Briefly

JAPAN

37 injured following magnitude 5.9 quake

At least 37 people were injured after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, early on Sunday. The earthquake also caused burst water pipes and transportation disruptions in some areas, local media reported. Japan's Fuji News Network, citing the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, reported that as of 10 am, at least 37 people were injured in Tokyo, Ibaraki Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture and other areas. The earthquake temporarily disrupted some train services in the Kanto region, though operations were gradually being restored. Multiple water pipes burst in Tokyo and other areas, causing temporary flooding on some roads.

UNITED STATES

$850m UN dues payment planned

The US government has notified Congress of its plans to pay $850 million of the several billion it owes to the United Nations, the largest payment that the administration would make to the world body since Washington demanded sweeping reforms in exchange for continued support as its largest donor. The US State Department laid out its plans to transfer $725 million as part of its dues to the regular UN budget and $125 million toward UN peacekeeping operations in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to notifications sent to lawmakers this month and obtained by The Associated Press. The US is about $5 billion behind on dues related to its membership, with more than $2 billion owed toward the regular budget, the UN says.

DR CONGO

Gov't, M23 agree on road map for talks

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the March 23 Movement rebel group have agreed on a road map for peace negotiations, setting out sequenced steps and timelines for further talks, according to a joint statement issued on Sunday. The two sides said that, during meetings held from Aug 17 to 21 in Switzerland, they assessed progress and challenges in the Doha peace process while discussing the implementation of existing commitments and the way forward for negotiations under the Doha Framework Agreement. Following the assessment, the two sides developed a road map outlining the sequence and timetable for future negotiations.

AGENCIES-XINHUA