An alleged Chinese spy who cultivated close ties with Prince Andrew said he has done "nothing wrong or unlawful" as Britain's government faced questions about what it is doing to thwart security threats from China.

British authorities allege businessman Yang Tengbo — known only as "H6" until a High Court judge lifted an anonymity order overnight — was working on behalf of the United Front Work Department, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party that is used to influence foreign entities.

It's the most high-profile case in a series of espionage scandals in recent years that involved suspected or confirmed Chinese intelligence-gathering in Britain's establishment, including in Parliament.

Here's a look at Yang's case:

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Who is Yang Tengbo?

Yang, 50, also known as Chris Yang, is listed as a director of Hampton Group International, a business consultancy advising UK-based companies on their operations in China. He has been photographed with senior UK politicians, including former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May, at events.

Yang is reportedly a key member of Pitch@Palace China, an initiative by Prince Andrew to support entrepreneurs.

Yang worked as a junior civil servant in China before arriving in the UK in 2002 to study. He earned a master's degree in public administration and public policy at the University of York before starting his business.

He was granted the right to live and work in the UK for an indefinite period in 2013. Yang told authorities he has spent regular time in Britain and considered it his second home.

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What happened with Prince Andrew?

Details about Yang's case emerged last week at a special immigration tribunal, which upheld a decision by British authorities to ban Yang from entering the UK in 2023. The Home Office said he was believed to have carried out "covert and deceptive activity" for the Chinese Communist Party.

Judges agreed with MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence, that Yang "represented a risk to the national security" and dismissed his appeal.

The tribunal heard that in 2021, authorities found documents that showed how close Yang was to Prince Andrew, King Charles III's younger brother.

One letter from a senior adviser to Andrew told Yang he should "never underestimate the strength" of his relationship with the royal. "Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on," the adviser wrote.

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The tribunal said that when Yang was interviewed by immigration authorities he failed to give a full account of his relationship with the prince, which it said had a "covert and clandestine" element.

Authorities have not made public what information Yang allegedly obtained or was seeking to obtain. But the tribunal cited a 2022 statement by the MI5 director that described the United Front Work Department's aims as buying and exerting influence, amplifying pro-China voices and silencing those critical of the Chinese government's authority.

Andrew has been repeatedly criticised for his links to wealthy foreigners and prompted critics to suggest that those individuals were trying to buy access to the royal family.

What has been said about the allegations?

Yang strongly denied the espionage claims and said he was a victim of a changing political climate that had seen a rise in tensions between Britain and China.

"I have done nothing wrong or unlawful," he said in a statement. "The widespread description of me as a 'spy' is entirely untrue."

Andrew's office said the royal met Yang "through official channels" and nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed.

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What is the UK's relationship with China?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is concerned about the challenge posed by China, but stood by his government's strategy of engagement and cooperation with Beijing.

Starmer, who took office this summer, has sought to repair frayed ties and in November became the first British leader to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping since 2018.

Opposition lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith, a leading critic of Beijing, said that glosses over the clear threat China poses. Yang was already a known member of China's United Front Work Department, he told Parliament, and should not have been able to gain access to the royal family without scrutiny.

"The reality is that there are many, many more involved in exactly this kind of espionage that's taking place," he said.

In 2022 British intelligence officials warned politicians that Christine Lee, a British-Chinese lawyer, had been seeking to improperly influence members of Parliament for years. A parliamentary researcher was arrested in 2023 on suspicion of providing sensitive information to China.

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Australians are really embracing the Christmas spirit this year, with homes across the county draped in stunning festive decorations and sparkling lights.

Floods had washed away the stinger warning signs on the bank of the Calliope River when 10-year-old Rachael Shardlow waded into the shallows in December 2010.

She didn't want to be swimming in the estuary about 15km from Gladstone, Queensland, and had even thrown a tantrum before leaving the house with her parents and older brother Sam that day.

Perhaps it was an omen because minutes after entering the water, Rachael was stung by a deadly box jellyfish.

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Found in warm waters from Western Australia to Queensland between October and May, box jellyfish are the most venomous marine creature on the planet and can kill a human in minutes.

Despite this, researchers still know next to nothing about the deadly creatures that almost claimed Rachael's life 14 years ago.

"I do remember being nervous about going in the water. I asked mum, 'is there anything in here that can hurt me?'" Rachael, now 24, told 9news.com.au.

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at Google Play.

From cuddling drug-addicted newborns in New York to transporting babies butchered by war across the world to save their lives, Moira Kelly has been a miracle worker for children for more than 30 years.

But now she says she has done one of the best things in a life studded with "miracles".

She has donated her own kidney to save the life of a child she had already saved 15 years ago.

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https://omny.fm/shows/neil-mitchell-asks-why/why-moira-kelly-gave-up-a-kidney-doing-what-she-lo/embed?style=cover&image=1&description=1&download=1&playlistImages=1&playlistShare=1&share=1&subscribe=1&background=f5f5f5&foreground=6d4d8f&highlight=6313bc

Moira is best known because of four children, now adults, but she has saved hundreds and improved life for hundreds more.

Her most famous cases are Ahmed and Emmanuelle Kelly, she adopted them, and the conjoined twins from Bangladesh, Krishna and Trishna.

Moira rescued both boys in Iraq in an orphanage where they had effectively been abandoned. Both had suffered horrendous disfiguring limb injuries which needed urgent treatment.

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Now, Emmanuelle is a powerful and successful singer who performs with Coldplay on tour.

And Ahmed is a committed Paralympian and world record holder. He has silver medals but wants gold.

Both handle their continuing disabilities superbly. 

The girls hold a very special place in the hearts of this country.

The public donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support their care.

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They were joined at the head, but after much discussion and even rehearsal of the operation, were successfully separated in 2009 at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital.

It was a 30-hour operation led by neurosurgeon Wirginia Maixner. 

The twins were born in a remote Bangladesh village and with such complex medical problems were taken for care to the city where Moira first met them.

When she brought them to Australia there was only a 25 per cent chance of survival.

Now they are 18, living with their birth mother and Moira in Melbourne.

Once again, Moira has stepped up to save the life of one of them.

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Speaking on the podcast "Neil Mitchell Asks Why" for the first time Moira has given details of the latest health challenge and what she did about it. 

Krishna has had various health problems and special needs since they were separated, including compromised kidney function. Her sister, Trishna, is extremely protective of her and they are very close.

But in mid-2021 it hit hard.

"Unfortunately during Covid Krishie went into end-stage renal failure. It was the worst time of my life," Moira said.

"We were those people waiting for an ambulance for one, two hours. Krishie was in hospital every few weeks.

"So she needed a kidney transplant. They say only ten per cent of the population can be a donor so I got tested, became a live kidney donor, and donated my kidney  to Krishna."

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The twins' birth mother Lovely was tested too, but was unable to donate. Moira did not hesitate:

"There is not a parent male or female, who wouldn't do what I did.

"I am so lucky, so lucky to be a donor. It is one of the best things I have done in my life.

"And I feel so proud, and so happy looking at her every day. She's the funniest, most beautiful thing on two legs. They have enriched my life so much."

The physical challenges for a live donor are often greater than the recipient, and Moira took longer to recover, spending six days in hospital. Krishna was quickly back to her cheeky self.

Moira understands kidney health. Her mother lived with one kidney. Regardless. This was an emotional and psychological battle too, which is why she has not made the donation public until now.

'There's a really important message here about live donation and donation after death. Families need to talk about it'

"I went up to the ward to see my little girl and just held her and just cried. It was a very special moment to see my little girl well.

"To see beautiful Krishie with this kidney and to think I've done something really good for her and her life is saved.

"We didn't have to wait for a deceased donor and now somebody else can get that donor's gift. I thank God every day."

Through her career Moira Kelly has seen much of the worst the world has to offer.

She has worked in the desperate poverty of Calcutta, lived for years in war zones like Bosnia, travelled across dangerous countries to help children, and cuddled the babies of drug addicts in the Bronx.

She has received countless Australian honours and awards. Her philosophy in life seems to be to act rather than think through what could go wrong, and to laugh a lot.

"Sometimes when Krishie's a bit naughty I will say to her 'you behave yourself…. I gave you a kidney'.

"Or somebody will ask where she is and I will say 'in the other room with my kidney'.

"Not many people can have those jokes."

I have known Moira for about 20 years and my radio audience helped with many of her projects. 

I first met the twins days after they arrived, two little very sick bundles, joined at the head, lying in the same cot. It was sad, confronting, and frightening. 

Moira remains fiercely protective of the twins, and shields them from publicity.

She can be tough, determined, and fights bureaucracy like a tethered bull if it stands in the way of helping children. 

She can also be persuasive. Somehow, even she doesn't know how, she convinced the then Pope to pray for the girls when they had the separation surgery. 

And, inevitably, there is always a message with Moira: "There's a really important message here about live donation and donation after death. Families need to talk about it.

"That's why I thought I would finally go public.

"I'm going great. Krishie is going great and it shows you can make a big difference in someone's life.

"You don't have to wait, guys. You've got a spare. Use your spare. That's what I say."

NEIL MITCHELL hosts the interview podcast "Neil Mitchell Asks Why?" which is posted each Tuesday and presents his analysis on the week's news on the podcast each Thursday.

The Salvation Army is preparing for its toughest Christmas in 140 years as cost-of-living pressures continue to impact Australians.

About 6.3 million people are expected to struggle with paying their rent or mortgage this Christmas, while one in four are worried their children may miss out on presents, according to research released by The Salvation Army today.

Major Warren Elliott told 9news.com.au that the number of people seeking help, especially for the first time, is reaching unprecedented levels.

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The Salvation Army's research found cost-of-living pressures were particularly challenging for families with children.

About 2.5 million families are worried their children will miss out on food, and 1.2 million won't even talk about Christmas with their children because they can't afford it.

"It's gonna be the hardest Christmas for us in 140-year history because we've got so many more people coming to see us this year," Elliott told 9news.com.au.

"The numbers are just going through the roof and they have been for a few years now and they just keep going up at Christmas time as more people particularly over these last two years have been feeling the squeeze.

"We're finding more people are just looking to cut back over Christmas."

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The new research comes amid a cost-of-living crisis, with grocery prices rising by 33 per cent over the past three years.

At the same time, rental prices have reached record highs.

Domain's rental report, released earlier this month, shows the price of advertised rental units rose 12.9 per cent in Sydney, 14.6 per cent in Melbourne, 18 per cent in Brisbane and a whopping 22.2 per cent in Perth over the last year.

According to the research, about 1.9 million people will be reaching out to a charity for help this Christmas, with more than 54 per cent of them seeking assistance for the first time.

Meanwhile, about 19 per cent will struggle to pay medical bills this holiday season.

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"The number of people that are cutting back over Christmas and saying they're not going to have as much food or not going to have as many presents," Elliot said.

"What sticks out to me is that people are making decisions about what they're going to spend their money on. So some people are saying I'm gonna go without my medication or I won't pay my mortgage or go back on those important payments, just to get through Christmas.

"People are putting themselves into financial difficulty… just to make sure that the kids have something. That concerns me that people will do that. We are saying if people are doing those things, let us help.

"Come and see us, even if it's just with some budgeting advice, we can help people to sort out some of those difficulties."

The Salvation Army is hoping to raise $27 million which will go towards providing Christmas hampers, meals and accommodation for those in need.

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An alleged Chinese spy who forged a close relationship with Prince Andrew has been identified by a British court, the latest twist in a case that has shone a light on Beijing's influence inside Britain's institutions.

The man, Yang Tengbo, was identified after a judge ruled his anonymity should be removed, PA Media reported this morning.

Tengbo was described in a separate court hearing last week as developing an "unusual degree of trust" with the younger brother of King Charles III.

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In a tribunal hearing on Thursday that upheld an earlier decision to bar Tengbo from the UK, it was revealed that he was authorised to act on Andrew's behalf during business meetings with potential Chinese investors in the UK, and that he was invited to Andrew's 60th birthday party in 2020.

Tengbo said in a statement he had "done nothing wrong or unlawful", and that the "widespread description of me as a 'spy' is entirely untrue", PA Media said.

Concern over China's influence in Britain's politics and institutions has been steadily mounting in Westminster in recent years, and the case is just the latest example of an alleged infiltration by Beijing.

Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee released a report in 2023 outlining its view that China was seeking to target and influence people in the UK's political system.

Tengbo is alleged to have worked for China's United Front Work Department (UFWD), a branch of the ruling Communist Party tasked with gaining influence both at home and overseas. The report described the UFWD – as working to "ensure that politicians and high-profile figures in foreign states are supportive of the CCP, or at the very least do not criticise China or counter its narrative".

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'Tip of the iceberg'

Two men, one of them a parliamentary researcher, are awaiting trial after being charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act on behalf of China, which they deny.

And in 2022 the MI5 spy agency warned lawmakers that Christine Lee, a woman connected to the Chinese Communist Party, had been working to interfere in the UK political process.

Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, who raised the incident in an urgent question in the House of Commons on Monday, told the BBC the case was "the tip of the iceberg".

"The reality is that there are many, many more involved in exactly this kind of espionage that's taking place," he said.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Monday: "Of course we are concerned about the challenge that China poses."

But he resisted calls to toughen Britain's policy on China. Starmer in November became the first prime minister to meet with China's President Xi Jinping for six years. He reiterated on Monday: "Our approach is one of engagement, of co-operating where we need to co-operate, particularly on issues like climate change, to challenge where we must and where we should, particularly on issues like human rights and to compete when it comes to trade."

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A killer has been sentenced to decades behind bars for breaking into a stranger's south-west Sydney home after hearing about "bundles of cash" flashed on a Tinder date.

Joseph Nehme was sentenced in the NSW Supreme Court today after being found guilty of murdering 29-year-old Luke Lembryk during a botched home invasion in Condell Park in 2019.

"It's a big outcome for the family, it's been a long time coming," Luke's brother Jake Lembryk said outside court.

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"I know it's not going to bring him back but it's a step to healing."

Nehme is the last of four people to be sentenced over the killing.

Viliami Taufahema was also found guilty of Luke's murder.

Two co-offenders, Bilal Rahim and Lisa Price, were jailed for manslaughter.

The plan for the home invasion was hatched when Price mentioned seeing "bundles of cash" on a Tinder date with Luke in December 2019.

Tapped phone calls played in court recorded Nehme calling Taufehauma for backup.

"The girl, a girl told me a week ago she was at a house there … listen, 50 grand," Nehme could be heard saying.

"You wanna make money, I've got a job, let's go."

"Where?" Taufehauma asked.

"Condell Park," Nehme replied.

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The two men were in the house for less than two minutes, stabbing Luke five times, including in the heart.

Luke's mother was also assaulted and watched her 29-year-old son die from his injuries.

She died from cancer a few months later.

"Thinking about her last months being in such distress is a hard thing to think about," Jake said today.

Luke's final words were, "I'm dying, they've stabbed me."

The judge said this indicated that two people were there when Luke was attacked, even though Nehme claimed he only entered the house after the murder.

The judge ruled on the balance of probabilities it was his accomplice who inflicted the stab wounds but said Nehme was the "leader of the venture". He was sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison, with a non parole period of 15 years.

The Lembryk family faces life without Luke.

"He was a big life, that bloke and he was very hard to lose," Jake said.

Scientists are using molecules found in creepy crawlies to fight untreatable melanoma.

Bacteria-fighting peptides in creatures like the Japanese horseshoe crab and Brazilian tarantula are being copied and tested to see if they can fight cancer cells without impacting healthy cells

Nothing is extracted from the spiders or crabs – the peptides are simply copied and created in a lab.

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"We found they are very potent against melanoma," researcher Sonia Henriques told 9News.

Melanoma is the most serious kind of skin cancer.

According to the Cancer Council, one in 17 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 85.

And in some cases, skin cancer cells can change to withstand the therapy a patient is undergoing.

However, researchers believe there is no way for the cancer to build defences to these peptides.

A new treatment could still be years away with more testing and clinical trials to be conducted.

Meet three generations of the Wallis family, who are celebrating Christmas a little early this year.

Instead of "traditional" presents, Grandpa John and Grandma Chris have found a way to invest in their grandchildren.

"These days kids have got so much they don't really need a lot more stuff," John Wallis said.

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"We give a monthly donor a contribution, so $25 each to the six grandchildren each month, and then the fund gets topped up occasionally by uncles and aunts."

It's part of a growing trend for baby boomers.

"We are seeing a real rise in those over 60 years, about 25 per cent increase in Australians over 60 opening a kids account," a spokesperson for Vanguard Australia said.

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Vanguard portfolios can be set up in trust for your child with a $25 minimum deposit.

Further contributions are optional. No account fees apply, but underlying investments have fees.

Past 10-year returns ranged from 4.57 per cent (on conservative settings) to 9.66 per cent (in high growth funds), though past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Compound interest is all about earning interest on your interest.

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Imagine you invest $25 a month in a high-growth fund for your child from birth. By age 18, that could grow to $12,107, assuming an 8 per cent return per annum.

The best part? More than half of that balance comes from interest.

Vanguard isn't the only platform – you can buy shares for kids through Commsec's Minor Trust account.

Other portfolios designed for children include online adviser Stockspot and micro-investing platform Raiz.

"Even if it was $10 or $15 a month, putting money aside adds up," Chris Wallis said.

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A former AFL footballer has chased down a brazen shoplifter at a Melbourne shopping centre.

AFL legend Saverio Rocca was at Northland Shopping Centre yesterday when he witnessed a shopper leaving a store without paying.

"I approached the guy and said, 'You shouldn't be doing that … give the stuff back'," Rocca told 9News.

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"He had one look back at me and then took off."

The 51-year-old gave chase before the five-finger thief dropped his loot, which was returned to the store.

Witness Danny Reddon was shocked to see Rocca's off-field heroics.

"He's a big guy … I said, 'that's Sav Rocca'," Reddon said.

"He took the clothes back and I said, 'well done Sav', and he said, 'if he kept running I would have got him'," Reddon said.

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"It felt like about 3 kilometres but it was probably only about 50 metres," Rocca said.

"I felt like I was flying, like I was back in the old days, but I wouldn't have been moving very quick at all."

Rocca was gifted a 40 per cent discount for his good deed, but insists his professional running days are behind him.

"The running on the footy field is long gone … that's the quickest I've run since the footy field," he said.

Rocca kicked 758 goals in more than 250 games with Collingwood and North Melbourne throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

He then joined the American football ranks as a punter with Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles.