Sadiq Khan has defended his initiatives against violent crime

The Mayor of London has been criticised for his response to a rise in knife and gun crime in the capital, but argues that the situation would be worse without his strategies.

Official statistics released last month revealed the number of homicides in London surged by 44% in the last twelve months.

In the first three months of 2018, 52 people were killed in London, with stabbing being the main cause.

The Mayor says that he is determined to continue investing in both crime prevention and enforcement in the city.

92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad is sworn in as new Malaysian PM

Veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Malaysia, ousting the current leader Najib Razak.

The appointment makes the nonagenarian the oldest ever leader to be elected.

Mr Najib has been accused by the US Justice Department of embezzling $4.5 billion from a state investment fund, but he denies any wrongdoing.

Mahathir says he will form a new government quickly, after beating his rival at the polls.

However, sources inside the country say a smooth transition between leaders will not be easy after such major political upheaval.

Interest rates on hold 

The Bank of England has fixed interest rates at 0.5% following a vote by the Monetary Policy Committee.

As recently as February economists were expecting a rise in interest rates this month.

But predictions changed when figures released in April revealed that the economy grew by a meagre 0.1% in the first three months of the year.

The slump is due to ‘The Beast from the East’, when bad weather caused disruption across the country.

The Bank has described the slow growth as a ‘temporary soft patch’ which will have ‘few implications’ on the wider picture of the British economy.

Demands in parliament for more Liverpool FC tickets

Sports minister, Tracey Crouch, has been challenged in the House of Commons on ticket allocation for Liverpool’s Champion’s League final later this month.

Liverpool and Real Madrid have each been allocated 16,626 tickets for the game.

Former Labour minister, Derek Twigg, said there should be more tickets available for Liverpool fans and criticised their cost, with some tickets priced at almost £400.

Ms Crouch said the Government wants Liverpool fans to be able to go and enjoy the match, but that ticket allocation is a matter for the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations).