* China's GDP expanded 6.2 percent year on year in the first three quarters of 2019 to about CNY69.78 trillion (about US$9.87 trillion), data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Friday (October 18). The growth was in line with the government's annual target of 6-6.5 percent set for 2019.
* After rounds of day and night negotiation, leaders of the European Union (EU) and Britain declared Thursday (October 17) that they have reached a new Brexit deal. Despite cautious optimism over the new deal among EU members, fears of its failure in British parliament prevail in the air at the other side of the English Channel.
* Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the situation in northeast Syria at a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Oct. 22, the Kremlin said Thursday.
* US President Donald Trump will host the 2020 (from June 10 to 12) Group of Seven (G7) summit at Trump's golf resort in the state of Florida, said the White House on Thursday.
* International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday hailed the progress made in the latest round of China-US trade talks as "extremely good news," urging the world to grasp the opportunity to achieve "a trade peace."
* Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud discussed on Thursday with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale over cooperation between the two countries.
* Libya's Immigration Control Department in the eastern city of Benghazi on Thursday announced deporting 16 illegal immigrants to Mali.
* Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with a business delegation from the United States on Thursday, which was led by Chairman of the US-China Business Council (USCBC) Evan Greenberg.
* Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday slammed the Turkish military assault in northern Syria as "blatant invasion and clear aggression" against Syria, state news agency SANA reported.
* Benny Gantz, Israeli centrist Blue and White party leader who won most seats in elections in September, rejected on Thursday a unity government proposal by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
* Iran said Thursday it would further reduce its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, unless its interests are secured by the signatories.
* Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim and his French counterpart Jean Yves Le Drian on Thursday discussed cooperation to confront the threat of Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria amid the Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria.
* The poverty rate in Kyrgyzstan stands at 20 percent, said a report released by the World Bank ahead of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Thursday. The poverty rate in Kyrgyzstan has dropped from 70 percent in 2002 to 20 percent in 2009, which has been maintained through to today, the bank said in its new Poverty Outlooks for Central Asian countries.
* South Sudan peace monitors on Thursday called on warring parties to resolve critical outstanding tasks necessary for the timely and smooth formation of a new unity government on November 12.
