Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.
Singapore's new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shakes hands with Senior Minister (and outgoing prime minister) Lee Hsien Loong as Wong is sworn in as Singapore's fourth prime minister at the Istana, in Singapore, May 15, 2024. /Reuters
Singapore got a new prime minister on Wednesday, only the fourth since independence in 1965. Lawrence Wong, the 51-year-old Harvard-educated leader, comes from a crop of fourth-generation, or "4G" leaders, a new group of politicians hand-picked by the ruling People's Action Party to take over the reins of the city-state. He took over from the 72-year-old Lee Hsien Loong.
Wong rose to prominence in 2020 as co-chair of the pandemic task force and was named Lee's successor in April 2022. The new prime minister said in his inauguration speech that, "Our leadership style will differ from that of previous generations. We will lead our own way. We will continue to think boldly and to think far.”
People look at destroyed houses after torrential rain and devastating floods in Baghlan province of Afghanistan, May 12, 2024. /CFP
At least 315 people were killed and more than 1,600 others injured after flash floods caused by heavy rains devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, authorities said on Sunday, as villagers buried their dead and aid agencies warned of widening havoc.
Thousands of homes were damaged and livestock wiped out, the Refugee Ministry said. Aid agencies warned of damage to healthcare facilities and vital infrastructure, such as water supply, with streets left coated in mud.
A Pakistan International Airlines plane at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, Pakistan, January 29, 2024. /Reuters
Pakistan will privatize all state-owned enterprises, except for strategic entities, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday. This widens initial plans to sell only loss-making state firms to help the country's finances.
The announcement came after Sharif chaired a review meeting of the privatization process of loss-making state enterprises. Pakistan has listed 25 entities on its privatization list, including the state-owned Pakistan International Airline. Most are in the power sector, including four power plants, and 10 power generation and distribution companies.
Tourists pose in front of a convenience store with Mount Fuji in the background, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, May 3, 2024. /CFP
Japan announced an online booking system for Mount Fuji's most popular trail on Monday. Authorities are trying to ease congestion on the Yoshida Trail, the preferred route for most hikers, and cap daily entries to 4,000 people, who will be charged $13 each.
The Japan Times reported, "Climbers without a reservation can still enter the trail if there are available slots upon arrival at the entrance. The new online reservation system aims to streamline the process of climbing Mount Fuji and give climbers peace of mind, Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki said in a news release."
The Dream cruise ship docked at the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port, Tianjin, China, May 15, 2024. /CFP
China on Wednesday announced a policy allowing visa-free entry to foreign tourist groups aboard cruises at designated ports along the country's coastline.
According to the National Immigration Administration, foreign tourist groups of two or more people who travel by cruise ship and are organized and received by domestic travel agencies can enter China without a visa at 13 designated cruise ports. These tourists can stay in the country for up to 15 days and must travel to the next port on the same cruise ship until the ship exits China.
(Cover: New Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is sworn in during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Singapore, May 15, 2024. /CFP)