Indonesia's highest court unanimously upheld last month's presidential election, handing victory to Joko Widodo. The constitutional court rejected a bid by his rival, Prabowo Subianto, to overturn the result. Prabowo questioned procedures at 59,000 polling stations and called for revotes in as many as six provinces. The nine judges rejected all allegations. Widodo won the poll with 53 per cent of the vote - in the closest Indonesian presidential election ever.

The pontiff completed a successful five-day visit to South Korea - his first trip to Asia. He held several masses, blessed "comfort women" and North Korean defectors and called for reconciliation between North and South Korea. In a significant move, he was allowed to overfly China both going to Seoul and returning to the Vatican. He sent greetings to President Xi Jinping and expressed the hope that he could visit China as soon as possible. Pope Francis said the Catholic Church was not coming to Asia as a "conqueror" but as a partner in dialogue. His next visit to Asia will be early next year, when he will travel to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.