US and Philippines conduct largest-ever joint military exercises amidst tensions with China.

The US and the Philippines have launched their largest joint military exercises in decades, with over 17,600 military personnel taking part in the drills. The annual drills, called Balikatan, will run until April 28 and involve live-fire exercises, including a boat-sinking rocket assault in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The drills are seen by experts as a challenge to China's dominance in the region. The US has been strengthening its alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China's aggressive actions in the region, including those against Taiwan.