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What’s it actually like to work as a spy? Is it all Aston Martins, international travel and disguise?

Six spies from the UK’s three intelligence agencies – MI5, GCHQ and MI6 – spoke to 5 Live about working as a spy in Britain. All six are using false names.

Working for MI6 – the foreign intelligence service – is like being James Bond
It’s not. Not even close.

“We get that a lot,” says Kate, who’s worked for MI6 – or the Secret Intelligence Service – for 10 years. “Obviously we like it a bit as well because it’s quite glamorous. No, we don’t all get an Aston Martin or a speedboat or any other funky form of transport. You’ll more often see us on a bus or a tube than anything like that.”

John has spent 15 years with MI6, including working abroad. “Those myths about carrying guns, having your martinis just don’t apply,” he says. But there’s one aspect the films do get right. “We do actually have a Q. Q is actually a real thing,” he says, referencing the head of research and development division in the Bond films.

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New York police say they have safely destroyed a suspected letter bomb found at the home of billionaire businessman George Soros in New York state.

The package was discovered in a post box by an employee of Mr Soros who alerted the authorities before taking it to a nearby wooded area, police say.

The incident on Monday afternoon is now being investigated by the FBI.

Mr Soros has become a frequent target for criticism by right-wing groups due to his support for liberal causes. He was not at his home in the town of Bedford in Westchester County at the time of the incident, according to reports.

“An employee of the residence opened the package, revealing what appeared to be an explosive device,” a Bedford Police Department official told the New York Times.

Officials say that police received a call about a suspicious package at about 15:45 local time (20:45 GMT). Bomb squad technicians later destroyed it.

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Saudi Arabia has blamed the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on a “rogue operation”, giving a new account of an act that sparked a global outcry.

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Fox News “the murder” had been a “tremendous mistake” and denied the powerful crown prince had ordered it.

Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Saudis, under intense pressure to explain Khashoggi’s whereabouts, have offered conflicting accounts.

They initially said he had left the consulate on 2 October – but on Friday admitted for the first time he was dead, saying he had been killed in a fight. This claim met widespread scepticism.

Turkish officials believe Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government, was murdered by a team of Saudi agents inside the building and say they have evidence to prove it.

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Radical preacher Anjem Choudary, jailed for inviting support for the Islamic State group, has been released.

The cleric was sentenced in 2016 to five and a half years in prison. He led an extremist network linked to violent jihadists, including one of the killers of soldier Lee Rigby in 2013.

Choudary, 51, has served less than half of his sentence and will complete the rest under strict supervision. Up to 25 measures to control him have been prepared. His release from prison comes approximately four months early because of time spent bailed on an electronic tag before his conviction.

Choudary, from Ilford in east London, once headed up the al-Muhajiroun network – a leading extremist group which was banned under terrorism laws.

The father-of-five did not organise terror attacks, but is considered one of the UK’s most prominent radicalisers.

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A senior US commander has narrowly escaped a gun attack in which top Afghan security officials were killed.

The gunman, reported to be acting as a bodyguard, opened fire as officials left a meeting in Kandahar province.

Provincial police chief Gen Abdul Raziq died, as did the head of the NDS intelligence service, reports said. The Kandahar governor was badly wounded.

US commander Gen Scott Miller escaped unhurt but two other US citizens were injured, Nato said.

Initial reports say the attacker was killed.

The Taliban said they carried out the attack and that Gen Miller and Gen Raziq were the targets. In a statement, the group referred to Gen Raziq as a “brutal police chief”.

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