Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, April 7

GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization (WTO) said Friday that South Korea is to suspend tariff concessions on certain goods from the United States due to tariffs imposed by Washington on solar cells and washing machines responsible for around 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in annual trade.

"The Republic of Korea notifies the Council for Trade in Goods that it has decided to suspend substantially equivalent concessions and other obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 to the trade of the United States," a WTO notice said. (S Korea-US-WTO)

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NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks fell sharply on Friday as escalating trade tensions between China and the United States weighed on the Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average erased 572.46 points, or 2.34 percent, to 23,932.76. The S&P 500 decreased 58.38 points, or 2.19 percent, to 2,604.46. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 161.44 points, or 2.28 percent, to 6,915.11. (US-Stocks)

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DAMASCUS -- The Republican Guard of the Syrian army started entering the farmlands of the Douma district in the Syrian capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta on Friday, after talks with the Islam Army rebels collapsed, according to the state news agency SANA.

The Syrian forces have entered the farmlands on the outskirts of Douma, after the Islam Army hurdled a deal for the evacuation of Douma and launched several mortar shells on the capital, according to the report. (Syria-Douma)

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UNITED NATIONS -- Kuwait on Friday circulated among Security Council members yet another press statement on the Israeli-Palestinian clashes in Gaza, as a similar statement was blocked last week by the United States.

Kuwaiti ambassador to the United Nations Mansour Al-Otaibi, whose country is a member of the Security Council, told reporters that his delegation has just circulated another press statement among council members. (UN-Kuwait-Gaza) Enditem