The essential news in 8 stories: From nuclear threats to Janet Jackson's baby boy

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China responds to Trump’s tweets on Korean Peninsula denuclearization

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China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said China’s efforts to realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is “obvious to all” on Tuesday. The comments were in response to US President-elect Donald Trump's tweets criticizing China for its lack of “help” on the issue. In November, China announced economic sanctions against the DPRK temporarily banning coal imports, as part of UN-backed punishments for DPRK’s nuclear tests.

Indian minister: Women dressing ‘like Westerners’ to blame for sexual assaults

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Karnataka State Home Minister G Parameshwara has caused a public outcry in India for blaming incidents of women being groped on young people “copying the Westerners, not only in their mindset, but even in their dressing". Following the comments the National Commission for Women chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam called for his resignation while Kiren Rijiju, the federal government's junior home minister said Parameshwara’s comments were “irresponsible”.

China's top leadership calls for ‘most severe punishment’ against bad food safety

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China's top leadership has called for more efforts to ensure food safety, noting there are still many problems despite an improving food safety situation. Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli said deeper problems affecting food safety have not been fundamentally solved and called for stricter management of food safety calling for a food safety standard system compatible with international standards. President Xi Jinping also called for the “most severe punishment” for people contravening food safety standards.

Trump ‘picks fight’ with Republican Congress over ethics committee and wins

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The Republican controlled US Congress have reversed a move to reduce the powers of an independent ethics body that investigates political misconduct following tweets by the president-elect criticizing the move. The House Republican lawmakers had voted to strip the Office of Congressional Ethics of its independence which many felt unfairly targeted Republicans, but in a series of tweets Trump said “unfair as it [the committee] may be” the “Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance!".

Heavy smog continues to choke Chinese cities although there are signs of hope

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Low visibility caused by fog and smog in large parts of China is disrupted traffic after the New Year holiday. Dense fog combined with smog temporarily closed several sections of six expressways in Beijing Tuesday morning according to Beijing Traffic Management Bureau. The smog comes as new data reveals that things were actually looking up in Beijing, at least, in 2016 with the city experiencing more “good air” days and less “severely polluted” days last year compared to the previous three years.

UK’s top EU envoy quits and urges colleagues to challenge UK’s ‘muddled thinking’ over Brexit

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Britain’s ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Roger, has quit unexpectedly and has urged colleagues to challenge the government’s approach to Brexit negotiations in an email to colleagues. In the email, obtained by the BBC, he said: "I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power.” The government responded to the resignation saying Roger had resigned early so his successor could be found before formal Brexit negotiations started.

Chinese transgender man wins wrongful dismissal case but not for discrimination

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A transgender man who was fired from his job last year has won his claim for unfair dismissal. The plaintiff who was born a woman but identifies as a man claimed he was fired from his job at a health center because he wore men’s clothes. The Chinese court agreed that he had been unfairly dismissed and awarded him a month’s wages but said there was not enough evidence to prove it was because he is transgender. It is unclear how this will affect, if at all, the legal status of transgender people in the workplace.

Janet Jackson is a mother at 50

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Pop star Janet Jackson has given birth to a baby boy, according to her publicist. A statement said that the 50 year-old singer and her husband, Wissam Al Mana, were “thrilled” at the birth of their first son named Eissa Al Mana. "Janet had a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting comfortably." Jackson married the billionaire Qatari businessman Wissam in 2012 and announced her intentions to focus on having a family in April 2016.