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A parliamentary researcher who has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China has said he is “completely innocent”.

In a statement released by his lawyers, the man – who they did not name – said: “I feel forced to respond to the media accusations that I am a ‘Chinese spy’. It is wrong that I should be obliged to make any form of public comment on the misreporting that has taken place.

“However, given what has been reported, it is vital that it is known that I am completely innocent. I have spent my career to date trying to educate others about the challenge and threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party.

“To do what has been claimed against me in extravagant news reporting would be against everything I stand for.”

It comes as the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he will make a statement on Monday in relation to the case this afternoon.

The researcher, who is in his 20s, is understood to have had links to security minister Tom Tugendhat, foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns and other senior Tory MPs.

Scotland Yard said he was arrested in Edinburgh on 13 March.

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The Sunday Times revealed that another man, who is in his 30s, was also arrested in Oxfordshire on the same day.

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Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, which oversees espionage-related offences, are investigating.

Both men were held on suspicion of offences under section one of the Official Secrets Act 1911, which punishes offences that are said to be “prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state”.

They have been bailed until early October.

Their arrests led to Rishi Sunak confronting Chinese premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit in India on Sunday over “unacceptable” interference in democracy.

The incident has also thrown a spotlight on the government’s stance towards China and raised questions about whether it should adopt a tougher approach.

The prime minister has sought to adopt a more diplomatic stance towards Beijing than some of the more hawkish members of his cabinet and party, who want China to be officially classified as a threat.

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PM raised ‘concerns’ with China

This morning Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch echoed Mr Sunak’s approach, saying China should not be considered a “foe” but a “challenge”.

Ms Badenoch said the claims of spying were an “extremely serious concern” but we “shouldn’t be using language that makes people scared”.

Asked whether China should be described as a threat, Ms Badenoch told Sky News: “I would define it as a challenge.”

Pressed on whether China should be described as a “friend or a foe”, she replied: “We certainly should not be describing China as a foe – but we can describe it as a challenge.

“I don’t think we should be careless in terms of how we speak about other countries when these sorts of things happen.”

A denial from China is exactly what we have come to expect

China’s response to the news that two people in the UK have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing is straight out of its normal playbook: straight, hard denial, with a dose of accusation thrown in.

In the words of Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “the so-called espionage in the UK is non-existent” and all part of a campaign of “false information” and “malicious framing of China”.

This is exactly the sort of denials we have come to expect when China finds itself accused.

Remember, for instance, the spy balloon incident? Even when the Americans had collected the balloon debris and had in their hands pretty hard evidence it was fitted with surveillance equipment, China stuck to its denials.

Admitting otherwise would contradict its claims to be a responsible global player.

The bigger question is how this affects the UK-China relationship going forward.

China really does not like these sort of public accusations that cause it to “lose-face” – a hugely important cultural thing here.

If the UK dwells on this too much, makes too many loud protestations or upgrades China’s status to “threat” as some British MPs would like, it would be entirely feasible, even likely, for China to further cool an already pretty chilly relationship.

The UK government, already facing pressure on the consistency of its China policy, would have to think seriously about how it would handle this sort of situation given China’s power, wealth and influence.

But former Lord Chancellor and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told Sky News that in his view, the UK should approach China “with our eyes wide open”.

“It’s not a surprise to me this morning and I hope it’s not a surprise to many people that China is spying on us,” he said.

He said “many people” were spying on the UK and that the government needed to be “robust in our response”.

But he added: “That doesn’t mean we should cut trade and investment ties, that we should simply go into a defensive crouch.”

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China denies spying against UK

The Chinese embassy in London issued a statement yesterday in which it described the incident as “completely fabricated” and “nothing but a malicious slander”.

It also urged Britain’s lawmakers to “stop anti-China political manipulation”.

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Labour’s shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, claimed security services warned about the dangers of spying “some time ago”.

She pointed to the “damning” report from the security and intelligence committee in July which said the government had “no strategy” to deal with China.

“We think there has to be a comprehensive strategy towards the risks, the challenges, and the threats from other states to our national security,” she said.

Asked if she believed China was a friend or foe, she said: “Well, the relationship is clearly complex.

“There are serious issues around the human rights abuses in China. There are serious issues around their approach and their role across the world. And we also have this trading relationship, as we’ve seen the rise of China. We have to deal with that. But in particular, we have to make sure we protect our own national security. That has to come first.”

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Prince Andrew to give up all his titles and honours, including Duke of York

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Prince Andrew to give up all his titles and honours, including Duke of York

Prince Andrew has announced he is to give up his titles, including the Duke of York.

However, he will remain a prince, having been born the son of Elizabeth II.

His former wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also no longer use her title of The Duchess of York, it is understood.

In a statement, Prince Andrew said: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.

“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.

“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.

“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

The decision comes following increased pressure on Prince Andrew after more reports emerged of his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, and his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.

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Palestine Action can still challenge terror ban after government loses court appeal

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Palestine Action can still challenge terror ban after government loses court appeal

Palestine Action can still challenge the decision to ban the group under anti-terror laws after the government lost an appeal.

The group was “proscribed” in July, making it illegal to show any support or affiliation for it, following incidents that included breaking in to an RAF base.

The Home Office appealed after a court granted the group’s co-founder a judicial review and said the ban disproportionately interfered with freedom of speech and assembly.

A woman is led away by police during Palestine Action protest on 6 September. Pic: PA
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A woman is led away by police during Palestine Action protest on 6 September. Pic: PA

It said the government should also have consulted the group first.

Despite the ban, nearly 900 supporters were arrested at a single protest in London last month.

The judicial review of the ban was scheduled to begin on 25 November and Friday’s Court of Appeal decision means it can still go ahead.

Palestine Action called it a “landmark victory” and said co-founder Huda Ammori had also been granted permission to appeal on two further grounds.

Reacting after the court’s decision, Ms Ammori called the ban “absurdly authoritarian” and “one of the most extreme attacks on civil liberties in recent British history”.

She said 2,000 people had been arrested since it was outlawed and arresting “peaceful protesters” under the Terrorism Act was a misuse of resources.

The group’s vandalising of aircraft at Brize Norton in June – with two activists reportedly entering on electric scooters – prompted a security review of UK defence sites.

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Supporters of the group vandalised aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in June
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Supporters of the group vandalised aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in June

Its supporters have carried out numerous protests in the UK, with many involving vandalism and violence.

Last year, it smashed windows and sprayed red paint on Barclays branches and this summer vandalised a Bristol defence technology firm, allegedly assaulting staff and police.

Multiple rallies for the group have taken place in London since July’s ban, with hundreds detained for showing support.

A protest at the start of this month saw another 492 people arrested despite calls for the event to be scrapped after the Manchester synagogue terror attack.

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King Charles to become first British monarch to pray publicly with Pope in 500 years

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King Charles to become first British monarch to pray publicly with Pope in 500 years

The King will become the first British monarch to pray publicly with the Pope since the Reformation 500 years ago during a state visit to the Holy See next week.

The King and Queen will meet the new pontiff Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace, his official residence, next Thursday during their trip to Vatican City.

In a highly significant moment in relations between the Catholic Church and Church of England, of which His Majesty is Supreme Governor, the King and Queen and the Pope will attend a special ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel celebrating the ongoing work towards unity and cooperation among different Christian churches.

The decision for the King and Pope to pray together during the service will be the first time a monarch and the pontiff have joined together in this type of moment of reflection in the 500 years since the Reformation when, in 1534, King Henry VIII declared himself as head of the Church of England and broke from the papal authority of the Rome Catholic Church.

In another historic step, the King will be made “Royal Confrater” of the Abbey of St Paul’s Outside the Walls.

The abbot of the community and the archpriest of the basilica wished to confer the title and received the Pope’s approval to do so. To mark the occasion a special seat has been made decorated with the King’s coat of arms.

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The King will use it during the service, after which it will remain in the apse of the basilica for future use by His Majesty and his heirs and successors.

English Kings had a particular link with The Papal Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls until the Reformation. It is also known as the Papal Basilica where reconciliation, ecumenism and relationships across the Christian faith are celebrated.

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King to pray with Pope

A spokesperson for the Church of England said: “The royal confrater title, whilst it confers no duties or obligations on the King, and makes no changes whatsoever to the formal, constitutional and ecclesiastical position of His Majesty as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, it is a tribute to his majesty and his own work over many decades to find common ground between faiths and to bring people together.”

The trip comes during the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee year. Held traditionally every 25 years, “Pilgrims of Hope” is the theme of this jubilee.

The King and Queen met the late Pope Francis in April. Pic: Reuters
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The King and Queen met the late Pope Francis in April. Pic: Reuters

The visit will also reflect the joint commitment from both Pope Leo and the King to protect nature and their shared concern for the environment. The service at the Sistine Chapel will have the theme of “Care for Creation” and they will attend a meeting on sustainability.

A spokesperson from the Foreign Office said: “At a time of growing instability and conflict, the UK’s relationship with the Holy See is more important than ever. The Holy See is a key international actor.

“We work with the Holy See to promote human dignity, to promote peace and combat climate change… so His Majesty’s visit will strengthen the UK’s relationship with this crucial and influential global partner.”

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Only in 1961 did Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch since the Reformation to make an official visit to the Holy See.

In April of this year, a royal visit had to be cancelled due to the ill health of Pope Francis, but both the King and Queen did meet him privately while on a trip to Rome. It is understood Pope Leo and the King have been actively engaged in how this reorganised visit will look and the themes it will cover.

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