The Kushan Empire was formed in the early 1st century CE by the Yuezhi, a nomadic people who settled in ancient Bactria and then spread across Afghanistan, northern India, Pakistan and Central Asia. Its rulers followed Greek, Iranian and Indian traditions, and several were devoted to Shaivism, while the dynasty also patronised Buddhism. Under Kanishka the Great, a direct road from Gandhara to China stayed under Kushan control for more than a century. This route helped spread Mahayana Buddhism to China and made the empire a central link between the Roman Empire and Han China. The Kushan realm later fragmented in the 3rd century and was overrun by Sasanian Persia and the Guptas, and then by northern invaders.

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.