Headline

14-year-old British-Nigerian’s Death Raises Renewed Concerns Over Knife Violence In London

Published

1 year ago

May 2, 2024

The recent sword attack in Hainault, a suburban area in northeast London, has sparked renewed discussions about the ongoing issue of knife crime in the UK, particularly in the capital.

The young victim of the attack has been identified as Daniel Anjorin, a 14-year-old boy.

The Times reports that Anjorin, the son of a science teacher, went to school with Grace O’Malley-Kumar, the Nottingham knife-attack victim.

According to recent data from the Office for National Statistics, reported by Sky News, there has been a 7% rise in knife crime from December 2022 to December 2023. Over the past decade, there has been a significant 81% increase in this type of crime.

Knife-related crime rates in London and the West Midlands are among the highest in England and Wales.

The number of knife-related crimes reported by the Met Police increased by 20% between 2022 and 2023, while in the West Midlands, there was an 8% rise.

In 2023, London saw a concerning 30% of knife-related crimes, amounting to 165 incidents per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, the West Midlands recorded a slightly lower rate of 118 incidents per 100,000.

For both male and female victims, sharp objects such as kitchen knives, swords, and machetes accounted for two-fifths of all killings in the United Kingdom in the year ending in March 2023.

While the recent attack involved the use of a sword, statistics from the Home Office indicate that such incidents are relatively rare in cases of fatal stabbings.

Although the attacker employed a sword in yesterday’s incident, it contributed to only three fatalities involving sharp objects in 2023.

Faron Paul, leader of Faz Amnesty, an organisation facilitating the surrender of weapons by children to the police, expressed at the scene of the blockade that authorities are not sufficiently addressing the prevention of knife crime.

Speaking with the BBC, he said, “It’s not rising. It’s gone through the roof. We’ve got a big problem here. Children are dying on the street every single day. You’ve got a problem. And I don’t feel like the right things are being put in place to prevent, deter or stop knife crime.”

He added that it wasn’t just the area but “the whole of London has a problem.”

“We need to have better consequences and laws in place. We need to stop buying and selling illegal weapons online. And then we need to think about preventative measures.”

Headline

Former NBA Player Ben McLemore Convicted Of Raping Incapacitated Woman

Published

6 hours ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

An Oregon jury found former Houston Rockets guard Ben McLemore guilty on Thursday of raping a woman in while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021.

Deliberations lasting around 10 hours after an 11-day trial concluded with the jury in Clackamas County finding McLemore, 32, guilty on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse. He was found not guilty on an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse.

McLemore pleaded not guilty to all four counts before the verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 9.

The charges stem from a report of sexual assault in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on Oct. 3, 2021. McLemore was identified as a suspect during a police investigation.

A Clackamas County grand jury heard evidence in the case in February 2024, which included testimony from the woman who said McLemore assaulted her. He was indicted and an arrest warrant was issued, according to Lake Oswego police. McLemore was arrested by U.S. Marshalls two months later.

Clackamas County prosecutor Scott Healy reportedly told jurors the victim found herself being sexually assaulted by McLemore while partially conscious the morning after a party.

Healy said that the victim had been drinking heavily at the party and had passed out on a living room couch at the party around 2 a.m.

McLemore’s attorneys reportedly disputed the victim’s account, claiming she had initiated sexual contact with McLemore and had consented to it. They also claimed that despite the victim and McLemore both being intoxicated, the victim was sober enough to consent.

McLemore played parts of two seasons with the Rockets from 2019-2021. He was the seventh pick in the 2013 draft out of Kansas and played for five teams across nine NBA seasons. After playing the 2021-2022 season with the Trail Blazers, McLemore went overseas to continue his playing career. He has played for teams in China, Greece, Spain and Turkey over the last three years.

Headline

Russia Launches Largest Assault On Ukraine

Published

6 hours ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

The Kremlin said on Friday that it sees no immediate diplomatic way out of the war in Ukraine, hours after launching its largest ever drone and missile barrage of the invasion.

The hours-long bombardments across Ukraine came just after a telephone call between the US and Russian presidents ended without any breakthrough.

AFP journalists in Kyiv heard drones buzzing over the capital and explosions ringing out throughout the night as Ukrainian air defence systems fended off the attack.

“We are interested in achieving our goals in the course of the special military operation and it is preferable to do it by political and diplomatic means,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring to its invasion, launched in February 2022.

“But as long as that is not possible, we are continuing the special operation,” he said in a briefing, including with AFP.

US President Donald Trump had said he made no progress in discussions one day earlier with President Vladimir Putin on ending the war, while the Kremlin vowed to pursue its war aims.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky were planning to speak later on Friday.

Tymur, a Kyiv resident who said he had experienced previous Russian attacks, told AFP that the assault in the early hours of Friday was different.

“Nothing like this attack had ever happened before. There have never been so many explosions,” he said.

– ‘War and terror’ –
Zelensky said air alerts had begun echoing out across the country as the Trump-Putin call was getting underway.

“Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror,” Zelensky said on social media.

“All of this is clear evidence that without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behaviour.”

He urged the United States in particular to increase pressure on Moscow, which on Friday announced fresh territorial gains on the front line with the capture of a village in the Donetsk region.

Poland said its embassy building in Kyiv had been damaged in the attack but that staff were unharmed.

Germany’s foreign ministry meanwhile said that the timing of the attack — just after the leaders’ call — showed that Moscow “continues to rely on brute force”.

“Ukraine needs more to defend itself, not less,” the ministry said on social media.

A government spokesman said Germany was exploring the possibility of purchasing more Patriot air defence systems from the United States for Ukraine.

Zelensky said 23 people were wounded in the barrage, which the air force said comprised 539 drones and 11 missiles.

A representative of Ukraine’s air force told Ukrainian media that the attack was the largest of the Russian invasion, launched in February 2022.

– ‘Complete disregard’ –

Overnight Russia attacks have escalated over recent weeks.

An AFP tally found Moscow launched a record number of drones and missiles at Ukraine in June when direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow appeared to stall.

In Kyiv, AFP journalists saw dozens of residents of the capital taking shelter in a metro station.

Yuliia Golovnina, who said she shelters at the metro regularly, described to AFP the worry that comes with hearing an explosion during an attack.

“Will there be another one? Will something collapse on you?” the 47-year-old said.

“So in those seconds, you just hold your breath and wait to see what happens next,” she added.

In Kyiv, concerns mount over whether the US will continue delivering military aid, which is key to Ukraine’s ability to fend off the drone and missile barrages.

The US announced this week it was reducing some of its aid deliveries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this was a clear signal that the 27-nation European Union needed to “step up”.

Ukraine has also ramped up its retaliatory strikes in Russia, where a woman was killed when a Ukrainian drone crashed into an apartment building, the acting regional governor in Rostov said.

Talks, spearheaded by the United States to secure a ceasefire, have stalled but Ukraine and Russia announced a fresh swap of prisoners of war with Ukraine.

The two sides said it was part of agreements reached during talks in Istanbul last month.

AFP

Headline

We’re Ready To Start Gaza Ceasefire Talks ‘Immediately’ – Hamas

Published

7 hours ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

Hamas said Friday it was ready to start talks “immediately” on a proposal for a ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, after holding consultations with other Palestinian factions.

“The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place” the terms of a draft truce proposal received from mediators, the militant group said in a statement.