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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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Iran’s new supreme leader linked to properties with ‘line of sight’ into Israeli UK Embassy
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Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been linked to two luxury apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy in London, a location that security experts said could provide «permanent surveillance,» according to multiple reports.
The multimillion-dollar Kensington properties sit next to the high-profile embassy compound and were identified by UK media, drawing on findings from a yearlong probe into Khamenei’s potential overseas assets.
The Times of London reported on March 5 that the one building «sits next to the Israeli Embassy on Palace Green,» placing the residences in exceptional proximity to one of Israel’s most sensitive diplomatic sites.
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Media investigations linked Mojtaba Khamenei to London apartments near the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, with experts warning the location could enable Iranian surveillance of the site. (Michael Crabtree/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The revelations stem from a Bloomberg investigation that alleged that the Khamenei portfolio could span multiple countries and include high-value real estate in London, totaling around $138M as well as assets in Europe and the Gulf.
The two London apartments were reportedly acquired in 2014 and 2016 via intermediaries and occupy upper floors of the building, offering a direct vantage point toward the rear of the Israeli embassy compound, UK media reported.
A terrorism specialist quoted in reports said the positioning effectively means «Iran owns the view into the back of the Israeli Embassy from less than 50 meters away,» describing the situation as a potential «serious security breach.»
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In this picture obtained from Iran’s ISNA news agency, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, looks on in Tehran on October 13, 2024. (Hamed JAFARNEJAD / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images)
Roger Macmillan, a former director of security at the Iranian dissident satellite channel Iran International, also said the two apartments had «a direct line of sight, held through Mojtaba Khamenei. That’s not a property portfolio — it’s a permanent surveillance platform.»
«This is a serious security breach,» he added.
Further details from Bloomberg’s investigation indicated that a businessman acted as a financial conduit, buying up high-end properties on Khamenei’s behalf and channeling funds through a network of investments.
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Mojtaba Khamenei has been linked to two London apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy, which a security expert says form a permanent surveillance platform, reports say. (Vudi Xhymshiti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The investigation also found that 11 mansions on London’s «Billionaire’s Row» were purchased using an Isle of Man shell company.
The Financial Times has also similarly reported on links between Khamenei’s associates and luxury assets across Europe.
Khamenei, 56, has been viewed as a powerful figure within Iran’s ruling establishment, ultimately becoming the leading successor to his father, who was killed in a Tehran compound strike on Feb. 28.
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So far, since he was selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, he has not been seen in public.
war with iran,iran,mojtaba khamenei,ali khamenei,investigations,israel,united kingdom
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Duffy mocks Newsom’s ‘bridges to nowhere’ as California wildlife crossing overruns by $21M
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy bashed Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom over an unfinished wildlife crossing bridge in the Golden State that is running $21 million over budget.
Duffy shared a post from the X account End Wokeness showing video of the unfinished project stretching across 10 lanes of the 101 Freeway in Southern California. The video shows the incomplete bridge, which is intended to provide safe passage for animals such as cougars to cross over the highway.
«Bridges to nowhere. Trains to nowhere. Leave the building to us @GavinNewsom,» Duffy wrote on X.
Construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing (WAWC) was supposed to be wrapped up by 2025, with the total cost of the project estimated at $92 million. That cost estimate has since jumped to $114 million. A press release from the governor’s office states the project should be completed by fall 2026.
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In an aerial view, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the world’s largest wildlife bridge, crosses 10 lanes of U.S. Route 101 in Agoura Hills, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
At the groundbreaking ceremony held in April 2022, Newsom pledged $54 million of state funding to build the crossing and later added another $10 million. However, in February, the California Transportation Commission announced it was allocating an additional $18.8 million to complete construction.
Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation, the namesake of the bridge, provided $25 million for its construction in 2021. Beth Pratt, director of the National Wildlife Federation and part of the leadership team overseeing the project, attributed delays in the project’s construction to rising costs in a video posted to X.
Pratt said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the crossing project «experienced significant increases in costs» related to «tariffs, inflation and other factors» that were responsible for delayed construction.
Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, arrives at BlackRock’s 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. ( Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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She added that these increased costs were consistent with other construction projects, citing the FHWA National Highway Construction Cost Index, which shows highway construction costs have increased by 67% since 2021. Pratt said the project team took steps to reduce costs as part of a «rigorous redesign process» funded by private donations, not public funds.
Newsom’s press office rejected criticism of the project’s ballooning costs, also pointing to tariffs from the Trump administration as the culprit.
«The cost estimate held until last year when inflation — in part driven by TRUMP’s TARIFFS — increased construction costs. The increase is vastly LOWER than the 67% national average increase in highway construction costs,» Newsom’s team wrote on X.
The governor also said the delay was due to «severe weather.»
«The timeline shifted by just ONE YEAR largely due to severe weather last year — five years of work is far from a ‘boondoggle,» Newsom’s press office wrote on X.
Governor of California Gavin Newsom speaks during the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Groundbreaking Celebration on April 22, 2022, in Agoura Hills, California. (Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images)
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Heightened attention on the construction of the wildlife crossing bridge comes as the state faces continued scrutiny over other failed projects. Last year, the Department of Transportation canceled $4 billion in federal funding after the state spent $15 billion in funding for high-speed rail construction projects despite never laying a single track.
Newsom, a 2028 presidential prospect, is also having to navigate a projected $2.9 billion budget deficit for the 2026–2027 fiscal year.
gavin newsom,california,politics,state and local,transportation
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Guerra en Medio Oriente: una por una, cuáles son las instalaciones energéticas bajo ataque en el Golfo
Varias instalaciones petroleras y de gas fueron afectadas por la guerra en Medio Oriente, avivando el temor de una crisis energética internacional.
Después del ataque aéreo israelí al gigantesco yacimiento gasístico de South Pars-North Dome, compartido por Irán y Qatar, se desató una represalia iraní contra refinerías y depósitos de combustibles en distintos países del Golfo.
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El presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, en un mensaje publicado en su red Truth Social, advirtió que si irán vuelve a atacar la infraestructura energética en la región, su país, “con o sin la ayuda o el consentimiento de Israel, destruirá por completo el campo de gas South Pars con una potencia y fuerza nunca antes vistas en Irán”.
“No quiero autorizar este nivel de violencia y destrucción debido a las consecuencias a largo plazo que tendrá para el futuro de Irán, pero si la planta de GNL de Qatar vuelve a ser atacada, no dudaré en hacerlo”, alertó.
Leé también: Japón y cinco países europeos se declararon “dispuestos a contribuir” a la seguridad del estrecho de Ormuz
Las instalaciones energéticas bajo ataque
Estas son las principales instalaciones energéticas atacadas en el conflicto desatado el 28 de febrero por la ofensiva conjunta de Estados Unidos e Israel contra Irán.
- Yanbu, Arabia Saudita. Un drone cayó este jueves sobre la refinería saudita de Samref, en la zona industrial de Yanbu, a orillas del mar Rojo. “La evaluación de los daños está en curso”, indicó el ministerio de Defensa. La instalación tiene una capacidad de tratamiento de más de 400.000 barriles de crudo diarios. La refinería está en manos del gigante petrolero saudita Aramco y de Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., una filial de ExxonMobil. Yanbu reviste una importancia particular, al ser una alternativa a la exportación de petróleo por el estrecho de Ormuz, prácticamente bloqueado en este momento por Irán. En Yanbu desemboca el crudo traído desde el Golfo, en el este de Arabia Saudita, a lo largo del conducto Petroline, de más de 1000 km.
- Ras Laffan, Qatar. Ras Laffan, en el norte de Qatar, es el mayor complejo industrial y puerto de exportación de gas natural licuado (GNL) del mundo y ha sido blanco de varios ataques de Irán desde el comienzo de la guerra. El jueves la empresa energética estatal de Catar, QatarEnergy, reportó “daños considerables” por ataques que provocaron incendios, ahora controlados.
- South Pars, Irán. Los ataques iraníes contra Ras Laffan responden a los de Israel el miércoles contra el gigantesco yacimiento gasístico de South Pars-North Dome, compartido por Irán y Qatar. Es la reserva de gas conocida más grande del mundo y abastece cerca del 70% del gas natural doméstico de la república islámica. Según Irán, algunas partes del yacimiento se incendiaron. Trump aseguró que Estados Unidos “no sabía nada” del ataque israelí y amenazó con destruir “la totalidad del yacimiento” de South Pars si Irán continúa con sus ataques. Qatar explota la parte sur del yacimiento, conocida con el nombre de North Dome, o North Field. QatarEnergy estima que North Field alberga cerca del 10% de las reservas mundiales conocidas de gas natural. Qatar tiene contratos de compraventa de GNL a largo plazo con la petrolera francesa Total, la británica Shell, la india Petronet, la china Sinopec y la italiana Eni, entre otras.
- Isla de Jark, Irán. La isla de Jark, situada a unos 30 kilómetros de las costas iraníes y desde donde parten aproximadamente el 90% de las exportaciones de crudo de Irán, fue objetivo de ataques estadounidenses el sábado. No obstante, las autoridades iraníes declararon que las exportaciones continúan con normalidad y que no hubo víctimas. Si Irán sigue bloqueando el estrecho de Ormuz, Trump ha amenazado con destruir las infraestructuras de la isla, donde hay el mayor puerto de exportación de crudo del país.
- Ruwais, Emiratos Árabes Unidos. La refinería de Ruwais, situada en el emirato de Abu Dabi, es la cuarta más grande del mundo, según la compañía nacional Adnoc. La semana pasada tuvo que interrumpir sus actividades por “precaución” tras un ataque con drones en la zona, indicó una fuente local, sin precisar si la propia refinería se había visto afectada. Adnoc no se pronunció sobre este incidente.
- Ras Tanura, Arabia Saudita. La península saudita de Ras Tanura, en el golfo, alberga una de las mayores refinerías de Oriente Medio con una capacidad de 550.000 barriles diarios. Fue blanco de ataques en varias ocasiones, incluyendo uno iraní con drones al principio del conflicto que provocó un incendio y provocó un cierre parcial. Según una fuente anónima, la actividad ya se reanudó.
(Con información de AFP)
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