Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, Jan 1 (APP): China lowers tariff rates in accordance with the free trade agreements it has separately signed with Pakistan, New Zealand, Peru, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Iceland, Singapore, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Chile and Georgia, as well as the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, starting Wednesday (today).

The second phase of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) allows the Pakistani manufacturers and traders to export around 313new products on zero duty to the Chinese market, according to official sources here.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Flash floods inundated swathes of Indonesia’s capital and nearby towns on the first day of the New Year after torrential rainfall overnight, killing at least nine people and forcing thousands of people to evacuate, authorities said on Wednesday.

“As of 4 pm today, there are 19,079 displaced residents who have been evacuated at temporary shelters throughout Jakarta,” city governor Anies Baswedan told a news conference.

“The rain in Jakarta has stopped, now we are waiting for the water to recede”.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today called on Malaysians to pay attention to self-development just as the government was taking efforts to bring progress to the country.

In his New Year 2020 message, the prime minister said that despite Malaysia not being able to fully achieve a developed nation status, there were elements of a developed nation that Malaysians could still practise.

He identified these values as diligence, discipline, maintaining cleanliness, being tolerant, showing mutual respect, and being polite and magnanimous.

YANGON, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Win Myint Wednesday called for the participation of people in their tasks of Union Peace, building a Democratic Federal Union and development programmes.

Speaking on the occasion of new year 2020, the president expressed his belief that the hardships and challenges that the country is facing can be successfully overcome by holding onto truth, justice, honesty and transparency.

SINGAPORE, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Singapore has benefited enormously from globalisation and it must resist the temptation to turn inwards, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

Lee made the remarks in his New Year Message on Tuesday. He also noted that the state of the world worries Singaporeans as the global slowdown has affected the economy.

Many societies are under stress despite economic growth as the fruits of economic growth have not been shared equitably, with income gaps widening, he said.

NORTH KOREA (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s threat to show the world a new strategic weapon and possibly resume long-range missile tests is another dramatic turn in his high-stakes summitry with President Donald Trump. Some key moments in North Korea-U.S. diplomacy:

Jan. 1, 2018: Kim uses his annual New Year’s address to call for improved relations with South Korea though adds that he has a nuclear button on his desk. Trump tweets that he has a bigger and more powerful nuclear button, adding “and my Button works!”

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has been relentless in its attempts to influence and infiltrate Taiwan’s politics and society but the island’s new ban on political interference should have no effect on normal exchanges between the sides, Taiwan’s president said in her New Year’s address.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons against anti-government protesters over New Year’s Eve and into the early hours of Wednesday, extending the months-long movement into a new year.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused the Trump administration of dragging its feet in nuclear negotiations and warned that his country will soon show a new strategic weapon to the world as it bolsters its nuclear deterrent in the face of “gangster-like” U.S. pressure.

BEIJING, Dec 30 (APP): Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi held meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif here on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said.

“At noon today, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in Beijing,” Geng Shuang said during his regular briefing.

Wang Yi welcomed the Iranian Foreign Minister and discussed China-Iran relations, he added.