Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, Jan 1 (APP): The BRICS memberships of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Ethiopia officially took effect on Monday.
The countries were invited to join the group in August 2023 after the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, CGTN reported.

Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS, an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, has received numerous membership requests in recent years.

MANILA, Jan 1 (NNN-PNA) – Two people died due to a house fire, in Taguig City in Metro Manila yesterday, the Bureau of Fire Protection said.

The bureau said, the two victims were trapped in the house that went into flame. The victims’ names, gender and other personal details were not made available.

Firefighters have extinguished the fire, the bureau said.

Further investigation is ongoing, it added.

BANGKOK, Jan 1 (Bernama) — Visitors from Malaysia to Hatyai, the vibrant southern Thai city, doubled to 20,000 daily during the Christmas and year-end holiday season, contributing more than 2 billion Baht to the local economy in two weeks before the year ended.

Hatyai Songkhla Hotel Association President, Sitthipong Sitthiphataraprabha said Hatyai’s irresistible appeal lies on its combination of delectable and diverse food choices, easy accessibility, and affordable hotel options drew Malaysians in droves.

BEIJING, Jan 1 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulations with U.S. President Joe Biden on the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday.

Xi, in his message, said both countries have "weathered the storms and moved forward in general", which has enhanced the well-being of their peoples and contributed to world peace, stability and prosperity, according to the ministry statement.

TAIPEI, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Taiwan's relations with China must be decided by the will of the people and peace must be based on "dignity", President Tsai Ing-wen said on Monday after China's leader, Xi Jinping, said "reunification" with the island is inevitable.

China has been ramping up military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over democratically governed Taiwan, which on Jan. 13 holds presidential and parliamentary elections.

SEOUL, Jan 1 (Reuters) - A tsunami measuring under one metre (3.3 ft) reached South Korea's east coast in the wake of a massive earthquake that hit Japan on Monday, South Korea's meteorological agency said, which added there may be more and larger waves in the next hours.

The first tsunami to reach South Korea's coast was 67 cm (2.2 ft) but it may increase in size after the initial waves and may continue for more than 24 hours, the meteorological agency said

SINGAPORE, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday called on Singaporeans to give Lawrence Wong and his team full support in 2024 while giving a New Year address.

"Next year, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take over from me as prime minister. This is not the first time we are having a leadership transition. But transitions are always delicate," Lee noted.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his military should “thoroughly annihilate” the United States and South Korea if provoked, state media reported Monday, after he vowed to boost national defense to cope with what he called an unprecedented U.S.-led confrontation.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan dropped its highest-level tsunami alert after issuing one following a series of major earthquakes Monday but told residents of coastal areas not to return to their homes as deadly waves could still come.

The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, started a fire and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan’s main island, Honshu. It was unclear how many people might have been killed or hurt.

TOKYO, Dec 30 (NNN-NHK) – The Japanese government carried out no executions in 2023, for the first time in three years, local media reported.

Currently, there are 106 inmates on death row in Japan, after three died from illness and other causes, and three others had their death sentences finalised this year, Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, said, citing the Justice Ministry.

The law on inmate treatment, stipulates that, no executions will take place from Dec 29 to Jan 3, making any such act within the year impossible.