The pinnacle of MI5 has stated his company has “one hell of a job” to do because the menace from Islamic State has returned whereas Iran and Russia have interaction in intensifying efforts to undertake assassination and sabotage plots within the UK.

Ken McCallum stated a revival of IS in Afghanistan specifically had introduced a resumption of efforts by the Islamist group to export terrorism, and a “little bit of an upswing” in Britons searching for to journey overseas to study from the group.

McCallum stated the “worsening menace” from IS and, to a lesser extent, al-Qaida, was “the terrorist pattern that considerations me most” and he famous that al-Qaida had “sought to capitalise on battle within the Center East” in its requires violent motion.

“Over the past month, greater than a 3rd of our top-priority investigations have had some type of connection, of various strengths, to organised abroad terrorist teams,” he stated as he gave a menace replace.

Spy chiefs are targeted on the revival of IS’s Afghan affiliate, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which has grown in power after the western withdrawal from Afghanistan. It claimed duty for the lethal assault in Moscow in March the place militants opened fireplace at a live performance, killing 133 individuals and wounding 140.

Two brothers from Birmingham have been sentenced final November for making an attempt to journey to Afghanistan to affix ISKP, McCallum famous. They acquired jail phrases of 10 years and eight years.

The spy chief stated it was not the case that Israel’s ongoing warfare with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon had led on to a rise in terrorist plotting within the UK, although he acknowledged there had been “rising public order, hate crime and neighborhood security challenges” that police had needed to take care of.

Terror threats tended to develop over an extended interval, he added. “The ripples from battle in that area is not going to essentially arrive at our shores in an easy vogue,” he stated, however the UK terror menace remained unchanged at “substantial”, the third stage on a five-point scale.

McCallum highlighted that Iran had been behind “plot after plot” within the UK up to now two years. 5 new Iran-backed plots have been uncovered by MI5 and police this yr, taking the entire since January 2022 to twenty.

McCallum stated Iranian state actors made “intensive use of criminals as proxies”, to attempt to perform threats and intimidation largely directed towards dissidents and people perceived as a menace to the Tehran regime.

He stated MI5 was alive to the likelihood that Iran “might, in precept, attempt to repurpose” that effort to concentrate on different targets within the UK if Tehran felt that Britain had turn out to be a celebration to the battle within the Center East by supporting Israel in its anticipated retaliation to final week’s ballistic missile assault.

He additionally stated Russia’s GRU navy intelligence company was engaged in “a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets”, noting that there had been arson and sabotage plots, additionally counting on prison networks to hold out disruptive assaults as a result of most or all the nation’s embassy-based spies had been kicked out.

Taken collectively, the variety of MI5’s state-based investigations, together with China in addition to Russia, Iran and others, had risen by 48% up to now yr. Russian exercise had stepped up once more after a chaotic interval after the invasion of Ukraine, when 750 diplomats had been expelled throughout Europe.

McCallum stated that meant the spy company was coping with terror threats alongside “state-backed sabotage and assassination plots”, and he noticed that “MI5 has one hell of a job on its fingers”.

McCallum additionally stated the variety of terror circumstances that concerned MI5 investigating below 18-year-olds was persevering with to develop, notably the place excessive rightwing threats have been concerned on-line.

“Sadly, 13% of all these being investigated by MI5 for involvement in UK terrorism are below 18,” the spy chief stated. “That’s a threefold enhance within the final three years. Excessive rightwing terrorism specifically skews closely in direction of younger individuals, pushed by propaganda that exhibits a canny understanding of on-line tradition.”

For a number of years, MI5 has discovered itself investigating youngsters’ exercise on-line, and three years in the past stated it had realised that the topic of considered one of its inquiries into neo-Nazi exercise was 13.

The variety of late-stage terror plots disrupted since March 2017 had elevated to 43, McCallum stated. The final time the spy chief gave a comparable determine it was 37 in November 2022, which means six plots have been prevented in practically two years.

Rev up these fryers, as a result of I’m positive hungry for one collaboration between Wendy’s and SpongeBob SquarePants.

SpongeBob SquarePants, the beloved Nickelodeon character, turns 25 in 2024. To rejoice, Wendy’s has recreated probably the most beloved meal in all of Bikini Backside — the Krabby Patty. As if that wasn’t sufficient, they even made a brand new Frosty to go along with it.

A lot of the long-lasting animated present takes place on the Krusty Krab, the quick meals joint the place SpongeBob works. Anybody who has watched the present has questioned what made the restaurant’s eponymous dish so scrumptious. I imply, Plankton was all the time attempting to steal the key recipe for a purpose, proper?

Nicely, the key’s out. The Krabby Patty Meal got here to Wendy’s on Tuesday. For $10.79, you will get your fingers on a Krabby Patty Kollab Burger topped with American cheese, tomato, pickle, onion and “top-secret Krabby Kollab” sauce on a toasted bun, a medium order of fries and a Pineapple Below The Sea Frosty. Whereas seasonal Frostys are nothing new for Wendy’s, this one features a “pineapple mango flavored puree swirl” in a vanilla Frosty base.

That each one sounds unassailably scrumptious, proper? Wendy’s doesn’t actually miss relating to burgers — it’s one of the best nationwide burger chain, fingers down. And whereas I’ve had my qualms with a few of their Frostys, their greatest crime has all the time been that the unique chocolate model is flawless. So I went into this with excessive expectations.

Seems, the redheaded woman and yellow sponge man are a match made in quick meals heaven.

Whereas the Krabby Patty Kollab Burger is hardly probably the most formidable factor a burger joint has ever carried out, it’s objectively scrumptious. Wendy’s burgers are elite and don’t want way more to shine. The addition of the key sauce, which tastes just about like typical burger sauce, made this one of many higher quick meals burgers I’ve had in a very long time. It type of tastes like if Wendy’s made a Large Mac.

The Frosty wasn’t fairly as spectacular. The pineapple mango puree tasted painfully synthetic at first — contemplating Wendy’s hasn’t been in a position to make peppermint or strawberry style actual, it’s unsurprising they’d wrestle with much more formidable flavors. However after a couple of bites I began to love the fruit flavoring higher, even when it was extra mango than pineapple. Although by that time the puree was gone and I used to be principally simply consuming a vanilla Frosty.

Wendy’s says the Krabby Patty meal is barely accessible for a restricted time, which is a bummer — I’d get this burger on a regular basis if I may.

Now if, somebody desires to make the Krusty Krab pizza…

Associated protection:

• I attempted Chick-fil-A’s banana pudding milkshake so that you don’t must. Right here’s my overview.

• I attempted Taco Bell’s tacky road chalupa so that you don’t must. Right here’s my overview.

• I attempted McDonald’s Equipment Kat banana cut up McFlurry so that you don’t must. Right here’s my overview.

• I attempted Wendy’s triple berry Frosty so that you don’t must. Right here’s my overview.

• I attempted Taco Bell’s Large Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme so that you don’t must. Right here’s my overview.

Searching for extra New Jersey meals protection? Subscribe to the free Jersey Eats publication right here!

Our journalism wants your assist. Please subscribe in the present day to NJ.com.

Jeremy Schneider could also be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and adopted on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.

Donald Trump despatched Vladimir Putin COVID take a look at machines for his private use again in 2020, a brand new guide has claimed.

US creator and famed Watergate reporter Bob Woodward additionally claimed in his newest guide “Battle” that Mr Trump and Mr Putin shared as many as seven non-public cellphone calls because the former president left workplace.

Because the virus started to unfold in 2020 Mr Trump despatched Mr Putin an unspecified variety of the machines, in accordance with Woodward.

He claimed that Mr Putin advised Mr Trump to not inform anybody else as a result of individuals can be indignant over it, however Mr Trump mentioned he did not care if anybody knew.

The guide mentioned Mr Trump ended up agreeing to not inform anybody.

Earlier studies mentioned that Mr Trump’s administration despatched ventilators and different tools to a number of international locations together with Russia.

Secret cellphone calls

Woodward additionally claimed that Mr Trump and Mr Putin had held a number of calls since he left the White Home.

He tells the story of an aide being requested to go away Mr Trump’s workplace at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida so he might name Mr Putin.

Woodward claims the aide, who he does not identify, mentioned there had been a number of calls.

The guide doesn’t element what was mentioned.

Mr Trump has had a controversial relationship with Mr Putin since his 2016 marketing campaign for president, the place he referred to as upon Russia to seek out lacking emails deleted by his Democrat rival Hilary Clinton.

US intelligence businesses mentioned Russia had meddled in that election, one thing Mr Trump publicly questioned two years later after assembly Mr Putin in individual in Helsinki.

Learn extra:
How a lot can we belief the US election polls?
Trump v Harris: How their data examine
US election: What occurs on the evening?

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‘The work of a really demented and deranged man’

Mr Trump’s workforce criticised the publication’s claims.

His communications director Steven Cheung denied the accounts and mentioned: “None of those made-up tales by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a really demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Sky Information’ US accomplice community NBC Information quoted Mr Trump’s working mate JD Vance as saying: “I actually did not know that Bob Woodward was nonetheless alive till you requested me that query.”

He knocked Woodward as a “hack” and mentioned that even when the tales had been true: “Look, is there one thing flawed with talking to world leaders? No. Is there something flawed with partaking in diplomacy?”

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Donald Trump had as many as seven conversations with Vladimir Putin after he left the White Home, in response to explosive reviews that elevate recent questions concerning the former US president’s relationship with the Russian chief.

The claims stem from a forthcoming ebook by veteran journalist Bob Woodward, as a result of be revealed subsequent week. The Washington Put up, his longtime employer, first reported on the ebook’s contents.

Woodward’s ebook additionally reveals Trump secretly despatched Putin Covid-19 exams for his private use on the peak of the pandemic, the report stated.

The ebook, Struggle, reportedly describes a scene earlier this yr, when Trump instructed an aide to go away his Mar-a-Lago workplace so he might communicate privately by cellphone with Putin. The unnamed aide cited within the ebook recommended the previous president and Russia’s chief had spoken as many as seven occasions since Trump left the White Home in 2021.

The reviews elevate new questions on Trump’s relationship with Putin with lower than a month to go till the US presidential election.

Trump, the Republican candidate, trails his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, by greater than three factors, in response to the Monetary Occasions ballot tracker, though they’re locked in a digital tie in all seven swing states that can decide who wins November’s vote.

A spokesperson for Simon & Schuster, Woodward’s writer, didn’t reply to a request for remark.

The Trump marketing campaign’s communications director Steven Cheung rejected the reviews and launched a private assault on Woodward, calling him a “really demented and deranged man”.

Cheung stated Trump gave Woodward “completely no entry for this trash ebook”, including: “Woodward is a complete sleazebag who has misplaced it mentally.”

Trump’s operating mate JD Vance referred to as Woodward a “hack” and defended the previous president at a marketing campaign cease in Michigan on Tuesday.

“Have I talked to Donald Trump about his calls with Vladimir Putin? No. I’ve by no means had that dialog with Donald Trump in my life,” Vance stated in response to a reporter’s query. “Even whether it is true, is there one thing unsuitable with chatting with world leaders? Is there something unsuitable with participating in diplomacy?”

However Harris instructed radio character Howard Stern in an interview on Tuesday that the reviews demonstrated “who Trump is”.

“Individuals in America have been struggling to get exams and this man is sending them to Russia, to a murderous dictator for his private use?” she stated.

“That’s simply the latest stark instance of who Trump is. He secretly despatched Covid take a look at kits for the non-public use of Putin of Russia, an adversary to the USA, when he was speaking about People must be placing bleach of their blood.”

Woodward, 81, grew to become well-known within the Seventies when he and fellow Washington Put up reporter Carl Bernstein broke tales concerning the Watergate scandal, which led to then president Richard Nixon’s resignation. He has written greater than a dozen bestselling books, together with 4 volumes on the Trump presidency.

Trump has sued Woodward over a 2022 audiobook based mostly on 20 interviews that he performed with the previous president between 2016 and 2020. Trump has argued that publishing the tapes violates his copyright, whereas Simon & Schuster has repeatedly filed motions to dismiss the case.

Trump’s potential return to the White Home might have important implications for Russia, Ukraine and the Nato alliance. The previous president — who referred to as Putin a “genius” after Russia invaded Ukraine once more in 2022 — has stated he would finish the combating in Ukraine on “day one” if he’s re-elected, however has not detailed how he would accomplish that. In final month’s presidential debate, Trump declined to say that he wished Ukraine to win the struggle.

Harris has accused Trump of pandering to Putin and instructed CBS Information in an interview that aired on Monday evening that she wouldn’t meet “bilaterally” with the Russian president except his Ukrainian counterparts have been supplied a seat on the negotiating desk.

If there’s one one that may carry 2016 pageant make-up vibes to the soccer area, it’s Taylor Swift. Soccer season has been underway for 5 weeks now, and for Swifties, this solely means one factor: an inflow of latest Taylor Swift appears to obsess over. Neglect about touchdowns or group rivalries — all Swifties wish to know is what she’s carrying in her WAG period as a supportive girlfriend to Travis Kelce. And out of all her types over the previous yr, her most up-to-date recreation day look could have prompted the most important stir but.

At Monday evening’s recreation with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and New Orleans Saints, Swift complimented her signature crimson lip with an surprising contact: golden glitter fake freckle patches by a small, female-owned enterprise Fazit. In response, Swifties flocked to the web, boosting internet site visitors and gross sales of the model by 1000%; some retailers like City Outfitters offered out of the short-term tattoos totally. With this in thoughts, we will count on to see tons of sparkly noses and cheeks because the singer continues with the North American leg of her tour.

For these interested in get the look, it’s easy. Press the Fazit Make-up Patches onto the face, pat for 60 seconds with a moist towel, and peel to disclose shimmery, dotted pores and skin — identical to the short-term tattoos of childhood. What makes Fazit higher than simply dotting your face with liquid gold eyeliner is the promise that they’re already designed within the good natural-looking freckle form, and can survive via dancing and warmth — necessary info for anybody who’s going to Swift’s sure-to-be-sweaty present in Miami subsequent week.

Kaos could have an adoring legion of followers, but it surely wasn’t sufficient to save lots of the darkish comedy collection from cancelation. After only one season, the present, which premiered on Aug. 29, 2024, has already met its finish, regardless of spending a number of weeks in a number of High 10 rankings in a number of international locations.

The present’s formidable try and retell Greek mythology in a modern-day setting gained many individuals over and obtained nice critiques, however in the long run (as I’ll quickly element), the viewership numbers weren’t there to ensure a second and third season just like the present’s creator, Charlie Covell, meant.

The collection starred Jeff Goldblum as a paranoid, insecure Zeus, who stands on the middle of an influence battle between the gods and humanity—an effort spearheaded by Prometheus and a gaggle of people together with Eurydice, Ariadne, and Caeneus. Regardless of its dynamite solid that included the likes of Janet McTeer, Cliff Curtis, David Thewlis and Aurora Perrineau, the present didn’t safe a second season, leaving followers upset.

The cancelation was first revealed in a now-deleted Instagram submit by Perrineau, who performed Eurydice, confirming the present’s destiny to her followers. You possibly can learn the complete submit over on What’s On Netflix, however right here’s a small choice:

“For one of many first occasions in my life, I’ve discovered myself actually proud. I’m, after all, pleased with everybody’s work and the care they gave to this challenge, as a result of, let me let you know, they left the whole lot on the ground. However I’ve additionally discovered myself pleased with me, and that’s one thing I’ve struggled with. After I received solid, I couldn’t imagine that somebody SAW me. A lady who’s not solely a minority but in addition a survivor of SA — and also you’re telling me that somebody thinks I might be one of many leads of a present, have company, my very own mission, and be fascinating sufficient to be the love curiosity to not just one wonderful human however two? I used to be worthy of that? Every part that occurred from that time ahead actually modified my perspective.”

When somebody within the feedback part of her submit requested if the present was canceled, Perrineau signaled that it was. Then, earlier this morning, Selection confirmed the present’s cancelation.

Kaos was initially envisioned as a three-season arc by Covell, who defined in an interview that the primary season’s finale arrange a number of potential storylines for future installments, together with the weakening of Zeus’s energy and the rise of Prometheus as a brand new chief. Covell expressed optimism that the primary season, regardless of not ending on a cliffhanger, would depart sufficient room for development because the present would proceed to develop its characters and story.

As is all the time the case with these cult-obsessed reveals, the continuation of Kaos relied upon its viewership numbers (What’s On Netflix goes into nice element about this, by the best way). Whereas Kaos’ first 4 weeks on the worldwide High 10 charts was promising, its efficiency was finally inconsistent and didn’t show the sustained development Netflix expects from its multiple-season reveals.

In its debut week, Kaos ranked #3 on Netflix’s English-language TV chart, accruing 22.8 million hours considered, which translated to about 3.4 million views. The second week was finest for the present, with it pulling in 39;.2 million hours considered, aka 5.9 million views—a 72% improve from the earlier week.

From there, nevertheless, it was a sluggish and inevitable decline, with the numbers dropping by 43% within the third week to 22.4 million hours considered (3.4 million views), then reducing additional within the fourth and remaining week with 14.5 million hours considered (2.2 million views). Kaos amassed roughly 98.9 million hours considered, or 14.9 million whole views.

Whereas a gradual decline is predicted of most reveals, this form of drop-off lined up with different latest reveals that received canceled by Netflix. The streaming service’s renewal selections are based on viewership in these first 28 days. Exhibits must not solely usher in a big viewers, however they need to additionally retain that viewers to develop. And, per the drop within the present’s second week, Kaos failed to realize this. After its second week peak, the drop in viewership urged that engagement was shortly waning.

Moreover, Netflix reclassified “Kaos Season 1” to simply “Kaos,” signaling a shift its standing to a restricted collection. Previously, this has sometimes indicated (as we noticed on this case) that Netflix not views the present as a long-term funding.

In comparison with different latest Netflix reveals that have been renewed, similar to Supacell, The Gents and My Life with the Walter Boys, Kaos constantly ranked decrease and had much less consistency within the weeks following its debut. In the meantime, reveals that have been canceled, like Useless Boy Detectives and Obliterated, confirmed the same sample to Kaos by way of early decline in viewership and failure to take care of momentum.

The pair went on thus far in actual life earlier than Damon introduced he was single throughout an Oprah Winfrey interview in 1998.

Chatting with Kirsty Younger on BBC Radio 4’s podcast Younger Once more, she recalled how she was “utterly subjugated” and “outlined” by her relationship with Damon.

“Like after we have a look at it now, it’s utterly absurd and there was no recourse,” she stated.

“There was no social media. There was no method of, like, you may make a video the place folks might join with who you really are.”

Requested if she thinks it’s higher now which you can amplify your individual voice on social media, she stated: “I do, sure. 100%. For me, it could be. I believe it’s a harmful place when you may go on sobbing and ruined… like, after all it has its downsides. However for me personally, I’d have liked to have the ability to.”

Nevertheless, the actress admitted she is uncertain she might have gone over the whole lot in a “measured method” as a result of depth of the eye.

“It was such a relentless assault notably by the British tabloids, it was extraordinary and it was visited on younger ladies greater than it was on males,” she stated.

Through the years, Driver has spoken about how she was vilified for talking up concerning the sexism she confronted within the trade earlier than the #MeToo motion opened up the dialog.

She beforehand advised The Instances that Harvey Weinstein, whose firm Miramax Movies distributed Good Will Looking, had objected to her casting as a result of her look.

The #MeToo period started in 2017 with a flood of allegations in opposition to film mogul Weinstein.

Driver, who went on to star in TV collection together with The Riches and Speechless, stated she is uncertain if she missed out on jobs due to being outspoken however thinks there have been a few producers who “would by no means work” along with her afterwards.

She added: “I didn’t have it half as unhealthy as another ladies who whistle-blew in a sexual capability, mine was querying issues that if a person had queried it, there could be no query.

“And I do know that there are loads of actresses who went by way of, as we discovered, submit ‘Me Too’ by way of loads of a lot darker, nefarious experiences by the hands of producers in Hollywood.”

Discussing if she thinks issues have improved within the trade for younger actresses, Driver stated: “I ask them on a regular basis and it’s so attention-grabbing and fantastic as a result of loads of them don’t have any expertise in any respect with that.

“It wouldn’t cross their thoughts that they wouldn’t rise up and say ‘this isn’t okay’, or ‘might you clarify this to me’, and ‘might you clarify how this works and what’s the expectation round this’?

“Like I really feel that there’s much more articulation… it’s type of wonderful.

“And I really feel like an outdated struggle horse generally going, ‘Good God, that is nice’. Like that’s why we did all of that in order that these younger women now do really feel protected to say stuff and never concern reprisal.”

BBC Radio 4’s Younger Once more is obtainable on BBC Sounds.

1. She was nearly taken from her mum as a toddler

Minnie had an atypical childhood. She says, “My mother and father weren’t married. My mom and father beloved one another very a lot, and had me and my sister, however it was an advanced set-up.” Minnie’s father was married to another person whereas in a relationship with Minnie’s mom.

“When my mother and father break up up – this was 1976, the primary 12 months that girls may get a mortgage and not using a male co-signing – my sister and I have been made Wards of the Court docket, as a result of our mother and father weren’t married…The choose gave my mom this unimaginable set of duties that she needed to obtain inside seven weeks to take care of custody of us: she needed to be married, personal her personal home and have us in class.”

“She one way or the other did it,” continues Minnie. “You’ll suppose that it was 1876. It was absurd… She bought every part she owned and acquired this tiny crofter’s cottage in the course of Hampshire that didn’t have an outdoor bathroom… It was fairly an journey.”

2. Her dad despatched her to Miami alone when she was 11

Minnie remembers a troublesome vacation along with her father and his new younger girlfriend. Struggling along with her emotions, Minnie “tormented my stepmother, who actually didn’t deserve it, and upset my father”. Fed up along with her, Minnie’s father put her on a flight to Miami, the place she was left within the metropolis all on her personal. She was 11.

“It’s nuts,” she says. “Nothing unhealthy occurred, which… is what makes it form of a fantastic story, however the concept that an 11-year-old was on their very own in Miami, in 1981.” She laughs about it now but additionally recognises the weirdness. “For me, these are the most effective tales: humorous but additionally deeply form of disturbing.”

3. Who Do You Assume You Are? helped her perceive her father

Minnie’s father was a pilot in World Conflict II. She says that have severely affected him, however she didn’t realise how a lot till she went on the present Who Do You Assume You Are?, on which celebrities dig into their household historical past.

“He actually did endure from PTSD his total life,” she says. “Any emotional state of affairs… triggered that. I didn’t perceive that till I did Who Do You Assume You Are? and understood the warfare he had, as a result of he by no means talked about it.” She needs she may talk about it with him. “I’d love to have the ability to speak to him about it and say there’s no disgrace in any of it. There’s solely the expertise of a really, very younger man in a very terrifying warfare.”