Teachers in north-eastern Nigeria held protests, demanding stronger protection for learning institutions.
The outcry comes after the abduction of dozens of school children in Borno State last month. Al Jazeera’s Felix Niwara explains.
Sonja Shaw — a Trump-aligned conservative Republican whose public profile rose as she became identified with culture-war causes, including banning transgender athletes from girls’ sports — has emerged as the leading vote-getter in the June primary for California’s superintendent of public instruction.
With more than 80% of precincts at least partially reporting, Shaw was well ahead of Democrat Richard Barrera, holding a lead that would be difficult to surmount.
Both Shaw and Barrera are school board presidents.
Shaw heads the elected Board of Education for Chino Valley Unified in San Bernardino County, a diverse but substantially conservative inland portion of Southern California.
Barrera heads the school board of San Diego Unified, the state’s second largest school district, serving an area with liberal leanings, but that is also politically diverse.
In the primary Shaw was greatly helped by a candidate field that included seven Democrats — most with a voter and financial base that would make them competitive. Incoming results show they divided votes among themselves.
Shaw managed to consolidate the Republican vote, which put her on top for the primary. A second Republican candidate finished far behind her.
On Tuesday night, Shaw sounded hopeful and confident that her campaign themes were resonating beyond her conservative roots.
“I am humbled and grateful that Californians from every corner of our state have rallied behind this campaign,” Shaw said in a statement. “What we’ve built is more than a campaign. It’s a diverse movement of communities who believe our schools can do better and who are determined to make that happen.”
Among its high-profile actions, the Chino Valley board majority put forward a policy that would require parents to be notified if their child expressed gender-identity issues at school. Shaw and her allies also approved a policy that allows parents to challenge the content of library books.
Positioned in a runoff against one Democrat — in a state where Democrats dominate — makes for a challenging campaign.
“Tonight is not the finish line,” Shaw said. “It’s the beginning of the final stretch.”
Barrera, who was not available for comment late Tuesday night, benefited immensely from a $5 million independent expenditure campaign from the California Teachers Assn., which, in the recent past, has seemed determined to spend whatever it takes to get an ally into the state superintendent’s office.
Barrera, besides his work as a longtime public official, has been a senior aide to current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond. Thurmond could not run again because of term limits and instead mounted an unsuccessful campaign for governor.
The state superintendent has limited authority over school districts, which are locally managed. The officeholder instead manages the California Department of Education. This agency guides local school districts and also provides partial oversight. The state superintendent also typically takes advantage of the bully pulpit on education issues.
The office has an uncertain future because Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing a proposal to reimagine the office and redistribute some of its duties.
Los Angeles Unified School District incumbents — Rocio Rivas, Kelly Gonez and Nick Melvoin — surged strongly ahead in early returns Tuesday night for three seats on the Board of Education.
The first reported results were trending toward one-sided outcomes because the major political forces of recent years declined to do battle against each other: The teachers union supported Rivas, who represents a largely Eastside district; a charter-friendly retired businessman supported Melvoin, whose district is centered on the Westside. And the largest union representing nonteaching employees all but avoided the fray.
The third incumbent, Gonez, was the only candidate on the ballot in District 6, and faced one write-in challenger, Jose Sagredo. Thus, Gonez is poised to continue to represent a district centered in the east San Fernando Valley for a third and final term.
With no challengers boosted by high special-interest funding, the three incumbents had a virtually unobstructed campaign path.
If the early returns hold as expected, the Los Angeles Board of Education will continue to lean against charter schools and would stand in general agreement on most policies — including assertive support for immigrants and a continued holding pattern on the future of Supt. Alberto Carvalho, who remains on administrative leave as a federal investigation proceeds.
District 4, Westside
Well ahead in District 4 was two-term incumbent Melvoin. His challenger was Ankur Patel.
The funding advantage in Melvoin’s campaign was sizable through just before election day: Melvoin, $378,803; Patel: $22,662.
In addition, Melvoin benefited from an independent expenditure of $367,093 on his behalf by retired businessman Bill Bloomfield, who has been a major funder in recent campaigns, typically for candidates who also are acceptable to charter-school advocates.
Charters are privately operated public schools, most of which are nonunion. About 1 in 5 L.A. public-school students is enrolled in an independent charter operating within L.A. Unified.
District 2, downtown and Eastside
Also with a huge funding advantage was Rocio Rivas, who was headed toward a second term in District 2.
LAUSD Board Vice President Rocio Rivas was headed toward a second term in District 2. Her major funding source was $889,469 in an independent-expenditure campaign on her behalf, nearly all of it from the United Teachers Los Angeles union.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Rivas’ own campaign raised $66,218. But the major funding source was $889,469 in an independent-expenditure campaign on her behalf, nearly all of it from the United Teachers Los Angeles union. The union also spent more than $4,000 in communications to its members about the election.
These figures compare with $2,525 raised by challenger Raquel Zamora, who reported spending $5,089.
In Rivas’ successful 2022 run, her main funding opponent was Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, which backed Maria Brenes for an open seat. Historically, Local 99 has not been inclined to oppose an incumbent, which Rivas has become. And, true to history, Local 99 has endorsed Rivas, but without spending money on her behalf.
An end to charter school wars
More broadly, this election cycle marks the end to a generation of bitterly contested Los Angeles school board races that became the most expensive in the country, with the L.A. teachers union and charter school advocates slugging it out to advance their vision for public education.
Charter school supporters — who had poured tens of million of dollars into races to elect board members sympathetic to their cause — largely stepped aside, a reflection of their diminished resources and evolving strategy.
The bottom line is that, if current vote-count trends hold, the board will be unchanged for the next two years.
This situation is less than ideal for charter schools. Charters with a mixed record face a tough review when they come up for renewal — about once every five years. Charter opponents want the board majority to move more aggressively to shut down charters when possible and to force them off district campuses — where, under state law, they have a legal right to operate.
Big board decisions looming
Big decisions before the board include how to manage a projected structural deficient — with union leaders calling the dire predictions an accounting mirage.
Meanwhile, Supt. Alberto Carvalho remains in limbo after a February FBI raid of his home and office. The investigation relates at least in part to a failed district chatbot project.
Carvalho maintains his innocence and would like to return to work. The board, however, has turned the reins over temporarily to acting Supt. Andres Chait.
This election cycle marks the end to a generation of bitterly contested Los Angeles school board races that became the most expensive in the country, with the L.A. teachers union and charter school advocates slugging it out to advance their vision for public education. Above, LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.
Coronation Street scenes that aired on Friday night’s episode have suggested that Jodie Ramsey may not be the person behind the anonymous trolling about Daniel Osbourne
22:18, 29 May 2026Updated 22:19, 29 May 2026
Jodie was running a trolling account called Truthteller but it disappeared and then another popped up
Coronation Street has seemingly confirmed that Jodie Ramsey is not behind the anonymous trolling that is ruining Daniel Osbourne’s life on the ITV soap.
The teacher has been played by Rob Mallard for over a decade and his latest drama has seen him trying to come to terms with the fact his ex-girlfriend Megan turned out to be a paedophile who had been abusing teenager Will Driscoll.
To make matters worse, an anonymous social media known only as Truthteller has been spreading malicious lies online about him, claiming that he is as bad as Megan. What he doesn’t know is that Shona Platt’s long-list sister Jodie , who broke into his flat and now looks set to become his girlfriend, was the one behind it all. But there was another twist in store as, with the abusive messages having suddenly stopped and the account wiped, Daniel, Jodie and the family went for a meal at the Bistro.
But almost as soon as they sat down, a new account, creatively named Truthteller2, popped up. Exasperated, Jodie said: “What?! How has that happened? and then said: “It must be someone else. Why would the Truthteller become their own sequel?” but Tracy suggested: “Well, maybe to hide their own identity…”
The latest nasty message was claiming Daniel should have Bertie taken off him, and it had come through just moments before, so he suggested it could be someone who was sitting in the restaurant with them all at that very moment. With Jodie having ruled herself out of being beind the new account, this means that, by Daniel’s way of thinking, it could’ve been Tracy, or Adam Barlow, Alya Nazir or Leanne Battersby.
Viewers of the ITV soap will also know that Sam Blakeman, who was the first to suspect Megan’s relationship with Will, has been experiencing hallucinations as he deals with the trauma caused by his threatening teacher. But following the scenes that aired on Friday night, fans think that it could be someone else entirely.
Taking to X, one fan said: “Jodie is definitely going to pay someone else to play Truthteller to ensure the heat is off her?” whilst another said: “Well, it can’t be our Jodie trolling Daniel. She’s sitting next to him.”
But others are still convinced that Jodie is still the one pulling the strings. One fan said: “Jodie using the name truth teller is pretty funny since I don’t think she’d tell the truth about anything unless there was something in it for her & living under Daniel’s roof doesn’t stop her,”
Taking to Reddit, another said: “I assume that Jodie is a psychopath. I actually knew (past tense) a woman with psychopathic traits who tore up 2 family/friend groups, and caused permanent damage to some friendships. She was outed in the end, but not before the damage was done. I assume this is where they’re going with Jodie.”
Another said: “I am genuinely just impatiently waiting for Jodie to be exposed. It’s driving me nuts. Can’t wait for the “the IP address is coming from INSIDE your house!?” moment.
They have to go down psychopath route surely because most of her behaviour is totally nonsensical but always manipulative and self interested. She seems to want to keep Daniel weak so he needs her? Idk. Can’t wait for David to have his “told you so” moment too.”
Coronation Streetairs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
Jamie Vardy had left Cremonese after one season with them relegated from Serie A and his time in Italy a struggle for the family in terms of finding schools and home comfort foods.
The Vardys Italian adventure did not go as planned.(Image: ITV)
Pensive Rebekah Vardy admits the future for her family is up in the air after their return from Italy – as her husband weighs up where to play football next.
The Mirror told yesterday how Jamie Vardy had left Cremonese after one season with them relegated from Serie A and his time in Italy a struggle for the family in terms of finding schools and home comfort foods.
On their future she joked: “Is there ever a f**king plan?” Before she went on to say she did not see Jamie returning to Leicester City. Other reports suggest he could join Sheffield Wednesday or go to play in the Netherlands or even return to the Premier League.
In an interview with the Times to promote their new ITV reality series about their time in Italy, Rebekah spoke of her public persona after losing the Agatha Christie trial against Coleen Rooney.
She said: “I accept that I am very Marmite. I’ve been portrayed as a villain since I met Jamie — they called me a gold-digger and said I’d leave when his football career ended — and to an extent I’ve played up to being that villain.
“I don’t do emotions; that’s genuine. Someone once said I have a ‘resting bitch face’ and I ran with it. It gets me into trouble because my face doesn’t portray the feelings I have inside. I am not a bitch. I find it hard to show vulnerability because of my childhood [Vardy’s family were Jehovah’s Witnesses], and the church forces you to suppress how you feel.
“That cycle is hard to break. So yes, I do come across as cold, but when you look at the bigger picture there’s a reason. At the same time, I am not a victim. I will not play the victim card.”
She also says abuse from trolls and losing the court case against Coleen, leaving her with legal bills of millions of pounds, have taken their toll in the past.
Rebekah added: “There were times when I questioned the point of existing. I didn’t want to be here any more. It was a horrendous time. What got me through was the life we have together and our children. Always the kids. They are our world.”
ITV will next week profile the family’s time in Italy in three-part series The Vardys. The new ITV documentary was supposed to celebrate a great new chapter in their life.
But instead the cameras show Rebecca struggling to find accommodation and schools for their children; Olivia, six, Finley, nine, Sofia 12, Taylor 16.
It was not the Italian dream they hoped for and lasted less time than expected. Once positive is Rebekah will get Jamie at home this Summer as at 39 he is too old to make it into the England squad.
And she insists she won’t miss not being at the World Cup. She said: “It’s actually quite lonely. You go to support your husband or boyfriend but you don’t get to be near them very much. And Russia was terrifying. It was not an easy place to be.”
* The Vardys airs at 9pm on Tuesday June 2nd on ITV1 & ITVX. All three episodes will be immediately available to stream as a boxset online.
California and a coalition of other Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration over new limits on federal borrowing by aspiring nurses, physician’s assistants, therapists, social workers, mental health practitioners and other healthcare workers, arguing the changes will further reduce a struggling but vital workforce.
“This case is about protecting access to education, protecting our healthcare workforce, and protecting patients who rely on these providers every single day,” California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said during a virtual news conference Tuesday. “The Trump administration is going out of its way to make it harder and more expensive for students to pursue the advanced degrees necessary to serve their communities and pursue meaningful careers that allow them to support themselves and their families.”
Bonta said the new limits on loans sought by nursing and other healthcare students — which the U.S. Department of Education initiated in response to Republicans passing broader student loan caps as part of last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act — was an illegal overreach by the agency that was “deeply shortsighted” and went beyond the scope of the legislation.
“Congress can act,” he said. “But what the Department of Education can’t do is — contrary to law and in an arbitrary and capricious way and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act — redefine what a professional student is.”
In response to the litigation, Trump administration officials defended the new rules, saying they will help student borrowers in the long run by driving down schooling costs at universities nationwide and preventing them from taking on too much debt.
“After decades of unchecked student loan borrowing that gave schools no reason to control costs, these commonsense loan caps — created by Congress — are already incentivizing colleges and universities to lower tuition,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a statement to The Times.
Kent said Bonta and his fellow Democratic litigants “are more concerned about institutions’ bottom-line [than] American students and families’ ability to access affordable postsecondary education.” As one example of institutions responding to loan caps by lowering costs, Kent pointed to UC Irvine reducing the costs of its master’s in business programs by up to 38% to keep them below a federal loan cap for such programs.
The One Big Beautiful Bill, passed by Congress in July 2025, placed new limits on student loans, which could previously be sought for the full cost of such degrees. Starting this July, applicants categorized as “graduate students” will be capped at borrowing $20,500 per year and $100,000 in total, while applicants categorized as “professional students” will be allowed to borrow up to $50,000 annually and $200,000 in total.
On May 1, the U.S. Department of Education issued a new rule defining the “professional student” category as including those pursuing degrees to become doctors, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers, various medical specialists, pastors and other religious academics, and excluding those pursuing nursing and other advanced healthcare degrees.
In announcing the change, Kent said it would “simplify our complex student loan repayment system and better align higher education with workforce needs,” “drive a sea change in higher education by holding universities accountable for outcomes and putting significant downward pressure on the cost of tuition,” and “benefit borrowers who will no longer be pushed into insurmountable debt to finance degrees that do not pay off.”
Others fiercely disagreed, including healthcare industry leaders who also had objected to the rule change during a public comment period. Some said the changes would simply increase student reliance on less favorable, private-sector loans.
The American Assn. of Colleges of Nursing, in a statement, said it and its members were “angered by the Department of Education’s failure to support the nursing profession as the demand for patient care services rises.”
Nearly 150 members of Congress — including more than a dozen Republicans — wrote a letter the day after the rule was promulgated expressing “disappointment” over the exclusion of post-baccalaureate nursing degrees.
“At a time when our nation is facing a health care shortage, especially in primary care, now is not the time to cut off the student pipeline to these programs,” the lawmakers argued.
Rachel Zaentz, a spokesperson for the University of California, which is not party to the lawsuit but operates a vast network of public health programs, said in a statement Tuesday that UC “strongly opposed” the administration’s new caps on federal loans for nurses and other health professionals, which she said “will be felt most strongly by lower-income graduate students.”
“UC will continue to do all we can to ensure that cost is not a barrier for anyone who wants to pursue higher education, and we will continue to advocate with our federal partners for the programs and policies that make this possible,” Zaentz said.
Bonta rejected the administration’s argument that the new caps would help students pursuing a dream of a medical career avoid taking on too much debt — calling it “tone deaf.” He said those students are already “struggling with all costs right now” thanks to the Trump administration’s tariffs, war in Iran and lax approach to regulating monopolies and other big business.
He also rejected the idea that the new loan caps would force institutions to reduce costs for students, calling that “wishful thinking.”
The lawsuit is the 68th filed by Bonta’s office against the second Trump administration. Joining Bonta in the lawsuit — which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Maryland — were the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Times staff writer Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this report.
A physics teacher has shed light on the hidden dangers of inflating your life jacket inside an aircraft cabin during an emergency – it could have deadly consequences
Cabin crew demonstrate how to inflate a life vest – but you should never do this while inside the aircraft (stock image)(Image: Hispanolistic via Getty Images)
A physics teacher has explained the “horrific” risks that come when a life jacket is inflated by a person who’s still onboard a plane. When boarding any flight, the cabin crew run through a comprehensive safety briefing explaining to passengers where the emergency exits are, how to secure their seat belts, where to locate and how to utilise oxygen masks, how to operate life jackets, and more.
Life jackets are typically kept in a compartment beneath your plane seat. It’s crucial to only ever inflate the vest once you’ve exited – and are away from – the aircraft, by pulling down firmly on the red toggles. But why shouldn’t you inflate it while you’re still inside the plane?
Some people think it’s related to efficiency and movement – wearing an inflated life vest could make it more challenging and awkward to navigate through the aircraft.
There is some validity to that but the real reason is to prevent a far more alarming consequence. A physics teacher took to YouTube to clarify this in depth.
The footage shows a split screen, with the teacher at the bottom and demonstration clips in the upper portion to offer additional insight and understanding.
There was a clip of a plane passenger sitting in his seat who inflated his life jacket. The teacher began: “This passenger inflated his life vest during the safety briefing. But that was the exact death trap of some passengers on the Ethiopian Airlines flight.”
She then discussed the notorious hijacking of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, which was seized while travelling from Addis Ababa to Nairobi by three Ethiopians seeking asylum in Australia. The aircraft crash landed in the sea and, of those aboard, 125 out of 175 died – including all three of the hijackers.
The teacher elaborated: “This aircraft was hijacked in 1996 and was forced to crash land in the ocean after running out of fuel. So during the chaos, some passengers panicked and inflated their life jackets inside the cabin.
“But why is that such a big deal? Think about how these vests inflate instantly using compressed carbon dioxide from that tiny cartridge. So the moment it inflates, it makes you buoyant – but isn’t that its job?”
This is where matters take a “horrific” turn. The teacher explained: “It is, but you don’t want it to do that inside of the cabin when the cabin gets flooded because you won’t be able to dive down and swim out of the aircraft.
“Instead, those passengers were pushed upwards by the water and got pinned to the ceiling. They were trapped by the very thing that was designed to save them.”
In the comments section, fellow YouTube users were keen to offer their perspectives. One person said: “No matter how good a tool is, it can be dangerous if not used properly.”
Another said: “What’s worse is that some people can end up preventing others from escaping because they don’t listen to the safety rules”.
A third person said: “It’s also a hindrance when moving through the narrow seat rows and crowded aisle.” While a fourth commented: “Panic really changes how people react in those moments!”
Another shared: “Thanks for the explanation! I was honestly confused why inflating life vests inside the plane was wrong. But this makes sense!”
Someone else added: “I was thinking that the inflated life vest would make it harder to move through the inside, but the actual reason is much more horrific”.
Monty Don says he often felt like ‘summer had arrived without me’ when spending time at boarding school as a child, a feeling he experiences now when filming a hit BBC show
14:29, 13 May 2026Updated 14:47, 15 May 2026
Monty Don admits part of him “resents” a BBC show(Image: PA / James Manning)
It came after he was sent to boarding school as a youngster and found himself feeling as though “summer had arrived without me”. Monty says that while the seasons shifted at school, home is where they “truly existed”.
It now boasts a series of lovingly crafted gardens. It is at Longmeadow that Monty often finds himself feeling like he did when he was a small child, bursting into tears as he realised the seasons had come and gone.
Writing in the Gardeners’ World magazine, he said: “I still have a moment or two like that every year in the garden, although now, 67 years later, I do my best to restrain the tears.”
Monty says a garden often has a “watershed moment” where it seems as though one season becomes the next. The star believes it can often happen with “seemingly no transition” between the two.
On the whole though, Monty explains that in gardening, things “change constantly” through “slow mergings”. He says one moment he often notices the change at Longmeadow is when he goes to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Monty presents the coverage alongside the likes of Rachel de Thame, Angellica Bell and Nikki Chapman. Monty says he leaves Herefordshire on the Sunday and returns a week later.
In that time, he jokes that his garden has “completely rearranged itself”. “Spring has toppled into summer and I was not there to see it,” he explains.
It brings a “complicated mess of emotions” for Monty, a hark back to his days as a boy at boarding school. He says he feels a sense of “betrayal” from his garden, as well as the delight at welcoming in the new season.
And in part, Monty says he blames the Chelsea Flower Show for taking him away from Longmeadow. He continued: “I do not want to miss out on the greatest garden extravaganza of the year and am delighted to and privileged to present the programme from there, and yet part of me resents being taken away from the garden at this critical moment.”
Monty will return to screens this evening from 8pm (May 15) on BBC Two with Gardeners’ World. He will be making a start on some of his amazing summer planters, including working on his leeks and making fertiliser.
Elsewhere, Frances Tophill will be in Berkshire learning about biodynamic gardening and the benefits it can bring. Adam Frost will be showing viewers around his new garden as it begins to take shape.
Large crowds marched across Argentina’s major cities to demand that President Javier Milei comply with a university funding law, and reverse sweeping budget cuts to the country’s tuition-free public university system.
Preah Vihear/Siem Reap provinces – When asked how she spends her day, 11-year-old Sokna rattled off a list of chores.
She first fetches water, then washes dishes and sweeps the leaves and dust from around the blue tarpaulin tent her family now calls home, in the grounds of a Buddhist pagoda in northwestern Cambodia.
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Sokna and her sister have stopped attending school, their mother Puth Reen said, since moving to this camp for people displaced by the recent rounds of fighting between Thailand and Cambodia.
The two sisters are among more than 34,440 people who remain in displacement camps in Cambodia – 11,355 of whom are children – as of this month, according to the country’s Ministry of Interior.
“I tried to tell them to go to school, but they don’t go,” Puth Reen told Al Jazeera, explaining how precarious life had become since returning to live in Cambodia after fleeing neighbouring Thailand, where she had worked for many years, as the fighting started.
Like Puth Reen and her family, the future looks murky for the tens of thousands of Cambodians – including many schoolchildren – who are still in displacement camps, and their lives remain disrupted months after the last outbreak of fighting between Thailand and Cambodia.
Forced to flee their homes in areas where local troops are now stationed and on high alert, or in areas occupied by opposing Thai forces, Cambodia’s internally displaced say they are surviving off aid donations, while those more fortunate are transitioning from emergency tents into wooden stilted houses provided by the Cambodian government.
But with tension still evident between the leadership in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, the tenuous ceasefire along the Thai-Cambodia border means life cannot yet return to normality.
Some areas on the Cambodian border, such as the villages of Chouk Chey and Prey Chan in Banteay Meanchey province, have become rallying points for nationalists who post on social media about the Thai occupation of Cambodian territory. Their anger is directed at the large shipping containers and barbed wire that Thai forces have used to block access to villages once inhabited by Cambodians and occupied during fighting.
The Thai military-installed containers now form a sort of new frontier between the two countries.
The Cambodian military has also prevented people, such as local farmer Sun Reth, 67, from returning to their homes in front-line areas, which are still highly militarised zones, with troops ready at any moment for a new round of fighting.
“Now the Cambodian military base is just next to [my house],” Sun Reth said, adding that she was not allowed by authorities to sleep in her modest home or pick cashew nuts from her farm to sell for a little income.
Cambodian children more focused on ‘rumours’ of war
The long-held border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia erupted into two rounds of conflict last year, over five days in July and almost three weeks in December.
Dozens were reported killed on both sides, and hundreds of thousands of civilians fled their homes as both countries’ armed forces fired artillery, rockets, and, in the case of Thailand, conducted air strikes deep into Cambodian territory. Thailand has a modern air force, a military capability not possessed by its smaller neighbour.
Cambodian and Thai officials reached a ceasefire on December 27, but the situation remains tense five months on.
For families who fled the fighting, school continues for most children in the displacement camps, but parents say education is fragmented while their lives are still so unsettled.
Mothers at the Wat Bak Kam camp for the displaced in Preah Vihear province told Al Jazeera that primary school students can join classes at a local school, but high school students need to travel daily to the provincial capital, about 15km (9 miles) away.
Families living temporarily at the Wat Bak Kam internal displacement camp sit outside their tents, supplied by Chinese government aid [Roun Ry/Al Jazeera]
Now the rising cost of petrol, due to the US-Israel war on Iran, has made it even harder for teenaged students, who have access to motorcycles, to make the journey to school.
Kinmai Phum, technical lead for WorldVision’s education programme, which is providing support to the camps, said school dropout rates and children skipping classes have increased substantially among students from the displaced border regions.
Kinmai Phum said the situation is a perfect storm of problems: Displaced families have been forced to move around for shelters, schools and temporary learning spaces lack facilities, and some students have psychological trauma due to the conflict.
“Local authorities [are] concerned that many children may not return to school at all if displacement and economic hardship persist,” Kinmai Phum said.
Puth Reen, left, and her three daughters sit inside their tent in a camp for the displaced at Wat Chroy Neang Ngourn in Siem Reap province [Roun Ry/Al Jazeera]
Yuon Phally, a mother of two, said she had noticed the impact of the war on her daughter and son, who are in their first and third years in primary school.
When they return from school, Yuon Phally said, they tell her about rumours they had heard about Cambodia and Thailand resuming fighting.
“Their feeling is not fully focused on school; they focus more on these rumours,” she said.
Her children’s world was more impacted by the conflict because their father is a soldier stationed in the Mom Bei area of the border.
During the fighting in December, Yuon Phally said she could not convince her children to go to school because they all waited to see if their father would call on a mobile phone from the front line.
“I couldn’t hold back my tears, and that added more pressure onto my kids,” she said.
“They would ask about their dad and how he is doing now. Then they told me to eat rice. They understood my feelings.”
She said her children’s focus on their studies only improved after their father returned from fighting to the camp where they are staying, to rest and recover from sickness and injuries sustained in battle.
Two construction workers transport corrugated metal sheeting between the newly constructed resettlement houses for displaced Cambodians in Preah Vihear province [Roun Ry/Al Jazeera]
‘Who doesn’t want to have peace?’
Soeum Sokhem, a deputy village chief, told Al Jazeera how his home is located in the militarised “danger zone” along the border, but he feels compelled to return every few days to check on his house, tend crops, sleep an occasional night, and check in with other neighbours doing the same.
“I can’t just stay here”, he said of camp life.
“I have to go back.”
When asked how he felt about the border war, Soeum Sokhem said he had experienced so much war in Cambodia that he did not know how to describe his “inner feeling like I really want to”.
He then listed off all the conflicts he had lived through in Cambodia since the 1960s: The spill over into Cambodia from the US war in neighbouring Vietnam; the US bombing campaign in Cambodia; the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, and the civil war that followed after Vietnam’s intervention to topple the regime’s leader Pol Pot in 1979, and which lasted until the mid-1990s.
Then in the 2000s, sporadic border fights with Thailand began, he said.
Soeum Sokhem at the internal displacement camp at Wat Bak Kam [Roun Ry/Al Jazeera]
Cambodia’s contemporary history has been anything but peaceful, a fact which might explain why the current Cambodian government so often speaks of peace. Government buildings and billboards proclaim the government’s unofficial motto: “Thanks for peace.”
“But who doesn’t want to have peace?” Soeum Sokhem said, after charting his life and the many conflicts he had lived through.
Now the 67-year-old said he once again hears gunfire occasionally when he returns to check on his home on the front line.
“Before, when I walked there, it was normal,” he said.
“But nowadays, I walk with fear when going back there.”
The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation Monday into Smith College, an all-women’s institution in Massachusetts, for admitting transgender women.
The probe by the department’s Office of Civil Rights will look at whether the college violated Title IX, a 1972 law forbidding discrimination based on sex in education.
The move is the latest by the Trump administration — whose rhetoric has frequently included attacks on trans people — to limit transgender rights in the U.S. The administration has said that Title IX prevents trans women from participating in women’s sports, suing several states and launching investigations into schools for not complying.
Smith College, a private liberal arts school founded in 1871, has admitted trans women since 2015, along with many other elite women’s colleges.
The school’s admission policies drew attention and sparked on-campus activism in 2013, when a trans high school senior was denied acceptance because her gender identity did not match the one on her financial aid forms.
Its website now says that “any applicants who self-identify as women; cis, trans, and nonbinary women” are eligible to apply to the school. Advocates have supported the shift over the years, saying that women’s colleges were founded to educate those marginalized because of their gender.
The number of women’s colleges in the U.S. has declined from more than 200 to just 30 as of fall of 2023, according to the Women’s College Coalition.
A college spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
According to the Department of Education in a news release, Title IX contains an exception that allows colleges to be all-male or all-female, but it only applies “on the basis of biological sex difference, not subjective gender identity.”
The investigation into Smith College stems from a complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights in June 2025 by the conservative legal group Defending Education.
“DE and its members oppose, among other things, discrimination on the basis of sex in America’s K-12 schools and institutions of higher education,” the organization said in a news release.
During the Biden administration, new Title IX regulations were issued to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. However, those were struck down by a federal judge in January 2025 who decided the rules had legal shortcomings.
Chile’s military police force has cracked down on student protesters after hundreds demonstrated against the government’s proposals to limit access to free higher education. The proposal includes cutting a government scholarship programme and increasing student loans, as part of wider austerity measures.
Homework can feel stressful when several subjects need attention at the same time. Students may have math problems, science tasks, writing assignments, and reading work all in one evening. Many learners need faster explanations, better organization, or extra practice after class ends. AI homework tools can help by saving time, explaining hard topics, and keeping tasks in order.
Still, the best results come when students use them with care instead of copying answers. A smart tool should support learning, not replace effort. If you are looking for the best AI homework helper, this guide can help.
The table below compares seven popular options by price, device support, and key strengths.
Tool
Best For
Free Plan
Paid Plans
Devices
Main Strength
Edubrain
Multi-subject homework help
Yes
From $3.99/week
Web, mobile browser
Step-by-step + extra study tools
Photomath
Math solving
Yes
$9.99/mo
iOS, Android
Camera-based math help
Socratic by Google
Quick subject help
Yes
None listed
iOS, Android
Photo questions across subjects
ChatGPT
All-purpose homework support
Yes
$8 / $20 / $200
Web, iOS, Android
Flexible explanations
Brainly
Peer homework Q&A
Yes
From ~$2/mo
Web, iOS, Android
Community answers
Quizlet
Revision and memorization
Yes
$7.99/mo
Web, iOS, Android
Flashcards and test prep
Chegg Study
Textbook solutions
No free full plan
From $15/mo
Web, mobile
Structured academic help
Every tool solves a different student problem. Next, we review the best AI for homework in detail.
Edubrain
Edubrain is the strongest all around homework option for students who want one place for many school tasks. It works as a free homework helper with support for math, science, writing, and more. Users can get step by step solutions, answer corrections, formula display, and help through image or PDF uploads. It also includes the Edubrain chemistry AI tool for science tasks that need formulas or reactions. A student can use it in one evening for algebra homework, then switch to a written assignment without changing apps.
The free plan covers core tools, while AI Plus adds more features and deeper support. This makes it a smart choice for busy students who want one dashboard for daily study. Many users may also see it as a top homework helper because it covers several needs in one place.
Pros
Many useful features
Free access available
Supports image and PDF uploads
Broad help across subjects
Good for busy schedules
Cons
Many options may feel crowded at first
Weekly pricing may not suit everyone
Full tools may require upgrade
Photomath
Photomath camera based system lets users scan printed or handwritten problems with a phone and get answers in seconds. The app then shows step by step explanations with clear visual breakdowns, so students can follow each part of the method.
The free plan covers core solving tools, while Premium adds deeper learning tips and extra guidance. Photomath works best for algebra, arithmetic, and routine math practice that needs quick support. It is less useful for non math subjects, but it does daily math tasks very well.
Pros
Easy to use for most students
Fast results from camera scans
Clear math explanations
Good for worksheet checks
Cons
Mainly focused on math only
Premium needed for best features
Less useful for writing or science tasks
Socratic by Google
It works as a photo input assistant, so users can take a picture of a question and get support in seconds. The app covers math, science, literature, history, and other common school subjects. Socratic also connects users to educational resources, lessons, and short guides that can build understanding.
Its zero cost model makes it a smart choice for families on a budget. Many students also see it as useful free software for students because it helps with several subjects in one app. The tool focuses on speed and simple use rather than deep advanced study.
Pros
Fully free to use
Supports many school subjects
Trusted Google ecosystem
Fast photo question help
Cons
Lighter depth than paid tools
Limited advanced customization
Less suited for complex coursework
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a flexible study assistant for students who need help in many subjects. It can support writing, summaries, explanations, and reasoning in one place. Plans include Free, Go, Plus, and Pro, so users can match cost to their needs. A student may use it for math one day and essays the next. Its key strength is chat based support with follow up questions. Many learners choose it as AI for studying because it fits many school tasks.
Pros
Highly versatile across subjects
Strong explanations and summaries
Useful for writing and study support
Good for many school tasks
Cons
Quality depends on prompts
Advanced plans cost more
Answers may need fact checks
Brainly
Brainly is a peer learning platform for students who want help from other people. Its Q and A system lets users post homework questions and get answers from students, tutors, and educators. This is useful late at night when quick help is needed. The platform covers math, science, writing, and more. Free access gives basic use, while paid plans add extra tools. Brainly suits learners who like shared ideas, short explanations, and different solution methods.
Pros
Fast answers for common questions
Active user community
Affordable paid tier
Helpful across many subjects
Cons
Answer quality can vary
Less structured than AI solvers
Some replies may lack full detail
Quizlet
Quizlet offers flashcards, quizzes, and practice modes that help students review key facts. A student can use it after homework to study vocabulary, history dates, or science terms before a test. Paid plans add ad free use and extra study tools. It works well beside solver tools because one app explains problems, while Quizlet helps store facts. Many students include it with other homework helper apps for full study support. Quizlet is best for exam preparation.
Pros
Strong memorization tools
Popular and trusted platform
Flexible practice modes
Cons
Not a direct solver
Some features behind paywall
Chegg Study
Chegg Study is a premium option for students who want structured academic support. It is known for textbook solutions and an expert Q and A model that helps with course questions. Paid tiers start around monthly plans, while Study Pack options may include math tools, writing help, and added study resources.
This can suit a college bound student who uses textbook heavy courses and needs regular support each week. The platform focuses on organized help rather than quick one line answers. Chegg Study is often most useful for students with steady workloads.
Pros
Strong textbook coverage
Access to expert help
Broader paid study ecosystem
Cons
Subscription cost may add up
Best value depends on usage frequency
AI homework tools work best when students use them with care. First, try the question on your own before you ask for help. This shows what you know and where you need support. Use the explanations to learn the method, not only the final answer.
For important homework, quizzes, or projects, double check answers with class notes or another source. Avoid copying full responses into your work, since this can hurt real learning. Use AI tools for review, planning tasks, and saving time during busy weeks. Parents can also guide students by setting clear study habits.
Conclusion
AI homework tools can lower stress and save time when school tasks build up. Each tool has a different purpose, so choose based on your needs. It is smart to start with free plans first. Use these tools in a balanced way that supports learning, practice, and better habits. For students and parents, the best choice is one that helps progress each week.
Death toll rises to 10 after shooting by 14-year-old student at the Ayser Calik School in Kahramanmaras.
Published On 16 Apr 202616 Apr 2026
Mourners have gathered in Turkiye’s southern province of Kahramanmaras for the funerals of victims killed in the second of two school shootings that rocked the nation this week.
Funerals were held on Thursday for eight students and maths teacher Ayla Kara, 55, who were killed in Wednesday’s shooting, The Associated Press news agency reported.
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A 10th victim died while being treated in hospital on Thursday, authorities said. Six of those wounded in the attack were in critical condition, officials said.
Isa Aras Mersinli, 14, opened fire on two classrooms in the Ayser Calik School in Kahramanmaras city on Wednesday. The attacker was later found dead.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said the attacker is believed to have used guns that belonged to his father, a former police officer.
People carry the coffin of a victim of a school shooting during the funeral prayers at a mosque in Kahramanmaras, Turkiye, on April 16, 2026 [Ensar Ozdemir/Reuters]
At a funeral for four of the victims held near Kahramanmaras city’s main mosque on Thursday, one father sat motionless beside the coffin of his daughter, 10‑year‑old Zeynep, the AFP news agency reported.
“Our grief is endless. These children were like our own. They were all innocent,” said Vezir Yucel, father of a student named Yusuf, who lost his close friend, 10-year-old Bayram, in the shooting.
Nilgun Ruci, a 55‑year‑old homemaker, told AFP that she rushed to Ayser Calik School after hearing gunshots. When she arrived, she saw the daughter of a neighbour lying gravely wounded.
“She had been shot in the leg and the shoulder,” Ruci said. “At first, I thought she had fainted. Today I learned that she died.”
Second attack in two days
The attack was the country’s second school shooting in two days, coming after Tuesday’s attack at a high school in Sanliurfa province in the southeast, which was carried out by a former student who wounded 16 people.
As of Thursday, 20 people had been detained in connection with Tuesday’s shooting in Sanliurfa.
The interior and education ministries held a joint school security meeting in the capital, Ankara, on Thursday, which was attended by both ministers and all 81 of Turkiye’s provincial governors, as well as police chiefs and provincial education directors.
Until this week, school shootings were rare in Turkiye. But dozens of students were arrested Thursday over alleged social media posts implying they might stage similar attacks.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that 67 social media users were detained over posts targeting 54 different schools.
EasyJet’s general manager in Portugal has issued a warning over new government proposals the carrier says will artificially inflate prices
Robert Rowlands Deputy editor, money and lifestyle, content hub and Maria Ortega
10:29, 15 Apr 2026
(Image: f9photos via Getty Images)
easyJet is weighing up plans to cut back operations in Portugal, according to reports emerging from the country. The airline’s general manager there has issued the warning amid a dispute over government proposals which easyJet claims will drive up costs for passengers.
José Lopes, easyJet’s general manager in Portugal, announced on Monday that the carrier may cut back its domestic services following the scrapping of caps on something called the social mobility allowance for air travel. This caps maximum fares for some local passengers – but the changes are set to affect the airline more widely.
“Removing the upper limit will artificially inflate prices,” José Lopes said. He argued that the measure will deliver “zero benefits” for island residents while helping to deter tourists, who makeup the bulk of passengers on domestic routes.
The airline says it will not return to operate Azores routes due to the changes. It had already confirmed its departure from the region from March 29, 2026, blaming a 35 per cent increase in airport fees and what it describes as government inaction.
The easyJet representative was addressing journalists at a press conference in Funchal, held in partnership with the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, to outline the company’s operations and long-term pledges in the Madeira archipelago, SIC Noticias reports. Portuguese media outlets report that at Porto Santo airport, the two existing routes to Lisbon and Porto will be retained, albeit with a reduction to Lisbon owing to constraints at that airport, he indicated.
He warned that if the measure to alter the social mobility subsidy regime – which would remove the maximum limits for air travel for residents of Madeira and the Azores – is implemented, there will be implications for Easyjet’s operations. “I hope that an analysis will be carried out and a way will be found to be more rational and less emotional in dealing with the matter,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of abandoning the route to Madeira, the official ruled out this scenario. Yet reports say he highlighted the possibility of “a reduction in market capacity.”
The changes were given the green light on Friday in the Assembly of the Republic, but have yet to come into force. The amendments stem from two initiatives to revise the legislation put forward by the Socialist Party and Chega.
What is the social mobility subsidy?
The social mobility subsidy set a maximum fare of €79 for residents and €59 for students travelling between Madeira and the mainland (round trip), with an overall cap of €400. In the Azores, residents travelling to the mainland pay no more than €119, while students are capped at €89, with a recently introduced maximum ceiling of €600.
The Portugal Post reports that Portugal Parliament’s recent decision to abolish price caps has placed island connectivity under serious threat, with easyJet warning of capacity reductions to Madeira and confirming it will not operate Azores routes under the new framework.
Ryanair has also revealed plans to cease all operations in the Azores on March 29, 2026, citing cost pressures.
