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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.»
UK STABBING SUSPECT IN DEATHS OF 3 GIRLS FOUND WITH RICIN, AL QAEDA MATERIAL AND CHARGED UNDER TERRORISM ACT
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.»
UK STABBING SPREE LEAVES 2 KIDS DEAD, 9 OTHERS INJURED AT TAYLOR SWIFT-THEMED EVENT: ‘DEEPLY SHOCKING’
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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El gobierno impulsa ampliación de áreas agrícolas para potenciar producción de tomate en El Salvador

El Gobierno de El Salvador está ampliando las áreas cultivadas dentro del Programa Aumento a la Producción, con un enfoque especial en el impulso al cultivo de tomate. El viceministro ad honorem de Agricultura y Ganadería, Óscar Domínguez, informó que se están sumando 80 manzanas destinadas exclusivamente a la siembra de tomate a cielo abierto, acompañadas por 18 estructuras de cultivo protegido, cada una con una extensión cercana a una manzana.
Este esfuerzo busca aprovechar terrenos con vocación agrícola, fortalecer el trabajo en el campo y consolidar el compromiso de los productores. Domínguez explicó que el avance en la producción de tomate es parte de una apuesta nacional por expandir la frontera agrícola, generar más oportunidades para los habitantes rurales y mejorar la autosuficiencia alimentaria. Además, precisó que estas nuevas áreas son adicionales a las 2,400 manzanas ya activas en otros rubros agrícolas, lo que refleja la magnitud del programa y su impacto creciente en el territorio salvadoreño.
El viceministro indicó que la ampliación de las áreas productivas responde a los resultados sólidos obtenidos en 2025 y que la meta para el ciclo actual es clara, pues busca sumar mayor producción.

“La apuesta es clara: más tierra cultivada, mayor producción y más oportunidades para nuestra gente del campo”, afirmó Domínguez en una publicación en la red social X, donde adelantó que en el corto plazo se prevé un avance mayor.
El anuncio de la ampliación de las manzanas cultivadas con tomate forma parte de la estrategia integral que el Gobierno impulsa en diferentes cultivos. El pasado 23 de enero, el Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería comunicó avances en la producción de frijol, informando que se han cosechado 12,500 manzanas durante el ciclo 2025-2026. La publicación en redes sociales de esta cartera de Estado señaló que el campo salvadoreño continúa fortaleciéndose con más producción y más agricultores apoyados, lo que contribuye a sembrar seguridad alimentaria para toda la población.
El Programa Aumento a la Producción contempla también la siembra de 10,000 manzanas de maíz con tecnología avanzada, con el objetivo de triplicar la productividad y reducir la dependencia de importaciones. Entre sus componentes centrales figuran la entrega de insumos ganaderos y la modernización del sector cafetalero, involucrando la protección de 20,000 manzanas de café y la siembra de 700 manzanas con variedades de alto rendimiento tipo Central Standard. Estas acciones están dirigidas a garantizar mejores rendimientos y hacer frente a los desafíos climáticos, diversificando la producción agrícola nacional.

En este contexto, el programa ha sumado aliados estratégicos de alcance internacional. La Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO) y el Programa Mundial de Alimentos (WFP, por sus siglas en inglés) anunciaron recientemente su incorporación como socios de la iniciativa. La FAO reafirmó su apoyo al Gobierno salvadoreño para fortalecer capacidades locales y respaldar el aumento sostenible de la producción, con el objetivo de consolidar la seguridad alimentaria en el país. La colaboración se enmarca dentro del Programa Aumento a la Producción y aspira a promover prácticas agrícolas y ganaderas más sostenibles.
El viceministro de Agricultura subrayó en esa oportunidad la importancia de contar con el respaldo de la FAO y el WFP, dos organismos que, tras una reciente gira de campo por las principales zonas productoras, confirmaron su participación y expresaron satisfacción por el progreso alcanzado. “Este año duplicaremos los resultados obtenidos el año pasado. El Salvador produce cada vez más de su propia comida, fortaleciendo nuestra seguridad alimentaria y el desarrollo del sector agropecuario”, puntualizó el funcionario, quien valoró la rapidez con que se han alcanzado los objetivos en tan solo un año de implementación.
Las acciones desplegadas cuentan con la supervisión de entidades internacionales, lo que representa, según las autoridades locales, un cambio cualitativo en la manera en que El Salvador enfrenta los desafíos de la seguridad alimentaria y la producción sostenible. El modelo de trabajo conjunto entre el Gobierno, los productores nacionales y los organismos internacionales refuerza la meta de que el país logre autosuficiencia alimentaria y promueva el desarrollo rural en el mediano y largo plazo.

Con la ampliación de 80 manzanas dedicadas al cultivo de tomate, el Programa Aumento a la Producción consolida su papel como motor del desarrollo agrícola y como ejemplo de cooperación entre el Estado, los agricultores y la comunidad internacional.
corresponsal:Desde San Salvador, El Salvador
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La caída del dictador y sus errores de cálculo: Tras hablar con Donald Trump, Nicolás Maduro estaba convencido que Estados Unidos no atacaría Venezuela

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‘Give me liberty’ Founding Father’s descendant blasts Spanberger’s redistricting push

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FIRST ON FOX: Virginia Republicans offered their own response to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s Democratic Party rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, featuring a descendant of the famously outspoken Founding Father Patrick Henry.
Del. Anne Ferrell Tata, R-Virginia Beach, is a direct descendant of Gov. Patrick Henry’s sister Elizabeth, a lineage Tata said stems from the first days of the Old Dominion and one she does not often discuss.
But, as Tata mentioned in recent floor remarks, Henry — famous for his «Give me liberty, or give me death» speech to the Second Virginia Convention at St. John’s Church of Richmond in 1775 — proved that «concern about the government silencing its citizens is not new.»
In her response to Spanberger, Tata condemned the governor’s partisan interest in redistricting out all but one Virginia congressional Republican, suggesting it is the new way some politicians are trying to silence citizens.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger offers the Democratic response to the State of the Union. (Mike Kropf/Getty Images)
«A few years ago, Virginians did something rare. We agreed the old redistricting system wasn’t working. Too much power in the hands of politicians, too little trust from the public,» Tata said.
«Voters approved a constitutional reform to remove politicians from the process and Governor Spanberger, who was in Congress at the time, praised that change and spoke at length about the corrosive effects of gerrymandering on our democracy. It wasn’t easy. It required compromise. It required restraint and it required trust.»
Tata noted that Indiana, a Republican-led state, and legislative leaders in Maryland, a Democrat-led state, both opposed similar efforts to create a map that sweeps away the political minority’s voice.
«Both chose to respect the rules. Both chose to keep the promise they made to voters,» she said.
WHO IS ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, AND WHY DID DEMOCRATS CHOOSE HER FOR TO THEIR STATE OF THE UNION RESPONSE?

Virginia Gov. Patrick Henry delivers his «Give me liberty…» speech in Richmond. (Smith Collection/Getty Images)
«Here in Virginia, our governor and her allies faced the same test. And they chose power instead.»
«This isn’t about maps. It isn’t about party. It’s about whether reform means something when it costs you.»
Tata said that when leaders like Spanberger «abandon voter-approved reform» they prove why voters do not trust their political system.
«Virginians deserve leaders who keep their word, especially when it’s hard. That is the standard, and it should apply to all of us,» Tata said.
In prior remarks to the state House chamber, Tata said that Henry warned against a government that «grows too strong and too indifferent to the natural rights of its citizens; rights bestowed by God.»
«That warning remains as poignant as ever. Every voter deserves an equal vote in this government, regardless of zip code.»
VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS CHARGE ‘POWER GRAB’ AS DEMOCRAT WHO BACKED REDISTRICTING RUNS FOR CONGRESS
Henry, who was born in Hanover and lived most of his life at «Red Hill» in Brookneal, was Virginia’s first governor — and his name can be found throughout the commonwealth — from the formerly conjoined Patrick and Henry counties far to the southwest to US-1 being divided into Patrick and Henry Streets in the Washington suburb of Alexandria.
In his famous address, Henry warned that armed conflict with England was becoming inevitable, and that lawmakers assembled on Church Hill should agree to arm the colony for its own defense.
«I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death,» Henry boomed as he concluded his remarks.
Earlier in his speech, Henry said that men are naturally «apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts.»
«Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.»
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That address has gone on to live as one of early America’s most important events, and is often recited around its anniversary in Richmond.
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for comment.
abigail spanberger,maryland,governors,virginia,republicans elections
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