US 4th of July celebrations LIVE updates: Trump set to make speech ahead of record-breaking fireworks display as America marks 250th anniversary of independence

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Welcome

By Josefine Ganko

A (very early) good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the 4th of July celebrations, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.

My name is Josefine Ganko and I’ll be helming our live blog coverage, featuring reporting from our North America Correspondent Michael Koziol, who is on the ground in Washington DC.

Salute to America, the centrepiece event of the celebrations, is under way on the National Mall in Washington DC, but extreme heat is wreaking havoc on the day’s schedule, leading to the cancellation of the Independence Day Parade.

Here are some of the key events to look out for, with all times in AEST.

• At 3.15am, the Salute to America daytime celebrations will begin with the first of the hourly aircraft flyovers. One of the hourly flyovers will feature the new Air Force One. This also marks when musical acts and performances start.
• At 9am, the official broadcast will begin, featuring various speeches and the Joint Armed Forces Orchestra.
• President Donald Trump is expected to address the crowd at the National Mall late in the evening local time, at 11.45am.
• His speech will be followed by the historic fireworks display at about 12.30pm. It is designed specifically to break the global record for the largest fireworks display in history.