Latest news with #Chinese-linked
Nikkei Asia
2 days ago
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
Philippine Senate shake-up signals tougher line on China
Alvin Camba is a critical materials specialist at the Associated Universities Incorporated, where he specializes in China-Southeast Asia relations and critical resources. The results of the 2025 midterm elections in the Philippines are in. They revealed a notable increase in senators who are either openly critical of China or advocate a more cautious, balancing approach to foreign policy. An analysis of past statements and legislative actions by the 12 newly elected senators, along with those who will serve until 2028, on key issues such as the West Philippine Sea, China's assertive behavior in the region and Chinese-linked scam compounds, reveals a division into three distinct camps.
Korea Herald
21-05-2025
- Korea Herald
Who hacked S. Korea's largest telecom, and why? Growing concerns the SKT data breach wasn't just about money
Some suspect a sophisticated Chinese hacking group may be behind the attack, raising potential alarms over cyber security Nearly three years before South Korea's largest telecom provider knew anything was wrong, hackers had already broken into SK Telecom's internal systems. This detail emerged from a briefing this Monday by the government's public-private joint investigation team, which is probing one of the country's most serious cybersecurity breaches in recent memory. The attackers first embedded malware on June 15, 2022, according to the investigation. That software remained hidden until last month, when over 9 gigabytes of sensitive SIM-related data tied to approximately 25 million subscribers, including customers of SKT's budget MVNO carriers, was suddenly exfiltrated. Among the leaked data were 21 types of subscriber-related information, including identification numbers and SIM authentication credentials. What hasn't been confirmed, however, is whether call records or other highly sensitive personal communications data were taken. SK Telecom has said its call detail records (CDRs) are encrypted, but encryption alone may not be enough, warns Professor Kim Seung-joo of Korea University's Graduate School of Information Security. 'Even encrypted data is vulnerable if the keys aren't securely managed,' he said in a separate media interview on Tuesday. 'The same thing happened to nine US telecoms last year.' CDRs are highly valuable in state-backed cyber operations. Unlike credit card data, they reveal patterns of communication and movement, making them ideal for tracking public officials and institutions, he explained. The malware discovered on SK Telecom's servers included BPFdoor, a backdoor tool also used by Salt Typhoon, the Chinese-linked group behind the attacks on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. South Korean investigators have not confirmed the attribution, but suspicion is growing. Professor Lim Jong-in, a cyber defense expert at Korea University, told local radio on Wednesday morning that he suspects the Chinese hacking group Red Mansion may be behind the intrusion. They are known for APT-style cyberattacks -- operations that are typically slow-moving, well-funded and thus conducted by nation-state actors rather than ordinary cybercriminals. APT stands for Advanced Persistent Threat. 'Their yearslong persistence and stealth tell you this wasn't just about stealing data for profit,' said Professor Yum Heung-yeol, another cybersecurity scholar at Soonchunhyang University, according to a local media report on Wednesday. 'To compromise a core telecom operator without any spies or insider cooperation is not something amateur hackers can do.' So far, no customers have reported cloned phones, suspicious charges or extortion attempts. That silence and the long-term nature of the breach, the experts have all said, makes financial motives unlikely. 'We are looking into multiple possibilities, including whether the attack was to steal data or to establish long-term access to deeper systems,' said Ryu Jae-myeong, director-general of network policy at the ICT Ministry involved in the joint investigation team.
News18
20-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
The Invisible War: Inside ISPR's Disinformation Campaign Against India
Last Updated: ISPR has specialised units for media campaigns, cyberattacks, deep fakes, and bot-driven misinformation to conduct hybrid warfare strategies As the dust settled over the Line of Control after India's swift and calculated military retaliation in Operation Sindoor, a different kind of battle was just beginning—one fought not with missiles or troops, but with tweets, deepfakes, and orchestrated outrage. At the heart of this battle lies Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)—a seemingly innocuous media wing of the Pakistan Army. But behind the curtain, ISPR functions as a digital war command center, orchestrating a hybrid warfare strategy that weaponises misinformation, bot networks, and psychological operations. As India struck terror camps across Pakistan and PoK, ISPR launched a digital counteroffensive. Using AI-driven bot networks and recycled war footage, they pushed out false claims of downed Indian jets, fake advisories urging citizens to stockpile supplies, and even accused India of staging attacks on its own soil, such as the Amritsar civilian incident. Fake victory claims flooded social media platforms, amplified by Chinese-linked accounts and Turkish state media like TRT World and Anadolu Agency. The aim was clear: create confusion, demoralise Indian citizens, and erode New Delhi's international credibility. Far from being a rogue actor, ISPR operates as part of a deeply coordinated strategy between the Pakistani Army and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). The media wing handles digital propaganda, while cyber units conduct cyberattacks and misinformation campaigns, often targeting middle-class segments in India through low-paid influencers with large digital footprints. Indian Republic Day 2023 was one such battlefield. ISPR spearheaded the #26JanuaryBlackDay campaign—circulating doctored images and staged protests in Kashmir. The images were later proven to be edited or pulled from unrelated events, but not before gaining massive traction. Cricketer Shahid Afridi —a regular feature of Pakistan's 'soft power" diplomacy—was strategically deployed at the Wagah border and later in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stirring anti-India sentiments under the guise of peace activism. On the political front, figures like Khwaja Asif, Ishaq Dar, and even Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were instrumental in echoing ISPR's messaging. Their statements were promptly amplified across pro-Pakistan outlets like Al Jazeera, cementing false narratives into perceived truths. Perhaps the most chilling revelation is ISPR's long-term strategy of 'arming" the enemy's media space. Indian influencers like Jyoti Malhotra and others were reportedly approached by ISI operatives, not for immediate action, but to act as dormant assets, available to inject sensitive narratives or leak information at opportune times. This reflects a shift from episodic propaganda to sustained information warfare, where influence is planted and cultivated like sleeper cells in the information ecosystem. ISPR has honed its strategy of forming strategic partnerships with sympathetic media across the Islamic world, especially Turkish and Qatari networks. Through TRT World, Anadolu Agency, and Al Jazeera, ISPR's anti-India content finds a global audience, rebranded as 'human rights journalism" or 'geopolitical analysis." Their coordination with Chinese social media influencers and state-backed platforms further bolsters their outreach, creating an echo chamber of anti-India disinformation that thrives on digital virality and emotional manipulation. ISPR's role, thus, is no longer just about managing Pakistan's military image—it has become the spearhead of Pakistan's hybrid war doctrine, designed to exploit fault lines in Indian society, fracture global perception, and compensate for conventional military weaknesses. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 20, 2025, 15:16 IST
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Biggest deliberate tax defaulters in country shown on map – they own over £1bn
We look back on 10 years of naming and shaming by HMRC to reveal the jobs and locations of more than 4,000 people and businesses penalised by the taxman More than 4,000 of the UK's biggest 4,000 tax defaulters have faced demands for over £1.5bn from HM Revenue and Customs. The Government has been naming and shaming 'deliberate tax defaulters' since 2015 and the Mirror has brought together the list for the first time. More than one in five - 21% of those named - are in hospitality, such as takeaways, restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes. Nearly as many - 19% - work in construction or trades like plumbing or plastering. Mike Lewis, Director of investigative think-tank TaxWatch, said: "£1.5bn is a serious amount of money - that's roughly the cost of an NHS dentist appointment for everyone in Britain. But it could be the tip of an iceberg. Many deliberate defaulter penalties focus on tax due on domestic income. Some of the largest tax evaders, particularly those with income and assets offshore, will have taxable income that HMRC may not even know about." HMRC has been regularly publishing the names and addresses of those who deliberately default on tax of more than £25,000 since 2015. These are people or firms who received penalties for 'deliberate errors in their tax returns' or 'deliberately failing to comply with their tax obligations'. But tax defaulters can avoid the list if they 'fully disclose details of the defaults' to the taxman. The naming and shaming happens only 'once these penalties are final'. Some of the biggest defaulters - five out of the top 10 - are recruitment or payroll firms which owed £145m in tax and penalties. We found 112 tax defaulters working in haulage, freight or HGV driving who owed £33.5m. Two adult entertainment businesses owed £783,000 while four barristers owed £523,000. A number of the biggest tax defaulters are involved in metals - such as scrap or recycling. There are ten in Yorkshire alone which have been named as liable for £60.4m in tax and penalties. We looked by postcode area and E6 in East London had the highest number with 42 cases totalling £7.8m. Most of those were involved in the building trade. In all, 15 of the 20 postcode areas with the most tax defaulters are from the London area. The highest number of cases in a postcode area outside London is LE5, in Leicester, where there are 18 cases totalling £3.2m. Nearly half appear to be linked to the city's fast fashion industry. There are 46 companies from China on the list and another eight from Hong Kong. The five biggest defaulters were all online retailers who owed HMRC £34.6m. But there are likely to be more Chinese-linked firms using UK addresses. The next biggest group was 38 cases from Poland, including five hauliers who owed £16.9m to HMRC. An HMRC spokesperson said: "We use a range of tools to take firm action against the minority who refuse to pay the tax they owe. This includes publishing the names of those penalised for deliberate defaults to influence taxpayer behaviour and encourage defaulters to engage with HMRC." They added that the list only includes those penalised under civil procedures and does not include criminal convictions for tax fraud. Some of the money owed may have been paid back and HMRC says the list 'does not necessarily represent the full default of the taxpayer'. The biggest tax defaulter named is a recruitment firm from Derby, Simplify Contracting Services Limited, which went bust two years ago owing £60.6m to the taxman. The liquidator is investigating millions sent to a company run by a struck off solicitor. Second is a payroll firm Work Legal E Ltd, from Edinburgh, which was first exposed by the Mirror and owes £42.2m in tax and penalties. Third is scrap metal dealer JKL (Wakefield) Ltd from Osset, West Yorkshire, which owed £39m to the taxman, but only £2.1m was recovered by the firm's liquidator. Other firms on the list include a mysterious 'hologram technology ' firm called Silvermask Limited, which was set up by 42-year-old Australian Ronald Ryan in August 2020 and immediately racked up an unpaid £16.6m tax bill in just four months. HMRC imposed extra penalties of £16.1m, bringing the total to £32.7m. Tenth on the list is property developer Hasan Nawaz Sharif, son of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, who was named by HMRC in March as owing £9.4m in tax and £5.3m in penalties. The total - £14.6m - is the highest owed by an individual but he disputes the claims. Mike Lewis added: "These name and shame lists look impressive, but they're missing the professionals that may know about or collude in their clients' tax cheating. HMRC has the power to fine and name tax advisers who deliberately conceal documents, or provide misleading information about their clients' affairs. Yet between 2020 and 2024 we found that HMRC started substantive investigations against fewer than five dishonest tax advisers in each year, and at the moment it doesn't publish the names of any tax advisers fined for dishonesty."
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First Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
What is Press Note 3 that India uses to clear investments linked to Chinese companies?
Press Note 3 cast a wide net by including a clause that allows the government to scrutinise any transaction in which the ultimate controlling interest lies with a Chinese entity, even if the funds are routed through Singapore or Mauritius read more In April 2020, amid rising border tensions and pandemic-induced vulnerabilities, the Indian government had rewritten the rules of foreign investment. The change came in the form of Press Note 3, a directive issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), which altered how foreign direct investment (FDI) from neighbouring countries, most notably China, is treated. Until then, FDI into India operated largely under an automatic route, with few restrictions unless the sector itself was sensitive. But Press Note 3 changed the game: all investments from countries sharing land borders with India would now require prior government approval. That includes China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, though the policy was clearly aimed at Beijing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This geopolitical safeguard was a direct response to a growing perception in New Delhi: that India's companies, especially startups and strategic players, were vulnerable to 'opportunistic takeovers' during the economic turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic. The violent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh in June 2020 only hardened that resolve. Beyond borders: Who owns the money? Press Note 3 targeted direct investments from land-bordering countries, but it also cast a wider net by including 'beneficial ownership'—a clause that allows the government to scrutinise any transaction in which the ultimate controlling interest lies with a Chinese entity, even if the funds are routed through Singapore or Mauritius. This provision has given Indian authorities broad discretion in reviewing proposals and, for many Chinese investors, created a landscape of legal opacity. Approvals now take months, and some applications are left pending indefinitely. According to recent reporting by Moneycontrol, even well-established Chinese firms looking to invest through joint ventures with Indian partners have had to endure long waits and uncertain outcomes. Since the introduction of Press Note 3, not a single Chinese FDI proposal has been cleared through the automatic route. Each case is examined individually, under the careful eye of ministries spanning commerce, home affairs, and national security. Gatekeeping in a shifting world Press Note 3 has become India's go-to instrument to regulate Chinese capital. In the years since its introduction, more than 400 proposals from Chinese-linked entities have reportedly been filed, but only a handful have made it through. Tech collaborations, in particular, have drawn sharp scrutiny, with Indian authorities wary of allowing deeper Chinese access to sectors like telecommunications, fintech, and e-commerce. Yet the policy has its critics. Some Indian startups, once buoyed by Chinese capital, now complain of stalled funding and lost growth opportunities. A recent Moneycontrol op-ed argued that the note's implementation has created a chilling effect even on benign joint ventures, warning of 'negative spillover effects' on India's attractiveness to global investors. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Still, the strategic calculus has not shifted. As one official told The Economic Times, 'we will not make the same mistakes that Europe made with Chinese investments.' That sentiment is echoed in Delhi's broader push to build resilient supply chains and reduce reliance on Chinese imports.
