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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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Spanberger dodges questions on whether she would reverse sanctuary policy as DHS turns up heat
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RICHMOND, VA — Virginia’s Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday ignored questions on whether she would entertain calls from the Department of Homeland Security to end sanctuary policies in the state.
«Governor Spanberger must end her sanctuary policies that allow these illegal aliens onto our streets and work with DHS to protect the citizens of the commonwealth,» the agency said in a post to social media.
Virginia — and in particular Fairfax County — has made headlines in recent weeks for a string of deadly attacks carried out by illegal aliens.
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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers the Democratic response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on February 24, 2026. (Mike Kropf/Getty Images)
Earlier this month, authorities charged 28-year-old Guatemala native Misael Lopez Gomez with the murder of his 3-month-old daughter. His arrest comes on the heels of an attack by Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, 38, another Guatemalan charged with fatally stabbing a man in his home. The county was also where repeat offender and Sierra Leone national Abdul Jalloh, 32, stabbed a victim to death at a bus stop in February.
DHS noted that three of the four suspects charged with murders in Fairfax County so far in 2026 are illegal aliens.
Spanberger did not comment on the figure.
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Abdul Jalloh has racked up over 30 arrests since entering the U.S., according to officials. (DHS)
At the beginning of her term, Spanberger joined a handful of Democratic governors like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker who have made it harder for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
On Jan. 17, Spanberger rescinded local-federal coordination requirements, arguing that Virginia’s resources would be better spent enforcing its own laws.
«Virginians have been deprived of critical public safety and local law enforcement to divert their limited resources for use in enforcing federal civil immigration laws,» Spanberger said in a press release.
«Federal authorities should enforce federal civil immigration laws — law enforcement in the Commonwealth should prioritize the safety and security of all residents in Virginia, the enforcement of local and state laws and coordination with federal entities on criminal matters,» she added.
Another illegal alien who has gotten attention in Virginia is Israel Flores Ortiz, 19, who is facing nine counts of assault and battery for groping girls at a Fairfax County high school he was attending. Victims and parents have alleged that Ortiz approached about 12 girls from behind in crowded hallways, grabbed them between the legs and groped their private areas, according to 7News.
DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said last month that the agency is «calling on Fairfax County sanctuary politicians to NOT release this predator from jail back into our communities to assault more teenage women.»
She went on to slam Spanberger for ending former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policy of cooperation with ICE, saying it is «siding with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens.»
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Abigail Spanberger is conducting a bust tour through Virginia to connect with constituents as she campaigns to become the governor of Virginia in the 2025 gubernatorial election in Fairfax VA, on June 26, 2025. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
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DHS explained in a statement to Fox News Digital that it depends on partnerships to coordinate detention and removal of illegal aliens like Gomez, Muy and Jalloh.
«ICE can only detain illegals for the purpose of removal,» a DHS spokesperson said when asked how the agency coordinates handovers of suspects.
Fox News’ Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
virginia, abigail spanberger, politics, homeland security
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El secretario general de la OTAN se reúne con Donald Trump en la Casa Blanca tras el inicio del alto el fuego entre EEUU e Irán
El secretario general de la OTAN, Mark Rutte, mantendrá este miércoles conversaciones con el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, en Washington, un día después de que Estados Unidos e Irán acordaran un alto el fuego de dos semanas.
El presidente estadounidense expresó su enojo por la negativa de socios occidentales a respaldar su guerra contra Irán, lo que sacudió a la alianza transatlántica de 77 años. Trump calificó a los socios de la OTAN como “cobardes” por limitar el acceso de las fuerzas estadounidenses a bases en sus territorios y por negarse a liderar esfuerzos para abrir el estrecho de Ormuz.
Rutte intentará recomponer la relación durante su visita, en la que también se reunirá con el secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, y el jefe del Pentágono, Pete Hegseth. El secretario general de la OTAN buscó en otras ocasiones acercar posiciones con Trump y apunta a repetir ese papel en este encuentro.
La OTAN enfrentó crisis reiteradas desde el regreso de Trump al poder el año pasado. Entre los episodios más destacados figura la amenaza del mandatario estadounidense de tomar el control de Groenlandia, territorio de Dinamarca, país miembro de la alianza.
También influyeron en las tensiones el retiro del apoyo a Ucrania en su guerra contra Rusia, las amenazas de no proteger a aliados que no aumenten su gasto en defensa y las advertencias de que Washington podría retirar tropas de Europa.
Rutte, al que se describe como un “susurrador de Trump”, ocupó un rol central en los esfuerzos de los aliados por apaciguar al presidente estadounidense. En relación con Irán, el jefe de la OTAN señaló que los esfuerzos de Estados Unidos para degradar la capacidad militar iraní eran algo para “aplaudir”.
Trump valoró esos gestos y describió a Rutte como “un tipo maravilloso” y una “gran persona”, aunque acusó a otros países de la OTAN de “haber hecho todo lo posible por no ayudar” en Medio Oriente.
Antes de su llegada a Washington, un funcionario de la OTAN citado por la agencia AFP indicó que Rutte planea “discutir la dinámica de seguridad actual, incluso en el contexto de Irán, así como la guerra en curso de Rusia contra Ucrania” durante sus conversaciones con Trump.
El funcionario también señaló que el secretario general buscará “construir sobre el éxito” de la cumbre de la OTAN celebrada el año pasado en La Haya, donde los aliados acordaron aumentar el gasto en defensa.
Las tensiones se profundizaron luego de que Rubio advirtiera que Estados Unidos “va a tener que reexaminar” la relación con la OTAN a la luz de las diferencias por Irán. “Creo que no hay duda de que, lamentablemente, una vez concluido este conflicto, vamos a tener que reexaminar esa relación. Vamos a tener que reevaluar el valor de la OTAN dentro de esa alianza para nuestro país”, dijo en Fox News.
Rubio recordó que fue “uno de los defensores más firmes de la OTAN” durante su etapa en el Senado porque “le veía un gran valor”, que incluía contar con bases en Europa para “proyectar poder en diferentes partes del mundo”. Sin embargo, advirtió: “Si ahora hemos llegado a un punto en el que la alianza de la OTAN significa que no podemos usar esas bases para defender los intereses de Estados Unidos, entonces la OTAN es una calle de sentido único”.
El jefe de la diplomacia estadounidense aclaró que Washington no solicitó a los aliados ataques aéreos contra Irán, pero sí esperaba acceso a instalaciones militares. “Cuando necesitamos que nos permitan usar sus bases militares, ¿su respuesta es ‘no’? Entonces, ¿para qué estamos en la OTAN? Hay que plantearse esa pregunta”, afirmó.
(Con información de AFP)
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