On 4 October Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan allies entered Mekelle after fighters loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front withdrew, and twelve days later Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed named a five-member caretaker administration with six months to rebuild institutions and prepare elections. Yet armed factions still contest authority, hundreds of thousands remain displaced and territorial disputes persist. The 2020-22 war ended with the African Union-brokered Pretoria agreement, which promised protection of civilians, humanitarian access, a transitional administration and disarmament. Its weakness was who could deliver: Eritrea never signed, Amhara armed groups did not necessarily answer to federal negotiators, and the TPLF could not guarantee a united leadership.

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.