From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Byrd reporting.
调整语速:
Faced with a prospect of heavy rain, rescuers are weighing their options [as they try to reach] as they try to retrieve 12 boys and their soccer coach who are trapped in a cave in Thailand.
On Saturday, the regional governor and chief of the rescue mission said conditions were perfect for an attempt to try to make a complicated exit through narrow flooded passages.
However, heavy rains hit the area early Sunday and more rain is in the forecast.
Rescuers have been able to take the boys food, oxygen and medical help.
Early Saturday, Thai Navy SEALs released letters the boys had written to their families. Their football coach apologized to their parents but several families have said they do not blame him for the situation.
The boys and their coach have been trapped underground since June 23.
The death toll from a boat accident off the southern Thai resort island of Phuket has risen to 41 as the search continues for 15 people who are still missing.
Divers described heartbreaking scenes from the wreck of bodies of children found in the arms of their mothers.
Dominic Robnik is one of the recovery divers. "Today, we recovered nine bodies with all the boats together. And we do know that they are some down there and we have a bit of difficulties getting one of them out."
Thai authorities are considering raising the Phoenix which went down in heavy seas on Thursday night. The boat was carrying 105 people, including 93 tourists, 11 crew and one tour guide when it capsized.
This is VOA news.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Tokyo on Sunday. Pompeo did not comment when he was asked for his response to North Korea's characterization of his visit to Pyongyang as regrettable.
North Korea had also accused Washington of making gangster-like demands to pressure the country into abandoning its nuclear weapons.
As we hear from AP's Ben Thomas, the North Korean characterization is very different from Pompeo's take on his talks.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meeting with Kim Yong Chol and other North Korean officials in Pyongyang Saturday. But North Korea's Foreign Ministry later described the two days of talks harshly, accusing the U.S. side of making gangster-like demands pressuring it to unilaterally abandon its nuclear weapons. The ministry said it had expected Pompeo might offer trust-building measures.
Speaking to reporters at the airport just before leaving North Korea, the secretary of state maintained a more positive tone.
"These are complicated issues, but we made progress on almost all the central issues."
Pompeo says a path has been laid out for working-level negotiations.
Ben Thomas, Washington.
More than 15 people were killed and [two] more than two dozen others wounded in two assaults Saturday on the compound of Somalia's Interior and Security Ministries in the capital city, Mogadishu.
The first attack began when gunmen set off huge explosions outside the main gate of the Interior Ministry building before three militants stormed it.
Witnesses said security forces launched a counterterror operation and engaged in an hour-long battle with the militants before ending the siege and killing the armed attackers.
A second blast occurred at a police building opposite the Interior Ministry compound. Five people were killed there.
A former district commissioner in the Lower Shabelle region was killed Saturday in a third bomb attack.
The militant group, al-Shabab, has claimed responsibility.
At least 49 people were killed and more than 47 missing Saturday in southwestern Japan because of massive mudslides triggered by torrential rain. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported more than 1.6 million people were forced to flee their homes.
As heavy downpours pounded western and central Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings of "historic" rains, landslides and rising rivers for parts of the main island of Honshu.
At the World Cup football tournament, host country Russia lost its bid for the semifinals falling on penalties to Croatia. Croatia plays England, which scored a 2-0 win over Sweden.
The other semifinal has France taking on Belgium. The tournament final is July 15.
