lanka, and diving dolphins in the Amazon.

And finally... in Tibet

A Nepalese teenager has broken the world record for the youngest person to climb all mountains higher than 8,000m. Nima Rinji Sherpa, 18, reached the summit of Mount Shishapangma on Wednesday, his 14th peak.