Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo was sworn in on Sunday for a second five-year term leading the world’s third-biggest democracy, after an election dominated by economic issues but also the growing influence of conservative Islam.

Widodo, 58, has pledged to cut red tape and keep building infrastructure to underpin growth in southeast Asia’s largest economy, but made improving education a top priority to encourage investment and create jobs for a youthful population of 260 million people.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong police and protesters exchanged tear gas and petrol bombs as an illegal anti-government march that attracted tens of thousands descended into chaos, with hundreds of shops trashed and Chinese banks and metro stations targeted.

After two weeks of relative calm, the major rally showed that the pro-democracy campaign has not lost support and that hardcore protesters will continue to clash with police.

HONG KONG (AP) — A man distributing leaflets near a wall with pro-democracy messages was stabbed and wounded, as Hong Kong anti-government protesters prepared to hold an unauthorized march Sunday to press their demands.

Police said they arrested a 22-year-old man Saturday in connection with the knife attack that wounded a 19-year-old.

On Wednesday, a leader of the nearly 5-month-old pro-democracy movement, Jimmy Sham, was attacked by assailants wielding hammers and knives as the unrest rocking semi-autonomous Hong Kong turns increasingly violent.

DUSHANBE, October 19. /TASS/: Russia’s State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin on Saturday discussed economic cooperation with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, as well as security issues.

According to Volodin, Rahmon’s visit to the State Duma in April of this year "gave impetus" to the development of bilateral relations. "We began to communicate more within the parliamentary dimension," he said.

TOKYO (Reuters) - When Japan’s youngest prince, Hisahito, visited Bhutan in August on his first overseas trip just months after his uncle Naruhito became emperor, his trip was regarded as the debut of a future monarch on the world stage.

Greeting his hosts in traditional “hakama” kimono and trying his hand at archery, the visit was rare public exposure for the boy on whose shoulders the future of the monarchy rests.

PURSAT, Cambodia, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) celebrated the World Food Day in Pursat province on Saturday, reiterating commitment to eradicate hunger in the kingdom by 2030.

Speaking to hundreds of participants at the event in Kandieng district of northwestern Pursat province, Cambodian Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon said the country would achieve "zero hunger" through ensuring sustainable food production, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agricultural development.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police said Saturday they beefed up security at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Seoul after a group of anti-American students used ladders to break into the compound.

They were protesting demands by the Trump administration that South Korea pay more to help cover the costs of keeping U.S. troops in the country.

Officials from three Seoul police stations didn’t immediately say whether they will seek to formally arrest any of the 19 university students who were detained Friday afternoon at the residence of Ambassador Harry Harris.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader said Saturday the murder suspect whose case inadvertently helped ignite the city’s protest movement wants to surrender to authorities in Taiwan.

Carrie Lam told reporters that Hong Kong’s government would “actively follow up on” a letter she received from Chan Tong-kai requesting help to give himself up.

Chan is wanted by Taiwan authorities for allegedly killing his girlfriend during a trip to the self-ruled island last year. He was not sent back to face charges because there’s no extradition agreement.

JAKARTA, Oct 18 (NNN-Bernama) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will announce his new Cabinet after he is sworn-in as the republic’s president for the 2019- 2024 term this Sunday.

“I will announce it immediately after my appointment as president on October 20, either on the same day or later,” he said in a posting on his Twitter account @ Joko Widodo on Thursday.

In his Twitter posting Friday, Jokowi said during his five-year term as president beginning 2014, his administration had focused on various infrastructural development.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has a “good feeling” that a China-backed free trade pact for countries with nearly half the world’s population will be agreed this year after years of delay, a Thai official said on Friday.

Negotiators for the 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are in the Thai capital this week to try to finalize what could become the world’s largest free trade zone with a third of global gross domestic product.