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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Jan. 8

Xinhua, January 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The White House said Thursday the U.S. would work closely with China to determine an appropriate response to the nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which will include additional economic sanctions.

"And the administration has also been in touch with Chinese officials," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told a news briefing, adding that U.S. President Barack Obama's National Security Advisor Susan Rice had already talked with Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai on the DPRK test. (U.S.-China-DPRK)

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PARIS -- A government official on Thursday said investigators looking into the attempted attack on police officers in the northern suburb of Paris earlier on Thursday did not yet have clear grounds to describe it as a terror act.

"It's too early to speak about a terrorist attack. We must be extremely careful. It's not because he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Great) while trying to attack policemen that he was conducting a terrorist assault," Pierre-Henry Brandet, interior ministry spokesman, told iTele news channel. (France-Attack)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council invited Iranians to stage nationwide rallies on Friday in protest against the recent execution of a Shiite cleric by Saudi Arabia, state IRIB TV reported on Thursday.

The protests to the "inhuman and dangerous act" of executing the cleric will be held in the afternoon after the Friday prayers in different parts of the country, a statement said. (Iran-Cleric)

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JERUSALEM/HEBRON -- Israeli troops shot and killed two Palestinians and severely wounded another on Thursday after the trio allegedly tried to stab soldiers in the central West Bank, the Israeli army said.

According to a military spokesperson, three knife-wielding Palestinians arrived at the Gush Etzion Junction, a major crossroad in a Jewish settlement bloc in the West Bank, in Thursday night. (Israel-Palestinians) Endite