'We're just two normal kids from Liverpool' - BBC

In an open letter on the cover of the New Statesman, dozens of leading figures term the UK law banning Palestine Action a ‘repressive absurdity’. Dozens of leading writers, actors and activists have condemned the UK law used to proscribe Palestine Action as a “repressive absurdity” in an open letter backing Irish novelist Sally Rooney, whose books have been withdrawn from sale in the United Kingdom. The letter comes after Rooney said her books had been pulled from sale in the UK due to her public support for Palestine Action, a group the British government designated as a “terrorist organisation”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3UK PM adviser’s wife expresses ‘support’ for Palestine Actionlist 2 of 3Sally Rooney’s books pulled from UK over Palestine Action supportlist 3 of 3UK police rule out probe into Palestine Action post by PM adviser’s wifeend of listSignatories include actors Paul Mescal – who played in an adaptation of her book Normal People, Susan Sarandon and Tilda Swinton; broadcaster Gary Lineker; and writers Arundhati Roy, Naomi Klein, JM Coetzee, Zadie Smith and William Dalrymple.

An Indian court has ordered the release of two leaders of India’s Cockroach movement who were jailed last week amid a mounting state crackdown on youth-led protests. The two leaders of the Cockroach Janta party (CJP) movement, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, had spent a week in Delhi’s Tihar jail after being arrested by Delhi police last week. On Wednesday, a special magistrate ordered that Das and Ranka be released, despite efforts by police to keep them in prison. They were made to sign a bond pledging no further breach of peace. Their arrest came after a draconian police crackdown on a CJP march held in the capital two weeks ago to protest alleged manipulation of the country’s electoral roll, which led to the barricading of central Delhi and thousands of young people being detained. India’s Cockroach protesters defy Modi’s crackdown - The LatestDas and Ranka were taken into custody for a second time days later after they jumped police barricades and held up an Indian flag at a site in central Delhi that police had cordoned off. The pair were charged with trespass and violating the peace and sent to jail for five days, which was then extended by two further days.

Russia is willing to return to three-way negotiations with the United States and Ukraine on ending the war, the Kremlin said on Wednesday after Vladimir Putin hosted US envoy Steve Witkoff in Saint Petersburg. However, it complained that recent Ukrainian and European proposals lacked "substance". The talks, which lasted more than three hours in Putin's home city, coincided with the release of Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher jailed in Russia for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. Witkoff announced the release during the meeting.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from suspending hormone therapy and other treatments for transgender Americans in federal prisons, a rare win for transgender rights at the conservative high court.