Main News of January 1

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

* North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for reconciliation with the South and said his country would strive to raise living standards, in the first New Year TV address by a North Korean head of state for 19 years on Tuesday.

* The EU’s Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton has again expressed concern over continuing violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) and urged the parties to negotiate a peaceful settlement.

RUSSIA

* Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation minutes before the end of the year 2012, dedicating his speech to family values and patriotism.

* Russians can expect to see their real wages rise in 2013, but along with that will come higher utilities tariffs, according to Economic Development Ministry forecasts.

ECONOMY

* The US Senate voted on Tuesday to approve tax rises for richer Americans, in a last-minute deal to avert a combination of wider tax rises and massive budget cuts known as the "fiscal cliff."

SPORTS

* World No. 2 Maria Sharapova pulled out of the Brisbane International tournament Tuesday with a collarbone injury, depriving her of valuable competition time ahead of the Australian Open.