US adds Tencent to blacklist over suspected ties to Chinese military

The US has added social media and gaming giant Tencent to an updated list of firms that it alleges have ties to China’s military.

The Defense Department has added the parent company of WeChat to its annually updated Section 1260H list of companies which Washington believes participate in China’s “Military-Civil Fusion strategy”.

The strategy is reportedly aimed at modernising the Chinese military by working with local companies.

Tencent, which has a stake in popular video games PUBG and Fortnite, called its inclusion in the list “a mistake” and said it was willing to work with Pentagon to “address any misunderstanding”.

The company said it would initiate a “reconsideration process” and undertake legal proceedings if necessary.

“We are not a military company or supplier. Unlike sanctions or export controls, this listing has no impact on our business,” the internet giant said.

The updated list, released just days before Donald Trump takes over as the president, also includes battery maker CATL, which supplies to global EV makers like Tesla.

CATL responded to the Pentagon’s list saying that it was “not engaged in any military-related activities”.

The Chinese foreign ministry said, in a briefing on Tuesday, it had urged the US to lift its “illegal unilateral sanctions” against the companies.

Although addition to the list does not mean an immediate ban, it affects the reputations of the companies and puts pressure on the Treasury to sanction them. It also disincentivises American firms from dealing with these Chinese companies.

Shares of Tencent Holdings fell by nearly 7 per cent on Tuesday after its inclusion in the Pentagon list became known, costing the company $35.4bn in market value. Shares of CATL fell about 4 per cent.

The move comes amid a growing trade war between the US and China which escalated last week when Beijing banned the export of technology used to extract key minerals for the electric vehicle industry.

China also recently banned the export of products to 28 US defence companies and put 10 of them on its “unreliable entities” list.

In addition, Beijing sanctioned seven American companies in response to Washington announcing military sales and aid to Taiwan.

The US has expanded export controls on semiconductors to China, alleging that Beijing could use them to make next-generation weapons and artificial intelligence systems for its military.

The US is also mulling a ban on the sale of a popular Chinese-made internet router that is already in use in many American homes.

Philippines raises alarm over ‘monster’ Chinese vessel near its waters

The Philippines mobilised its air and sea assets in its economic exclusive zone after accusing China of intimidation with the deployment of a “monster” Chinese coast guard vessel.

Manila raised an alarm over China’s deployment of the 12,000-ton patrol vessel, CCG-5901, which was first spotted off the coast of Capones Island in the western province of Zambales on Saturday.

With a length of 541ft, the CCG-5901 is three times the size of the US coast guard’s main patrol vessels, the National Security Cutter, and is armed with anti-aircraft guns and fuel storage capacities making it suitable it to undertake extended missions.

Philippine coast guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said its patrol vessel BRP Cabra is “maintaining its vigilant monitoring of the illegal presence of the China coast guard vessel CCG-5901 within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the third consecutive day”.

Its “erratic movements indicate it is not engaged in innocent passage but rather asserts that it is conducting a law enforcement operation, claiming jurisdiction over these waters as belonging to the People’s Republic of China”.

Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson for the National Security Council, told state television on Monday: “We have all our assets pointed at this monster ship. The moment it (carries out) any provocative action, it will be met with appropriate response”.

According to a video shared by the Philippine coast guard, it ordered the Chinese vessel to leave the area, warning it has no authority to operate there. In its radioed response, the Chinese ship said it was conducting law enforcement duties within its jurisdictional waters.

“This is part of China’s intimidation, coercion, aggression and deception. They are showcasing their ship to intimidate our fishermen,” Mr Malaya said, adding the Philippine maritime presence would be boosted to support fishermen.

The situation between China and US ally Philippines marks the latest point of friction as the relations between the two have soured in the past few years, with spats frequent as Manila, under president Ferdinand Marcos Jr, pushes back at what it sees as aggression by Beijing.

China has accused the Philippines of repeated encroachment in its waters.

China with its largest navy in the world claims most of the South China Sea, a key conduit for $3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade, as its own territory, with a massive coast guard presence in and around the EEZs of neighbours Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

The state-run Global Times reported on Monday that the Chinese coast guard would increase patrols around the disputed Scarborough Shoal. It said the law enforcement patrols are “entirely justified”.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Tuesday: “It is beyond reproach for China coast guard to patrol and conduct law-enforcement activities in relevant waters in accordance with the law”.

The Chinese foreign ministry is yet to respond to Philippines’ comments.

Japan’s vending machines now serve authentic ramen in a can

A Japanese noodle manufacturer has launched the world’s first canned ramen made with wheat noodles which will soon be available in vending machines across the country.

Maruyama Seimen’s canned version has ramen lovers excited because it promises restaurant quality noodles made of wheat instead of the more readily available instant noodles made of konjac – a starchy root vegetable that grows in parts of Asia.

Available for ¥500 (£2.53), ramen lovers can now grab a can of hot, ready-to-eat soy sauce ramen complete with wheat noodles, a soy sauce-flavoured broth, green onions, fermented bamboo shoots, and even a tender slice of chashu pork, the company said.

The company, which has been operational since 1958, claimed its canned ramen is also shelf-stable for up to three years.

Currently, these cans are available at 150 vending machine locations in Miyagi Prefecture and 100 in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, though Maruyama Seimen has said it plans to roll them across the country.

While the Japanese are no strangers to vending machines that dispense everything from hot coffee to clothes, they’ve long had to settle for compromises when it comes to ramen.

With one vending machine for every 29 people, according to Tokyo Weekender, Japan boasts the highest density of these machines in the world. Found in bustling urban centres and quiet residential neighbourhoods alike, vending machines are as much a part of Japan’s streetscape as neon lights and cherry blossoms. In fact, travellers can even find a vending machine at the summit of Mount Fuji to settle with a drink after a long and gruelling hike.

Ramen vending machines, similarly, have been a staple of Japanese convenience culture for decades, offering everything from instant noodle cups to frozen ramen packs. In the 1980s, machines began dispensing pre-cooked ramen that required heating at home. Over time, these machines became increasingly sophisticated, with some now serving hot bowls of ramen at the push of a button.

Canned ramen’s journey, on the other hand, began in the early 2000s with Takeshi Yamada, the owner of Tokyo’s famous ramen shop Menya Musashi. After volunteering to cook ramen for earthquake survivors, he was inspired to create a long-lasting version of the dish for disaster relief efforts.

The struggle with canning wheat noodles, which is what has traditionally been used in ramen, has always been keeping its texture springy and chewy, as opposed to the soggy mass it became in cans. Konjac noodles were the solution previously, but ramen purists said they felt like a compromise, and insisted that it just wasn’t the same.

Woman cleared after 25 years in prison for murder of her father

A South Korean court on Monday found a woman not guilty of murdering her father after she spent almost a quarter century in prison.

The Gwangju district court acquitted Kim Shin Hye, 47, who was falsely sentenced to life in prison for murdering her father and disposing of his body in 2000, after a retrial. It cited a lack of evidence and unclear motive for Ms Kim to commit the crime.

Ms Kim’s confession, which led to her conviction over two decades ago, could not be used as evidence because she had retracted it, The Korea Herald reported the court as noting.

Ms Kim said she had lied to police to save her brother from going to jail. In spite of retracting her confession, she was sentenced by the Supreme Court in 2001.

At the time, prosecutors accused Ms Kim of mixing 30 sleeping pills in whiskey and giving it to her 52-year-old father at their home before killing him. She was also accused of abandoning his body on a roadside about 6km from their house in Wando, South Jeollah.

Ms Kim initially confessed, saying she had killed her father for sexually assaulting her and her younger sister.

She retracted her statement during the trial, however, and denied the charges against her.

“It is possible that Kim falsely confessed due to different reasons,” the Gwangju court said.

It was unclear if Ms Kim’s father had died from sleeping pills given by the defendant as the autopsy report didn’t indicate the man had taken any type of drug in a large dose, the court ruled, adding that the extremely high blood alcohol content of 0.303 per cent could have been the cause of death.

“Although suspicions remain over Kim urging her siblings to give false statements and over inconsistencies in her own testimonies, such circumstances alone are not enough to warrant a guilty verdict,” the court said.

After her release, Ms Kim told reporters: “I have many thoughts about whether it should have taken decades to correct something that was wrong. I deeply regret not being able to protect my father, who suffered so much and passed away.”

Journalist who exposed corruption found murdered in septic tank

Fears have been raised over the safety of journalists in India after an investigative reporter was murdered and buried in a septic tank.

Mukesh Chandrakar, 28, who ran a YouTube channel called Bastar Junction in the central Chhattisgarh state, had been missing since 1 January.

His reporting had uncovered alleged irregularities in a £11.8m road project in the Bastar region, a hotbed of Maoist insurgency, prompting a government inquiry.

After his family raised the alarm, police found the journalist’s body at a site owned by a local contractor who had been angry at his reporting.

The Press Council of India and the Editors Guild of India have demanded a thorough inquiry, describing Chandrakar’s death as a matter of “grave concern” and urging the government to prioritise the safety of journalists, particularly those involved in field and investigative reporting. Protests have been staged by journalists in Bijapur demanding punishment for the perpetrators.

Police said Chandrakar’s body was found on 3 January at a work site owned by a distant relative, Suresh Chandrakar. He was arrested, along with his brother Ritesh and two others.

According to a report by India Today, the postmortem revealed the journalist had been brutally killed, suffering five broken ribs, 15 fractures to the head, a broken neck and having his heart ripped out.

Bastar police chief Sundarraj P told a news conference: “Our investigation revealed that Ritesh Chandrakar was related to Mukesh and the two frequently interacted. On 1 January at 8pm, they spoke on the phone before both went to Suresh Chandrakar’s compound in Chattanpara for dinner. An argument ensued when Ritesh accused Mukesh of interfering with their construction work.”

Ritesh and another man “then attacked Mukesh with an iron rod, placed his body in a septic tank, and sealed it”, he added.

Chhattisgarh state chief minister, Vishnu Deo Sai, condemned the killing as a “heartbreaking” and “profound loss to journalism and society”, adding: “The culprits will face the harshest punishment.”

Deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma announced the formation of a special investigation team to fast-track the case.

Chandrakar was previously recognised for his role in securing the release of police commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, who had been abducted by Maoist militants in 2021.

Chhattisgarh, rich in minerals but mired by corruption and violence, remains one of India’s most perilous regions for journalists.

India itself is a dangerous place for journalists, ranking 159 in the World Press Freedom Index out of 180 countries, according to Reporters Without Borders.

North Korea fires ballistic missile as Blinken visits Seoul

North Korea fired a ballistic missile out to sea off its east coast on Monday, South Korea’s military reported.

The missile flew 1,100km and landed between the Korean peninsula and Japan, the joint chiefs of staff said.

It was presumed to be a single “medium-range ballistic missile” launched from “somewhere in Pyongyang”, the military said.

The Japanese defence ministry confirmed the projectile splashed down in the Sea of Japan just minutes after its launch was announced.

The launch came as US secretary of state Antony Blinken visited South Korea amid a deepening political crisis sparked by a shortlived declaration of martial law last month by now-impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol.

Mr Blinken was reportedly holding talks with South Korean allies about the North Korean nuclear threat and other pressing matters.

At a year-end political conference, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had pledged to enforce the “toughest” anti-US policy. He had criticised Washington’s attempts to bolster security cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, referring to it as a “nuclear military bloc for aggression”.

Monday’s launch was North Korea’s first in two months. Pyongyang fired at least seven ballistic missiles off its east coast on 5 November, hours before the US presidential election. The missiles flew to an altitude of 100km and covered a range of 400km before falling into the ocean outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

A few days earlier, North Korea had fired its largest intercontinental missile, which flew a record distance in a demonstration that it could strike the US. The launch of Hwasong-19 had drawn immediate condemnation from the UN as well as the US and its allies.

In spite of sanctions announced by the UN security council, North Korea continues to progress in its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. Mr Kim has consistently rejected “denuclearisation” talks.

According to the 2024 annual threat assessment prepared by US intelligence agencies, Mr Kim views nuclear weapons as central to North Korea’s security and deterrence strategy.

“North Korea also unveiled a purported tactical nuclear warhead and claimed it could be mounted on at least eight delivery systems, including an unmanned underwater vehicle and cruise missiles,” the assessment states.

According to a report published last November by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a nonprofit based in Washington, North Korea conducted over 220 missile tests between 2012 and 2024 and debuted a variety of missiles with increasing ranges.

Deadline looms to arrest South Korean leader as warrant set to expire

Investigators in South Korea are seeking an extension to the arrest warrant for suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol, after a dramatic standoff that ended in their failure to take him into custody.

The country’s anti-corruption agency has asked the police to take over the execution of the warrant, which was due to expire at midnight local time on Monday.

“The validity of the warrant expires today. We plan to request an extension from the court today,” Lee Jae Seung, deputy director of the Corruption Investigation Office, or CIO, said. The CIO had sought police assistance to detain Mr Yoon and would coordinate with them regarding the extension, he added.

Police have reportedly raised legal concerns about the request to take over Mr Yoon’s arrest, and instead opted to consult with the CIO while maintaining a joint investigation team with the defence ministry.

Mr Yoon has resisted efforts to detain him, and the impeached leader remains holed up inside the presidential palace, where his security service prevented investigators from executing the arrest warrant on Friday, leading to a six-hour standoff.

The CIO said earlier in a statement that it had notified the police to take charge of executing the warrant for the president. The warrant was issued by the Seoul Western District Court on 31 December after Mr Yoon repeatedly failed to comply with the CIO’s summons for questioning over his shortlived declaration of martial law earlier that month.

“The CIO sent us an official letter requesting our cooperation without prior consultations,” a police official told the state news agency Yonhap. “We are internally carrying out a legal review.”

Mr Yoon imposed martial law on 3 December but it was quickly overturned by the parliament, despite attempts by the security forces to prevent lawmakers from voting.

Mr Yoon’s lawyers maintain that the warrant is “illegal” and are pursuing further legal action. Mr Yoon’s legal team filed complaints on Monday against the head of the anti-corruption agency, Oh Dong-woon, and 10 others over last week’s failed attempt to detain him, local media reported.

Regarding the plans to extend the arrest warrant, Mr Yoon’s lawyer, Yun Gap-keun raised an objection calling it judicial overreach. “Watching the CIO’s investigative behaviour that lacks legal grounds raises doubts about its qualifications and abilities as a state agency,” he said in a statement.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court has scheduled Mr Yoon’s impeachment trial to start on 14 January, and it will proceed in his absence if he chooses not to attend.

On Monday, around 30 lawmakers from the ruling party staged a protest outside the presidential palace, opposing efforts to detain Mr Yoon. Last Friday, the CIO aborted an attempt to arrest the suspended president after a standoff with presidential security staff.

“The CIO is pretending as if it has the right to exercise the authority over investigations when it does not have the rights,” representative Kim Gi-hyeon of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) said.

PPP’s interim leader, Kwon Young-se told reporters that “the warrant itself is problematic because the CIO does not have the authority to investigate (insurrection charges), and it has no authority to subcontract it to the police”.

Hundreds of South Koreans braved freezing temperatures overnight, demanding Mr Yoon’s ouster and arrest over his short-lived martial law decree on 3 December. “With barely a day left before the execution deadline for Yoon Seok Yeol’s detainment warrant, the presidential security service continues to hide a criminal and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials cannot be more relaxed,” Kim Eun-jeong, an activist said on Sunday.

The Associated Press reported that the presidential security staff was seen installing barbed wire around the suspended president’s residence, possibly in anticipation of yet another detention attempt.

Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party urged the anti-corruption agency to proceed quickly to detain Mr Yoon. He accused the agency of “hesitating and letting time slip away”.

Meanwhile, US secretary of state Antony Blinken is visiting Seoul to meet top officials and reaffirm the US-South Korea alliance amid the country’s political turmoil. He is also holding talks with South Korean officials regarding North Korea’s nuclear programme even as Pyongyang fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Monday. The launch was the first in about two months and just weeks away from Donald Trump taking over the White House.

Additional reporting by agencies

Influencer shares 40-hour ‘digital arrest’ scam ordeal

A social media influencer revealed that he had fallen for a digital scam that held him “hostage” for almost 40 hours, in the latest illustration of rampant cyber crime in India.

In an Instagram video on Sunday, Ankush Bahuguna narrated how he felt forced giving into the demands of the scammers even when they asked him to make several large financial transactions and keep everything from family and friends.

“I’ve been missing from social media and everywhere for the last three days because I was held hostage by some scammers,” he began. “I am still in a little bit of a shock. I’ve lost money. I lost my mental health to this. I can’t believe that this happened to me.”

Mr Bahuguna received a call from an unlisted international number telling him his package had been cancelled for delivery and asking to press a number for further information and support.

Curious about a package that he did not remember sending, the influencer pressed the number, a decision he described as “the biggest mistake” of his life.

He was put through to a “customer support representative”, who went on to tell him the package had been seized by police as it contained “illegal” substances, but did not explain further.

Mr Bahuguna was further told there was an arrest warrant out for him and he had only an hour to contact police and explain that his identity had been stolen.

“I’m just panicking,” Mr Bahuguna recalled. “And then he convinces me that I don’t have enough time to go to the police station, so he will do me a favor by connecting me to the police directly.”

Mr Bahuguna was “connected” to someone claiming to belong to the Mumbai police via a video call on Whatsapp who proceeded to “interrogate” the influencer. He was told by the “policeman” that he was a “prime suspect” in a “national” case and was accused of money laundering and drug trafficking, which meant he was now in “self custody”.

“They isolated me completely. I was not allowed to pick up calls. I was not allowed to message people or reply to their messages, let anybody in the house. They told me that if I tried to reach out to anyone, they would arrest me and harm the people I contacted,” he said in the video.

For the next 40 hours, he said, the “police” asked him to turn off every electronic gadget in the house and show them on video he had done so, forbade him from answering any phone calls or responding to text messages.

“They played good cop, bad cop, breaking me down mentally. I was crying, but they kept me on the call for 40 hours straight,” he said.

After a while, Mr Bahuguna was told to make multiple “fishy” financial transactions, which he did, even travelling to a bank to do so.

“They took my bank details. They gathered so much personal information about my life,” he said. “They told me, ‘Your parents are in danger’ and ‘If you try to contact anyone, we’ll arrest you.’”

Mr Bahuguna’s friends and family called and texted him while he was in “self custody”, but he was told by “police” to ensure he kept their concerns at bay.

“People were messaging me asking, ‘Is someone holding you hostage? This is not normal behaviour. Do you need help?’”

“I was shaking, I was anxious, and I kept thinking, ‘What is happening? What is going on?’” he said. “I was literally crying and begging them.”

Mr Bahuguna finally managed to read one of the many messages he had received that mentioned “digital arrest” scams, which have become increasingly common in India.

“The thing with these scams is if you buy one lie, they will tell 10 more, and those will be scarier things,” he said.

In his caption of the video, the influencer thanked friends who had realised something was wrong and credited them with “literally” saving his life.

“I feel so lucky to have friends with such strong instincts who noticed a change in my behaviour even when they were getting ‘I am okay’ texts from me. They literally saved the day. Imagine if they hadn’t come looking for me or looked for clues! I’d probably still be in that cyber arrest and would’ve lost all my money,” he said.

“Pls beware of this scam. I know a lot of you are aware of it but I don’t think a lot of people understand the extent to which these scammers can go to control you!”

The Independent has reached out to Mr Bahuguna for comment.

The “digital arrest” scam was the subject of scores of news reports on cyber crime in 2024.

In such a scam, the perpetrators pose as law enforcement officials and intimidate victims with accusations of financial misconduct, tax evasion, or in Mr Bahuguna’s case, drug trafficking.

The victims are coerced into transferring large sums of money to bank accounts or UPI IDs on the pretext of “assisting with the investigation” or “refundable security deposit”.

According to Delhi’s cyber police, 2024 saw a significant rise in cyber fraud cases, with 61,525 complaints received until June, a considerable increase from the 55,267 cases reported during the same period last year. The data also shows that the scammers stole Rs 4.52bn (£42.18m), a 158 percent increase from the Rs 1.75bn (£16.33m) in 2023.

In November, a 69-year-old mother of two from Hyderabad, in the southern state of Telangana, lost her life’s savings—a sum of Rs 56m (£0.52m)—after making 14 transactions over 20 days on the instructions of scammers who accused her of being involved in a money laundering case.

In December, a 39-year-old software engineer from Bengaluru city reportedly lost Rs 118m (£1.1m) in a similar scam that lasted 18 days.