News brief: Big stories of the day

China will allow Nepal the use of four of its ports, the Nepalese government said on Friday, as the landlocked Himalayan nation seeks to end India’s monopoly over its trading routes by increasing connections with Beijing.

Alibaba co-founder and chief Jack Ma announced he will leave from the Chinese e-commerce giant Monday to devote his time to philanthropy focused on education.

George Papadopoulos, a former aide to then-Republican candidate Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, was sentenced on Friday to 14 days in prison after pleading guilty last year to lying to federal agents investigating whether campaign members coordinated with Russia before the election.

As many as 69 members of Pakistan`s National Assembly (MNAs) were on Friday issued notices by the Lahore High Court in connection with a petition challenging Prime Minister Imran Khan's election win.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on Friday arrived in Islamabad for a three-day visit to Pakistan.