War in the Middle East: latest developments

13 Sept 08:15 Key points summarised by AI

Israel launched a "large-scale wave of strikes" against Iranian infrastructure in Tehran and reported explosions in Jerusalem, while Iran reported fresh missile attacks on Israel and targeted Kurdish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Regional tensions escalated with Qatar reporting explosions and intercepting a missile attack near Doha, and an Israeli strike killing a senior Hamas official in Lebanon.
International involvement deepened as France allowed the US to use its bases, and Spain, Italy, and Australia deployed military assets to the region, including naval protection for Cyprus and air-defence assistance.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 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.