Millions sign petition alleging World Cup bias in Argentina's favour

12 Sept 23:43 Key points summarised by AI

Over six million people have signed an online petition accusing FIFA and referees of bias towards Argentina and Lionel Messi in the World Cup.
The controversy intensified following Argentina's comeback victory against Egypt, where Egypt's manager openly accused FIFA of rigging matches due to disputed refereeing and VAR decisions.
Argentina's manager, Lionel Scaloni, dismissed the allegations, stating that modern VAR technology makes favouritism impossible and that his team has faced similar criticisms historically.

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.