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

A small but active volcano near the Philippine capital Manila spewed sulfur dioxide and volcanic smog on September 22, prompting authorities to close schools in dozens of cities and urge people to stay indoors. The state volcanology and seismology institute said it observed rising hot volcanic fluids in the Taal volcano's crater lake, resulting in the emission of volcanic gases. A surge in sulfur dioxide emissions from volcanic eruptions is thought to be responsible for the dangerous air blanketing the densely populated region. This caused heavy pollution, shrouding buildings in the capital region in haze.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) put on its first large military parade in a decade on Tuesday, with missiles and tanks rolling through Seoul. The parade marks the country's Armed Forces Day. The parade is seen as a show of force against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The full-day event featured thousands of troops and ROK’s home-grown tanks and self-propelled artillery, joined by 300 U.S. soldiers based in the country, the Defense Ministry said.

Protests hit India's tech hub, Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka state, on Tuesday, and police detained protesters while demonstrations took place against the sharing of Cauvery river water with neighboring Tamil Nadu state. At least a dozen people were injured. Schools and colleges were shut in the city, home to more than 3,500 tech companies. Farmers' groups called the protest, which forced employees of multinationals who couldn't commute to work from home.

Several areas of Bangkok, Thailand, were inundated with floodwaters on Tuesday after hours of torrential rain. The flood caused traffic on the main Sukhumvit Road to come to a stop, with several vehicles breaking down because of flood water. According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the highest rainfall was recorded at 8.30 p.m. in Phra Khanong district at 140.5 mm. The Bangkok Post reported, “Bangkok commuters are all too familiar with flooded roads after late-afternoon deluges at this time of year. But nationwide, as the rainy season winds down, precipitation is down significantly because of the effect of El Nino."

China's scientific research icebreaker Xuelong-2 returned to its home port in Shanghai on Wednesday, rounding off the country's 13th Arctic Ocean expedition. The icebreaker's landmark accomplishment was reaching the North Pole to conduct ice and marine investigations, making it the first time a Chinese vessel has ever reached that point. The expedition also featured international collaboration programs. China and Thailand cooperated for the first time on the expedition to provide a reference for the research and control of global microplastic pollution. Also, China and Russia deepened the geophysical survey of the mid-ocean ridge, laying a solid foundation for the two sides to jointly carry out geological structure research in the Arctic Ocean.

(Cover: An aerial view shows smog enveloping Tagaytay City, Cavite Province, Philippines. September 22, 2023. /Reuters)