Trump stuns with tariff backtrack but punishes China

14 Sept 18:32 Key points summarised by AI

President Trump abruptly paused higher tariffs for most countries for 90 days, citing market nervousness and a desire for negotiations, which immediately boosted Wall Street stocks.
Despite the general tariff halt, Trump significantly escalated duties on China to 125%, accusing Beijing of a "lack of respect" and intensifying the trade war.
Trump defended his decision as a necessary act of "flexibility" to calm market anxieties, while asserting that trade deals would ultimately be made with all nations, including China.
The move against China follows previous retaliatory tariffs from Beijing and highlights the ongoing, tense economic duel between the world's two largest economies.

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.