Australia is strengthening its alliances in the Pacific and with India to counter China's growing influence. Recent diplomatic efforts include new security pacts with Fiji and Solomon Islands, and enhanced ties with Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Samoa. Prime Minister Albanese's foreign policy week also saw a meeting with India's PM Modi, focusing on shared concerns about China.
OpenAI has banned two clusters of ChatGPT accounts originating from China that were used for covert influence campaigns targeting US tech and policy debates. The campaigns aimed to manipulate discussions on AI data centers and US tariffs, but generated little authentic engagement.
The US has placed specific conditions on releasing billions of dollars it owes the United Nations, demanding nine "quick-hit" reforms including overhauling the UN pension system, cutting business-class travel, reducing peacekeeping missions, and blocking China from channelling tens of millions to a discretionary fund in the UN secretary-general's office. The demands aim to cut costs and counter Chinese influence at the world body.
A Chinese influencer helped a girl who claimed to be raising her sisters alone in a remote village, only to later discover that some of her hardships were exaggerated. Super Btai, whose real name is Chen Jiajun, is famed for exposing scams and supporting vulnerable communities. He has more than 25 million followers on mainland social media. Earlier this year, Chen met 18-year-old Aji in the mountainous province of Guizhou, in southwestern China. Aji told him she was raising two younger sisters...
