10 things you need to know this morning in Australia

Good morning!

1. Amazon Prime Day continues. Amazon's annual sales event began on Monday, with several deals across technology, beauty, home and kitchen and more. We compiled a list of the best deals you can get here.

2. However, people are calling for boycotts of Amazon on Prime Day. Hundreds of people on social media are saying they are boycotting the company to show solidarity workers across the US and Europe who are set to strike against poor payment and working conditions. Some livestreamers on Amazon-owned Twitch are also planning on going dark to stand in solidarity with these protesters.

She and colleagues have helped organized about 200 workers at Amazon's Shakopee facility to strike six hours during Prime Day on Monday to demand better working conditions and job security

— Ali, Ibrahim (@ShatahJR) July 15, 2019

3. Forced labour camps in Xinjiang, China, reportedly provide textiles to retailers in Australia. An investigation by the ABC’s Four Corners program unveiled evidence of detained Uighur minority group members being forced into factory labour in China. The investigation also named retailers Target, Cotton On, Jeanswest, Ikea, Dangerfield and H&M as sourcing cotton for their products from the troubled Xinjiang province.

4. Donald Trump under fire for racist tweets. The US president wrote that "progressive Democratic congresswomen" — most likely referring to the "Squad" of freshman progressives made up of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar — should "go back" to the countries "from which they came". The tweets have been criticised not only by Democrats but by allies including Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera and a growing list of Republicans.

Sad to watch my friend @realDonaldTrump take low road regarding @AOC of the Bronx, @RashidaTlaib of Detroit @AyannaPressley of Boston & @Ilhan of Somalia & Minneapolis. Let’s stick to issues & steer clear of language that’s xenophobic even racist. @POTUS you’re better than that.

— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) July 14, 2019

5. The five top paying jobs in Australia. Online jobs portal Seek compiled a list of five occupations with the highest average advertised salaries. It included architects, managers in the resources, engineering and IT sectors, followed by accountants. Find out how much they earn here.

6. Strewth! Facebook Messenger releases an Aussie slang chatbot. Named Bruce the Bot, the chatbot's mission is to speak and explain Australia's unique turn of phrase.

7. China's growth is slowing. The country's GDP grew 6.2% in the second quarter - its slowest growth rate since 1992 - driven in part by China's trade war with the US.

8. Queensland Liberal and National Party MPs are being urged to establish an “Office of Science Quality Assurance”. Federal resources minister Matt Canavan has supported the introduction of the body to assess every scientific report handed to the government and decide whether to approve or reject them.

9. Facebook shares jumped 1% after news it would be getting fined US$5 billion for the Cambridge Analytica scandal. CEO Mark Zuckerberg stands to profit from the stock-price jump, with the value of his Facebook stake increasing by more than $US1 billion in 30 minutes following the news.

10. WhatsApp flaw could let hackers intercept files. A US security company has found a flaw in WhatsApp and messaging app Telegram on Android that could allow hackers to “manipulate” files transferred between users.

BONUS ITEM

In honour of Bastille Day in France, a French inventor flew over crowds in a hoverboard:

Fier de notre armée, moderne et innovante. pic.twitter.com/DQvIfPolQf

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 14, 2019

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