LONDON (AP) — Greta Thunberg was arrested in central London on Tuesday while supporting pro-Palestinian activists who are staging a hunger strike to protest their imprisonment while awaiting trial on charges related to a series of earlier demonstrations.
The protest group Prisoners for Palestine shared a video showing the 22-year-old Swede holding a sign supporting the hunger strikers and their organization, known as Palestine Action. The British government earlier this year banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organization.
The protests were part of a larger demonstration in which two other activists sprayed red paint in front of an insurance company in the City of London, the area of central London known as the hub of Britain’s financial services industry. Prisoners for Palestine says they targeted the insurer because it supports the Israel-linked defense firm Elbit Systems.
City of London police said a man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. A third woman was later arrested on suspicion of supporting a banned organization. British police generally do not identify suspects by their names prior to their being charged.
Eight Palestine Action members have staged a hunger strike to protest their detention without bail as they await trial on a variety of charges related to earlier protests around the country.
The first two prisoners to join the protest have now been on hunger strike for 52 days and are at a “critical stage, where death is a real possibility,” Prisoners for Palestine said in a statement.
The British government has so far refused to intervene in the judicial process, saying questions about bail and detention are matters for the courts to decide.
In February 2024, Thunberg was acquitted by a court in London of refusing to follow a police order to leave a protest blocking the entrance to a major oil and gas industry conference.
She has repeatedly been fined in Sweden and the U.K. for civil disobedience in connection with protests.
The scene at Aspen Insurance at Plantation Place in the City of London, after two activists sprayed red paint over the front of the building, in support of the Palestine Action protesters on hunger strike in prison, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Shivansh Gupta/PA via AP)
The scene at Aspen Insurance at Plantation Place in the City of London, after two activists sprayed red paint over the front of the building, in support of the Palestine Action protesters on hunger strike in prison, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Shivansh Gupta/PA via AP)
The scene at Aspen Insurance at Plantation Place in the City of London, after two activists sprayed red paint over the front of the building, in support of the Palestine Action protesters on hunger strike in prison, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Shivansh Gupta/PA via AP)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Before the war, Ukraine’s own “Dancing with the Stars” was a cherished and popular television show, dazzling the audiences with performances by celebrities and professional dancers. The show is now back on for one special episode — this time with Ukrainian wartime heroes as the stars, underscoring the nation's resilience in difficult times.
Many still remember how President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — then an actor — won the dance competition in 2006, the year that “Tantsi z zirkamy” as the show is known in Ukrainian, first debuted.
In the new, special episode, the dancers perform with prosthetic limbs, showcasing their strength in overcoming adversity. The lineup of participants includes public figures who rose to prominence since Russia's full-out war on Ukraine was launched in February 2022.
But like all of present-day Ukraine, the show — which is part of an international franchise — has had to deal with a multitude of wartime challenges, including frequent power outages.
All the proceeds will go to the Superhumans Center, a specialist clinic for the treatment and rehabilitation of war-wounded victims.
During a prerecording last week, dancers spun, leapt and glided under the sparkle of lights, some seamlessly integrating their prosthetic limbs into the choreography.
For creative producer Volodymyr Zavadiuk, every segment of the show is precious, creating something special during tough times.
“It’s about our resilience and it’s about our future,” said Zavadiuk, who also heads Big Brave Events and the Big Entertainment Shows department at 1+1 Media.
Among the performers was Ruslana Danilkina, a war veteran who lost her leg in combat in 2022 and is now renowned in Ukraine for dedicating herself to helping injured troops adapt to life with prosthetics.
She delivered a passionate performance centered on reclaiming her womanhood following the traumatic injury.
Also back in the show is beloved dancer Dmytro Dikusar, this time as a competition judge. He juggled filming and serving with his platoon on the front lines.
Ukrainian rock musician Yevhen Halych sat in the makeup chair ahead of his number, reflecting on his own determination to bring back the show.
“We are filming this project in a country where there is a war. ... We have power cuts, we may have an air alert, it could be bombing," he said. "What do I feel? I feel a genuine desire to live a full life, no matter what happens.”
Producing the show's special episode has been no easy feat in time of war. A live broadcast was impossible — a Russian attack can happen at any time. Then there were the technical obstacles: during last week's recording, a key generator malfunctioned.
When the show airs on Sunday, audiences will vote for their favorite.
Danilkina, who was only 18 years old when she lost her leg and who today works at the Superhumans Center, enthralled everyone with her passionate performance, her prosthetic limb artfully integrated into her routine.
“Our dance number is about life. It’s about accepting love," she told The Associated Press after her performance. "Because in reality, when your body is wounded, it’s very difficult to love yourself. And allowing someone else to love you is even harder.”
Her injury was not the end of her life, she said, and now she wants to show “thousands of wounded boys and girls who are starting their lives over again” that it's not the end of theirs.
For veteran Ivan Voinov and his wife of three months, Solomiia, the show was more than just a dance performance: it was the second time they had danced together since his injury, the first time was at their wedding.
Solomiia Voinov smiled shyly, recounting how she had long tried to persuade Ivan that they should dance until he gave in.
“We don’t take our eyes off each other while dancing, and it’s a great connection,” she said. “I’m happy.”
Voinov said he was already planning their next dance — a bachata, a fast-paced, hip-swaying style of dance that originated in the Dominican Republic.
“We will be able to continue dancing," he said. "It means that there is a future.”
A ballet dancer warms up during the shooting of the Christmas TV show ''Dancing with the Stars'' during blackout hours caused by Russia's regular air attacks on the country's energy objects in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Volunteer soldier Rusya Danylkina, 21, who lost her leg in Russia-Ukraine war, and choreographer Pavlo Semakin perform during the shooting of the Christmas TV show ''Dancing with the Stars'' in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Well-known Ukrainian dancer Dmytro Dikusar and now serving as a soldier with his platoon on the front lines performs during the shooting of the Christmas TV show ''Dancing with the Stars'' in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Well-known Ukrainian artists perform during the shooting of the Christmas TV show ''Dancing with the Stars'' in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Volunteer soldier Rusya Danylkina, 21, who lost her leg in Russia-Ukraine war, and choreographer Pavlo Semakin perform during the shooting of the Christmas TV show ''Dancing with the Stars'' in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
