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UK bans ninja swords in move to crack down on violent knife crime
Brits have until Aug. 1 to get rid of all their ninja swords as the U.K.’s Labour government looks to crack down on knife crime.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Thursday that «ninja swords» specifically will be banned this summer after the 2022 murder of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was stabbed to death by a ninja sword just outside his home.
«Confirmed: Ninja swords will be banned by this summer,» Starmer said in a post on X. «When we promise action we take it.»
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An activist wearing a T-shirt with the slogan «Put Knives Down!» stands in front of pictures of victims of knife crime during a demonstration outside New Scotland Yard. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The new ban, «Ronan’s Law,» will now make it illegal to possess, sell, make or import ninja swords.
«Since losing our beautiful boy Ronan, we have relentlessly campaigned for a ban on ninja swords, the lethal weapon which took his life,» Pooja Kanda, the mother to the 16-year-old boy, said, according to a government readout. «We believe ninja swords have no place in our society other than to seriously harm and kill.
«Each step towards tackling knife crime is a step towards getting justice for our boy Ronan.»
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The British government has set up a surrender process for any owner of a ninja sword, defined as a blade between 14 inches and 24 inches «with one straight cutting edge with a tanto-style point.»
«From 1 August, anyone caught in possession of a ninja sword in private could face 6 months in prison, and this will later increase to 2 years under new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill,» the government said in a statement. «There is already a penalty of up to 4 years in prison for carrying any weapon in public.»
Knife crime has long plagued the U.K. and though offenses involving a «sharp instrument» committed last year across England and Wales were down from a 15-year peak in 2019, they were still substantially higher than crimes reported in 2010, when 33,800 crimes were reported, versus the 50,500 cases in 2024.
A person views knives available to purchase via an online website. (Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
A sharp instrument, according to the U.K., could include knives, but it could also include the use of a broken bottle to commit an offense.
The U.K. saw a significant drop from the 52,000 cases involving a «sharp instrument» reported in 2019 by the following year with 41,700 cases reported.
But these incidents have continued to increase each year since.
Nearly two dozen different types of knives are already banned in the UK, including swords that are not a part of a national uniform, switch blades, zombie knives, belt buckle knives or butterfly knives, to name a few.
Knives that are permitted are those used for cooking or while working and have a cutting edge of no more than three inches.
Though the government states that «it’s illegal to use any knife or weapon in a threatening way.»
Under Ronan’s Law, jail sentences were also increased for selling knives to minors and the illegal sale of banned knives.
An officer outside All Saints Catholic High School on Granville Road in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, after a 15-year-old boy died in a stabbing at the school Feb. 3, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)
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«Knife crime is destroying young lives as too many teenagers are being drawn into violence, and it is far too easy for them to get hold of dangerous weapons,» Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement. «Ronan Kanda was just 16 when he was ruthlessly killed by two boys only a year older than him.
«We are acting with urgency to bring forward measures to prevent deadly weapons from getting into the wrong hands and will continue to do whatever is needed to prevent young people being killed on our streets as part of our mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.»
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Fox News Politics Newsletter: ‘That Ends Now,’ Vows Trump WH on Benefits for Illegals
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Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…
-Trump to meet with energy and tech titans in Pennsylvania amid AI dominance push
-‘Nothing to stand on’: Ex-White House physician slams Biden doctor for silence during House GOP grilling
-Florida officials reveal criminal backgrounds of migrants held at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
White House Signals End to Taxpayer Benefits for Illegals: ‘That ends now’:
The White House is ramping up efforts to remove illegal immigrants from an array of taxpayer-funded benefits, framing the move as part of a broader campaign to reduce government waste.
The Trump administration shared additional details on the new restrictions that would bar illegal immigrants from accessing more than 15 federal assistance programs, which collectively account for $40 billion in public spending.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital that illegal immigrants will no longer be able «to steal public benefits at the expense of hardworking American taxpayers.»…READ MORE.
President Donald Trump is seen here in a July 1, 2025 photo with HHS Secretary Kristi Noem, speaking to reporters after arriving to visit a migrant detention center in a reptile-infested Florida swamp dubbed «Alligator Alcatraz.» (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
White House
DIPLOMATIC DOWNSIZING: State Department to ax 1,800 employees
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing to examine the President’s proposed budget request for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of State on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
THE PRESIDENT’S VOW: Trump calls Butler widow, Secret Service agrees to meeting after call for accountability
RALLY REVOLUTION: Journalist Salena Zito explains what the mainstream media gets wrong about Trump rallies
‘TERRIBLE SITUATION’: President Trump, first lady head to visit Kerrville, Texas, following fatal floods
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, board Air Force One, Friday, July 11, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to Texas. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
‘REFUSES TO TOLERATE’: DOJ investigating Minnesota hiring practices in latest clash with Wal
‘ABSURD’: DHS fires back after Mahmoud Khalil targets Trump admin for $20M over detention
World Stage
ARMING ALLIES: Trump reveals NATO sale to boost arms to Ukraine as Putin launches overnight maternity hospital strike
Dozens of people were injured during the Russian drone attack on Kharkiv, July 11, 2025. (East 2 West)
Capitol Hill
‘SACRED COVENANT’: How the Paxton divorce rocks the bruising Republican Senate primary in Texas
COMMON SENSE: Democrat John Fetterman declares support for ICE, condemning any calls for abolition as ‘outrageous’
WHAT DID SHE KNOW: Biden cover-up probe heats up as another ex-White House aide sits down with GOP
Ashley Williams, then-deputy director of White House Oval Office operations, walks on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
GEORGIA SHOWDOWN: SCOOP: Rep. Mike Collins teases Georgia Senate bid
Across America
‘TROUBLING’: Court order shields reporters after ‘troubling’ incidents at California protests
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers move in on demonstrators in front of LA City Hall during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 8, 2025. (REUTERS/Barbara Davidson)
CAPITAL DECEPTION: Missouri launches probe into proxy firms for prioritizing DEI, ESG over returns
MET WITH RESISTANCE: California clinic staffers seek to shield ICE agents from detaining Honduran landscaper
RED FLAGS: Republicans use Mamdani as socialist cudgel to bash Democrats
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is surrounded by supporters after a press conference with union leaders in New York City, U.S., July 2, 2025. REUTERS/David ‘Dee’ Delgado ( REUTERS/David ‘Dee’ Delgado)
Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
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Zelensky confirmó que Estados Unidos restableció el suministro de armas a Ucrania
El presidente ucraniano Volodimir Zelensky ha confirmado la reactivación del envío de ayuda militar estadounidense tras una semana de suspensión, según anunció en un discurso a la nación el viernes. El Departamento de Defensa de Estados Unidos había detenido el suministro de armas la semana anterior por una revisión interna sobre la asistencia que presta a otros países, lo que afectó directamente el flujo de armamento hacia Kiev.
Zelensky detalló que “el suministro se ha reanudado”, y subrayó que el Gobierno ucraniano continuará coordinando acciones con Washington a nivel militar, trabajando en particular con el enviado especial para Ucrania, Keith Kellogg. La entrega de material bélico a Ucrania se vio interrumpida, según fuentes estadounidenses, debido a preocupaciones sobre la reducción de las reservas militares propias de Estados Unidos, lo que llevó a suspender temporalmente el envío de misiles de defensa y proyectiles de artillería.
En marzo, la Casa Blanca informó la suspensión de la ayuda militar previamente asignada bajo el mandato de Joe Biden, tras una reunión entre el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump y Zelensky. Esta pausa se levantó una semana después, luego de que Ucrania mostrara disposición para dialogar sobre un posible acuerdo de alto el fuego con Moscú, aunque este no prosperó en ese momento.
A finales de abril, ambos gobiernos alcanzaron un acuerdo que concede a Estados Unidos acceso a reservas minerales ucranianas, especialmente de tierras raras, elementos estratégicos para las industrias tecnológicas y de defensa.
El Gobierno estadounidense ha modificado la logística de la entrega de armas a sus aliados: envía equipamiento militar a países miembros de la OTAN en Europa, los cuales posteriormente transfieren parte de este armamento a Ucrania frente a la escalada en los ataques rusos con drones y misiles.
Trump explicó que “las armas que salen van a la OTAN, y luego la OTAN va a entregar esas armas (a Ucrania), y la OTAN está pagando por esas armas”. El secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, especificó que las armas estadounidenses disponibles entre los aliados europeos pueden llegar a Ucrania mucho más rápido que si se trasladaran directamente desde Norteamérica.
Rubio comunicó que “es mucho más rápido trasladar algo, por ejemplo, de Alemania a Ucrania, que pedirlo a una fábrica (estadounidense) y llevarlo allí”, destacando la urgencia en las entregas dado el aumento de los ataques rusos recientes. Ucrania ha solicitado específicamente sistemas de defensa aérea Patriot fabricados por Estados Unidos para protegerse de misiles balísticos y de crucero rusos. Alemania y Noruega han aceptado proporcionar al menos tres sistemas Patriot adicionales.
Allison Hart, portavoz de la OTAN, declaró que los aliados trabajan para garantizar que Ucrania disponga del apoyo necesario para defenderse, incluyendo “esfuerzos urgentes para adquirir suministros clave de Estados Unidos, como defensa aérea y municiones”. La OTAN, en sí misma, no gestiona armas ni realiza envíos directos, pero coordina la asistencia no letal y promueve la cooperación logística.
Por otro lado, el acuerdo firmado entre Washington y Kiev a finales de abril brinda a Estados Unidos acceso a las reservas de tierras raras de Ucrania, recursos cruciales para la producción de componentes electrónicos, baterías, paneles solares y sistemas militares avanzados. Esta operación se enmarca en una estrategia estadounidense para reducir la dependencia de China, que hasta ahora domina la producción y refinamiento de tierras raras a nivel global.
El secretario de Energía, Chris Wright, indicó que “China tiene una influencia masiva. Ellos controlan la cadena de suministro de elementos de tierras raras”. El Departamento de Defensa firmó recientemente la adquisición de una participación del 15% en la empresa MP Materials, que opera la segunda mina de tierras raras más grande del mundo en Mountain Pass, California, valorada en 400 millones de dólares.
MP Materials planea utilizar los fondos para expandir su capacidad de separación y procesamiento, así como la producción de imanes de tierras raras, componentes clave en tecnología avanzada civil y militar. El pacto con el Pentágono contempla también la construcción de una nueva planta y el compromiso de destinar inversiones multimillonarias y adquirir la producción resultante durante los próximos diez años.
La postura de Trump sobre el apoyo militar a Ucrania ha sido fluctuante durante los últimos tres años. Tras el reinicio de los suministros, funcionarios estadounidenses aseguraron que nuevos envíos de armas ya están en trayecto. El senador Lindsey Graham afirmó que “vender armas a Ucrania favorece los intereses de seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos y que Europa puede pagarlas”.
En paralelo, se han producido conversaciones diplomáticas entre Zelensky y Trump, incluyendo una llamada donde se discutieron temas de defensa aérea. Zelensky describió las charlas como “muy constructivas”. Mientras tanto, el Ejército ruso intensifica sus ataques contra Ucrania, lanzando más de 700 drones y misiles en una sola semana, según fuentes oficiales ucranianas.
(Con información de AP, EFE y EP)
Defense,Europe,SOCHACZEW