The European Court of Auditors said in an October 26 report that the EU has not built a marine protected area network that effectively protects the marine environment and that meeting its goal of protecting 30% of the sea by 2030 is highly unlikely. In Natura 2000 sites, the largest type of EU marine protected area, apparent fishing activity is 72% higher than in other European waters, and about 85% of it uses bottom-contact gear such as trawls that drag weighted nets across the seabed. The audit exposes a common weakness: an area can be designated without strong rules, management or enforcement, making it a so-called paper park.

Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka handed his resignation to parliament after questions were raised about his eligibility for office and his academic credentials. Gibran is the son of former president Joko Widodo, and his resignation came as Widodo publicly backed the president, Prabowo Subianto. Gibran had been elected vice president in 2024 as Prabowo's running mate. His candidacy was made possible by a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling on the minimum age for candidates, which was itself controversial. Parliament will now consider the resignation.

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.