PMQs sketch: Starmer goes on the attack September 13, 2023 It would have been a tall order for Keir Starmer to mess up this week’s shouting match with the prime minister. Few politicos would have had an escaped terror suspect cycling around west London or an alleged Chinese spy in Parliament on their pre-conference bingo cards. And in fairness to the former chief prosecutor, he [...]
Westminster’s alleged spy for China says he is ‘completely innocent’ September 11, 2023 The parliamentary researcher arrested on suspicion of being a spy for China has insisted he is “completely innocent”. The man said he had spent his career highlighting the “challenge and threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party”. The arrest under the Official Secrets Act led to the Prime Minister confronting Chinese premier Li Qiang at [...]
James Cleverly to make landmark China visit in bid to ‘protect UK national security’ August 29, 2023 Foreign secretary James Cleverly will make a landmark visit to China on Wednesday in a bid to reaffirm the UK’s protection of national security. Cleverly, who is currently in the Philippines, will fly to Beijing on August 30 for high-level talks with top officials including vice president Han Zheng and foreign affairs minister Wang Yi. [...]
GCHQ: MI5 to appoint first female spy chief in its 100-year history April 11, 2023 A woman will become the boss of GCHQ for the first time in its more than 100-year history when the current director steps down next month. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced that Anne Keast-Butler has been appointed to succeed Sir Jeremy Fleming as head of the government’s intelligence organisation. Keast-Butler, currently MI5’s deputy director-general, will [...]
Finland officially joins NATO as security bloc’s border with Russia doubles April 4, 2023 Finland has officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in a move that doubles the Western alliance’s border with Russia. The historic realignment was triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. It has sparked warnings from Moscow that it will seek to bolster defences along its border. Finland shares a 832-mile border with [...]
Ex-spy chief warns balloon ‘gross transgression’ as US denies alien links February 14, 2023 A former head of MI6 has warned of a “gross transgression” by the Chinese authorities in sending a spy balloon into US airspace and urged the UK to “wake up” to the threat posed. Sir Alex Younger, who ran the UK’s foreign intelligence service from 2014 to 2020, told the BBC on 14 February that [...]
BAE Systems post revenue over £10bn with Saudi deals a tenth of this as new chair brought in July 28, 2022 BAE Systems reported higher sales and revenue for the first half of 2021 helped by work with Saudi Arabia as it met market expectations and announced a new Chair from next year. The defence company’s sales were up 2.8 per cent from the previous year’s first half to £10.6bn as its revenue climbed 4.3 per cent [...]
SEC Chair calls Bitcoin a commodity and likens other crypto assets to securities June 28, 2022 Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler called Bitcoin a commodity while likening other crypto assets to securities. “Many of these financial assets, crypto financial assets, have the key attributes of a security,” he said to CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Monday. “Some, like Bitcoin… my predecessors and others have said, they’re a commodity.” He said [...]
Cyber security firm Kape has soaring revenue and profits after high-profile acquisitions March 22, 2022 Leading cyber security firm Kape reported a near 90 per cent increase in revenue following a series of high-profile acquisitions this year. The company announced its final results for 2021 on Tuesday, reporting it brought in $230m (£175m), an increase from $122m (£92m) the previous year. This comes after it completed the acquisition of online [...]
Government minister urges consumers to be more cautious about online security March 14, 2022 Consumers need to be even more cautious with their digital activity amid “heightened international tensions”, warned James Cleverly.