World News in Brief: October 12

As a major typhoon approaching the east coast of Japan is expected to ravage through Tokyo and other eastern areas, the country is at its highest alert level on Saturday (October 12) with most stores closed and public transportation shut down.

* US President Donald Trump met with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in the White House Oval Office on Friday (October 11) afternoon, after the conclusion of the latest round of high-level economic and trade consultations between China and the United States. Trump said he is pleased to see that the US-China trade negotiations have yielded "substantial phase one" progress, which is a great thing for both nations and the world at large.

* The number of civilians fleeing their homes due to the Turkish assault in northeastern Syria is estimated at 100,000, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Friday.

* Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed in the southern Indian city of Chennai on October 11 to promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to achieve joint development and prosperity.

* US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Friday authorized an additional deployment of US military forces to Saudi Arabia to enhance the defense of the country.

* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that his country's ongoing military operation in northern Syria was designed to protect the rights of all people there and not to divide the Arab country.

* Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concerns on Friday about the threat of Islamic State (IS) terrorists moving to Russia and neighboring countries from northern Syria, where Turkey is carrying out a military operation against the Kurds.

* In a phone conversation on Thursday with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that Turkish military operation in northeast Syria risks serious consequences for Ankara.

* Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday asked NATO to show "clear solidarity" with his country in its fight against "terrorism" and "threats" in northern Syria, while the bloc's chief called for Turkey to act "with restraint."

* European leaders would mull sanctions on Turkey over its military campaign in Syria during next week's European Union summit, France's European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Friday.

* Several people are being treated after a stabbing incident close to a shopping center in Manchester, UK, local media said Friday.

* The east-based army of Libya said on Friday that its fighter jets had targeted positions of the UN-backed government's forces in the east of the capital Tripoli.

* At least 49 Palestinians were injured on Friday afternoon during clashes between hundreds of Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers in the eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel, an local official said.

* Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted on Friday the importance of overcoming all obstacles facing the tripartite negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River.

* The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday that 189 refugees had been evacuated from Libya to Rwanda. UNHCR has repeatedly said Libya is not a safe port for disembarkation of refugees given the deteriorating security conditions in the country.

Xinhua