KINSHASA (AFP) - A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in DR Congo's Katanga province, where rebel violence has destroyed 600 homes over the past three months and displaced 400,000 people, the UN said Wednesday.The head of the world body's MONUSCO mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo admitted that the huge southeastern province had been neglected in recent months."It's a humanitarian catastrophe," Martin Kobler told reporters in Kinshasa, referring to the situation in Katanga, where vio

WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama appears to have prevailed, for now, in a campaign to stop Congress from passing new sanctions on Iran he fears could derail nuclear diplomacy.Several Democratic senators who previously backed a bipartisan sanctions bill publicly stepped back after Obama threatened a veto during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.Several sources familiar with behind-the-scenes maneuvering on the bill say a number of other Democratic senators signed up for more sanc

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - China and Japan accused each other of threatening stability Wednesday as a diplomatic battle over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to a contested war shrine reached the UN Security Council.China's UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, seized upon a debate on the lessons of conflict to slam Abe for going to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals among the country's war dead.Attempts to change history "destabilize regional peace and pose a serious challenge to the pea

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) – Riding on a legislative document on Korean and other Asian women forced to serve in sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II, three U.S. congressmen sent a letter Wednesday to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to address the issue.They are Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Adam Schiff (D-CA).The lawmakers said the letter is aimed at bringing the secretary's attention to the historic document attached to a spending bill for fiscal year 2014.

NEW YORK (Yonhap) – South and North Korea displayed rare unity on the U.N. Security Council Wednesday, as they fiercely condemned Japan for history "distortions."The two Koreas, backed by China, said that Japan's conservative leadership is fully responsible for escalating tensions in Northeast Asia over history and territorial issues.Amb. Oh Joon, South Korea's permanent representative to the U.N., accused Japanese leaders of having a "distorted view of what happened during the time of imperiali

China criticized Japan Wednesday for reportedly planning to invite foreign correspondents stationed in Beijing and Seoul to promote Tokyo's stance on territorial issues, urging Japan not to "waste time to make vain efforts." China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remarks when asked about a Japanese media report that the Japanese foreign ministry would invite more than 100 U.S. and European correspondents in Beijing and Seoul early this year to brief them on territorial issues

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - Iraq is preparing a "major attack" to retake militant-held Fallujah, a senior official said on Sunday, spelling a new assault for the western city where U.S. forces repeatedly battled insurgents.Washington said it would help Baghdad in its battle against Al-Qaeda-linked militants but that there would be no return of U.S. troops.The takeover of Fallujah and parts of provincial capital Ramadi farther west is the first time that militants have exercised such open control in m

VATICAN CITY (AFP) - Pope Francis said Sunday he will make his first trip to the Holy Land, visiting Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem from May 24 to 26."In the climate of joy typical of this Christmas period, I would like to announce that from May 24 to 26, God willing, I will carry out a pilgrimage to the Holy Land," Francis told crowds gathered in St Peter's Square for the traditional Angelus prayer.Francis said the date of the announcement -- January 5 -- was significant because it "commemorate

BANGALORE, India (AFP) – India was set for the launch of its first domestically-powered cryogenic rocket Sunday, as Delhi bids to join an elite club of countries with the technology after a crash and a fuel leak on previous attempts.Scientists were making final preparations for the launch of the rocket using a complex technology mastered by just a handful of countries, a top Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) official said.The 415-ton rocket carrying a two-ton advanced communications sate

PANAJI, India (AP) – Rescuers using backhoes and shovels searched for survivors Sunday under a massive pile of broken concrete and dust that was left when a residential building under construction collapsed in southern India, killing at least 15 workers.Authorities suspected dozens more may be trapped under the rubble, but were still trying to determine how many workers were on site when the five-story structure crumpled Saturday afternoon in the state of Goa. Witnesses reported seeing at least

BAGHDAD (AP) – A senior Iraqi military commander said Sunday that it will take a few days to fully dislodge al-Qaida-linked fighters from two key western cities.Lt. Gen. Rasheed Fleih, who leads the Anbar Military Command, told the state television Sunday that ``two to three days'' are needed to push the militants out of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi. Fleih added that pro-government Sunni tribes are leading the operations while the army only is offering aerial cover and logistics on the ground. H

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) – Police in Bangladesh fired at protesters and opposition activists torched more than 100 polling stations Sunday during a national election boycotted by the opposition and described as flawed by the international community. At least 11 people were killed in election-related violence.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's refusal to heed opposition demands to step down and appoint a neutral caretaker to oversee the election led to the boycott, undermining the legitimacy of the vot

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Peace talks between South Sudan's warring factions must not be a "gimmick" to buy time to win the upper hand on the ground, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Sunday."Both parties need to put the interests of South Sudan above their own," Kerry told reporters in Jerusalem."The beginning of direct talks... is a very important step, but make no mistake it is only a first step. There's a lot more to do."Negotiations have to be serious, they cannot be a delay, (a) gimmick in

SANAA (AFP) - Two days of clashes between Shiite rebels and Sunni tribesmen fighting alongside hard-line Salafists in northern Yemen have killed at least 23 people, sources said on Sunday.Fighting has centered for months on a Salafist mosque and Koranic school in Dammaj, which has been besieged by the Shiite rebels known as Huthis.But the conflict has spread in the northern provinces, embroiling Sunni tribes wary of the power of the Huthis, who have repeatedly been accused of receiving support f