The number of offenses involving knives and sharp instruments rocketed by 7 percent to 45,600 in the year.

But the true figure is likely to be significantly higher because the Office for National Statistics (ONS) did not include Greater Manchester Police’s total due to IT issues, the Independent reported.

In London, the number of fatal stabbings rose by 13 percent in the year, although the figure fell by 8 percent nationally.

The areas with the highest rate were London, West Yorkshire, and the West Midlands.

But while London saw a 5 percent rise, offenses in the West Midlands rocketed by 13 percent and West Yorkshire fell by 9 percent.

The offenses included in the figures were homicide, attempted murder, threats to kill, assault with injury, assault with intent to cause serious harm, robbery, rape, and sexual assault.

The ONS said an increase in robbery – which accounted for 44 percent of knife offenses – contributed to the historic rise, while the assault was the largest category.

The number of bladed article possession offenses rose by 11 percent in the year, which the report said was influenced by increased police stop and search operations.

In 2019, police recorded 5.8 million crimes in England and Wales in total.

The figures showed a 2 percent increase in the number of homicides, although the figure includes the 39 Vietnamese people who were found dead in a lorry in Essex.

In January, three men, believed to be from the Sikh community, were stabbed to death in Ilford, east London, prompting calls for a change of mayor, amid claims that the incumbent Sadiq Khan has, in the words of one rival mayoral candidate, “lost control of our streets.”

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Hawa Alam Nuristani, head of the Independent Election Commission, says Sunday preliminary Afghanistan election results will be announced on Nov. 14.

There is a delay on the initial deadline for sharing the results as the commission dealt with widespread accusations of misconduct in the polling. Then they are ending to technical problems with transferring ballot papers and data from a biometric system, AP reported.

Afghans voted Sept. 28 despite Taliban threats and violence. The lead candidates are President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who have led together a fragile coalition government.

If no candidate obtains over 50% in the results, a second round of voting will be held.

During the foretold election, on polling day alone, 28 civilians killed and 249 injured. Children accounted for more than one-third of the victims.

Despite the high toll, Afghan security forces said Election Day was a success because the Taliban failed to pull off any large-scale attacks that stole the headlines, AFP reported.

The majority of Taliban attacks involved the use of rockets, grenades and mortars, as well as homemade bombs planted near polling centers, including schools, the report found.

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