Staff writer, with agencies
MILITARY
Aircraft fly over Taipei
An assortment of military aircraft rumbled over the Presidential Office Building in Taipei yesterday morning as part of a rehearsal by the armed forces ahead of performances set to take place on Double Ten National Day. The rehearsal was carried out from 6:45am to 7:15am and involved one CH-47SD transport helicopter, two Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, and five Brave Eagle and three AT-3 advanced trainer jets. The CH-47SD flew a large national flag attached by a rope and was accompanied by the two Black Hawk helicopters.
Photo: CNA
POLITICS
Minister denies aggression
China’s leadership knows that saber rattling around Taiwan to force an outcome to its liking in elections does not work and Beijing is not likely to try such actions ahead of January’s presidential vote, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said yesterday. “The historical lesson is that the more China adopts a forceful way of intervening in our election, it’s going to backfire, and I think the Chinese leaders know that very well,” Wu told a news conference in Taipei. “So it’s not likely for them to do anything major to threaten Taiwan or anything so visible that the Taiwanese people understand that they are trying to intervene in our election.” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 1996, China lobbed missiles into the Taiwan Strait to try to intimidate voters against voting for Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) as president. That triggered the so-called the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. Lee won the election in a landslide.
POLITICS
Guatemalan minister visits
Visiting Guatemalan Minister of Defense Henry Yovani Reyes Chigua met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday and said he looked forward to bilateral ties between the two countries continuing to deepen. The minister made the comment during the meeting at the Presidential Office in Taipei, adding that Guatemala and Taiwan had enjoyed “a friendly and close relationship” over the years, according to a press release issued by the Presidential Office. It is unclear when Reyes, along with his wife, arrived in Taiwan and what the main purpose of the trip is.
EDUCATION
Ministry to hire assistants
An additional 1,600 teaching assistants would be hired to work in schools from next year to 2027 to facilitate a better learning environment for students with special needs, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said on Wednesday. The plan has been made per the amended Special Education Act (特殊教育法) that was passed in May to reduce the pressure on those working in education and to ensure reasonable salaries, Pan said on a radio program. Pan added that the ministry would spend about NT$1.1 billion (US$34.1 million) next year to recruit assistants. In recent years, the government has been promoting “inclusive education” for students with special needs to help them attend regular classes and ensure their welfare, Pan said. Meanwhile, regarding preschool education, the minister said that currently every teacher has to take care of an average of 15 children, which is a significant challenge. Pan said the Ministry of Education would not only raise the salaries paid to preschool educators, it would also try to reduce the number of children each teacher takes care of to an average of 12 within three years.
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