Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army escorts the national flag to Tiananmen Square to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China, October 1, 2024. /CFP
Celebrations were held across China to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. A flag-raising ceremony was held at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Tuesday. The Guard of Honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army escorted the national flag to the square while the military band played the national anthem. In its 75 years, China has become the world's second-largest economy. It has also become the world's largest manufacturer, merchandise trader, and holder of foreign exchange reserves, with international influence that cannot be overlooked.
India allows rice exports
FILE: A combine harvester in a rice paddy field during harvesting in Narvana, Haryana, India, on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. /CFP
India gave the go-ahead on Saturday for the export of non-basmati white rice to resume as inventories in the world's biggest exporter of the grain surge and farmers prepare to harvest a new crop in the coming weeks. Bigger rice shipments from India would beef up overall global supplies and soften international prices. New Delhi set a floor price for non-basmati white rice exports of $490 per tonne. New Delhi's decision to allow traders to sell non-basmati white rice on the world market follows a series of moves to ease export restrictions on premium, aromatic basmati and parboiled varieties. Global rice prices fell on Monday after India's move, exporters said.
Devastating floods in Nepal
People retrieve goods from a damaged house swept by the deadly flood following heavy rainfall along the bank of Roshi River at Panauti in Kavre, Nepal September 30, 2024. /Reuters
Flooding in Nepal has taken the lives of at least 192 people, and 32 others are still missing after two days of incessant rains over the weekend caused by a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal. Hill-ringed Kathmandu Valley, which is home to 4 million people and the national capital, alone saw 56 deaths and suffered one of its worst devastations in recent years where rivers spilled over banks and flooded homes, hospitals, roads, bridges and markets. Prithvi Subba Gurung, a senior minister and cabinet spokesperson, said the government was assessing the extent of damage and the cost of rebuilding. Officials said some weather stations in Kathmandu recorded the highest 24-hour rainfall for decades.
Japan's new prime minister
Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba talks to ministers ahead of his first policy speech at the upper house of the parliament in Tokyo, Japan, October 4, 2024. /Reuters
New Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba unveiled his cabinet on October 1 and sought to secure a national mandate by calling for a snap election on October 27. The 67-year-old former defense minister, who last week won a close-fought contest to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was confirmed on the same day as prime minister by parliament. Ishiba must quell simmering anger at home over rising living costs and a sluggish economy and navigate a volatile security environment in East Asia. He appointed Katsunobu Kato, a Finance Ministry bureaucrat-turned-lawmaker and proponent of former premier Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" policies, as finance minister. On Friday, Ishiba instructed his ministers to compile a fresh economic package to cushion the blow to households from rising living costs as the new government makes its top priority an exit from deflation.
(Cover: A flag-raising ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China is held at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, October 1, 2024. /CFP)