Ken McCallum

Government & Politics

Legal action against MI5 over Manchester Arena bombing cannot continue, judges rule In a ruling on Friday, Lord Justice Singh and Mrs Justice Farbey said the cases could not proceed as they were brought too late.

November 22, 2024   

(Sky News) Hundreds of people affected by the Manchester Arena bombing cannot continue legal action against MI5, judges have ruled. More than 300 people, including survivors and those bereaved by the 2017 attack at an Ariana Grande concert, brought a case to […]

News: Europe

Ex-MI6 boss warns UK may face more Islamist extremism due to Middle East unrest Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, architect of the 7 October attack, was killed by Israeli forces after a chance encounter this week.

October 20, 2024   

(Sky News) Islamist terrorism may get a “further boost” from recent unrest in the Middle East, including the killing of the leader of Hamas, a former head of MI6 has warned. Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the 7 October attack, was killed […]

Government & Politics

Injured survivors from Manchester Arena bombing suing MI5 The security service has previously apologised for failing to seize on a chance to thwart the attack, which killed 22 people and injured many more.

April 14, 2024   

(Sky News) The injured survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing are suing MI5, lawyers have said. It comes after the security service’s chief last year acknowledged a “slim” chance of thwarting the attack was missed, with 22 people killed and hundreds injured […]

Interfaith

Report: Iran recruiting British Muslims on Middle East pilgrimages to spy on UK Jews UK newspaper says IRGC approaches Shiite Muslims visiting religious sites in Iraq, Iran, asks them to gather intel on prominent British Jews, synagogues, Iranian dissidents

February 10, 2024   

(Times of Israel) The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is recruiting British Muslims on pilgrimages to Iran and Iraq to spy on Jews and Jewish targets in the United Kingdom, according to a Friday report citing Israeli and UK officials. According to the […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Spy chief says MI5 ‘absolutely alert’ to risk of UK terror attack amid Israel-Hamas war Ken McCallum also tells Sky News there is a 'sharpened concern' about multiple threats, from far-right antisemitism, Islamophobia, Islamist extremism, and rising state-level aggression — predominantly from China, Russia and Iran.

October 17, 2023   

(Sky News) The director general of MI5 has told Sky News his intelligence officers are “focused with particular intensity” on a growing risk of attacks within the UK following events in the Middle East. In a rare interview, Ken McCallum said: “Sadly, […]

Interfaith

Communal leader says he was warned by counter-terrorism officers of plot to murder him The man, who spoke to a newspaper anonymously, said he believes Iran, and its ruling Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), want to murder him

May 3, 2023   

(Jewish News) A respected communal leader has revealed he was warned by two counter-terrorism officers of a plot to assassinate him. The man, who spoke to the i newspaper with the agreement of anonymity, said the two officers had read out the […]

Government & Politics

Manchester Arena attack victim’s father intends to sue MI5 for failing to stop bombing Andrew Roussos, father to victim Saffie Roussos, said that the apology from MI5 came too late, and he wishes he could have his daughter back.

March 5, 2023   

(Sky News) The father of the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing intends to sue MI5. Eight-year-old Saffie Roussos was one of the 22 people killed in the attack by suicide bomber Salman Abedi, 22, in May 2017. Now her father, […]

Context

UK terrorist police investigations ‘quadruple’ with Iran behind 15 plots 'Close calls' saw would-be attackers picking targets and gathering weapons when officers intervened

February 16, 2023   

(National-UAE) The number of investigations by UK counter-terrorism police into state threats has quadrupled in the past two years, with several “close calls,” a senior officer has said. Matt Jukes, head of counter-terrorism policing, described the workload as “unprecedented” and said it […]

Government & Politics

Iranian influence and threats growing in the UK, says security minister Hardline regime in Tehran has threatened to kill or kidnap 10 people in Britain this year

December 13, 2022   

(National-UAE) Britain is facing growing interference, threats and influence from state actors including Iran, security minister Tom Tugendhat has warned. Since 10 Iranian plots were revealed in November more incidents have come to light. Foreign meddling of this nature, he said, poses […]