These domestic risks persist alongside a rise in foreign interference, with MI5 spending more resources on state threats than it did during the Cold War. Threats from nations including Russia and Iran have quadrupled over the last 10 years, pushing the volume of state-threat work to roughly the same scale as counterterrorism operations. McCallum also cautioned that artificial intelligence may eventually enable terrorists to develop biological weapons.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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UK Raises Terror Threat to Severe Over Far Right Risks
World7 days ago
MI5 chief Ken McCallum warned that ISIS and Al-Qaeda continue to inspire plots for mass casualties, contributing to the UK government's decision to raise the national terror threat level to "severe." The domestic intelligence agency has identified an increase in far-right extremism driven by anti-immigration and anti-Muslim grievances, noting that extremists are more likely to target asylum hotels. Recent operations include the thwarting of a lethal overseas plot involving a 13 year old and a 10 year prison sentence for a 16 year old who planned to firebomb a Muslim center.
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