Briefly

THAILAND

Death toll from floods rises to 23

Four people have died in Bangkok after heavy rains caused widespread flooding, the government said on Tuesday, as the toll from floods across Thailand since mid-September rose to 23. Around 700,000 people have been affected by floods in the capital, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, which detailed the fatalities. Parts of Bangkok remained waterlogged on Tuesday, three days after authorities declared a citywide disaster following almost 48 hours of continuous rain. Schools remained shut for a second day, while almost 7,000 people stayed in more than 230 shelters across the city, according to authorities. Government spokesman Ekkapob Pianpises announced on Tuesday the approval of emergency funds amounting to $122 million for flood victims.

JAPAN

Mayor in Okinawa protests missile plan

The mayor of Kadena Town in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture visited the Japanese Defense Ministry's Okinawa Defense Bureau on Monday to protest plans to store the United States Typhon midrange missile system at Kadena Air Base. Kyodo News reported that Mayor Hiroshi Toyama submitted a request calling for the plan to be withdrawn, saying it disregards local residents' concerns and is utterly absurd and absolutely unacceptable. Toyama said the absence of a specified storage period had raised fears that the arrangement could become a permanent, formal deployment. The Okinawa Defense Bureau said on Friday that the US Typhon missile system is planned to be withdrawn from Kagoshima Prefecture and stored at Kadena Air Base by mid-October.

XINHUA-AGENCIES