“Chances slim in finding two still-missing Laotians”

11 Sept 20:47 Key points summarised by AI

Rescue teams have searched 95% of a flooded Laotian gold mine, finding no trace of two missing miners, with experts deeming the chances of locating them "very slim."
Uncertainty surrounds the actual number of trapped miners, as the five previously rescued individuals were unaware of any others, despite a mother's insistence her son remains unaccounted for.
Extremely dangerous mine conditions, including zero visibility from muddy floodwater, narrow hand-dug tunnels, and a high risk of collapse, severely hamper search and rescue operations.
Rescuers are weighing difficult options for extracting the five survivors: continuing to pump water, which has proven problematic, or attempting a risky underwater dive through submerged passages with untrained miners.

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.