M-Pesa, launched in 2007 by Vodafone and Safaricom, lets people store money on their mobile phone and send it by PIN-secured text message. Users deposit and withdraw cash through a branchless network of agents, often airtime resellers and shops, so no bank branch is needed. By 2010 it was the most successful mobile financial service in the developing world, and by 2012 about 17 million accounts had been registered in Kenya. It has spread to several African countries, and has also been criticised for its fees, which can amount to about 10% on withdrawals.

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.