标签： Oceania

Just days after a controversial proposal to slash nearly six weeks off the 2026 academic year sparked national outcry, Mexican authorities have reversed the policy, walking back a plan tied to the upcoming co-hosted 2026 FIFA World Cup that drew fierce pushback from parents, policy experts and regional governments.

A government insider confirmed the cancellation to Agence France-Presse on Monday, marking a rapid policy reversal that unfolded over less than a week. The proposal first emerged Friday, when Education Secretary Mario Delgado announced the school year would wrap up on June 5 — a full 40 days ahead of the scheduled July 15 end date. Delgado framed the move as a dual adjustment for both the World Cup and an ongoing severe heat wave impacting much of the country.

But the announcement triggered immediate backlash from across the political and social spectrum. Two major host states outright rejected the plan before the federal reversal. In Jalisco, where Guadalajara will host four World Cup matches, regional officials only agreed to suspend classes for the four days of matches, sticking to the original academic calendar for all other dates. Nuevo Leon, home to match host Monterrey (also set to host four games), similarly confirmed it would ignore the federal proposal and keep its original school schedule intact.

Parents across the country raised alarms over lost learning time, while independent education think tank Mexico Evalua published a critical warning that the cut would exacerbate existing learning gaps for the nation’s 23.4 million primary and secondary students. The organization noted the reduction would cut already limited effective learning time even further, setting a generation of students behind academically.

By Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum signaled the policy was headed for reversal, announcing that education and senior government officials would launch a new round of consultations to collect parent feedback and re-evaluate all available options. Sheinbaum reaffirmed that the academic year would proceed to its scheduled end on July 15, with the standard six-week summer vacation running from that date through August 31, when the next school year is set to begin.

Sheinbaum had previously noted that any adjusted schedule moving forward would be built around consensus, telling reporters, “The goal is for it to be a consensus decision. Now we need to listen.” She added that officials were open to minor adjustments that would allow some students to start the next year early while keeping the existing schedule for others, but no major cuts to instructional time would move forward without broad buy-in.

In addition to the academic calendar reversal, the President also moved to reassure the public that all necessary security measures will be in place for the tournament, and that all ongoing public infrastructure upgrades tied to the event remain on track. Key projects include renovations to the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and expansions to Mexico City International Airport, both of which Sheinbaum confirmed will be completed before the tournament kicks off.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a historic joint tournament hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada, with the opening match scheduled for June 11 in Mexico City, where the Mexican men’s national team will face South Africa in the tournament’s first game.

Just 22 months after sweeping to power in a historic landslide that ended 14 years of Conservative rule, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing the most severe crisis of his premiership, as growing numbers of ruling Labour Party lawmakers demand his resignation in the wake of catastrophic local and regional election outcomes. The 63-year-old leader, who took office in July 2024 on a promise of systemic change after years of Conservative austerity, Brexit infighting and mismanaged COVID-19 response, doubled down on Monday on his pledge to hold his position and reframe his agenda to win back disillusioned voters.

However, his vows to deliver bolder policy action have failed to calm internal dissent. More than 60 of Labour’s 403 sitting members of Parliament have now publicly called for Starmer to step down, including four junior government aides who resigned from their posts over the weekend to register their no confidence. Joe Morris, former parliamentary private secretary to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a figure long rumored to be considering a leadership bid, wrote on social media platform X that it was “now clear that the prime minister no longer has the trust or confidence of the public to lead this change”.

Tom Rutland, a former aide to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, argued Starmer had “lost authority” among the parliamentary party and would never be able to rebuild that credibility. Melanie Ward, former assistant to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, acknowledged Starmer’s early work reshaping the Labour Party before the 2024 general election, but said the public’s verdict in last week’s polls was unambiguous. “The message from last week’s elections was clear; the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the public to lead this change,” she wrote on X. Naushabah Khan, a former Cabinet Office aide who also resigned, added that new leadership was the only way to rebuild public trust and deliver the progressive agenda British voters backed at the 2024 general election.

Under Labour Party rules, any potential challenger needs the backing of 81 MPs – 20 percent of the party’s parliamentary caucus – to trigger an official leadership contest. A leadership battle would almost certainly plunge the party into crippling internal infighting, with factions on the left and right of the party scrambling to elevate their preferred candidates or shore up Starmer’s remaining support.

Since taking office, Starmer’s premiership has been marked by a string of missteps. He was recently embroiled in major controversy after the sacking of his appointed UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson, following the exposure of long-concealed ties between Mandelson and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Critically, Starmer has also failed to deliver tangible economic growth to ease the ongoing cost of living crisis that has left millions of British households struggling financially, though he has earned cross-party praise for taking a firm stance against former US President Donald Trump’s policy on Iran.

Last week’s local and regional elections delivered a damning judgment on Starmer’s tenure. Labour hemorrhaged seats to the hard-right Reform UK and left-wing Green Party, both of which recorded historic gains at Labour’s expense. For the first time since the devolved Welsh parliament was established in 1999, Labour lost control of the legislature to Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru. The party also failed to cut into the Scottish National Party’s dominant position in the Scottish Parliament, leaving Labour’s ambition for UK-wide unity unfulfilled.

In a make-or-break speech to the party on Monday, Starmer acknowledged the widespread public frustration with his leadership and the current state of national politics. “I know I have my doubters, and I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will,” he said. He abandoned his previous incremental policy approach, promising a far more ambitious agenda focused on accelerating economic growth, rebuilding closer ties with the European Union, and overhauling UK energy policy. In a major break from years of muted political discussion on Brexit, Starmer admitted for the first time that the 2020 UK departure from the EU has left the country “poorer, weaker and less secure”. He also announced plans to fully nationalize British Steel, a significant shift from his previously cautious industrial policy. He launched a scathing attack on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose party was the biggest beneficiary of Labour’s election collapse, calling Farage a “chancer” and “grifter” who deceived the British public during the 2016 Brexit referendum. Starmer warned that if the Labour Party failed to reset its course, the UK would slide toward “a very dark path” under far-right leadership.

Despite the speech, internal dissent has not abated. Senior Labour MP Catherine West, who previously threatened to trigger a leadership challenge this week, announced after the address that she was now collecting signatures from MPs calling on Starmer to outline a formal timetable for a leadership election to be held in September. Starmer has hit back, pledging to fight any challenge and warning that voters would never forgive Labour if it repeated the chaotic turnover of Conservative governments, which saw five different prime ministers take office between 2010 and 2024, including three in just four months in 2022.

Speculation has long centered on Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner as the most likely candidates to oust Starmer. However, neither figure commands universal support across the divided parliamentary party. Rayner, who has not yet explicitly called for Starmer’s resignation, echoed the mood of frustration in her own remarks on Monday, saying “what we are doing isn’t working, and it needs to change.”

Tens of thousands of drivers across New South Wales (NSW), Australia, have faced hundreds of dollars in fines over a single preventable mistake each year, but a new state government initiative aims to eliminate these costly penalties for accidental oversights. In 2025 alone, more than 50,000 motorists in NSW were penalized for driving with expired vehicle registration or without valid insurance — violations that most often stem from simple forgetfulness rather than intentional misconduct.

Currently, more than one million NSW drivers already access digital registration reminders through email or in-app notifications in their official MyServiceNSW and Service NSW accounts, with alerts sent two weeks and one day before expiration. Under a new expansion of the existing opt-in reminder program rolled out by the state’s Labor government, drivers will now be able to add free SMS text message alerts to their reminder suite, delivering a final critical notification directly to their mobile devices.

Addressing the rationale behind the policy change, NSW Digital Government Minister Jihad Dib noted that late registration renewals almost always stem from everyday disruptions to busy modern lives, not intentional noncompliance. “We know people lead busy lives and can carry huge mental to-do lists. Paperwork gets misplaced, deadlines slip off the radar, and before you know it, your registration has expired,” Dib explained. “By introducing an overdue SMS notification one day after expiry as a final reminder to get your registration sorted, we could save you hundreds of dollars in fines while keeping everyone safe on our roads. This is a simple idea that could make a huge difference to people; by giving drivers this option we are offering you a convenient reminder in the palm of your hand.”

NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison echoed Dib’s comments, emphasizing that the consequences of an accidental late renewal extend far beyond financial penalties. “Driving unregistered doesn’t just risk a fine, it means being uninsured and putting yourself and others at risk on our roads,” Aitchison said. “These SMS reminders are a simple, practical way to help people stay on top of their rego and avoid an honest mistake that can have serious outcomes.”

Current penalty structures for unregistered driving in NSW reflect the state’s commitment to road safety, but the government recognizes that penalizing accidental oversights is unfair to residents. Light vehicle drivers face maximum fines of $818 for driving or parking an unregistered vehicle on public roads or related areas, while penalties for unregistered heavy vehicles jump sharply to $1,728.

The reminder scheme remains entirely optional for NSW motorists. Drivers who choose not to opt in to digital or SMS reminders will continue to receive printed paper reminders via standard mail six weeks before their registration expiration date. As part of a public outreach blitz to boost participation, the NSW government will send invitation messages to more than four million eligible drivers throughout May and June, encouraging them to add SMS reminders to their account settings.

A months-long diplomatic standoff between the United States and Iran has reached a new boiling point, with a sharp exchange of negotiating terms dashing hopes for a quick de-escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf and raising the prospect of a full resumption of open conflict. The deadlock has already sent shockwaves through global energy markets, pushed oil prices sharply higher, and been compounded by fresh drone strikes across the region that have fractured a fragile existing ceasefire.

The breakdown in talks came after Iranian officials responded to a latest US peace proposal with a formal counteroffer that former US President Donald Trump rejected outright as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE” in a terse social media statement over the weekend. While Trump did not specify which provisions of Iran’s counteroffer sparked his fury, Tehran has publicly outlined its non-negotiable core demands: an immediate end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, the full release of billions of dollars in Iranian sovereign assets frozen in international financial institutions for years, and a cessation of all regional hostilities – a condition that implicitly requires an end to Israeli military strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, emphasized to reporters on Monday that Tehran is not seeking excessive concessions, only the enforcement of its long-recognized legitimate rights. “We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” Baqaei said. Analysts note that meeting Iran’s core demands would not only roll back the military and economic pressure imposed by the US and Israel ahead of the outbreak of the current conflict in late February, but also represent a major policy victory for the Islamic Republic’s years-long campaign to break global economic isolation. It would also significantly reduce Washington’s diplomatic leverage over Tehran regarding its nuclear program, a key longstanding priority for US policymakers.

The US, Israel and their Western allies have for decades accused Iran of pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, a charge Tehran has consistently and categorically denied. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his hardline stance over the weekend in an interview with CBS’s *60 Minutes*, insisting that the conflict will not end until all of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is permanently destroyed. “It’s not over, because there’s still nuclear material — enriched uranium — that has to be taken out of Iran,” Netanyahu said. “There’s still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled.”

Despite the public breakdown, reporting from *The Wall Street Journal* citing anonymous sources familiar with the negotiations indicates Iran’s counteroffer included tentative concessions on nuclear enrichment. According to the outlet, Tehran proposed diluting a portion of its existing highly enriched uranium and transferring the remainder to a neutral third country for storage, with a guarantee that the material would be returned if the final agreement collapses or Washington withdraws from the deal, a key Iranian protection against future US policy shifts.

With talks stalled, the focus of global concern has shifted back to the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic international waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s total oil exports. Iran has already begun restricting commercial maritime traffic through the strait and moving forward with plans to implement a new toll system for transiting vessels, a step US officials have repeatedly called unacceptable. Meanwhile, the US Navy maintains its ongoing blockade of Iranian ports, regularly intercepting and diverting commercial vessels traveling to and from Iranian territorial waters.

Compounding the already tense situation, fresh drone attacks across the Gulf on Sunday shattered the fragile ceasefire that had held for weeks. The United Arab Emirates announced its air defense systems successfully intercepted a drone launched from Iranian territory, while Kuwait reported detecting hostile unauthorized drones in its national airspace. Qatar’s defense ministry also confirmed a cargo freighter sailing into Qatari waters from Abu Dhabi was struck by a drone in the incident.

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, issued a stark public warning to Washington over the weekend that marked the end of Tehran’s period of voluntary restraint. “Our restraint is over as of today,” Rezaei said in a social media post. “Any attack on our vessels will trigger a strong and decisive Iranian response against American ships and bases.”

Looking ahead, the Trump administration has signaled it will raise the Iran issue during the president’s upcoming visit to Beijing this Thursday, where he is expected to press Chinese President Xi Jinping – leader of the world’s largest importer of Iranian crude oil – to back tougher pressure on Tehran to compromise on the peace terms.

Bangkok, Thailand – Thailand’s divisive and long-dominant political figure Thaksin Shinawatra walked free from Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison on Monday, eight months into a one-year sentence, opening a new chapter of uncertainty for the country’s already turbulent political landscape.

The 76-year-old former telecommunications tycoon and two-time prime minute was granted parole as part of a national early release program for elderly inmates, a decision announced by Thailand’s Department of Corrections last month. Following his release, Thaksin was fitted with a court-mandated electronic monitoring device at a local probation office, and will remain on probation until September. Under the terms of his release, he is barred from leaving Bangkok without official government approval.

Outside the prison walls, hundreds of Thaksin’s most loyal supporters gathered in the signature red shirts that have become a symbol of his populist political movement, waiting to catch a glimpse of the leader they have backed for more than two decades. As he exited the facility, Thaksin embraced his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra – herself a former Thai prime minister – and other family members, with supporters breaking into chants of “we love Thaksin” to welcome his release. Speaking to reporters from the back window of his car after arriving at his Bangkok residence, Thaksin said he felt “relief” after what he described as an eight-month “hibernation” behind bars.

Thaksin’s political influence has shaped Thai politics for 20 years, positioning his populist political bloc – which evolved into the current Pheu Thai party – as the most consistent electoral force in 21st-century Thailand. Members of the Shinawatra political dynasty have held the office of prime minister four times, drawing unwavering support from working-class and rural voters across the country. For the entirety of his political career, however, Thaksin has been locked in a bitter power struggle with Thailand’s pro-military, pro-royalty conservative elite, who have long viewed his populist appeal as a direct threat to the country’s traditional social and political order.

This long-running rivalry remains a defining factor of Thaksin’s post-prison future. Analysts note that the former prime minister still faces multiple outstanding criminal cases, a reality that may deter him from jumping back into high-profile political activism that could trigger new legal prosecution. Despite this, his release has already reshaped the dynamics of Thailand’s current ruling government, which includes Pheu Thai as a key coalition partner alongside conservative Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

The road to Thaksin’s early release has been marked by controversy and public suspicion. He first returned to Thailand from 15 years of self-imposed exile in August 2023, shortly after Pheu Thai concluded negotiations to form a new ruling coalition. Upon his return, he was convicted on corruption and abuse of power charges and sentenced to eight years in prison, but was immediately transferred to a private hospital suite on purported medical grounds rather than being held in a standard prison cell. A royal pardon later reduced his sentence to one year, but the Supreme Court ruled in September 2024 that Thaksin had not suffered from a life-threatening health condition, meaning his time in the hospital could not count toward his sentence, ordering him to serve the remainder of his term behind bars.

That unusual path to prison stoked widespread allegations of backroom deals and special treatment for Thaksin, accusations that have continued to shadow Thai politics as he re-enters public life. In February 2025, Pheu Thai turned in its worst electoral performance in the party’s modern history, sliding to third place in national voting and casting doubt on the long-term viability of the Shinawatra political dynasty. But the party’s role in Anutin’s ruling coalition has kept open the door for a potential Thaksin comeback.

Political observers are split on what Thaksin’s release means for Thai politics moving forward. Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science lecturer, noted that for die-hard Thaksin supporters, the former prime minister’s freedom will likely give a short-term boost to Pheu Thai, as supporters see the party’s de facto leader back in public life. At the same time, he argued, Thaksin’s long-time conservative rivals will rally around Prime Minister Anutin, who holds the trust of the traditional elite that Thaksin has long challenged. Those conservatives, Wanwichit said, will push aggressively to ensure Thaksin stays on the political sidelines.

Anutin struck a conciliatory tone with the former prime minister following his release, telling reporters he was happy for Thaksin and his family. “He returns home with a smile,” Anutin said, adding that he would not rule out a future meeting between the two leaders, noting “Bangkok is not that big. Meeting with people we know and respect is not strange.”

Members of Thaksin’s family have pushed back against speculation that he will immediately re-enter political competition. Paetongtarn Shinawatra told reporters earlier this week that the family had not discussed political matters during their recent prison visits. Thaksin’s nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat, who led Pheu Thai’s electoral ticket in February’s vote, currently holds a cabinet position as minister of higher education in Anutin’s administration.

Thaksin is one of more than 850 Thai inmates approved for early release under the government’s program for elderly and low-sentence prisoners, but his release is by far the most politically consequential, leaving political analysts and voters across Thailand waiting to see what the polarizing former leader will do next.