Myanmar: Over 30 dead in claimed junta strike on hospitalーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
My’s pro-democracy camp says at least 30 people have been killed in an air strike by the country’s ruling military on a hospital in the western state of Rakine. It says some patients are among the dead. The National Unity government says a military aircraft bombed the hospital late on Wednesday in an area reportedly controlled by an armed ethnic minority group. More than 70 people were injured. Since the military seized power in 2021, it has been fighting pro-democracy forces and ethnic minority rebels across the country. The Huna has announced a general election that will start later this month as part of a shift to civilian rule. Meanwhile, it has been intensifying its offensive in what’s been seen as a bid to expand the areas under its control ahead of the poll. Deadly clashes between Thailand and Cambodia have entered a fourth day with no signs of the violence abading. Around 450,000 people have been forced to flee areas along the disputed border. The renewed fighting started on Monday. Thailand says it has conducted air strikes and drone attacks on Cambodian military targets. Cambodia says it is hitting back in response. Thai authorities say nine military personnel have been killed and 120 injured. Officials in Cambodia say 11 civilians have died with 74 others wounded. US President Donald Trump told reporters he is scheduled to speak with the leaders of the two countries on Thursday. He brokered a peace deal in October following previous clashes in July. The conflict is raising concerns across the world. Pope Leo I 14th said on Wednesday that he is deeply saddened and called on parties to immediately cease fire and resume dialogue. Turning next to Sri Lanka where the UN has analyzed the damage caused by the recent cyclone deta. It says oneif of the country’s land has been flooded affecting some 2.3 million people. The cyclone lashed the island nation at the end of last month. The country’s disaster management center says at least 639 people have been killed in flooding and landslides and more than 190 remain missing. The United Nations Development Program or UNDP reported on Tuesday the affected area covers over 1.1 million hectares accounting for around 20% of Sri Lankan land. The UNDP also says over 50% of the people in the flooded area were already struggling with unstable incomes and high debt leading to concerns that the disaster will exacerbate their situation. Our goal is not just to recover. We want to make sure we build resilience while we do that so the communities can withstand further shocks and thrive. Kubata Asusa, the UNDP representative in Sri Lanka called on the international community to cooperate to provide continued support. Millions of tons of plastic waste are contaminating the environment across the globe. Thailand ranks among the world’s top 10 plastic polluters as waste flows down Bangkok’s canals into the ocean. NHK World Nakat Yoshiko reports on how people in communities along the waterways are trying to change that. Bangkok’s extensive network of canals stretches to the Chao Pria River. It is known as the Venice of the East and has served for centuries as the city’s arteries for transportation, trade, and local life. But the waterways have increasingly become passages for pollution. A 2021 report estimates Thailand leaks more than 22,000 metric tons of plastic waste a year into the ocean. [Music] Sam Bunlu leads a nonprofit organization’s team to intercept trash at its upstream sources. They deploy trash traps which consist of two outstretched poles with nets. NPO members empty the traps five times a week. They find plastic bottles, food containers, and even bags of dirty diapers. Samyen has lived along the canal his whole life. He believes the problem stems from poor waste management as well as people’s mindset. The trash is mostly daily items used by residents around here. It all goes into the canal. The NPO’s activities are inspiring residents to change their habits. I didn’t know where else to throw trash besides the canal. We now constantly remind our community members not to throw garbage into the canal. Researchers are working with the NPO to make its activities more effective. They are conducting a field trial to analyze the trash using artificial intelligence. Five key items including plastic bags and bottles account for a large part of the waste. Scientists have set up devices to monitor and collect realtime data to visualize the flow. Ah plastic bottle is one of the tool that can create data to raise awareness um to create social impact. On this day from a local elementary school have joined Tamian’s team. The NPO encourages people to view the waste issue as their own. I didn’t expect to see so much trash. It’s more than I thought. I’m worried the fish will die in the dirty water. I feel good cleaning trash. We’re just a small organization working like this in a small community in Thailand and it’s a struggle. So, I want to see this kind of work expand to every other canal. That would make the situation much better. Samin believes that big changes can start small from his team’s efforts. He’s determined to pass on the canals to the next generations as clean as they can be. Nakatoshko NHK World Bangkok. And that wraps up our bulletin. I’m Traan in Bangkok.
December 11 NEWSROOM TOKYO Bangkok Live Lineup:
00:00 Myanmar: Over 30 dead in claimed junta strike on hospital
00:55 Renewed Thai-Cambodian border clashes into fourth day
02:01 UNDP: Cyclone flooded 20% of Sri Lanka, 2 mil. affected
03:24 Bangkok community fights plastic waste
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