China's national observatory on Thursday renewed its red alert for Typhoon Saola, which is expected to bring gales and heavy rains to the country's eastern and southern coastal regions.

China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was brought to a standstill on Friday with most businesses, schools and the stock exchange shut. The Hong Kong Observatory warned the weather would worsen rapidly as the storm edged closer to the city. The SAR's airport authority said at least 366 flights had been cancelled and another 40 delayed.

The storm earlier in the week dumped heavy rains on the Philippines and battered the country with gale force winds affecting 305,481 people across seven regions in the country, according to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

A Pakistani court on Wednesday extended the jail custody of former Prime Minister Imran Khan for 14 days to investigate him on charges of leaking state secrets. 

The special court held proceedings at Attock Jail, where Khan began his three-year prison term on August 5 after being found guilty of unlawfully selling state gifts. A high court had suspended that sentence on Tuesday, ordering Khan to be released on bail, but he was barred from leaving as he was still under remand in the official secrets case.

Thousands of South Korean police deployed to patrolling duties and stopping crime will be armed with new less-lethal handguns. 

The switch is part of a nationwide effort to stop crimes without obvious motives, President Yoon Suk-yeol said at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. It is expected to avoid police brutality while strengthen policing. "All police officers undertaking high-visibility operations will be equipped with low-risk handguns," President Yoon said in Seoul.

Thailand is looking to ease visa norms for Chinese and Indian tourists and allow longer stays for visitors from all nations, as the country aims to boost tourism revenue to nearly $100 billion under new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. 

On Monday, Srettha Thavisin said he wants the list of visa-exempt countries expanded and to increase stay limits for most international travelers. Visitors from China, the largest source of tourists before the COVID-19 pandemic, have to go through an inconvenient and expensive visa process, which has made numbers drop this year, according to the prime minister. Indians can get an easier e-visa for 15 days for a fee of around $55. 

Reuters reported that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted a simulated nuclear strike on targets across South Korea. 

DPRK state media said the simulation was a reaction to exercises that it said amounted to plans for a preemptive nuclear attack by the United States.

(Cover: Dark clouds of Typhoon Saola approaching Guangdong Province, September 1, 2023. /CFP)