At the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, the United States played the Soviet Union in the medal round on February 22. The Soviets had won gold in five of the previous six Winter Games and were the clear favourites. Olympic rules barred professionals, but the Soviet government got around this by giving its players symbolic jobs in universities or the military so they could train full time. The American team, coached by Herb Brooks, was mostly amateur and was the youngest in the tournament and in US national team history. The US won 4-3 after trailing late in the second period, then beat Finland two days later to take gold.

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.