Four arrested for selling weight loss pills mixed with sibutramine

15 Sept 13:41 Key points summarised by AI

Thai authorities, in coordination with international police, dismantled a transnational gang distributing weight loss pills illegally mixed with sibutramine.
Four suspects, including a Pakistani national, were arrested across six locations in Thailand, leading to the seizure of over six million baht worth of illicit items.
The gang used Thailand as a hub to sell the dangerous pills online to customers in 34 countries, despite sibutramine being linked to severe cardiovascular risks and discontinued in many nations.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Today 14:22 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Education Ministry is implementing a four-pronged strategy to address its students' below-average performance in PISA 2025 and tackle significant educational inequality.
The plan prioritizes closing performance gaps by increasing funding for small and low-income schools, overhauling the curriculum to foster critical thinking, and adopting a data-driven management system to reduce teacher workload.
Key initiatives include enhancing school safety, combating cyberbullying, and expanding mental health support through peer-to-peer networks, recognizing the severe impact of distress on academic performance.
An education expert advises verifying if PISA improvements stem from structural changes, advocating for a revived STEM curriculum with practical 'learn by doing' methods, and urging bureaucratic reform to link teacher evaluations to student development.