INTERNACIONAL
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.»
INTERNACIONAL
DHS remains unfunded as Iran sleeper cell fears spike nationwide amid security warnings
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Concerns about potential Iran-linked sleeper cells are rising as the Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded and Tehran and its proxies threaten retaliation over U.S.-Israeli strikes that American officials say killed nearly 50 top Iranian leaders.
The sleeper cell concerns came into full focus over the weekend when authorities say a Senegalese man opened fire at patrons of an Austin, Texas, bar while wearing a sweatshirt that read «Property of Allah.»
Ndiaga Diagne, 53, of Pflugerville, who was also found with an undershirt featuring the Iranian flag, reportedly entered the U.S. during the Clinton administration on a B-2 tourist visa. He became a naturalized citizen during the Obama administration.
Federal agents comb the scene of a potential terrorist attack shooting in Austin, Texas. (Aaron E. Martinez/Getty Images)
A San Antonio FBI official said the incident is being investigated for a «potential nexus to terrorism.»
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital on Monday that she is in «direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland,» when asked about any increased threat from sleeper cells in the U.S.
Fox News also learned Monday that a DHS memo was sent out over the weekend to various law enforcement agencies nationwide warning of potential cyberattacks and lone wolf physical attacks as a result of the U.S.-Israel bombing in Iran.
The memo offered no specific knowledge of individual attacks but warned of lower-level cyberattacks or other violence.
DHS, meanwhile, remains largely unfunded due to an approximately month-long shutdown brought on by Democratic lawmakers’ refusal to approve new agency funding over the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, most notably in Minneapolis.
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«It is outrageous that they continue to stall on this because their political ideologies disagree with keeping Americans safe,» said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., warned that if there is «some type of attack within America, it is going to be on the Democrats,» pointing to the otherwise porous Mexican border under previous administrations.
The head of cyberdefense agency Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — which falls under DHS — recently warned that a majority of its workforce would be furloughed as the shutdown drags on.
«When the government shuts down, cyberthreats do not,» CISA Director Madhu Gottumukkala told lawmakers in February, according to NextGov.
Gottumukkala, who served as South Dakota State Chief Information Officer under then-Gov. Noem, said the agency would only be able to focus on «anything that is an immediate need and an imminent threat,» versus investigating or searching for new potential issues.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas where the first potential sleeper attack occurred, told Fox News on Monday that he has been in touch with FBI Director Kash Patel and Austin Democratic Mayor Kirk Watson about the incident.
«They’re still investigating this, but it appears on the face of it to be terrorism,» he said.
«The threats of terrorism are higher right now. Our forces are on alert because we are actively taking out the Iranian leadership in the Ayatollah,» Cruz added, calling it «shocking» that Democrats continue to hold-up DHS funding at such a perilous time.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., added on «America’s Newsroom» that previous administrations set the groundwork for sleeper cell vulnerabilities.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said previous presidential administrations set the groundwork for sleeper cell vulnerabilities in the U.S. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«Unfortunately, we had a wide-open border for four years under Joe Biden. We have no idea who may have gotten into the country during those four years. I don’t want to comment specifically on what happened in Austin until all the facts are known, but I did speak with Kash Patel yesterday, and I can tell you that the FBI is taking every potential threat around the nation very seriously,» Cotton said.
«This is by the way another very compelling reason that we need to fund the Department of Homeland Security immediately,» he said, noting the shutdown is dragging on into a «war against the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism.»
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One top Democrat did appear to reference Iran’s role as such.
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman called the U.S.-Israeli offensive a «noble pursuit» – while Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., claimed «both the U.S. and genocidal Israel do[n’t] care about the laws.»
The House is reportedly set to attempt a vote on DHS funding sometime this week.
European and American security officials speaking on anonymity in the days leading up to the Feb. 28 strike told the New York Times no specific sleeper plots had been uncovered but that there has been an increase in «chatter» among intercepted communications.
Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that a strike on Iran would risk igniting a wider war, endangering U.S. forces and destabilizing global markets.
«Before any military action is considered, President Trump must come before the American people, explain why any conflict would be necessary, be honest about the risks and costs and present a clear strategy with a defined endgame,» Reed said.
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Fox Business that sleeper cell threats need to be taken seriously after the Austin attack.
And in New York City, home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel, the NYPD announced «enhanced high-visibility patrols» following the Iran strikes.
NYPD’s top counterterrorism deputy Rebecca Weiner told ABC-7 the department is «looking really carefully at any threats and following up on leads and making sure that we’re staying ahead of any threat that might materialize here in our city.»
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A student group at Columbia University in Morningside Heights reportedly posted «death to America» after news of Iranian dictator Ali Hosseini Khamenei’s death, while Iranian-Americans celebrated in the streets over the 86-year-old ayatollah’s demise.
Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.
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The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Monday urged Americans in Iraq to shelter in place until further notice, citing heightened security threats across the country.
In an alert, the embassy advised U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution, avoid crowds and keep a low profile amid ongoing riots and demonstrations against the United States following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It said protests, particularly near the July 14th Bridge in Baghdad, have turned violent, prompting Iraqi authorities to close the International Zone in central Baghdad with limited exceptions.
The U.S. Mission in Iraq also directed all staff to shelter in place and suspended consular operations, including routine services.
Protesters walk through tear gas during clashes with Iraqi security forces near a bridge leading to the Green Zone in Baghdad on March 1, 2026. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/ via Getty Images)
Iraqi airspace is currently closed, officials said, and travelers were advised to contact airlines directly for updates.
The State Department maintains a Level 4 «Do Not Travel» advisory for Iraq, urging Americans not to travel to the country for any reason and advising those already there to review personal security plans and consider departing when conditions allow.
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A group of demonstrators gather in front of the Green Zone, where the U.S. Embassy is located, in Baghdad, Iraq, to protest the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 1, 2026. (Murtadha Al-Sudani / Anadolu via Getty Images)
«Iran-aligned terrorist militias continue to pose a significant threat to public safety,» the U.S. embassy said in a post on X. «Reports of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace continue.»
The U.S. military presence in Iraq has shifted in recent years, with Iraqi officials announcing in January the formal handover of Al-Asad Air Base from U.S. forces to Iraqi control.
US JOINS ISRAEL IN PREEMPTIVE STRIKE ON IRAN AS TRUMP CONFIRMS ‘MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS’
Protesters gather in Najaf, Iraq, on March 1, 2026, to denounce the killing of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. (Karar Essa/Anadolu/Getty Images)
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The country’s defense ministry described the move as part of a broader transition toward long-term security cooperation with the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Spain and other countries, focused on training and advisory support.
Iraqi officials said international coalition forces are scheduled to withdraw from their headquarters in Erbil by the end of September 2026 under agreed-upon timelines.
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