Main News of January 1 Posted byRussian_Village January 1, 2013 Leave a comment on Main News of January 1 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