Bara rice, grown in the Bara river valley south of Peshawar in today's Pakistan, was once one of the most prized rices in South Asia and Iran. Its long grains stayed separate when cooked and gave off a strong fragrance, which made it ideal for pilaf and biryani. Bara was exported as a rarity and used as a gift between rulers. In the late 19th century it was planted in northern Iran, where it gave rise to the Sadri strain, which is still grown today. Bara itself declined after the British annexed Peshawar in 1849, and it was later overshadowed by Basmati from northern India and Pakistan.

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.