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TOKYO — Three bodies were found inside a crater at the summit of Mount Fuji, Japan's most famous mountain, with one of them already brought down from the slopes, police said Thursday. The identities of the people, including gender or age, were not confirmed. An effort to bring back the two other bodies will continue Friday or later, depending on weather conditions, they said. A search was called off for Thursday because of forecasts for heavy rainfall. It's unclear whether the three people were climbing the 3,776-meter mountain together, as the bodies were found several meters apart. The official climbing season had not yet started when the climbers entered the mountain from the Shizuoka Prefecture side. Japanese media reports showed a vehicle with one of the bodies driving into a police station in Shizuoka Prefecture. The rescue team had been searching for a 53-year-old man for whom a missing person report was filed. Separately, Kyodo News service said professional climber Keita Kurakami, 38, died in a hospital after being found by police while climbing Fuji from the Yamanashi Prefecture side of the mountain. Fuji can be climbed from both Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. The climbing season kicks in for Yamanashi starting July 1. Mount Fuji, made famous in ukiyoe, or woodblock prints, of 18th and 19th Century Edo Era masters Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, is a popular tourist destination. Experts warn it can get extremely cold, even in the summer, and proper gear, climbing boots and clothing are crucial. Trekkers are also at risk of altitude sickness if they ascend too quickly. The picturesque Fuji has long been an iconic symbol of Japan, with its gracefully sweeping slopes and white icy cap that stand out amid tranquil lakes and rice fields. As many as 300,000 people climb Fuji every year, and watching the sunrise from the mountaintop is coveted as a spiritual experience. But worries have been growing lately about overcrowding from the influx of tourists. The town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi erected a large black screen along a sidewalk to block the view of Mount Fuji to discourage photo-snapping crowds.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Nairobi, Kenya — In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Kenyan President William Ruto said that he’s decided not to sign a bill that included a series of tax increases. He spoke one day after more than 20 people were killed during protests against the bill that led to clashes with police. "I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill. It shall subsequently be withdrawn and that shall be our collective position," he said. Ruto made the statement from the State House on Wednesday in the presence of lawmakers and thanked those who voted yes for the bill. The bill won approval in parliament Tuesday but lawmakers fled the scene as clashes between police and protesters mounted and hundreds of demonstrators stormed the complex. Parts of the parliament were set on fire and burned for hours. Late Tuesday evening, the Kenyan president condemned protesters' storming of the parliament as treasonous and a threat to national security. On Wednesday, human rights defenders and good governance organizations gathered at Kenya Human Rights Commission to condemn the violence against the protesters and accused the president of being accountable for what had happened on Tuesday. Grace Wangechi is a human rights and social development expert and the executive director of Independent Medico Legal Unit, or IMLU, an organization created in 1993 to protest against torture in Kenya. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with Kenyans getting on the streets to voice themselves. This is a constitutional provision as part of the Kenyan constitution 2010," Wengechi said. Lorna Dias, human rights defender and executive coordinator of Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, said, "There's nothing that justifies the use of live bullets on protesters." "The destruction of property that happened on the streets was a security failure, and this regime should take the blame," Dias said. Deputy President of Kenya Rigathi Gachagua, who also addressed the nation after his boss from the coastal city of Mombasa, said he sympathized with the president but blamed the National Intelligence Service head, Noordin Haji, for Tuesday’s violence. Gachagua said that had the National Intelligence Service “briefed the president that this bill was unpopular with the Kenyan people, there would not have been deaths and …mayhem." There was no immediate response from the intelligence service. The deputy president asked the protesters to call off other planned protests tomorrow, saying that when that happens, “we can begin an honest conversation on how to work on our country."

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SAN DIEGO — A pair of giant pandas are on their way from China to the U.S., where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Wednesday. Officials with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance were on hand in China for a farewell ceremony commemorating the departure of the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao. The celebration included cultural performances, video salutations from Chinese and American students and a gift exchange among conservation partners, the zoo said in a statement. After the ceremony, the giant pandas began their trip to Southern California. "This farewell celebrates their journey and underscores a collaboration between the United States and China on vital conservation efforts," Paul Baribault, the wildlife alliance president, said in a statement. "Our long-standing partnership with China Wildlife Conservation Association has been instrumental in advancing giant panda conservation, and we look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the survival and thriving of this iconic species." It could be several weeks before the giant pandas will be viewable to the public in San Diego, officials said. Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered male who's nearly 5 years old, has connections to California, the wildlife alliance said previously. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao. Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female described as "a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears." The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a nearly 30-year partnership with leading conservation institutions in China focused on protecting and recovering giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Mogadishu and Washington — Somalia, an impoverished nation in the horn of Africa, has begun celebrating 65 years of independence, though it comes amid a backdrop of division and a pivotal security transition. Independence Week is celebrated annually from June 26 to July 1 to honor the 1960 union of British Somaliland and Italian Somalia. It paved the way for a united Somalia with hopes of progress and prosperity, although they remain a dream, according to Sokor Jama, former director of Somalia’s Defense Ministry. “I believe it is not the time to celebrate,’’ Jama told VOA Somali. ‘’You can celebrate your success of gaining an independence only when you have reached your goals. Look where Somalia is at today. .... It is cursed with a division within, insecurity and poverty.” Speaking with VOA, Abdullahi Salamulah, an adviser to the office of Somalia’s parliament speaker, disagreed. “I defer to Jama on the issue of celebrating the country’s independence,” Salamumlah said. ‘’I do not see hatred among Somali people. The ordinary people are united, but yes, there are politicians here and there who are divided on issues for their own benefits, and they try to change the public narratives.” Broke away in 1991 Somaliland, a former British protectorate, broke away from Somalia in 1991 and continued its effort to be a separate country but has not been internationally recognized. The government in Mogadishu, however, wants the country’s northern territory to be part of a single Somali state. The leaders of Mogadishu and Hargeisa presented dramatically opposing views regarding Somalia’s unity during Tuesday’s celebrations. In a ceremonial event in Mogadishu preceded by songs, poems, folklore dancing and the hoisting of the national flag, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the day stands for unity revival. “I want to repeat again and again that Independence Day is the day of revival, rebirth and reconciliation of the Somali people,” he said. "I congratulate the entire Somali nation on the occasion of June 26, which marks the 64th anniversary of the independence of the northern regions from British colonial rule and the raising of our flag on free Somali soil," Mohamud said. Regional tensions Independence Week this year comes amid regional tension between Ethiopia and Somalia over Ethiopia’s desire to set up a naval base there and a possible offer to recognize Somaliland in exchange. The move prompted a defiant response from Mogadishu, fearing the deal could further destabilize the Horn of Africa region. In February, Somalia, which has no control in Somaliland, ordered the closure of the Ethiopian consulates there and in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. Senior officials from Somaliland and Puntland, which is engaged in another constitutional dispute with Mogadishu, said the edicts would not apply in their territories. Somalia said at the time it would defend itself if Ethiopia seals an illegal port deal. In Tuesday’s speech, Mohamud said his government understands Ethiopia’s desire for access to the sea but opposes the methods it has employed. “The issue is not a fight over Somalia rejecting a sea access for Ethiopia, but our dispute is over the means. If Ethiopia wants to get sea access in Somalia, we welcome it, but it must be similar to how Uganda and South Sudan access Kenya’s ports, how Burundi and Rwanda access Tanzania, and how Ethiopia itself has access to Djibouti,” Mohamud said. In Hargeisa, Somaliland President Muse Bihi said authorities in Mogadishu are the biggest challenge for the autonomous region’s fight for recognition as an independent state. Speaking at a ceremony held in Hargeisa Tuesday night, Bihi said Mohamud does not oppose Ethiopian access to the sea but wants Ethiopia to get signoff from Mogadishu. The Memorandum of Understanding Somaliland "signed with Ethiopia will be turned to a law and will be implemented without seeking permission from Mogadishu, whose real territorial control does not extend beyond Mogadishu,” Bihi said. Security challenges As African Transition Mission in Somalia, or ATMIS, peacekeepers continue to gradually leave Somalia by the end of 2024, Somalia still faces security challenges, with questions and concerns raised over the country’s readiness to take charge and face al-Shabab, which remains a genuine threat to the country and the region. Briefing the U.N. Security Council on the Somalia situation, ATMIS head Mohamed El-Amine Souef told ambassadors that al-Shabab remains resilient. “The group still retain[s] the ability to conduct devastating attacks, including employing asymmetric tactics and organizing complex operations on civilians and security targets,” he said. Souef said 2,000 troops will depart Somalia by the end of July, and the remaining 2,000 at the end of September, as part of the transition of security responsibility from ATMIS to the Security Forces. James Swan, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia, also told the council that the Somalia government was prioritizing security and combating al-Shabab fighters on many fronts. “For its part, al-Shabab remains determined to continue terrorist attacks with little regard for the loss of civilian life,” he said. Swan also raised his concerns over the tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, and he urged both nations to resolve their differences peacefully.

Armored vehicles rammed the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday in an apparent coup attempt against President Luis Arce, but he vowed to stand firm and named a new army commander who ordered troops to stand down. The first debate between U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in 2024 takes place Thursday. We talk to political consultant Matt Klink of Klink campaigns about what to look for. And Croatian electric vehicle maker P3 presented its self-driving robotaxi named after Jules Verne.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

An annual U.S. government report has sounded an alarm about rising bigotry worldwide against both Jews and Muslims amid the war in Gaza. It also has found that religious freedom is under assault globally and offers rare criticism of the U.S. ally India. VOA State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching has more.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence and security officials are increasing their focus on the country’s southern border, worried the constant flow of migrants has attracted the attention of the Islamic State terror group. The heightened concern follows the arrests earlier this month of eight men from Tajikistan, all of whom entered the United States via its southern border with Mexico, some making the trip over a year ago. While the initial background checks came up clean, U.S. law enforcement subsequently turned up information indicating potential ties to the Islamic State group, also known as IS or ISIS. “It's not lost on us that the people who killed over 150 Russians in that theater were from the same part of the world," said Ken Wainstein, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, referring to the March attack on a Moscow concert hall, claimed by the terror group’s Afghan affiliate.  Wainstein, testifying Wednesday before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, said concern about the potential for IS to exploit the border has led to daily meetings with the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), as well as unprecedented cooperation with the FBI. But he sought to downplay concerns stemming from intelligence suggesting that the IS-linked human smuggling network may have brought more than 400 migrants from Central Asia into the U.S., across the southern border. “There is not information which suggests those particular individuals are terrorist operatives," Wainstein told lawmakers. Information on the 400 migrants, first reported by NBC News, indicates more than 150 of the migrants have been arrested. But officials told NBC that the whereabouts of more than 50 others are unknown. The newfound concerns about terror groups like IS actively trying to exploit the southern border seems to indicate a significant shift in the threat landscape. For years, U.S. counterterrorism officials have maintained there was no evidence that IS or other Sunni terror groups were trying to infiltrate the U.S. along its border with Mexico.  And this past November, NCTC Director Christine Abizaid told lawmakers that while counterterrorism officials “absolutely recognize the risk,” evidence for such plots was lacking. “We don’t have indications that are credible or corroborated,” she told members of the House of Representatives at the time. But U.S. and Turkish sanctions unveiled earlier this month may point to the Islamic State terror group’s growing interest in human smuggling. The sanctions focus on what the U.S. Treasury Department described as a Eurasian human smuggling network that was providing support for IS members in Turkey.  One of the key operatives, Olimkhon Ismailov, is based in Uzbekistan. And Ismailov had high-level help, with Treasury alleging he was given guidance by the leader of IS in the Republic of Georgia, Adam Khamirzaev. According to the U.S. State Department, Khamirzaev apparently had his sights set on the U.S.  The IS-Georgia emir “provided guidance to this network on a range of activities supporting ISIS and was aware of its efforts to facilitate travelers to the United States," the State Department said in a statement. Multiple U.S. agencies, including DHS, the FBI and the State Department declined to respond to questions about the reach of the Eurasian human smuggling network involved with IS operatives in Turkey and Uzbekistan. There are also no indications that the sanctioned network is connected to the same IS-linked network that brought the eight men from Tajikistan, or the hundreds of other Central Asian migrants, into the U.S. through the southern border. As for the eight men from Tajikistan, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday that, “They are in removal proceedings as we speak.” And other U.S. officials say they have stepped up security measures. "We have increased our vigilance at our border," said Jen Daskal, the White House deputy Homeland Security adviser, virtually addressing a counterterrorism conference Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska. “We have enhanced our screening and vetting, instituted recurrent vetting of migrants to identify newly uncovered threats and detain those who pose a public safety threat,” she said. But Daskal admitted the threat from IS, and especially its Afghan affiliate, persists. "Both ISIS and ISIS-Khorasan, or what we call ISIS-K, have demonstrated a capability and intent to conduct external operations,” she said.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

seoul, south korea — North Korea has successfully conducted an important test aimed at developing missiles carrying multiple warheads, state media KCNA said on Thursday.   The test was carried out on Wednesday using a first-stage engine equipped with a solid-fuel based intermediate and long-range ballistic missile, it said.   The dispatch came a day after South Korea's military said that North Korea launched what appeared to be a hypersonic missile off its east coast, but it exploded in midair.   KCNA said the missile succeeded in separating warheads that were accurately guided to three preset targets.  "The purpose was to secure the capability to destroy individual targets using multiple warheads," it said.   South Korea, the United States and Japan condemned the launch as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and a serious threat. They also warned against additional provocations in the wake of last week's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.   During Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years, the two leaders signed a mutual defense pact, which Kim lauded as an alliance, but South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called it "anachronistic."  In another dispatch, North Korea's defense minister Kang Sun Nam condemned Ukraine's attack on Crimea with U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles that killed at least four people and injured 151 as an "inexcusable, heinous act against humanity."   The attack highlighted how Washington has served as a "top-class state sponsor of terrorism," he said, adding that any retaliation from Russia would make "the most justifiable defense."   The U.S. State Department said on Monday that Washington provided weapons to Ukraine so it could defend its sovereign territory, including Crimea.