The world this week: Jack Ma to retire, Bangkok climate talk ends, & more

Jack Ma, the pioneer of China's internet industry, announced that he would step down as Alibaba's executive chairman in one year

Digest for international stories for week Sept 8 - Sept 14, 2018 

Saturday

Chicago: As many as 15 people, including seven Indians, and five India-based call centres have been indicted in a multimillion-dollar scam which defrauded over 2,000 US citizens, resulting in over $5.5 million in losses, the Department of Justice said on Friday. 

Chicago: Hindus have no aspiration of dominance and the community will prosper only when it works as a society, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said and urged the community leaders to unite and work for the betterment of the mankind. 

Chicago: President Donald Trump on Friday said he wants to stop the subsidies that growing economies like India and China have been receiving as he wants the US, which he considers as a "developing nation", to grow faster than anybody. 

 

Sunday 

Moscow: Russia on Sunday accused the United States of carrying out bombing using white phosphorous in eastern Syria against military targets in civilian areas, which is banned under international law. 

Chicago: Some people are trying to make the word Hindu "untouchable" and "intolerable", Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said Sunday as he stressed on the need of preserving the true values of Hinduism to alter "ill-informed" opinions and attitudes. 

Bangkok: Developing countries rounded on the United States and its allies at emergency climate talks Sunday, accusing the world's richest nations of stalling on a deal aimed at preventing runaway global warming. 

Monday

Beijing: Jack Ma, the pioneer of China's internet industry, announced on his 54th birthday Monday that he would step down as Alibaba's executive chairman in one year to make way for the next generation of leaders at the $420 billion e-commerce giant. 

Mazar-I-Sharif: Taliban fighters killed nearly 60 members of Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces in a spate of attacks across the country's north, officials said Monday, as diplomatic efforts to end the 17-year war intensify. 

Islamabad: A Pakistan court Monday issued bailable arrest warrants against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in a case seeking action against him for disclosing the minutes of a high-profile security meeting to his party leader Nawaz Sharif. 

Tuesday 

London/Islamabad: Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, died Tuesday in London after a protracted battle with throat cancer. 

London: Vijay Mallya will return to a London court on Wednesday for a hearing in his high-profile extradition case, when the judge is expected to review a video of the Mumbai jail cell prepared by the Indian authorities for the embattled liquor tycoon. 

Lahore: Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar would be released on parole for a day to attend the funeral of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, sources said Tuesday. 

Wednesday 

London: Vijay Mallya is set to appear before a London court on Wednesday for a hearing in his extradition case, during which the judge is expected to review a video of the Mumbai jail cell prepared by the Indian authorities for the embattled liquor tycoon. 

Islamabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the death of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, saying he would always cherish the memories of his interaction with the wife of Pakistan's former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, according to a media report. 

Beijing: China said on Wednesday that it would resolutely oppose any US move to impose sanctions against its officials and companies to punish Beijing for the alleged human rights violations against Uygur Muslims in the volatile Xinjiang province. 

Thursday 

London/Lahore: Hundreds of people attended the funeral prayers of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz - the wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif - at a London mosque Thursday, as legal formalities were completed to take her body to Pakistan for burial. 

Beijing: A driver of a SUV vehicle deliberately crashed into crowds at a busy public square in central China's Hunan province, killing 11 people and injuring 44 others, state-media reported Thursday. 

Moscow: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived here Thursday on a two-day visit to co-chair a key bilateral meeting and talks with the Russian leadership to boost the "special privileged strategic partnership." 

Friday 

Moscow: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov Friday reviewed the progress made in the bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interests. 

Washington: A US-based IT staffing company has been asked to pay over $300,000 to its 12 H-1B employees for paying them far below their salary and imposed a penalty of over $45,000 for violating the labour provisions, amidst the Trump administration's crackdown against the abuse of the visa category popular among Indian professionals. 

Washington: President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort agreed Friday to cooperate in the special counsel investigation of possible campaign collusion with Russia.