Hello! Here’s what’s happening on Thursday.
1. US President Donald Trump turned up his accusations of bias against Google. Trump posted a video to his Twitter page that alleges that Google did not promote his State of the Union address.
2. Western countries are pushing back against China’s growing influence in the Pacific. The US, Australia, France and Britain will open new embassies in the region and engage more with leaders to stunt China’s expansion.
3. President Trump said US-South Korea war games “will be far bigger than ever before” if he restarts the exercises. Reports indicate that North Korea is growing increasingly hostile towards the US.
4. US lawmakers have called for sanctions against China over its police surveillance in Xinjiang. The autonomous Chinese region, which accounts for just 1.5% of the population, has become one of the most intrusive police states in the world.
5. Apple quietly bought a startup that makes lenses for smart glasses. Apple is said to be working on a pair of smart goggles for launch in 2020.
6. Elon Musk wondered on Twitter why the British diver he called a 'pedo' rescue hasn't sued. Vernon Unsworth's attorney then posted his August 6 letter telling the Tesla founder a libel case was being prepared and he "should check his mail before tweeting".
7. TPG Telecom and Vodafone Australia announced an $11 billion merger. They say the merger will provide scale and financial strength to go head-to-head more effectively against major competitors.
8. US Senator Bernie Sanders hit back at Amazon, calling its treatment of employees "absurd." Sanders and Amazon are locked in a war of words over alleged unsafe conditions and low pay in Amazon's warehouses.
9. The outgoing UN human rights chief says Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi should have resigned. A UN report published on Monday blamed Suu Kyi for not preventing military violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority last year.
10. Chelsea Manning may be banned from visiting Australia because she doesn't meet the country's "character" test. The former soldier spent seven years in prison for releasing a trove of classified military documents to Wikileaks.
And finally ...