Death toll from Myanmar jade mine landslide hits at least 31

30 Sept 09:30 Key points summarised by AI

A landslide at an unregulated jade mine in Myanmar's Hpakant township killed at least 31 people and left eight missing after torrential rains.
The disaster occurred when a massive 150-180 meter high pile of mining waste, loosened by intense rainfall, collapsed.
Myanmar's jade industry, the world's largest source, is highly lucrative but notoriously unregulated, leading to frequent deadly incidents and financing ongoing civil conflict.
Hopes for industry reforms were quashed after the 2021 military coup, prompting calls for consumer boycotts to prevent the industry from funding military repression.

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.