Here are five stories from around Asia that you may have missed this week 

Typhoon Noru tore through Southeast Asia with the Philippines taking the biggest toll. At least 12 people were killed, and 52 injured when it made landfall early this week. The country's Manila Bulletin newspaper reported:"Close to one million Filipinos have already been affected as of Friday, Sept. 30, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) disclosed." 

Powering on through Vietnam, Noru killed at least two and caused blackouts, with winds of 115 kilometers per hour and large thunderstorms. It was the most powerful typhoon to hit Vietnam in 20 years, according to the country's national weather service. It finally turned to Thailand, where more than 10,000 households have been affecting by flooding, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

At least 61 people were killed and dozens more were missing after a boat packed with Hindu devotees sank in Bangladesh on Sunday in the worst waterways disaster to hit the country. A local district administrator said "initial reports suggest the boat was carrying almost three times its capacity." Reuters reported: "The ferry had been taking Hindu devotees to a temple on the occasion of Mahalaya, when Hindus make offerings to their ancestors."

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's funeral was held in Tokyo on Tuesday with world leaders in attendance, but also with a significant number of Japanese people questioning why an expensive state funeral was held. More than 70 percent of people surveyed by Kyodo News said the government was spending too much on the funeral.

Amid the economic difficulties facing Pakistan, the country's finance minister, Miftah Ismail, resigned on Monday, and Ishaq Dar took his place. Dar, a senior politician in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's party, flew to Islamabad on Monday night after ending five years in self-exile in London. Reuters said: "In his fourth time in the job, the chartered accountant is facing a balance of payment crisis, foreign reserves that cover barely a month's imports, historic lows in the rupee, inflation exceeding 27% and the aftermath of devastating floods."

A ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, open e-cigarettes, nicotine-free e-cigarettes and solid-state e-cigarettes, took effect in China on Saturday. This means everyone in the e-cigarette market must operate with a license, and e-cigarette stores cannot sell flavored e-cigarettes.

The national standard also requires that the nicotine content of e-cigarettes does not exceed 2 percent. E-cigarette manufacturers and sellers are now subject to spot checks on the quality of e-cigarettes. E-cigarette sales outlets will also not be allowed near primary and secondary, or specialized schools, as well as kindergartens.

(Cover: Satellite image released by NASA shows Typhoon Noru approaching the Philippines, September 26, 2022. /CFP)