������Ƶ

LONDON: The rap-punk duo Bob Vylan announced a last-minute gig in London on Wednesday, and the Irish rap group Kneecap sold out their show at the O2 in Glasgow in just 80 seconds, despite being axed by festivals after using performances to publicly criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Avon and Somerset Police are investigating Bob Vylan over their Glastonbury performance in June, when frontman Bobby Vylan, 34, led crowds in chants of “death, death to the IDF”, an acronym for Israel Defence Forces, during a livestreamed show.

The Metropolitan Police are also investigating the duo from Ipswich over alleged comments made during a concert in London in May, during which Vylan, reportedly, said: “Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF.”

The duo announced to their followers on Instagram that they will be performing a gig on Wednesday evening at the 100 Club, a venue on Oxford Street in central London.

After their Glastonbury performance, the band had their US visas revoked and were removed from their headline slot at Radar festival in Manchester, as well as an upcoming German venue. Their agency, United Talent Agency, has reportedly dropped them as well.

Bob Vylan, formed in 2017, is known for addressing issues such as racism, masculinity, and class; they have said they are “targeted for speaking up.” They are scheduled to perform at the Boardmasters surfing and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall, in August.

‘They can’t stop us’

The Irish rap trio Kneecap responded to Scotland’s first minister during their Tuesday night performance at Glasgow’s O2 Academy, which reportedly sold out in 80 seconds. However, the TRNSMT festival in Glasgow canceled the trio’s performance this weekend after concerns were raised by the police.

John Swinney called for the TRNSMT festival to disinvite the band, describing their participation as “unacceptable” due to comments he deemed “beyond the pale”.

Mo Chara, a member of Kneecap, was charged with a terrorism-related offense in June but has been released on unconditional bail after footage showed him holding a Hezbollah flag.

Chara addressed Swinney’s comments during the gig at the O2 Academy on Tuesday, asking the crowd: “What’s your first minister’s name?” and adding: “They stopped us playing TRNSMT but they can’t stop us playing Glasgow.” The trio chanted against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had called for their removal from festivals in England.

Kneecap wrote later on social media: “Hats off to the dozens of Palestine activists who’ve been here all day. Buzzing to play one of our favourite cities for a show that sold out in seconds.”

The band said that their criticism target the Israeli government and that their actions, including displaying the Hezbollah flag during a performance, were taken out of context.

In April, they concluded a performance at Coachella’s California desert music festival by projecting three screens of pro-Palestinian messages.

The first text said: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” followed by: “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes,” while the final message said: “F*** Israel. Free Palestine.”

Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, while more than 100,000 others have been injured. On Oct. 7, 2023, the Hamas group raided Israeli towns, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza.

CLARK AIR BASE, PAMPANGA: In 1998, when she sat in the cockpit for the first time, Rosemawattee Remo was not just fulfilling her dream — she was also making history by becoming the first female Muslim pilot in the Philippine Air Force.

Born and raised in Sulu, in the predominantly Muslim southern Philippines, Remo grew up in a traditional household where male and female roles were clearly defined.

Her decision to join the military, travel some 1,000 km away from home and fly aircraft was not initially welcomed.

“My father was a (school) principal then and he wanted me to follow in his footsteps,” she told Arab News.

“The day before my departure to Manila, I told him that I had a scheduled flight and he told me: ‘You’re way ahead of your brothers ... we’re still alive and you’re already making decisions on your own.’”

But she did not feel discouraged: “Those words keep ringing in my ears every time I’m at my lowest,” she said. “(They remind me) that I can’t give up.”

Holding the rank of colonel and currently serving as deputy wing commander of the PAF’s 410th Maintenance Wing, Remo started her military career in 1992 with the Women’s Auxiliary Corps under the Armed Forces. A year later, she enrolled in the Officer Candidate School.

Her graduation in 1994 coincided with the implementation of a landmark law that for the first time allowed women to hold combat and leadership roles in the army, navy, air force and police — positions previously exclusively for men.

“We were nearing our graduation. We were told to draw lots and, fortunately, I took the Philippine Air Force,” Remo said.

Four years later, she started her training as a pilot and soon specialized in helicopter rescue missions. Assigned to the PAF 505th Search and Rescue Group, she flew Bell 205 and Huey helicopters for disaster response and served as a co-pilot aboard a larger Sikorsky or Black Hawk for military transport and relief missions.

Married to a fellow PAF pilot, she has three children and has always found ways to balance her military service with motherhood — and even make them complement each other.

In the aftermath of deadly Typhoon Frank in 2008, when she flew relief operations in Central Mindanao in conditions suitable for flight, she had two major motivations that kept her going: the distressed people on the ground suddenly filling with hope as they heard the chugging sound of helicopter blades, and her own kids waiting for her at home.

“I always brought them along with me in the deployment area, so every time I got out of the aircraft I saw my kids waiting for me,” she said. “I needed to go back home right after the mission ... I had to do everything to survive.”

Col. Remo has flown more than 2,000 hours on critical missions — search and rescue, relief, rehabilitation. She also took part in skydiving exhibitions between 1999 and 2014.

The first Filipino Muslim woman in such a role, she tries not to see her achievements as anything extraordinary.

“I always keep my feet grounded,” she said. “If you have a dream, then you have to persevere and find ways to attain (it).”