Despite the US providing about 68% of country’s foreign-sourced weapons, PM calls relationship ‘a partnership’

• Middle East crisis – live updates

On the second day of a US diplomatic push in Israel aimed at shoring up the fragile Gaza ceasefire with Hamas, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday dismissed suggestions that his country is a client state of Washington, calling the idea “hogwash”.

Despite the US providing an estimated 68% of Israel’s foreign-sourced weapons, in response to a question whether Israel was beholden to Washington, Netanyahu said: ‘‘I want to put it very clearly. One week they say that Israel controls the United States. A week later they say the United States controls Israel. This is hogwash.”

Comments by Eric Adams and NYPD that city has ‘no involvement’ follow protests over raids related to ‘selling counterfeit goods’

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that the federal immigration raid targeting street vendors in Manhattan was “indiscriminate, wrong, and destructive”.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the operation was “targeted” and “focused on criminal activity relating to the selling of counterfeit goods”. The arrests sparked protests outside 26 Federal Plaza, where several immigrants were detained.

Sequoia Park Zoo said staff were doing an inspection when they saw a wild black bear looking in at three captive bears

A wild bear in California has broken into a zoo and paid an unexpected visit to the bear enclosure.

In a Facebook post, the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka in the northern part of the state said its staff were conducting a routine inspection of part of the complex when they spotted a wild American black bear leaning on a gate and looking in at three captive black bears in their enclosure.

• Global rights available for first time for 2027-31 cycle

• Dazn hoping to follow up on Club World Cup success

Dazn is preparing to bid for global broadcasting rights for Champions League games from 2027 in another significant move into football by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi’s Surj Sports Investment bought a 10% stake in Dazn for $1bn (£746.94m) in February, two months after the streaming platform agreed to pay the same sum to Fifa for exclusive global rights for the Club World Cup. Dazn claimed an audience of 2.7 billion for the Club World Cup, a figure understood to relate to total views rather than individual viewers, and social media engagement of 10bn using the same metric. Encouraged by these figures, Dazn wants global rights for the Champions League, the main innovation in Uefa’s Champions League tender process for the 2027-31 cycle, which was launched this month.

Elite helicopter unit’s part in military deployment comes as Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Nicolás Maduro

They call themselves the Night Stalkers and their unofficial motto hints at the group’s lethal nocturnal line of work: “Death Waits in the Dark”.

“You can flee, but they will find you,” warns a rare book about the US army’s secretive 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).

The aim is to address systemic and institutional racism but those efforts need the space to expand not shrink

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It’s Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a corporate feel, expanding to include events where Black people are paid to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.

Exclusive: Asylum seeker says he made second crossing because he did not feel safe in France

A man sent back to France under the “one in, one out” scheme has returned to the UK on a small boat, the Guardian has learned.

The man, who wants to claim asylum in the UK, and has spoken to the Guardian since coming back, is being held in a UK immigration detention centre and claims to be a victim of modern slavery at the hands of smugglers in northern France.

Keep that corn cob for its starchy, flavourful pulp to simmer in a creamy orzo risotto, and drop in a spent parmesan rind for a surprisingly luxurious meal

Parmesan rinds are the ultimate zero-waste hack – like a cheesy stock cube, they enrich stews, sauces and all sorts, and add pure deliciousness in the form of umami depth and creamy texture. Stored in the fridge or freezer, they keep almost indefinitely. This week’s recipe uses them in a thrifty, creamy corn orzo that transforms a few simple ingredients into comforting autumn fare.

Roberto Mosquera del Peral was sent to African country as part of Trump administration’s immigration crackdown

A Cuban man deported by the Trump administration to the southern African country of Eswatini has started a hunger strike against his detention there, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

Roberto Mosquera del Peral was among five third-country nationals deported from the US to Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, in July.

French interior minister says former president will have two officers in nearby cells at all times after beginning five-year sentence for illegal campaign funding

The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will have two police officers stationed in nearby cells while he is in prison to ensure he comes to no harm, France’s interior minister has said.

Sarkozy arrived at La Santé prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin a five-year sentence after being convicted of conspiring to raise campaign funds from Libya – a stunning downfall for a man who led the country between 2007 and 2012.

Decision to extend pause on 18-mile stretch north of Birmingham part of ‘reset’ to troubled rail project

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Work to connect HS2 to the west coast mainline will be deferred for another four years as part of a “reset” of the troubled high-speed rail project.

The work between Birmingham and Handsacre in Staffordshire was originally halted in early 2023 by the previous government to limit spending on HS2.

• Two had fallout during time together in Denver

• Payton appeared to rate rookie over Wilson

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson fired back at Sean Payton on social media on Tuesday, after his former coach questioned his ability over the weekend.

“Classless… but not surprised….” Wilson said of Payton X. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media.”

How the Guardian reported the stealing of art works from the Paris museum including the Mona Lisa in 1911

Louvre heist: hunt on for thieves after eight ‘priceless’ jewellery pieces stolen

23 August 1911

• La Liga president laments promoters’ decision to cancel

• Tebas criticises Real Madrid and players’ union

Javier Tebas has vowed that La Liga would try again after plans to take a game abroad fell through when promoters announced they were cancelling Villarreal’s meeting with Barcelona in Miami on 20 December.

The league had been informed of the decision on Tuesday, with an announcement made at half-time of Villarreal’s Champions League game against Manchester City at the Estadio de la Cerámica, where they will face Barcelona, instead of at the Hard Rock Stadium. The timing of the announcement was described as “a complete lack of respect” by the Villarreal coach, Marcelino García Toral.

Vilnius airport closed overnight for safety reasons after latest incursion of balloons from Belarus

Dozens of balloons used by smugglers to transport cigarettes from Belarus into Lithuania forced the temporary closure of Vilnius airport overnight.

The Lithuanian capital’s airport was closed from 11pm local time on Tuesday to 6.30am on Wednesday. Smugglers use the balloons to send Belarusian cigarettes into the European Union, where tobacco products are more expensive.

• Goalkeeper says ‘it’s looking very, very good’ for Arsenal

• Gunners have won 10 of their first 12 games of the season

David Raya has said competition for starting spots is driving Arsenal’s blistering form and the goalkeeper believes the “incredible” depth of Mikel Arteta’s squad means they are capable of challenging on multiple fronts.

The 4-0 thrashing of Atlético Madrid on Tuesday was Arsenal’s sixth successive victory and their 10th win from their first 12 matches. Arsenal have conceded only three goals – the fewest at this stage in the club’s history – to help establish a one-point lead at the top of the Premier League and a perfect record in the Champions League after three matches.

• Third series game against New Zealand set for Friday

• Banton ‘still learning’ but relishing second chance

England’s preparations for a hot, dry T20 World Cup in India in February brought them on Wednesday to a cool, drizzly Auckland, where they were forced to conduct the final training session before their third game against New Zealand indoors. It is not always obvious what purpose these bilateral series serve, what useful lessons could possibly be being learned – but on this occasion, for at least one of the players, that is not an issue.

Tom Banton says he is “still learning now”, and if it is the kind of line regularly trotted out even by players who have long since scaled the pinnacle of their sport in his case it is undeniably true. After forging his reputation as a top-order batter, mostly as an opener, Banton suddenly finds himself in a completely unfamiliar role, coming in at five or six. “There weren’t really too many conversations,” he said. “I just got brought back into the team and told: ‘You’re going to bat in the middle order now.’”

Exclusive: In an open letter, Israeli ex-officials, artists and intellectuals say ‘unconscionable’ actions in Gaza amount to genocide

Prominent Jewish figures around the world are calling on the United Nations and world leaders to impose sanctions on Israel over what they describe as “unconscionable” actions amounting to genocide in Gaza.

Over 450 signatories, including former Israeli officials, Oscar winners, authors and intellectuals have signed an open letter demanding accountability over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The letter’s release comes as EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday amid reports they plan to shelve proposals for sanctions over human rights violations.

• Updates as two unbeaten sides meet in Indore

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5th over: England 35-0 (Jones 16, Beaumont 14) Schutt drops short with a leg-cutter and Jones welcomes it, pulling with authority to the boundary. A delicious couple of cuts follow, with Schutt losing her length.

4th over: England 23-0 (Jones 4, Beaumont 14) Beaumont is forced back into the crease with Mooney up to the stumps, and Garth keeps her there with some fine stump-to-stump bowling. Maiden.

The MLS postseason starts on Wednesday night. We assess the contenders for the championship, and take a look back at the talking points from the regular season

How little there was between the top teams. When all was said and done, just seven points covered the top six teams in the standings. The Supporters’ Shield race was settled with a game to spare, but any one of several sides could have finished top of the pile, which bodes well for the playoffs. Even by MLS standards, the field is wide open. GR

Ukrainian president’s comments come amid suspension of planned US-Russian summit and fresh attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv

Children among six killed in Russian attack on Kyiv

Russia said on Wednesday that preparation for a presidential summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was still continuing, despite the latter announcing it had been shelved (see 10.30am BST).

“We are saying that preparations for a summit are continuing,” Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the state TASS news agency.

I want to officially confirm: Russia has not changed its position compared to the understandings that were reached during the Alaska summit.

As Amadou and Mariam, the blind couple tenaciously carved out a career as one of Africa’s biggest global acts. Now, after Amadou’s death this year, his wife tells the story of their first posthumous album

On 4 April, Amadou Bagayoko died suddenly, aged 70, in Bamako, Mali. The country’s ministry of culture announced the news. Thousands attended the funeral, including former collaborators Manu Chao, Youssou N’Dour, Malian–French rapper Mokobé and Congolese superstar Fally Ipupa, all paying homage to a man they knew as an uncle, a blues-guitar giant, a leader, a friend.

“I miss him so much,” says Mariam Doumbia, his wife and musical partner of 44 years in the duo Amadou and Mariam. “We did everything together. We travelled together. We composed together. The sound of his guitar is always between my two ears. Especially at night, it comes into my mind. Even right now, I just heard it.”

DEI is being used as a smokescreen to roll back progress and consolidate power. The goal is to rewrite our nation’s story

Democracy flourishes when Black Americans advance. The evidence is clear: birthright citizenship, constitutional due process, anti-discrimination laws from education to housing to employment and equitable small business investments, are all byproducts of the systemic corrections known today as DEI. Yet, in recent years, DEI has been used as a smokescreen by cynical politicians and activists to roll back progress and consolidate power. Across classrooms, museums, boardrooms and federal agencies, the key pathways to opportunity and success are under attack through a coordinated disinformation campaign of erasure, distortion and suppression.

The impact of these tactics is concrete and undeniable. Since the start of this year, Onyx Impact’s research has found, 306,000 Black women have lost their jobs and $3.4bn in grant programs investing in Black communities has been slashed – including $9.4m in sickle cell disease research, $42m in programs designed to address Black maternal mortality and $31m in cuts to address asthma rates and air pollution harming Black children.

Data analysis found higher than average migration growth to the US from areas in Guatemala, Bangladesh and Senegal hit by repeated climate disasters

This article was produced in partnership between Columbia Journalism Investigations and Documented.

Mohamed* sat cross-legged on the carpet before Friday afternoon prayers at a mosque in the South Bronx in New York City and shared memories of his crops.