Asia News Wrap: Japan's first female PM takes office, and more

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

Japan's first female PM takes office with new cabinet

Sanae Takaichi has been elected Japan's prime minister by its parliament, becoming the first woman to hold the office. The 64-year-old secured a clear majority on Tuesday – 237 votes in the powerful Lower House and 125 in the Upper House – serving as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Her victory was confirmed after the LDP, which has governed Japan for most of the postwar period, agreed on Monday to form a coalition with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party.

Japan Times reported that "Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is looking to bring forward a five-year defense spending hike to 2 percent of gross domestic product from fiscal 2027 to the end of this fiscal year." It also noted, "Japan's first female leader appointed just two women to her 18-member Cabinet on Tuesday, despite promising high levels of female representation earlier."

New Delhi air turns hazardous after Diwali fireworks

Air quality in India's capital, New Delhi, worsened to hazardous levels on Tuesday, reaching the highest readings in the world, according to Swiss group IQAir. The decline was caused by the use of firecrackers during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Last week, the Supreme Court of India relaxed a ban on firecrackers in the city, allowing the use of so-called "green crackers" for up to three hours each on Sunday and Monday, although Reuters reporters witnessed crackers being set off outside the permitted times.

Tropical Storm Fengshen kills five in the Philippines

Tropical Storm Fengshen moved out to sea on Sunday after killing a family of five on the Philippines' main island, Luzon, officials and weather forecasters said. The family, including two children aged two and 11, was crushed to death while sleeping, about 153 kilometers southeast of Manila. "The entire family was asleep in a house made of light materials," Governor Angelina Tan of Quezon province told the media, adding that a sixth member of the family survived.

Thailand approves new incentives to boost domestic tourism

Thailand's cabinet approved new incentives to boost domestic tourism, a finance ministry official said Tuesday, as the government works to revive a sluggish economy. The measures, including tax deductions for domestic travel and hotel renovations, are part of various stimulus initiatives aimed at raising economic growth above 2.2 percent this year. Lavaron Sangsnit, permanent secretary for finance, announced that the cabinet approved five domestic tourism stimulus measures proposed by the Ministry of Finance. The package aims to strengthen the economy in the final quarter of 2025.

Fire at Dhaka airport disrupts Bangladesh's garment exports

A massive fire at Dhaka airport's import cargo complex on Saturday caused significant damage to goods belonging to major garment exporters, with losses and trade impacts expected to reach millions of dollars, industry leaders said Sunday. The fire started in the import section of the airport's cargo village, resulting in a temporary suspension of flights. Smoke continued to rise from the facility's charred remains on Sunday as firefighters and airport officials assessed the damage.

(Cover: Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shakes hands with Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, at the House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet in Tokyo, Japan, on October 21, 2025. /CFP)