Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.

South Korea scrapped the face mask mandate for most indoor public places on January 30, loosening COVID-19 rules. People are still required to wear masks on public transport and in medical facilities and pharmacies, said the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The move comes as South Korea's current medical system is capable of managing the virus situation, the KDCA said, adding that the numbers of new infections, critically ill cases and COVID-19 deaths have stabilized.

This year's Chinese mainland box office hit 10 billion yuan ($1.48 billion) on January 31, the earliest date in a calendar year the figure has ever been reached. According to data from the China Film Administration, domestic films occupy the leading positions on the list.

"Full River Red," a suspense comedy directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou, topped the list with nearly 3.42 billion yuan, or 34 percent of the total. It was followed by "The Wandering Earth II," a prequel to the 2019 sci-fi blockbuster "The Wandering Earth," which pulled in 2.78 billion yuan. Third on the list was animated film "Boonie Bears: Guardian Code," which grossed 1.03 billion yuan. The much-anticipated American movie "Avatar: The Way of Water" came in fourth with over 688 million yuan generated in January.

Thailand's ruling Palang Pracharat party has chosen political veteran and former army chief Prawit Wongsuwon as its candidate for prime minister, as parties gear up for an election that must be held by May. In a Facebook post on February 1, Prawit Wongsuwon said "politicians must be able to work with all parties, compromise to reduce conflict and adhere to the public interest."

Two Indian Air Force fighter jets crashed on January 29, killing one pilot, after a midair collision during military exercises south of the capital, New Delhi. The crash involved a Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30, carrying two pilots, and a French-built Mirage 2000, operated by a third pilot. 

"The aircraft were on a routine operational flying training mission," the country's air force said in a statement, adding that one of the three pilots had fatal injuries. Both aircraft had taken off in the morning from the Gwalior airbase, about 50 kilometers east of where they crashed.

Japan is no longer performing well when it comes to avoiding COVID-19 deaths, according to the Japan Times. The country, which has one of the oldest populations in the world, is quietly experiencing its biggest outbreak of the pandemic. 

A wave of Omicron variant infections overwhelmed its health system this winter and delayed medical care for patients, sending daily deaths to a record high of more than 500 on January 14. The Japan Times reported: "Japan is one of the fastest-aging societies in the world, with people older than 65 making up 29 percent of its roughly 125 million people. The group is among the highest-risk for COVID-19, with reports that many deaths during the current wave have occurred among those with underlying conditions such as Alzheimer's and heart disease."