LONDON: UK police said on Friday they had dropped a criminal investigation into on-stage comments by Irish rappers Kneecap at the Glastonbury festival.
Avon and Somerset Police in southwest England said last month it had launched an enquiry after reviewing “video footage and audio” of both Kneecap and London-based duo Bob Vylan, whose frontman led a chant against the Israeli army at the festival.
The Kneecap probe was focused on remarks made about a forthcoming court case in which one band member Liam O’Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, is charged with a “terror” offense over alleged support for banned organizations Hamas and Hezbollah.
But in an update the force said it would take no further action against Kneecap, whose members had been informed of the decision.
“Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service during their enquiries and after that advice, we have made the decision to take no further action on the grounds there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offense,” it said.
Inquiries into the separate allegations against Bob Vylan, however, would continue, it added.
Chara appeared in court in June accused of having displayed a Hezbollah flag while saying “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah” at a London concert last year.
The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Palestinian militants Hamas are banned in the UK, where it is an offense to express support for them.
Kneecap deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the Hezbollah flag has been taken out of context.
UK police drop Kneecap probe after Glastonbury performance
https://arab.news/7c695
UK police drop Kneecap probe after Glastonbury performance
- Irish rappers were being investigated over comments during a performance at Glastonbury
- Band member Liam O’Hanna has been previously charged with 'terror' offense over alleged support for Hamas and Hezbollah
At least three dead as migrant boat capsizes off Greek island
- An accident occurred when the vessel approached the migrants’ wooden boat
- The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats
ATHENS: The bodies of three migrants were picked up in waters off the Greek island of Crete during a rescue effort involving a commercial ship, authorities said Friday.
Twenty migrants were rescued by the commercial vessel which was directed to the area on the orders of the Greek Search and Rescue Center.
According to Greek public broadcaster ERT, an accident occurred when the vessel approached the migrants’ wooden boat. As the passengers tried to climb up ladders into the vessel a sudden movement caused the small boat to capsize.
The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats, an aircraft, and two ships from the European border agency Frontex, a spokesperson for the Greek coast guard told AFP.
According to ERT, survivors said about 50 people were aboard the wooden boat.
A second boat carrying around forty migrants was spotted in the area, triggering another rescue operation.
For over a year, migrants have been attempting the perilous crossing from Libya to Crete, the gateway to the European Union.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in the EU arrived in Crete in 2025.
Faced with the surge in arrivals, the conservative Greek government suspended the processing of asylum applications for three months last summer, particularly for those arriving from Libya.
UNHCR says 107 people died or went missing in Greek waters in 2025.
