Heywood not a British spy, says UK

UK officials have said that Neil Heywood, the British businessman whose murder led to the downfall of Bo Xilai, was not a British spy, Bloomberg reported. “Given intense interest in this case, it is, exceptionally, appropriate for me to confirm that Mr Heywood was not an employee of the British government in any capacity,” UK Foreign Secretary William Hague wrote in a letter published online. Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai, has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in Heywood’s murder. Citing nearly a dozen anonymous sources, the New York Times reported on Wednesday that Bo’s ouster was related largely to his wiretapping of Hu Jintao and another top official. The murder account provided Bo’s opponents with an unassailable reason to have him removed, but party insiders said the wiretapping was seen as a direct challenge to central authorities, the report said.