The US economy has contracted for the second consecutive quarter. Chinese billionaire Jack Ma intends to give up control of Ant Group Co. In connection to the January 6 Capitol Hill riots, the US Justice Department obtained a new warrant to search the phone of John Eastman, Donald Trump’s lawyer. 

ALso, read an interesting story about how a Chinese lady posing as a historian spent years creating alternate stories of Medieval Russian history on Chinese Wikipedia. 

Click on the links to read the full report 

Fueling recession fears, the US economy shrank again in second quarter

The US economy has contracted for the second consecutive quarter, a development that in many other nations would be regarded as an economic recession. 

Jack Ma intends to give up control of the Ant Group: Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Chinese billionaire Jack Ma intends to give up control of Ant Group Co as part of the fintech giant’s effort to win over regulators after a protracted crackdown. 

US Justice Department gets a fresh warrant to search Trump’s lawyer’s phone

In connection to the January 6 Capitol Hill riots, the US Justice Department on Wednesday obtained a new warrant to search the phone of John Eastman, Donald Trump’s lawyer.  

Pope’s apology not enough for abuses of Indigenous kids, Canadian govt says more needed to be done to atone

Pope Francis recently apologised for the abuses inflicted on the Indigenous peoples of Canada. But the Canadian government has made one thing clear, that the plea for forgiveness is far from enough. 

US carrier strike group returns to South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions

A US aircraft carrier and its strike group have returned to the South China Sea after a port call in Singapore, deploying in the disputed region as tensions with China rise over a possible visit to Taiwan by congressional leader Nancy Pelosi. 

Democrat Senator Joe Manchin takes a volta-face; supports Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ plan

West Virginia Democrat senator Joe Manchin III has taken a volta-face on his earlier policy of not supporting US President Joe Biden’s ambitious ‘Build Back better’ plan. 

North Korea ready to use nukes against the United States: Kim Jong Un

In the wake of indications North Korea may perform its first nuclear test since 2017, the nation’s state media on Thursday reported that the leader Kim Jong Un has declared that his nation is prepared to mobilise its nuclear war deterrent and for any military conflict with the United States.

Millions develop long-lasting problems with sense of smell or taste after COVID-19: Study

Millions of people, who have had Covid, are still struggling with the long-term effects of the deadly virus. 

WHO chief urges men who have sex with men to reduce sexual partners amid monkeypox spread

As the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said most monkeypox cases detected since May have been in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, the health agency chief advised men at risk to reduce the number sexual partners they have “for the moment”. 

Chinese woman spent years writing fake Russian history on Wikipedia

In one of the biggest frauds on the open-source platform, a Chinese lady posing as a historian spent years creating alternate stories of Medieval Russian history on Chinese Wikipedia, inventing fictitious governments, battles, and nobility.