Taiwan

The US Senate has approved a $95. 3 billion package of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The package includes almost $61 billion for Ukraine.

Taiwan has been rocked by a series of strong aftershocks, the strongest of which had a magnitude of 6. 3. This is an echo of the deadly 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck three weeks ago.

The U. S. Senate is expected to vote on and approve a large aid package to Ukraine and other U.S. allies worth $95 billion, of which $61 billion is earmarked for Ukraine, after the House of Representatives passed it with bipartisan support.

The United States and the Philippines have launched the annual Balikatan 2024 military exercise involving 16,000 troops practicing information warfare, maritime security, and integrated air and missile defense tactics amid rising tensions in the region.

Tomorrow, the U. S. House of Representatives will debate an aid bill for Ukraine, and Kyiv hopes that its partners will reject amendments that would reduce or eliminate the aid.

The U. S. House of Representatives held a procedural vote that allowed four foreign aid bills, including aid to Ukraine, to be brought to a vote by the full House later.

US congressmen have included sanctions on Iranian oil exports in the aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. This could directly affect oil exports from Iran if the measures are implemented properly.

The FBI says that hackers linked to the Chinese government have infiltrated critical US infrastructure such as telecommunications, energy and water supply, gaining the ability to potentially cause devastating damage, and are waiting for the right moment to strike.

The speakers of the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian parliaments called on the U. S. Congress to approve a new military aid package for Ukraine, emphasizing that the support provided to Ukraine is an investment in a common secure future and is crucial at this critical time.

Ukraine does not have a plan B and is focused solely on obtaining a powerful aid package from the US Congress, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after a meeting with G7 foreign ministers.

The long-awaited USD 95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan is expected to pass Congress with the support of House Democrats, despite opposition from some ultra-conservative Republicans.

Biden promises to immediately sign bills providing critical aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan after congressional approval to support allies against threats from Russia and Iran.

House Republicans are planning to consider aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan separately, rather than in one bill, which could potentially delay the process of providing aid to these countries.

Speaker Mike Johnson promises to stay in office, despite his leadership being criticized for failing to pass long-term funding for Ukraine, Israel, and other foreign allies.

The Biden Administration is willing to consider four separate bills proposed by the Speaker of the House to fund national security needs, including assistance to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other priorities, but insists that Ukraine and Israel receive the necessary security assistance as soon as possible.

The U. S. House of Representatives may vote on an aid bill for Ukraine this Friday, according to Speaker Mike Johnson, who said most of the money would go to replenish U.S. weapons.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that dividing US aid into separate accounts for Ukraine, Israel and other countries is pure politics that ignores the lives of people dying in Ukraine every day. He emphasized that if Kyiv falls, it could lead to a war with NATO countries involving American soldiers.

Johnson plans to introduce four separate bills aimed at assisting Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other national security priorities, including the use of confiscated Russian assets to help Ukraine.

In light of Iran's attack on Israel, the U. S. House of Representatives will abandon its previously announced schedule next week to consider a bill in support of Israel.

China has launched a satellite communication system called Tiantong, which allows smartphones to directly connect to satellites, providing access to communication in areas without cellular coverage, solving the problem of communication interruptions during natural disasters.

China has imposed sanctions on two major American arms companies, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems, for selling weapons to Taiwan, citing interference in its internal affairs and violation of the "one China" principle.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that Russia's attack on Ukraine, as well as the situation in the Middle East and East Asia, requires changes in the country's policy. Geopolitical tensions have pushed the world to a "historic turning point" and forced Japan to change its defense strategy.

Microsoft warns that China is likely to use AI-generated content to disrupt elections in the US, South Korea, and India in 2024 after attempting to do so during the Taiwanese presidential election.

The U. S. House of Representatives is unlikely to vote on aid to Ukraine until at least mid-April, and possibly later, as Speaker Mike Johnson tries to overcome Republican opposition by considering conditions such as turning aid into a loan, confiscating Russian assets, and lifting the moratorium on new liquefied natural gas export licenses.

A 7. 2-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Taiwan killed at least 7 people, injured 711 and caused serious damage in Hualien County, and 127 aftershocks hit the island.

Thirty Chinese army aircraft were spotted around Taiwan. 20 of them came dangerously close to the northern part of the island, where the capital is located.

Biden expressed concerns to Xi about China's support for Russia's war against Ukraine, unfair trade policies, and non-market economic practices that harm American workers.

Despite Western sanctions, russia increased its imports of nitrocellulose, a key ingredient for gunpowder production, by 70% in 2022 from companies in the US, Germany, Taiwan, and other countries.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warned that stopping the supply of U. S. weapons to Ukraine would encourage China to aggress against Taiwan and strengthen Beijing's anti-American propaganda.

Thailand's lower house of parliament has passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage, which, if approved by the Senate and the King, will make Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize such unions.