A good week for ...

Aung San Suu Kyi

The Myanmese pro-democracy leader, who is touring the United States, was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in Washington. "This is one of the most moving days of my life," Suu Kyi, 67, told an audience at the Rotunda. She also met fellow Nobel Peace laureate US President Barack Obama for the first time.

Domestic helpers

For the second year running, Hong Kong's 300,000 domestic helpers will get a pay rise, taking their minimum wage from HK$3,740 a month to HK$3,920 - an increase of 4.8 per cent, or HK$180. Employers offering a food allowance instead of free meals will have to pay HK$100 more, or no less than HK$875 a month. Despite this, the decline in workers coming to Hong Kong is expected to continue, with both the Philippines and Indonesia, where many domestic helpers hail from, encouraging people to pursue other careers.

Joko Widodo

The former mayor of the Central Java city of Solo won a run-off election to become the governor of Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. While official results were still to be announced, the incumbent, Fauzi Bowo - who ran with the support of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - conceded defeat after polling agencies showed he had won less than half the vote. Widodo faces formidable challenges in the city of 9.6 million people. Jakarta's problems include massive traffic jams, flooding after rains, and slums and shantytowns without basic provisions such as running water.