The world at a glance . . . Europe

London

Cracking down on knives: Prime Minister Gordon Brown this week announced a crackdown on knives, after a 15-year-old girl became the 11th London teenager to be stabbed to death this year. Since last year, the average age of Brits involved in knife violence has dropped from the early 20s to the mid-teens, sparking a nationwide fear of young, armed hooligans. The new edict says that children as young as 16 will be prosecuted for possessing knives, rather than being let off with a warning. Children under 16 will receive one warning and be prosecuted if caught again. Teenagers say they carry knives for protection, said Brown, but “it does the opposite. It increases the danger for all of us.”

Kranj, Slovenia

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Bush gets E.U. support on Iran: On his farewell tour of Europe this week, President George W. Bush persuaded the European Union to back tougher sanctions against Iran if it does not provide more information about its nuclear program. “Iran with a nuclear weapon would be incredibly dangerous for world peace,” said Bush. “They can either face isolation or they can have a better relationship with all of us.” Following the U.S.-E.U. summit meeting in Slovenia, European Commission President José Barroso said the E.U. agreed with Bush that “Iranian banks cannot abuse the international banking system to support proliferation and terrorism.” Bush is attempting to fight the perception that he is a lame duck, even as a large majority of Europeans tell pollsters they want Democrat Barack Obama to succeed him in the White House.