The story of the alleged Chinese spy linked to Prince Andrew continues to dominate the front pages. Metro leads on the naming of the spy suspect as Yang Tengbo – also known as Chris Yang – who asked for a court order anonymising him to be lifted so that he could deny the allegations against him.
The front page of the Financial Times also carries an image of Mr Yang, detailing more of his denial of being a Chinese spy, in which he also says he has “fallen victim” to a changed “political climate”. The FT says Yang’s case has “reignited debate about the extent to which the UK government should be reviving relations with Beijing”.
“Spy suspect was Duke’s ‘money man'” reads the main headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph. It looks closer at Yang Tengbo’s links to the Duke of York, including that he was a founding member of Prince Andrew’s Pitch@Palace China scheme, which the paper says it understands the duke benefitted financially from.
The i newspaper looks at the spy allegations against Yang Tengbo in the context of plans by the government, to be introduced next year, which it says will allow UK security services to “monitor foreign nationals” like Mr Yang. The paper says people linked to states including China, Russia and Iran will face “fresh scrutiny”.
The Guardian looks at the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) – highlighting comments made by security minister Dan Jarvis on Monday that the government would lay the regulations for the scheme in the new year. Jarvis also said no decision had been made on whether China would be designated as an enhanced risk country.
“‘Spy was at the heart of duke’s charity in China” states the Times in the main headline on its front page. The paper says it has learnt that Mr Yang was the Duke of York’s “chief representative in Beijing” and highlights that the Chinese national had “contact” with at least two prime ministers and “senior business representatives”.
“How many more?” asks the Daily Mirror on its front page, referring to what it says are fears over a “growing network of Beijing spooks at large in Britain”. The paper highlights comments by former Tory leader Sir Ian Duncan Smith, who has said “there are many more involved in this kind of espionage. China is very clear on that.”
The Sun has a slightly lighter take on the issues surrounding the Duke of York, pasting a photo of his face wearing a paper crown on to a turkey, with the headline “Andrew’s stuffed at Christmas”. The paper looks at reports from royal sources that Prince Andrew will not join the rest of the Royal Family at the traditional Christmas gathering in Sandringham.
The Daily Express says the prime minister has been told that unless he increases defence spending, he will have to choose between getting rid of 20,000 troops or scrapping the UK’s aircraft carriers. The paper, quoting unnamed sources, says that Lord Robertson, who is leading the government’s strategic defence review, issued the ultimatum to Sir Keir Starmer in person.
“Scrooge alive and well in Fulham” proclaims the Daily Star, referring to a businessman who has reportedly warned his guests he will use a credit card reader to charge his Christmas dinner guests a minimum of £75 each after getting fed up that they do not pay their way.
The naming of the alleged Chinese spy with links to Prince Andrew features on most of the front pages. “Exposed” says the Sun.
“Revealed” says the Financial Times, while the headline in the Daily Mirror is “unmasked”.
The Times says Yang Tengbo was at “the heart” of the Duke of York’s charity in China. It says the businessman had been appointed a founder of the Chinese arm of the duke’s entrepreneurial scheme, Pitch@Palace. The duke says he “ceased all contact” with Mr Yang when the government first raised concerns about him. The paper goes on to say that Sir Keir Starmer is facing pressure from M-I-5 to designate China a threat to national security, as there are concerns failing to do so would “empower” its spying operations in the UK.
On its front page, the Telegraph carries some of the statement issued by Yang Tengbo yesterday, saying he had asked his legal team to disclose his identity “due to the high level of speculation” in the media. He has also denied claims he was a spy and insisted he loves the UK as his “second home”.
Prince Andrew’s absence from the Royal Family’s Christmas gathering at Sandringham is also prominent on the front pages. The Sun says he’s been “forced” to pull out so as not to “embarrass” the King.
The i says he’s been banished, while the Daily Mail says many in Royal circles believe it is the right thing to do, given the circumstances – but the paper says it has led insiders to question whether Prince Andrew “will ever appear with the family again in public” other than for funerals and weddings.
Yang Tengbo said he had “done nothing wrong or unlawful”
The Guardian carries photographs of the devastation in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, after the powerful cyclone at the weekend. The images show destroyed buildings, scattered belongings and piles of debris. The paper says many relatives searching for news of their loved ones have turned to social media, with one Facebook group gaining 13,000 members by Monday evening.
A study which says taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely to die of Alzheimer’s disease than other workers is highlighted by the Times. One of the researchers says it raises the possibility that navigational skills lead to better brain health. However, the paper says cabbies tended to die earlier than the average worker, suggesting a “life largely spent sitting in a car may be unhealthy in other ways”.
The Telegraph has picked up British tennis star Emma Raducanu saying she has “learnt to say no” after the wave of sponsorship deals that followed her US Open success in 2021. The 22-year-old told reporters that she was not prepared for everything off the court, but she has since decided to “put herself first a little bit more”.
And, the Times says a collection of almost 2,000 English coins, which has been left in a cabinet for more than a century, is tipped to sell for £250,000. The paper says the coins date from the Norman conquest of 1066 to the reign of Queen Victoria – and are expected to fetch a “pretty penny” at auction.
